Have friends and family in town for Labor Day and looking for what to do in Redondo Beach? Lots of exciting events are happening all around the Redondo Beach area during Labor Day, as well as other fun things to do. Here’s a look at just some of the many activities to experience while your friends are in town.
Hermosa Beach 47th Annual Fiesta Hermosa
Wrap up the summer at nearby Hermosa Beach at the 47th annual Fiesta Hermosa festival on August 31 to September 2 from 10 a.m.- 6:30 p.m. on Pier Plaza, at Hermosa Venue and lower Pier Avenue.
What to To Do in Redondo for Fun
Expect more than 300 artists and crafters presenting paintings, photographs, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture and handicrafts. There’s also a Beer & Wine Garden, with proceeds going to charity, plus a trio of stages featuring tribute bands playing live music throughout the weekend—one at the foot of Hermosa Pier, another in the Charity Beer & Wine Garden, and a third on Manhattan Avenue near Java Man.
Other highlights include the Food Court, just south of the Hermosa Pier—offering up 18 different kinds of ethnic food choices, including everything from roasted corn to Thai, Greek and Mexican food, to tri-tip sandwiches and barbecue sausages, handmade guacamole, crepes and more—and the Kiddie Carnival, complete with a petting zoo, mechanical rides, a 30-foot slide, and face-painting.
Another fun Labor Day event in Redondo Beach is Kids Paint Day Out Sept. 2 from 9 a.m.-noon. Hosted by Paint ’n Pour (at 2772 Artesia Blvd., Ste. 106), this class for children 4 and older includes an instructed painting, crafts and playtime with friends. Kids will go home with their own unique canvas. The class is limited to 15 kids, so be sure and book early.
What to do at the Redondo Beach Pier
A trip to Redondo Beach wouldn’t be complete without a visit to The Redondo Beach Pier, where you can enjoy panoramic and coastline ocean views while checking out 50-plus dining, shopping and entertainment venues. Among the favorites are Chic at the Beach, with a collection of caps, T-shirts, sweatshirts and jackets, many with a “Redondo Beach” logo; Kobe Pearl & Gem Co., where you can hand-select an oyster containing a cultured pearl, or if you’re lucky, a rare black pearl, that can be hand-set in yellow or white gold, or sliver; and family-owned and operated Tony’s on the Pier, with a duo of bars, seafood specialties and a second-floor “crow’s nest-lookout” room offering eye-catching views from Palos Verdes to Malibu and Catalina Island and Mai Tais served in souvenir glasses.
The Whaling Wall
While there, be sure and view the Whaling Wall, a life-sized mural depicting the California gray whale migration painted by Laguna Beach artist Wyland, on the AES Power Generating Plant at Harbor Drive between Herondo Avenue and Beryl Street.
Free Movie Nights at the Pier
And don’t miss Free Movie Nights at every Saturday in September from 7:30-10 p.m.
Here’s the Schedule:
+ School of Rock (Sept. 7)
+ Karate Kid (Sept. 14)
+ Back to the Future (Sept. 21)
+ Grease (Sept. 28)
**An added bonus: Originally set to wrap up on Aug. 31, the Pier’s Summer of Music Free Concerts has been extended through Sept. 1 with an encore performance by 1969 Rock Band performing classic rock and blues covers from the ’60s beginning at 8 p.m.
Where is Redondo Beach Pier?
The Redondo Beach Pier is at 100 Fisherman’s Wharf, at the end of Torrance Boulevard, west of Pacific Coast Highway. The Pier is open 24 hours a day for walkers, fisherman and business patrons. The shops and restaurants will have varying hours; some opening early in the morning and some open until 2 a.m.
King Harbor Marina
Once you’ve thoroughly explored the Pier, make your way to King Harbor Marina, which is subdivided into four marinas: King Harbor Marina, Port Royal Marina, Portofino Hotel & Marina, and Redondo Beach Marina (where you can take a romantic Gondola Amore cruise through the harbor; take a ride on the 70-foot Ocean Racer speedboat; and check out a glass bottom boat). Along the shore of King Harbor, near the Sportfishing Pier, the popular Seaside Lagoon is a protected saltwater lagoon for swimming, sunbathing and volleyball. Children’s play equipment is available there, along with a snack bar and a grassy area.
Where to Park
Visitors to Redondo Beach Pier, King Harbor and the beach area have a choice of parking lots. The most convenient are the two pier and plaza parking structures. Several other nearby city parking lots are available, along with some street parking. Paying at an automatic Pay Station? Use your credit card and submit your cell phone number. When time is about to expire, you’ll receive a text alert and can extend your time by replying to the text.
A Local Redondo & Torrance Beach – RAT Beach
Beginning at the Redondo Beach Pier near Veterans Park and continuing south is Redondo County Beach, a popular 1.5-mile-long stretch of sand along the city’s waterfront that offers volleyball courts, surfing, swimming, fishing, and walking and mountain biking along the Marvin Braude Coastal Bike Trail. There’s also picnic areas, a grassy park and children’s play area. Torrance Beach also is nearby. The southernmost of the big beaches on Santa Monica Bay—extending from the Malibu area to the Palos Verdes Peninsula—its local nickname is “RAT Beach,” which stands for various things like Right At Torrance, Right After Torrance, and Redondo And Torrence.
Riviera Village – Shop to you Drop
If shopping is more your style, make a beeline straight to the pedestrian-friendly district of Riviera Village to browse more than 300 one-of-a-kind boutiques, restaurants, galleries, salons and services. Among the special events is First Fridays, when participating merchants and art galleries stay open until 8 p.m. on the first Friday of every month to offer live music, dining specials and sales, as well as the Farmers Market (each Sunday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., in the triangle parking lot at 1801 S Elena Ave.), where you can listen to live music while shopping for certified California grown farm fresh fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers, as well prepared food from vendors, gourmet specialty foods, and arts and crafts. The Village is the go-to place to rent a bike or Segway and cruise the world-famous South Bay bike path, which starts just west of the Riviera Village.