Venice's Fall and Winter Calendar Now Runs Through the Canals

The Abbot Kinney Festival did not come back this year, and its organizers said why. The festival needed "broader community involvement and a stronger planning structure," according to the release reported by The Argonaut. Venice's events between now and mid-December come from two standing organizations that already have that structure. The Abbot Kinney merchants run a monthly food truck night, and the Venice Canals Association runs three seasonal events, each with a named chair and each on or beside the canals.

The canal association is a volunteer membership group. Its annual meeting on January 25, 2027 is billed as a celebration of 50 years. Between this Saturday and the second Sunday in December, it has three events on its calendar. A fourth fixture comes from the Abbot Kinney merchants, who never stopped doing theirs.

What the Festival Paused, and What It Is Building Instead

The festival was set to return on Sunday, Sept. 27 after a hiatus. Yo! Venice reported the cancellation on Sept. 16, saying organizers would form a Community Advisory Board starting in October and aim for a return in 2027. The festival is also the Abbot Kinney Festival Association's largest fundraiser, and it supports youth, arts and community programs in Venice, according to The Argonaut.

Before the cancellation, association president Patti Reiss described the event to The Argonaut in terms that explain why its absence leaves a gap:

"It's a very community-driven event. It's been successful because it allows the community to come out and share their artisan goods, and their food, and music and art, and just have a good time …"

If you want a hand in the 2027 version, organizers ask you to write to [email protected]. In the meantime, the structure the festival is trying to build already exists a few blocks south.

The Model Already Working on the Canals

On the Venice Canals Association's events page, Canalloween, the Holiday Toy Drive and the Holiday Boat Parade each list a chair by name. The association describes itself as a voluntary membership organization. Its standing projects include water-quality improvements, saltbush replacement, signage, trash receptacles, graffiti removal and the rehabilitation of Linnie Canal Park. By its own account, the City handles canal maintenance and cleaning, and the association advocates for protecting and improving the canals. Its committees page also tracks a City-led evaluation of the Dell Avenue bridges.

That division of labor leaves the association free to put its volunteer energy into the calendar. Linnie Canal Park, one of the projects it maintains, is where two of its three seasonal events take place, and the third happens on the water.

This Saturday, Canalloween

The season starts on Halloween. Canalloween is listed for Oct. 31 from 5 to 6 p.m. at Linnie Canal Park, with Ricky Otterstrom as chair. The association calls it an event "for everyone." It describes a costume party in the park with pizza and music, with the focus leaning toward kids and families. It also pitches the hour as a way to meet other families or catch up with friends.

The time slot is short. One hour in the park, just before dark, makes it an early stop before the rest of the evening.

The Boulevard Keeps Its Monthly Beat

Abbot Kinney Boulevard lost its festival this year, but its monthly gathering kept going. The Abbot Kinney Boulevard merchants list the next First Friday Food Truck Fest for Friday, Nov. 6, from 5 to 9:30 p.m. The trucks don't just show up. The Merchant Association vets and invites them, gives each truck an assigned spot and posts the list every month.

For a sense of what a night on the boulevard looks like this fall, here is the October 2 lineup:

• Kogi BBQ, Wise BBQ and Wangsnthangs
• Sus Arepas, Piruchi and Las Guajolotas
• The Musubi Box, Aloha Fridays and 8e8 Thai
• Italia on the Road, Man Eating Plant and Pickles and Peas
• The Chick Truck, Love Bird, The Mac Truck and Cali Craving

November's list goes up on the same blog. The page also notes that portable restrooms are on Palms Blvd and asks visitors to dispose of their trash. No December date has been posted yet.

December Moves Back to the Water

The rest of the season belongs to the canals, and it builds over two Sundays.

Dec. 6, Holiday Toy Drive. The association's calendar lists 2 to 5 p.m. at Linnie Canal Park, with Santa from 4 to 5 p.m. The drive is paired with the LAFD's Drive Through with Santa and benefits the department's Spark of Love campaign. Cynthia Conway chairs it. The listing shows the date without a year, and its description already reads like a recap of a finished drive, so confirm with the association before you head over. The fire department's Spark of Love page explains the campaign. It currently describes the 2025 drive, so check it for any update before you shop.

Dec. 13, Holiday Boat Parade. The calendar lists 4 p.m. onward, with Renee Kaplan and Monnie Fanning as chairs. The association calls the parade "a tried-and-true tradition" and invites anyone to decorate a boat and join.

The parade has deep roots. Palisades News called last year's parade the 44th annual, part of a tradition that goes back to 1983. Last year, boats gathered at 3:30 p.m. and the parade started at 4 p.m. The 2025 route ran like this:

1. Start at Grand and Carroll Canals
2. North along Carroll Canal
3. East on Linnie
4. North on Howland
5. East on Sherman
6. Finish back on the Grand Canal

The 2026 route hasn't been announced, so treat last year's as a guide.

The parade is also a competition. Kayaks, duck boats and larger boats compete for cash prizes, with first, second and third place awarded for the best boats, the best bridges and the best canalside houses. Because bridges and houses can win, the people watching from the banks are part of the contest too. The grand prize, "The Sandy," goes to the entry the judges say best captures the true spirit of the Venice Canals. Only preregistered boats can win prizes. Last year, owners filled out the entry form on the parade flyer and emailed it to [email protected].

Watching is free. In last year's coverage, Palisades News named the corner of Eastern and Carroll Canals as a popular viewing spot. It also noted that The Cow's End Café on Washington Boulevard would be open for hot chocolate and holiday treats. Yo! Venice's video from last December shows dozens of decorated boats.

The Season, Date by Date

The canal association's event listings show month and day without a year, so check venicecanals.org the week of each event. The Jan. 25 annual meeting is listed as open to everyone, and it is the natural place to see how the association runs its calendar.

If you are watching the boat parade from your own canalside porch this December and wondering what that view is worth, Stacy Young can walk you through it. Request Your Free Home Valuation, and you'll get a number built on three decades of Venice and Westside sales.