Dancers from Arthur Murray Santa Monica perform prior to the showing of Front Porch Cinema - La La Land at the Santa Monica Pier on Friday, September 29, 2017. #FrontPorchCinema

CANNONBALL MEMORIAL RUN: Police officers leave the Santa Monica Pier on Thursday, September 28, 2017. The Cannonball Crew are driving nonstop from Santa Monica to the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial in Washington DC, collecting patches from various agencies honoring our Fallen Heroes.

A "Cannonball" style run starting on the West Coast and ending at the National Peace Officer Memorial in Washington DC. The police officers will obey all traffic laws in route to DC, while stopping at all Law Enforcement agencies along the route that have had peace officers MURDERED this past year. Patches from those respective agencies as well as surrounding will be collected and delivered to the National Peace Officer Memorial. They hope to raise awareness for the outstanding job these public servants do each and every day. Their KILLERS need swift justice. Targeted murders of Law Enforcement Officers should be prosecuted as Capital Cases!

Construction crew works on the Santa Monica Clean Beaches Project at Beach Lot 1, 1550 Pacific Coast Highway on Thursday, September 28, 2017. The project entails constructing an underground tank capable of collecting up to 1.6 million gallons of stormwater runoff and brackish groundwater, which the City of Santa Monica will treat for non-potable reuse such as irrigation and toilet flushing. By repurposing stormwater and brackish groundwater, the City of Santa Monica could save up to 560 acre-feet of water per year, or the equivalent of 275 Olympic-size pools. The Santa Monica Clean Beaches Project is anticipated to be completed by the summer of 2018.

Special Olympics Southern California invites you to a unique Oktoberfest experience this year at the 21st annual Pier del Sol fundraiser at the Santa Monica Pier on Sunday, Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This Oktoberfest celebration will be like none other, one that fuses great food and amusement park experiences to benefit Special Olympics Southern California athletes.

Tickets for the event are on sale at www.sosc.org/pierdelsol. This is an exciting and unique day of fun on the historic Santa Monica Pier and Pacific Park. At the only food & spirit festival fused with a backyard private amusement park experience, attendees will enjoy an exclusive VIP Brunch featuring mouthwatering tastings from some of L.A.’s top chefs and restaurants, complete with a beach top beer & wine garden, entertainment, music, arts & crafts, games, and unlimited rides.

“Pier del Sol is a family, fun day for the community, our Special Olympics athletes, and supporters of our movement,” said Bill Shumard, President and CEO of Special Olympics Southern California. “The funds raised help us serve more athletes, changing their lives, the lives of their families, and of the community.”

This year’s Honorary Chef is Gino Angelini, from one of the area’s hottest restaurants, Angelini Osteria. He has been a dedicated supporter and friend of Special Olympics Southern California for the past 14 years. The Pier del Sol honoree for 2017 will be Pacific Park CEO Mary Ann Powell. Honorary co-chairs of the event are Maria Shriver and Bobby Shriver.

“Special Olympics does incredible work. I respect that 89-percent of the money raised goes directly to provide activities for the athletes,” said Gino. “I am not an athlete, but being honored by Special Olympics is similar to winning an Olympic gold medal. I am very honored.”

Here is who is scheduled to bring tasty treats to your taste buds:

Angelini Osteria (with Pier del Sol honorary chef Gino Angelini)
BJs Restaurants (Chef David Vazquez)
Bubba Gump Shrimp Company (Chef Kelly Bowers)
Clementine (Chef Annie Miller)
Dandy Don’s HomeMade Ice Cream (Chef Don Whittemore)
Dulan’s on Crenshaw Soul Food (Chef Greg Dulan)
El Cholo Los Angeles (Chef Gerardo Ochoa)
Four Stars Private Cuisine (Chef Alain Giraud)
Hache LA (Chef Michael Schepers)
Josette Bistro at Normandie (Chef Josette LeBlond)
Chef Kimmy Tang
LA Prime Restaurant / Westin Bonaventure Hotel (Chefs Joseph Mills & Carlos Bojorquez) 
Luxe Hotel (Chef Olivier Rousselle)
Manhattan House (Chef Juan Torres)
Mari / inside Intercontinental Hotel (Chefs Jonathan Wood & Shane Hosac)
Mariasol (Chef Antonio Centeno)
Melissa's Produce (Chef Tom Fraker)
Melisse and Charcoal Venice (Chef Josiah Citrin)
Mzuma Kitchen and Baklava House (Chef Mualla Bulut)
Pinks Hot Dogs (Chef Richard Pink)
Poke Shack (Chef Casey Parker)
Porta Via (Chef Peter Garland)
Providence and Connie & Ted's (Chef Michael Cimarusti)
Sprinkles (Chef Candace Nelson)
Tanino Ristorante Bar / Via Alloro (Chef Tanino Drago)
Terroni (Chef Stephen Murray)
Upper Crust (Chef Paulo Lopes)
Zapien's Salsa Grill (Chef Marco Zapien)
Wexler's Deli (Chef Micah Wexler)

The VIP Brunch ticket includes unlimited rides to Pacific Park and 12 game booth tickets. The special VIP Brunch will feature amazing food from L.A.’s top chefs and restaurants along with a beach top Beer & Wine Garden as part of this year’s theme, “Oktoberfest.”

Admission to the VIP Brunch is $175 per adult ticket and $75 for children (ages 5 to 12 - available at the door on the day of the event only). Children under five are free, but will not receive a meal/beverage coupon nor game tickets. General admission to the event is $75 per ticket and includes an unlimited ride wristband (valid all day after the event is over until the park closes), eight game booth tickets, and a meal/beverage coupon to be redeemed at the Pacific Park Food Plaza.

Presenting sponsors of this year’s event is Westfield, JAKKS Cares and Wells Fargo.

To purchase tickets, visit SOSC.org/PierDelSol.

LA Opera presents Opera at the Beach, a live broadcast sponsored by Los Angeles County and by Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, at the Santa Monica Pier on Saturday, October 23, 2017. The season opener of CARMEN, starring Ana Maria Martinez and conducted by James Conlon, broadcasts live in high-definition from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to the big screen at the Santa Monica Pier. #OperaAtTheBeach#Carmen

DJ and the Greenleas perform at the Santa Monica Farmers Market at Virginia Avenue Park on Saturday, September 23, 2017. 

L’ SHANA TOVA! HAPPY JEWISH NEWY YEAR! 5778! Rabbi Levitansky from Chabad in Simcha Monica blows the shofar (Ram's horn) during the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana at the Santa Monica Pier on Thursday, September 21, 2017. Rosh Hashanah marks the start of a new year in the Hebrew calendar. The shofar blast marks the beginning of the Ten Days of Repentance from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur.

Today at Santa Monica Beach, Disney was promoting the video release of Pirates of the Caribbean, Dead Men Tell No Lies. #TalkLikeAPirateDay #PiratesLife