Locals’ Night is an event curated for locals, by locals, highlighting everything that makes Santa Monica a globally admired destination. On the third Thursday of every month, Santa Monica showcases the best of the West – from small businesses to bands, local DJs, and more. From 3:30-10:00 p.m., attendees gather to embrace their community, breathe in the thick ocean air, celebrate local vendors, and enjoy a beautiful California sunset on the Santa Monica Pier.
After performances by the Santa Monica High School Jazz Band and Pep Squad, the official MC of the event Syrus Yarbrough takes the main stage at 5:30 p.m. A true local, Yarbrough attended Santa Monica College after being born and raised in the area. His monthly return to Locals’ Night is a testament to his love for Santa Monica.
As you continued toward the end of the pier, you could hear the exciting sounds of salsa coming from Salsa Way, a series of community events that connect people through dance. Dozens of individuals from every background and generation shared the dance floor to connect through their love for music, dance, and California.
Once the crowd was riled up from music by DJ Andy Lorenzo, salsa stars Cesar Romero and Courtney Parisi led guests in a salsa lesson – perfect for beginner and advanced dancers alike. Couples, families, and friends all hit the dance floor to learn from these experts.
Despite the name, more than locals alone found themselves on the Santa Monica Pier for this event. Vishnu Agarwal and Sony Agarwal traveled from India before they stumbled upon Locals’ Night.
The couple was on a road trip with their two children from San Francisco down the coast of California when they first heard about Locals’ night. After learning about the Santa Monica Pier from bloggers and content creators on YouTube, the couple deemed the landmark to be a necessary stop on their trip.
Like many other attendees at Locals’ Night, the Agarwal family saw the evening as an opportunity to connect with their children and create lifelong family memories. Hand in hand, twirling each other around to the sweet sounds of salsa music, they gave their children the gift of core memories on the West Coast.
“Back in India, we don’t get much time to spend with the family. So this is the time when we bond, when we play with the kids and be with the whole family. This has been a very good platform for us that we have been enjoying a lot,” said Vishnu Agarwal.
On the center of the dance floor, Irina Brutnon and Louann Talbert lit up the event with their laughter and unwavering love of culture. Brutnon, originally from Ukraine, often attended Locals’ Night to experience the joy of dance, music, and the unparalleled location of the Santa Monica Pier.
“I like music, I like dance, [and] I like the ocean. […] Nowhere else can people do this year-round, outside,” said Brutnon.
Talbert, a first-timer at this event, reflected on her experience and what it meant to her as a California resident.
“It’s just awesome to see people getting together and enjoying different cultural experiences,” said Talbert.
The energy on the dance floor only grew when Trombor, a new Salsa Orchestra based in Los Angeles, took the stage to play live salsa music for the dancers. Each musician was smiling ear to ear as their music touched a very joyful audience, achieving their goal of keeping their culture and genre of Latin music alive.
The night was a resolute celebration of culture and Californian connection that could be found before the beautiful backdrop of the Pacific Ocean.
Claudia Reyes attended the event with the young girl she nannies. Reyes felt lucky to give her this cultural experience, spinning her around on the dance floor and even letting Courtney Parisi teach her some salsa steps. She reflected on the event, and what it meant to help raise a child where community is integral to culture.
“There is nothing in the world that you could compare to LA – LA has it all. The people are from everywhere, everything is close and it is beautiful. I wouldn’t change it,” said Reyes.