Santa Monica’s Pacific Park on the pier is turning 30 this year and the celebration begins May 21 with a night geared toward the locals. The celebration’s theme is dubbed “30 Years of Fun — Built by the Community, Shared with the World.”
The Santa Monica Pier opened on Sept. 9, 1909, and Pacific Park opened on May 26, 1996, becoming the first amusement park on the Pier since 1930.
Marking the western end of Route 66, the pier and park attract more than 8 million visitors each year who come to see the famous Pacific Wheel Ferris wheel, which has been featured in more than a thousand movies, television shows and commercials, music videos, print ads and social media posts.
The May 21 celebration will include the opening of Sweet Rose Creamery at Pacific Park, with a complimentary scoop as part of a special “Any Way You Scoop It” thank-you activation. There will also be a Ferris wheel lighting of the Pacific Wheel reading “Thank You Santa Monica.”
“Pacific Park exists because this community believed in the Pier and fought to preserve it,” said Jeff Klocke, CEO at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier in a statement. “As we celebrate 30 years, we begin by thanking the people who made it all possible.”
Other events are set through May 26 on the pier’s actual anniversary but details are sill being ironed out, but a Ferris wheel light show is planned for the night.
Pacific Park is located at 380 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica. For more information go to pacpark.com