Spring has sprung in Downtown Santa Monica and to celebrate its arrival, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. and Santa Monica Place have partnered with Britweek to present the first-ever Spring Jubilee Celebrates BritWeek, a two-day festival being held on Third Street Promenade and at Santa Monica Place, Saturday, May 4 (10am-9pm) and Sunday, May 5 (10am-8pm). This fun-filled weekend will feature a remarkable collection of environmentally-focused vendors, gardens designed by leading landscape architects and designers, live entertainment, speakers and demonstrations, all with a distinctly British flair. The event will span three blocks along the Promenade from Wilshire to Broadway, with the main performance stage located in Santa Monica Place.
“With the first Santa Monica Spring Jubilee, we hope to start an annual tradition that offers entertainment and activities for the whole family,” Debbie Lee, Vice President of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. “This community-wide event will showcase the best in spring flora, fashion and fun. And through our partnership with BritWeek, we will also be celebrating British culture this year with a variety of very special events and experiences.”
To kick off the festivities, Britweek will host an exclusive Downton Abbey Vintage Party on Friday, May 3rd at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, honoring Executive Producer, Gareth Neame and cast member Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith Crawley). The weekend will continue with a live concert, “The Beatles’ Abbey Road Complete—And More.” Music industry legend Peter Asher will play a selection of Peter & Gordon hits as he hosts a special performance of The Beatles’ classic Abbey Road album. Mr. Asher will introduce Denny Laine, co-founder of the Moody Blues and Wings, and Terry Sylvester of the Hollies as Denny, Terry and band play the Abbey Road album start to finish on Saturday May 4 from 7-9pm at Santa Monica Place’s Center Plaza.
To highlight Spring Jubilee Celebrates BritWeek, local landscape architects and designers will compete to design and build sustainable, eco-friendly “Urban Tea Garden” vignettes that will be displayed on each block of the Promenade. Each vignette will be judged and the Grand Prize winner will receive a $500 prize and a trophy. Judges will include Santa Monica Mayor Pam O’Conner, celebrity interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard, award-winning author Lady Terry Robinson, British fashion icon Zandra Rhodes and designer Donna Wolfe.
Other Spring Jubilee entertainment will include:
- Twinkle Time, a children’s “panto” (English pantomime)
- Live art demonstrations by world famous street artists, Eine, Inkie and Mear One
- Live comedy shows by local comedy troupe M.I. Westside Comedy Theater
- Special performances by the Culver City English Country Dancers
The Spring Jubilee will also feature British brand sponsors including luxury car maker Jaguar offering a sneak peek of their new F-Type, mini-makeovers by Boots, Cunard Cruises give-a-ways, celebrity wax figures and photo booth by Madame Tussauds, as well as a mobile double-decker tailoring bus by British clothier Duncan Quinn. British biscuit company Walker’s Shortbread, will host a doggie red carpet with doggie adoptions from Santa Monica-based rescue organization, Take Me Home.
“BritWeek is thrilled to partner with Downtown Santa Monica in presenting the first-ever Spring Jubilee,” said Sharon Harroun Pierce, Director of BritWeek. “This event is a wonderful opportunity for us to highlight British brands and to recognize the perfect synergy between Santa Monica and the British community.”
In addition, Chef Lisa Fontenesi from The Jamie Oliver Food Foundation will teach kids about the importance of nutrition, local urban beekeepers Honey Love will discuss the bee’s vital role in ecology, Conscious Living Landscapes will focus on the healing power of plants, and others will be featured in the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation Outdoor Classroom.
A variety of local vendors will also offer eco-friendly goods and services on each block of the Promenade. Participating Spring Jubilee vendors include Alter Ego, providing gourmet chocolates; A Spot of Tea, selling tea and tea products; Bohemian Rags, with fun spring clothing; Conscious Living Jewelry, showcasing plant-based jewelry; herbs and plants by It Began in the Garden; the newest bikes and bike products from Downtown LA Bikes; Jen Zahigian Photography, featuring sunny, fun photographs of Spring; Jungle Bee jewelry; kids’ products, unique jewelry and body/bath products from KidTyme, Belandaria & Zona; roses and landscaping from Linda McKendry Designs; Pix Bi Jak, selling hand-painted gift cards; and face painting by Shanah Design.
Visitors and local residents are also invited to share their favorite spring photos of Downtown Santa Monica on Instagram for a chance to win prizes from Whole Foods and Ye Olde Kings Head. Visit http://www.downtownsm.com/instagram-contest for contest details. For performance schedules and more information about Spring Jubilee Celebrates BritWeek visit www.downtownsm.com/spring-jubilee or http://current.britweek.org/los-angeles-events/.
About Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM, Inc.):
Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. is a private non-profit 501c(3) that works with the City of Santa Monica to manage services and operations in Downtown Santa Monica that promote economic stability, growth and community life within Downtown Santa Monica. DTSM, Inc. manages the Property-based Business Assessment District (PBAD) that encompasses the area bounded by Ocean Avenue (W), Wilshire Boulevard (N), 7th Court (E) and the Santa Monica Freeway (S). For more info, please visit www.downtownsm.com or visit us on Facebook at DowntownSantaMonica.
About Santa Monica Place:
Located just two blocks from the beach and adjacent to Third Street Promenade in the heart of Santa Monica, the three-level, open-air Santa Monica Place is home to the West Coast’s only SoHo concept Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Burberry Brit, Ted Baker London, All Saints Spitafields, Emporio Armani, CB2, Nike, and dozens of other exciting shops and an inspired collection of food and restaurant experiences, including the view-oriented Dining Deck. For more info, visit www.santamonicaplace.com.
About BritWeek:
BritWeek is a non–profit organization that hosts a program of events every Spring to promote British creativity, innovation and excellence across multiple categories including, film & television, music, art, fashion, design, retail, sport, philanthropy, business, and more. The events take place throughout Greater Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco, and now also Miami! For more information visit www.britweek.org.
