(above) Jason Moore and Angie Chong work on their homemade soapbox "The Wild Thing" during the eighth Annual Taste of Santa Monica on Sunday, September 13, 2009, at the Santa Monica Pier. They will hurling themselves down Grand Avenue from Disney Concert Hall to Pershing Square on Sept 26th in Red Bull's Soapbox Race. (center) Angie Chong (right) from team "The Wild Thing" shows-off her soapbox car to journalist Justine Hong during Taste of Santa Monica. (top) Angie Chong and Theresa Taylor from team "The Wild Thing" try on their fabricated Bulls head which will be featured in Red Bull's Soapbox Race on Sept 26.

Director of Photography Mark Mervis  archives Santa Monica Pier's Centennial celebration on his vintage 1950's Vista Vision camera. (Wednesday, September 9, 2009)

(top) Linda Levee and Dr. Mike Qortrite cook pancakes on the griddle during Santa Monica Lions Club's 54th Annual Pancake Breakfast at the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica on Saturday, September 12, 2009.  (center) Lions Club Members Jim Casalor (center) and Ho Nguyen (right) serve eggs and sausage. (above) Cowboy Michael eat pancakes during the Santa Monica Lions Club's annual breakfast. The proceeds from this event support many worthwhile organizations in the community such as: The Santa Monica Boys & Girls Clubs, The Santa Monica YMCA, Santa Monica/Westside YWCA, L.O.V.E. Program Foundation for the Junior Blind and Various Local Charities.

Lions are an international network of 1.3 million men and women in 205 countries and geographic areas who work together to answer the needs that challenge communities around the world. Known for working to end preventable blindness, Lions participate in a vast variety of projects important to their communities. These projects range from cleaning up local parks to providing supplies to victims of natural disasters. Beginning in 1917, the association of Lions clubs has provided millions of people with the opportunity to give something back to their communities.

(TOP) Santa Monica Fire Paramedic Jason Walker lowers the flag to half mast during the 911 Remembrance Ceremony at SMFD headquarters on Friday, September 11, 2009. (ABOVE)  Santa Monica Fire Chief Jim Hone addresses his department during the 911 Remembrance Ceremony. "This is a special day for our nation and our public safety agencies.  A day where the importance or impact will not diminish in the years to come," he said.  The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in New York, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. and in Shanksville, Pa. resulted in the deaths of more than 2,700 people.  Of those killed, 343 were FDNY Firefighters.  In recognition of those who perished on that tragic day, the Santa Monica Fire Department will annually conduct a brief and solemn remembrance ceremony consistent with the International Association of Fire Chief's recommended protocols.

Ana Belden and her daughter Jasyn, 5, model the latest Macy's fall fashions during Santa Monica Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary's 31st Annual Christmas in September fashion show on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009, at the Miramar Hotel.

(1,2) Santa Monica Mayor Ken Genser cuts the ribbon during Santa Monica Pier's Centennial Celebration  and grand reopening ceremony on Wednesday, September 9, 2009.  (3) The Los Angeles Brass Ensemble performs during Centennial Celebration. (4)  Santa Monica Council Member Robert Holdbrook drives his Model T down the Santa Monica Pier with his wife Jean Ann and fellow Santa Monica Council Member Richard Bloom as thousands of people follow. (5,6) Members of Circus Du Solei lead a procession down the Santa Monica Pier after the ribbon cutting ceremony. (7,8) Stilt Circus performers Star Child and Jimmy Galloway entertain on the hundred year-old pier. (9) Dick Dale, the "King of the Surf Guitar," performs during Santa Monica Pier's Centennial Celebration on  Wednesday, September 9, 2009. (10,11) Fireworks  light of the sky during the grand finale of the Centennial Celebration.

The Santa Monica Pier Turned 100 on September 9, 2009

Ben Franz-Knight, executive director of the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Company said, “The Pier today remains an icon – a single remnant of history on a coast that was once peppered with piers. It offers nostalgia for yesteryear, yet remains a commanding presence on the national landscape and a vibrant entertainment center that embraces the culture of today. It deserves the birthday celebration of a century.”

The Santa Monica Pier Centennial Celebration, through a series of free, public events and festivals, will engage the public in the rich history of the Santa Monica Pier by re-creating and paying homage to some of the most memorable moments from its past. Leading up to its 100^th birthday, the Pier Centennial Celebration will highlight the role that the Santa Monica Pier has played, and continues to play, in the everyday life of the city.

The Pier’s history is storied. First came the Hippodrome in 1916, a mixture of Byzantine, Moorish and California architecture, fascinating onlookers with its inside carousel of a circling menagerie of wooden animals. Among the last of its kind, the Hippodrome was adopted into the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

And eight years later, in 1924, the La Monica Ballroom opened -- a vast and ornate palatial-like structure, floating magically above the sea on the Santa Monica Pier built with a footprint of more than 40 thousand square feet -- the largest ballroom in the world -- in an era when ballroom dancing had reached a fevered pitch. The ballroom was also the site of the famous Dance Marathons in the 1930s that offered cash prizes during the brutal early 1930s, a ray of hope for out of work people.

The La Monica Ballroom’s tumultuous history lasted almost four decades. Throughout its years, it attracted celebrities and television shows, among them Spade Cooley, the self-proclaimed, “King of Western Swing” who established a home in the ballroom in 1948, broadcasting his weekly TV program from the ballroom. It was the first time that a musical TV show was ever televised live. Stan Chambers, longtime news anchor got his start doing commercials on Cooley’s show during its glory days. Dick Lane of KTLA, did live car commercials from the show and created his own television notoriety, while Desi Arnaz and his orchestra performed there numerous times.

The Pier was, and is today, a magnet for Hollywood.

It has been a staple in a number of popular Hollywood pictures some of them include Funny Girl (1968), They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969), The Sting (1973), Forrest Gump (1994) and The Majestic (2001) to just name a few. Celebrity sightings run the gamut from Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus to US Congressman Kucinich and Hall of Fame basketball player Wilt Chamberlain among many.

The Pier’s Centennial Day, on September 9, 2009, started with a grand re-opening ceremony, where visitors witnessed the pomp and pageantry of the official rededication celebration, complete with musical performances and celebrity participants.

At night, the Pier glistened, as the first large-scaled fireworks spectacular in 18 years, was launched from the Bay. The fireworks illuminated the entire Bay, visible from any point along the Santa Monica Beach. The festivities began with pre-fireworks entertainment staged in several locations along the beach.

Adds Franz-Knight, “Our goal, with these celebratory centennial events, is to once again underscore how the last Great Pleasure Pier can offer “pleasure” in uncountable ways to all – local and regional communities as well as national and international tourists. In addition to diverse entertainment, the Pier offers visitors a rare and treasured treat – quiet moments of peaceful reflection amid the ocean breezes or the stunning sunrises and sunsets.”

The centennial celebration has been made possible by a Preserve America Grant, the City of Santa Monica, Cirque du Soleil, Time Warner Cable, Clear Channel, The Sempra Energy Foundation and the Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau.

About the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation

The Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation (SMPRC), established in 1983, is a non-profit, public benefit corporation made up of business and community leaders who represent the full range of community interests. It was created by the Santa Monica City Council to preserve and enhance the pleasure pier experience for people of all ages and for future generations and is funded by the City of Santa Monica. For more information, visit, http://www.santamonicapier.org.

About the Santa Monica Pier Centennial Celebration

The Santa Monica Pier Centennial Celebration, through a series of free, public events and festivals, will engage the public in the rich history of the Santa Monica Pier by re-creating and paying homage to some of the most memorable moments from its past. Throughout the Centennial, the Pier will highlight the place that the Santa Monica Pier has in the everyday life of the city. The Santa Monica Pier Centennial Celebration looks back at the first 100 years as inspiration for the next 100 years, and continues to offer fun, festivities and opportunities for healthy outdoor activities. The events of the Santa Monica Pier Centennial Celebration will pay tribute to the past, enhance the visitor experience of the present, offer events geared to attract new generations as well as entice long term year round economic development.

(above) Santa Monica Sister City Association (SMSCA) President Joseph E. Deering presents Santa Monica Mayor Ken Genser with a certificate of recognition at Santa Monica City Hall on Tuesday, September 8, 2009. (top) Graham Wong, Technical Director of the International Youth Soccer Tournament, gives Mayor Genser an official match ball. 

 The City of Santa Monica sponsored the International Youth Soccer Tournament with a $7,500.00 grant. In appreciation of the grant, Santa Monica Sister City Association presented the City of Santa Monica with 100 soccer match balls which will be distributed to the Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica College and John Adams Middle school boys and girls soccer teams. The International Youth Soccer Tournament brought together teams from Santa Monica High School, L.A.'s Korean, Japanese and Salvadoran communities, and a team from Cassino/S'Entelia, Italy. Other tournament sponsors are the City of Santa Monica, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, Santa Monica Rotary Club, Santa Monica Kiwanis Club, Santa Monica Sister City Foundation, Santa Monica Daily Press and many individuals. The motto of the Santa Monica Sister City Association is "Peace in the World - One Person at a Time." To fulfill former President Dwight D. Eisenhower's dream of "citizen diplomats" establishing peace with "people-to-people" contacts between countries, the Santa Monica Sister City Association aims to educate, foster and encourage youth from all over the world.