By Lookout Staff
August 6, 2026 – The Pier's historic Merry Go-Round Building will be turned into a "floating casino" for one night next month for a fundraiser honoring two families who helped preserve the pleasure pier's storied past and shaped its future.
During A PIERfect Benefit – which will take place Saturday, September 19 -- the Pier Corporation will present its annual award to the Gordon Family, who has owned the Playland Arcade for more than seven decades, and the Whiting Family, which has "quietly helped preserve" the Pier's history for generations.
During the celebration, guests -- who are encouraged to wear vintage 1920s and 1930s attire -- will enjoy a "glamorous night" aboard a replica of the SS Rex, the gambling ship that helped shape early entertainment culture on the California coast.
Throughout the evening, guests will enjoy "signature cocktails, specialty culinary offerings, live entertainment, immersive casino gaming (and) exclusive auction experiences," Pier Corporation officials said.
"Guests who purchase casino gaming tickets in advance receive 50 percent off the day-of-event gaming price," officials said, and "winners at each gaming table will earn raffle tickets for chances to win exclusive prizes throughout the evening, creating even more opportunities to support the Santa Monica Pier Corporation's nonprofit mission."
One of this year's award winners, the Playland Arcade was founded in 1954 by brothers George and Eugene Gordon and their father Morris “Pops” Gordon and "began as a dream to bring joy, lights, and laughter to the beachfront."
The longest-running family-owned business on the Pier, the Playland Arcade is now owned by a fourth generation of family women, George and June's daughters, Joanie and Marlene Gordon, and the daughters of their late sister Barbara -- Dana Picore and Monique Giroux.
The Gordon Family is being honored for more than 70 years of "stewardship, resilience, and its enduring commitment to creating memories for generations of Pier visitors," while "preserving one of Southern California's last authentic boardwalk arcades," Pier officials said.
"Throughout decades of changing entertainment trends, economic uncertainty, devastating coastal storms, redevelopment proposals and the transformation of the Pier itself, the Gordon family has remained a constant presence," officials said.
Also receiving the 2026 Santa Monica Pier Award for "a lifetime of dedication to preserving the Pier's history and ensuring its future," the Whiting family are direct descendants of the historic Newcomb family that owned and operated the Pier's commercial district for nearly three decades.
"In the generations that followed, the Whitings continued that tradition of service -- not through ownership, but through steadfast support," Pier officials said. "Whenever the Pier faced challenges -- whether physical, political or financial -- the Whitings were there."
The Gordon and Whiting families, said Pier Corporation Executive Director and Historian Jim Harris, "represent generations of commitment, generosity and love for this remarkable place. Their stories are woven into the very fabric of the Santa Monica Pier."
"The Santa Monica Pier has always been about people," Harris said. "Buildings can be restored. Attractions can change. But what truly defines the Pier are the people who dedicate their lives to protecting it."
Proceeds from A PIERfect Benefit directly support the Santa Monica Pier Corporation, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to preserving and enhancing the Santa Monica Pier through free, year-round programming.
Early Bird pricing for A PIERfect Benefit remains available through August 19. Guests who purchase tickets before the deadline receive 20 percent off admission by using the promotional code EARLYBIRD.
For tickets, gaming packages, sponsorship opportunities and tax-deductible donations CLICK HERE