This was really the weekend of festivals in Southern California, and it's a good thing because summer has finally arrived. People have done nothing but complain for three months that we have been cheated out of a summer and have to settle for Seattle-like weather, where the sun doesn't make an appearance till almost dinner time. Now that the kids are all settled back in school, and Starbucks has brought back the Pumpkin latte, it's time to bring out the bikini. Now, all people are complaining about the unbearable heat and how unfair it is that all the sweat that has been nonexistent, is now coming out in bucketfuls.
The heat did not stop people from showing up at the annual Abbot Kinney Festival in Venice. Nothing says California like eating, drinking and partying, especially if it is twenty blocks long and includes closing off streets. In spite of the temperature, it was a fun, fun, day. I was able to take a million pictures and able to get about thirty good ones in the process. Enjoy. 
This is Venice Beach, so of course they had valet parking for bicycles. 
It was much easier if you did ride your bike, because parking was obnoxious as always. 
The food trucks were out in full force and the lines were long. The most popular one was Nom Nom which has been on Food Network in The Great Food Truck Race, and I guess the publicity really helped. It was a forty minute wait, but worth every minute. It has always been my favorite and I love their version of the Viet Nam sandwich, banh mi along with the basil lemonade. 
The hula hoop has never died. I remember when they were first invented and every kid alive had one. I actually bought one a few weeks ago and have added it to my vigorous work-out routine of opening the refrigerator door every half hour. 
Since it was so hot, these girls volunteered to squirt every young man with water and it was really appreciated in more ways than one. 
A nice way to get cooled off.
Did I mention there was a lot of food? 
And Ice cream, lemonade, Italian ice and BEER. 
My favorite part was the art work, crafts and jewelry. Saw lots of good things and met some very talented artists. 
There was something for everyone. 
Marching bands, dancers and belly dancing. What more could you ask for? 
My personal favorite was the build your own ice cream sandwich truck. Fabulous ice cream between two home made cookies. 
Lots of interesting people. This guy literally walked on these stilts for about five hours. Have to hand it to him. 
I met some of the most interesting pets. This dog was definitely one of the more unusual ones. 
I swear every other person had a dog and most of them were very small. I almost stepped on about ten, and my friend actually did. It was definitely a danger zone for small dogs, not to mention the extreme heat. 
Not to be outdone, the bird owners were out in force. 
Lots for the kids to do. Rock climbing was a great idea. 
Bouncing never gets old and is especially fun on a stomach full of hot dogs and lots of junk food. 
Needless to say, the beer tents were by far the most popular. 
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