35th Annual Abbot Kinney Festival

A heavily decorated car at the Abbot Kinney Festival, held the last Sunday in September for the past 35 years, on Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, California, on Sunday, September 29th 2019. (Marco Pallotti/The Corsair)

The 35th annual Abbot Kinney Festival took place this past Sunday, September 29th, on Abbot Kinney Boulevard, in Venice.

The festival featured over 350 vendors, including local businesses of all types, craft booths (art, clothing, jewelry, etc.), and a variety of kids' rides and games. A global selection of foodstuffs was also available, from doughnuts, to burgers, to pizza, and foreign cuisines like Thai, Korean, and Vietnamese cuisines, and the food trucks and stalls seemed to be doing brisk business.  

A number of cannabis booths and stalls dotted the street too, and the large Med Men cannabis brick-and-mortar store on the street had a line outside, with a guard posted to ensure the prospective patrons were orderly. Three beer gardens were located at various points down the street, also with tight security: a wrist band had to be purchased separately in order to gain entrance.

Venice locals, Jose Hernandex (left) and Brian McKinney, at the Abbott Kinney Festival, held the last Sunday in September for the past 35 years, on Abbott Kinney Blvd., Venice, California, on Sunday, September 29th 2019. (Marco Pallotti/The Corsair)

 Four stages were set up along the boulevard, with music playing from each. There seemed to be plenty of musical variety, including metal, Americana, and folk.

Like the Venice area as a whole, the festival has changed over the years. In the mid-90's, the crowd was more bohemian, and that old Venice 'where art meets crime' vibe has segued into something more like Coachella-by-the-sea.

The festival was crowded, and at some points the street was clogged with people, making it difficult to pass. In all, it was a fun place to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon.