Montana Avenue in Santa Monica will shut down to vehicle traffic for a full day on October 3, when the neighborhood's long-running Art Walk returns with a new producer, a classic car showcase, and — for the first time — the ability for restaurants to sell drinks to go along the 10-block stretch. The free, day-long event runs across Montana Avenue from Sixth to 17th streets and doubles this year as Santa Monica's official centennial event for Route 66.
The Montana Avenue Merchants Association selected Venice Blvd Productions to reimagine the event, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press. The production company, founded by Sarah Fisk, launched The Venice Fest on Venice Boulevard in Mar Vista back in November 2021, and that street festival has since attracted more than 20,000 attendees per edition, per the Santa Monica Daily Press. Fisk said her team plans to apply lessons from those large-scale community events “in a way authentic to Montana Avenue.”
For the Art Walk, Venice Blvd Productions is adding a curated live music stage, interactive art installations, family and wellness programming, a classic car showcase, and community and brand partnerships, according to the same report. Fine art installations, artisan vendors, culinary offerings, interactive brand activations, and family-friendly programming round out the day's lineup. Fisk said the event's foundation remains a celebration of art, local businesses and the Montana Avenue community, even as the footprint grows.
A New Entertainment Zone Along the Corridor
This year's Art Walk becomes an entertainment zone, meaning participating restaurants may offer drinks to-go for attendees walking the avenue. That option exists thanks to Senate Bill 969, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed in September 2024, expanding state law to let California cities create designated zones where licensed bars and restaurants can serve alcohol to-go for outdoor consumption during permitted events, according to the Office of Senator Scott Wiener.
Santa Monica became the first Southern California city to adopt that framework when the City Council unanimously approved an emergency ordinance in May 2025 creating an Entertainment Zone along the Third Street Promenade, according to the City of Santa Monica. A six-month performance review presented to Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. in January found the Promenade zone produced no increase in crime according to police data, while helping double attendance at major events like Oktoberfest, per Santa Monica Next.
Traffic, Parking and Keeping the Neighborhood Happy
Montana Avenue closes to vehicle traffic for the day, and Venice Blvd Productions is working with the City of Santa Monica on a traffic and operations plan that includes temporary street closures within the event footprint while keeping major signalized intersections open. Fisk said her team is prioritizing minimizing neighborhood impact, and attendees are encouraged to walk, bike or drive, with nearby parking and dining available along the corridor.
Montana Avenue Merchants Association member Michelle Kelly said the event is a yearly highlight for the Montana Avenue neighborhood, per the same report. Merchants along the avenue are being encouraged to create their own special promotions, shopping experiences, artist showcases, music and in-store events to coincide with the day. The Montana Avenue Merchants Association, established in 1979, represents roughly 150 business license holders across the corridor's 10-block Business Improvement District, according to the Montana Avenue Merchants Association.
Celebrating Santa Monica's Route 66 Legacy
The Art Walk commemorates the 100th anniversary of historic Route 66, honoring Santa Monica's role as the highway's historic western terminus. Route 66 was officially established as a U.S. federal highway on November 11, 1926, stretching roughly 2,448 miles across eight states from Chicago to Santa Monica, according to SureStay Hotel Santa Monica. While the Santa Monica Pier's popular “End of the Trail” sign, installed in 2009, draws most tourist attention, the highway's official federal western terminus was actually designated in 1936 at the intersection of Lincoln Boulevard and Olympic Boulevard, per the California Historic Route 66 Association.
Santa Monica isn't alone in marking the milestone. Chicago officials designated Navy Pier as the route's eastern ceremonial start in February, launching a new “Begin Route 66” marker to promote a pier-to-pier connection with Santa Monica's own pier. Neighboring West Hollywood also kicked off its own municipal centennial programming last month along Santa Monica Boulevard, featuring classic car showcases and new custom roadway signage.
Since its 2021 founding, Venice Blvd Productions has collaborated with brands including Airbnb, Waymo, Gatorade, Athletic Brewing, Smartwater, Sparkling Ice, King's Hawaiian and Postmates. The company's approach centers on placemaking and encouraging people to stay and explore rather than simply pass through, a strategy organizers hope translates from Mar Vista's Venice Fest to the more neighborhood-oriented feel of Montana Avenue. Unlike the tourist-heavy Pier or Promenade, Montana Avenue functions primarily as a shopping corridor for Westside residents, stretching roughly two miles from the Santa Monica bluffs to the Brentwood border with more than 150 independent boutiques, cafes and health studios.
