South Redondo Beach News

Bring your family and celebrate Spring at Redondo Beach’s annual SpringFest carnival and Community Festival. located in Aviation Park at the corner of Manhattan Beach Blvd. & Aviation Blvd, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd.

There’s ton’s of fun for the entire family!

• Carnival Rides
• Kids Zone
• Arts & Crafts
• Food Court and Food Trucks
• Community demonstrations
• and lots, lots more!

Admission and Parking is Free!

Started as an after school program in Philadelphia in 2002 and popularized with a Jack Black movie of the same name, the School of Rock aims to teach music by helping kids learn how to play classical rock songs on a variety of instruments. The South Bay School of Rock is currently in the process of renovating an existing medical building by converting exam rooms into lesson and rehearsal rooms. The school will host its grand opening on April 13 and will feature lesson discounts and giveaways for those who attend.  What differentiates the school is rather than traditional methods that teach you European classical music that would be heard in a nursery school in Europe, the whole idea is to teach kids to perform rock songs. And not only teaches kids how to play their respective instruments—it also teaches them teamwork by placing them into bands with other children. For more information on enrollment and the school’s teaching structure, visit its website at southbayla.schoolofrock.com.

The Redondo Beach Festival of the Kite is one of Southern California’s longest running kite festivals and is fun for all-ages. The 39th annual event begins Sunday at noon at the pier, 100 Fisherman’s Warf, Redondo Beach 90277 and features prizes awarded in various categories from the youngest kite flyer to the youngest at heart. Watch spectacular kites flown high above the pier—from the acrobatic kites of world champions to the hand-made entries of amateurs. Free kites will be provided to kids of all ages.Free, open-air, eco-friendly fun for kids and families. Contests, kite making, and kite flying demonstrations. Giant kites, tiny kites, stunt kites, exotic kites, kite buggies, kite boards, kite boats and thousands of amateur and professional kite fliers. There will also be live music, a hot dog eating competition and demonstrations all along the pier.

CenterCal the developers inspiration for the impending redesign of the Redondo Beach waterfront pier and marina come from many sources, among them projects in Washington, Oregon and Utah. Elements of Pike’s Place Market in Seattle, the stylized outdoor marketplace of Bridgeport Village in Portland, Ore., and the grand water features at Station Park in Farmington, Utah. The companys vision for the waterfront includes a small boutique hotel by the shore as well as a small movie theater that would serve dinner. Not only is the waterfront due for renovations to plan for rising sea levels, but many buildings need refurbishment for quality purposes as well. The design, will be “open, inviting and green,” and efforts would be taken to keep the new layout from obstructing ocean views. The plans also will create more bike and pedestrian access to the waterfront. Because the community’s input is important to the developers, CenterCal has had multiple meetings over the course of the past year with groups of waterfront residents.

If you’re in the market for an electric vehicle, you’ll certainly have your pick. With its laws incentivizing car manufacturers to go green, California has driven the  push for eco-friendly transportation. Though electric cars are more energy-efficient, you can still travel up to three times as far in some internal-combustion vehicles. Another thing to consider is electric car batteries are expensive to replace and can take up to eight hours to charge. Whether you’re looking to buy an electric car or you already own one,  Los Angeles County is full of service stations—including several in Redondo Beach—that will keep you charged for your emissions-free commute.   See map of all local stations, Click Here

South Bay residents are becoming increasingly healthier according to a new study released Wednesday during the Beach Cities Health District board meeting. The new found improvements are being touted as an indication that the Blue Zones Project – a community health initiative launched in 2010 – is gaining momentum in its goal to make the beach cities a healthier and happier place to live, work and play. The study found that beach cities residents have shown an overall well being increase since 2010 and are now smoking less, working out more and eating healthier than they were two years ago. Since the Blue Zones project began in Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo Beach, organizers said they have been successful in influencing city governments, restaurants, schools and businesses to adopt healthier practices. While many indications of well being are increasing, the beach cities still have a big area to improve upon – stress. About 47 percent of beach cities adults reported carrying significant stress on any given day compared to the national average of 40 percent.

The South Bay Boardriders Club will once again host its South Bay Big Wave Challenge, where photographers and surfers team up to see who can ride the biggest wave in the South Bay—and document it with a photo or video, according to South Bay Events. To be eligible for the contest, the wave must have been ridden in the South Bay between Dec. 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013. The boundaries are Indicators in Palos Verdes to the south and Dockweiler Beach to the north. Participants must sign a waiver in person at Dive N Surf in Redondo Beach before participating in the contest, which is in its third year. Cash and other prizes will be awarded to the winning photographer and surfer. The winners will be announced at the Hermosa Playhouse on a date to be determined in April.

Holiday shoppers, rejoice! From Monday through Jan. 2, visitors to Riviera Village in South Redondo Beach will pay nothing to park at metered spaces from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is already free to park at the meters from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next morning. According to the bags on the meters, the two-hour parking limit will be strictly enforced. In addition to the free parking in Riviera Village, free parking at the Redondo Beach Pier parking structures, which began Dec. 10, will continue through Dec. 28. The free parking lasts from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Holiday Concert on the Redondo Beach Pier on Saturday, December 15 from 3 to 5 p.m. Surf rock band,High Tide will be performing songs from the Billboard 100 award winning, Ventures Christmas Album. Sing along to Jingle Bell Rock, White Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Silver Bells and other holiday favorites! Santa will be in the house, so be sure to bring your list and be on your best behavior! The event also features the KROQ Street Team, Fuse Fitness Flash Mob, giveaways and surfing Santa photos. Attendees are asked to please bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Cheer for Children Charity Toy Drive. Holiday tunes performed by a surf rock band on the Pier overlooking the deep blue…..this is how the South Bay celebrates the season!

The King Harbor Yacht Club Presents the 21st Annual King Harbor Christmas Boat Parade which will be held on Saturday, December 15th from 5:30pm to 7:00pm in the main channel of King Harbor. It is FREE for anyone to view the parade all along the seawall and from various restaurants. The theme this year is “A Christmas Wish” and our Grand Marshall is Bo Derek. Santa and his elf will be visiting the Redondo Beach Marina, and the Redondo Beach Pier throughout the day and at 5 pm the Annual Christmas Boat Parade begins. The whole harbor area along Harbor Drive lights up with many of the boats in the Marina lighting their boats as well throughout the holiday season. Viewing for the actual boat parade can be seen from many of the restaurants, on the piers or along the break wall.