Families and friends can soak up the Hermosa Beach sun while enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of Fiesta Hermosa this Memorial Day weekend.
With more than 200 artists showcasing their works, the local arts and crafts festival kicks off Saturday and will continue to Monday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.
“We have something for everyone,” said Maureen Hunt, interim executive director of the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event twice a year. “We have a Kiddie Carnival for the young kids and a petting zoo, then we have the beer garden for the younger adult crowd. We have a lot of tribute music for those that like to dance.”
Each fiesta has attracted about 120-130,000 visitors to the city, according to the chamber. Revenue generated from the event supports the chamber and the community, Hunt said.
“What we do is we make the money from the fiesta and that’s what runs our chamber and makes us able to give back to the community,” Hunt explained.
Local businesses, such as , , and will be in attendance, serving their food at the fiesta, as well as other restaurants from surrounding areas.
Nonprofit organizations such as the , Rotary Club, and are all helping out with the beer garden, Hunt said.
Here are some of the fiesta happenings to add to your to-do list this weekend:
Dance
The You Can Dance studio on Aviation Boulevard in Hermosa Beach will present a ballroom dance demonstration from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday. The studio is billed as the home of Jonathan Roberts and of Dancing with the Stars fame.
Music
The fiesta features two stages for music—a main stage positioned at Pier Plaza and the Strand, and the beer garden stage at 11th Street and Beach Drive.
Both stages will showcase mostly tribute bands, including Paperback Writer performing Beatles tunes on the main stage Saturday at 11 a.m.; a Doors tribute at 3 p.m.; and a Cars tribute at the beer garden at 3:30 p.m.
The main stage will see renditions of Joplin, Hendrix and Fogerty on Sunday at 11 a.m. then the MVPS cover band hits the stage at 3 p.m. A Van Halen tribute will be Monday at 3 p.m.
The beer garden will feature reggae band Urban Dread at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and then the tribute rock band Dazed and Confused at 3:30 p.m. A Santana tribute will be Monday at 11:30 a.m., followed by arena rock cover band Wayward Sons at 3:30 p.m.
Fun for Kids
The G.R.A.C.E. Animal Rescue group and the Peter Zippi Fund for Animals will be in attendance, adjacent to the petting zoo. Major sponsors Hawaiian Tropics and Lipton Tea also plan to have interactive booths for children, Hunt said.
Parking
The person in charge of coordinating the fiesta is Mike Bell of Bell Event Services—he outlined the nuts and bolts of making such a large-scale event work.
“We had to go to the city to get approval on the street closures and the venue layout, we made arrangements to have the police and fire departments in the loop, we contacted the vendors, contacted the entertainment, put together the food court, and did a lot of other logistical things for the event,” Bell told Patch.
With an expected 120,000 visitors, the issue of parking can potentially be a big concern.
“We have free shuttle parking all three days, throughout the day, from the Northrop Grumman parking lot,” Hunt said. “We encourage people who live in the local community to ride their bike, because we also have a on the south side of the Pier.”
Fiesta Hermosa will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Admission is free.
