From Pumpkin Races to Pier Walks, Here’s Your Weekend

Hey South Bay 👋

October’s rolling, the beach crowds are thinning, and somehow flip-flops still make sense with flannel. After a rare rainy week, the air feels clearer, the sunsets hit harder, and the vibe’s leaning fully into fall. Decorations are going up, and there’s just enough weird in the air to remind you it’s that time of year.

Here’s what’s happening this week. No tricks, all treats.

Lets get into it 👇

🗓️ This Week in the South Bay

Friday, October 17
🎭 God of Carnage @ MBCC Theater, Manhattan Beach
👻 Halloween Spooktacular @ Redondo Beach Main Library

Saturday, October 18
🎷 Luke Carlsen & The Fresh Rhythm Big Band @ Redondo Union High School
🎬 Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein @ Old Town Music Hall, El Segundo
🎬 Halloween (1978) @ Old Town Music Hall, El Segundo
✈️ Celebrity Lecture: “No Where to Go but Up” @ Western Museum of Flight, Torrance
🏐 Volley4Sound Halloween Tournament @ Hermosa Beach
🎃 Pumpkin Pool-ooza @ El Segundo Aquatics Center
🎭 God of Carnage (continues) @ MBCC Theater, Manhattan Beach
🥁 RMD 30th Anniversary Concert @ Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center
🥙 South Bay Mediterranean Food Festival | St. Matthew Orthodox Church, Torrance | 11AM–7PM
🔹 PVE Police Open House @ Palos Verdes Estates | 10AM–2PM

Sunday, October 19
🎬 The Cat and the Canary @ Old Town Music Hall, El Segundo
🎃 World Famous Pumpkin Race Festival @ Manhattan Beach Boulevard & Pier
🎬 Frankenstein (1931) @ Old Town Music Hall, El Segundo
🎹 MindTravel Silent Piano Concert @ Hermosa Beach Pier
🎭 God of Carnage (Matinee) @ MBCC Theater, Manhattan Beach
👟 SKECHERS Pier to Pier Friendship Walk @ Manhattan Beach Pier

All Weekend
🕯️ Magic of the Jack O’ Lanterns @ South Coast Botanic Garden, Palos Verdes
🎨 Baker’s Dozen Art Exhibit @ Torrance Art Museum
🎭 Shooting Star opens @ Little Fish Theatre, Redondo Beach

This Week’s Events

👟 SKECHERS Pier to Pier Friendship Walk

📍 Manhattan Beach Pier – Manhattan Beach
🕒 Sunday, October 19 | 8AM Walk Begins at 9:30AM
💰 $30 registration (includes T-shirt & swag bag*)

The South Bay’s biggest feel-good event is back! Join 20,000+ walkers for the 17th annual stroll from Manhattan to Hermosa and back, all to support kids with special needs and local public schools.

🔹 3.5-mile round-trip walk along the beach
🔹 Benefits the Friendship Foundation & 6 South Bay Ed Foundations
🔹 Free shirt + swag bag with registration (while supplies last!)
👉 Event Info

🎃 World Famous Pumpkin Race Festival

📍 Manhattan Beach Boulevard & Pier – Manhattan Beach
🕒 Sunday, October 19 | Festival 12PM–5PM | Races start at 2PM
💰 Free to attend (Race Kits: $35–$40)

One of the South Bay’s quirkiest, most beloved Halloween traditions is back for its 35th year! Watch as decorated pumpkins race (and sometimes crash) down the street in a hilarious, family-friendly showdown.

🔹 Hands-on racer building, Tinker Zone, and Pit Crew help
🔹 Prizes, photo ops, costumes, and crowd-favorite Cheater Pumpkins
🔹 Free entry — bring your own racer or buy a kit on-site
👉 Event Info

🏐 Volley4Sound: Halloween Beach Tournament

📍 Hermosa Beach – Volleyball Courts
🕒 Saturday, October 18 | All day
💰 Tournament entry required (register early!)

Spike for a cause this Halloween at the Volley4Sound charity tournament in Hermosa Beach! This costume-friendly coed 4s tourney raises awareness for hearing loss, with players wearing earplugs on the court and all proceeds benefiting the community.

🔹 Coed 4s format with Fun, AA & Open divisions
🔹 Pro & silent auctions, music, raffles, and treats
🔹 Players wear earplugs to simulate hearing loss
👉 Event Info

🕯️ Magic of the Jack O’ Lanterns

📍 South Coast Botanic Garden – Palos Verdes
🕒 Select nights | Now through November 2
💰 From $25.99 (online only – sells out fast!)

Over 10,000 glowing jack-o’-lanterns light up the lush trails of the South Coast Botanic Garden in this immersive Halloween wonderland. With dazzling displays, s’mores stations, and photo ops galore, it’s a must-see fall experience for all ages. ✨🎃

🔹 1-mile walking trail with themed pumpkin displays
🔹 Fun Zone with bounce pad, slides & hands-on activities
🔹 On-site food, drinks, and unique photo backdrops
👉 Event Info

👻 Halloween Spooktacular at the Main RB Library

📍 Redondo Beach Main Library – Redondo Beach
🕒 Friday, October 17 | 4PM–5:15PM
💰 Free

Little ghouls and goblins, this one’s for you! The library’s Halloween Spooktacular features not-too-scary carnival games, fun prizes, and a spooky section for the brave at heart. Costumes encouraged, or come as you are!

🔹 Carnival-style games and kid-friendly prizes
🔹 Spooky room for older kids and thrill-seekers
🔹 Free family fun on the library’s 2nd floor
👉 Event Info

🎃 Pumpkin Pool-ooza at the Aquatics Center

📍 El Segundo Aquatics Center – El Segundo
🕒 Saturday, October 18 | 1:30PM–3:30PM
💰 Registration required (details online)

Forget the hay bales, this pumpkin patch floats. El Segundo’s Pumpkin Pool-ooza is back, inviting families to dive in for a fall-themed splash session, complete with games, raffles, and pumpkin decorating fun. 👻🎃💦

🔹 Scoop your pumpkin straight from the pool
🔹 On-site decorating, games, and giveaways
🔹 Costumes encouraged, swimsuits required
👉 Event Info

🎷 Luke Carlsen & The Fresh Rhythm Big Band

📍 Redondo Union High School – Redondo Beach
🕒 Saturday, October 18 | 5PM (Doors at 4:30PM)
💰 $30 online / $40 at the door

Big band is back, baby. Luke Carlsen — known for lighting up stages like The El Rey, Cicada Club, and HBO’s Perry Mason — brings his swingin’ sound to Redondo for a night of timeless music and throwback vibes.

🔹 Live performance by the acclaimed Fresh Rhythm Big Band
🔹 Hosted by the South Bay Community Concert Association
🔹 Family-friendly show with early evening start
👉 Event Info

🥙 South Bay Mediterranean Food Festival

📍 St. Matthew Orthodox Church – 2368 Sonoma St, Torrance
🕒 Saturday, October 18 | 11AM–7PM
💰 Free

Torrance is serving up a full day of flavor at the South Bay Mediterranean Food Festival. Expect authentic dishes like falafel, baklava, shawarma, and more — plus live music, a kid zone, and free parking. Come hungry and bring the whole family.

🔹 8 hours of Mediterranean food, music, and cultural fun
🔹 Kid zone, free parking, and admission is totally free
🔹 Hosted at St. Matthew Orthodox Church in Torrance
👉 Event Info

🎭 Shooting Star at Little Fish Theatre

📍 Little Fish Theatre – 514 N. Prospect Ave, Redondo Beach
🕒 Opens Friday, October 17 | Through Nov 2 | Showtimes vary
💰 $30–$35

Looking for a unique night out? This smart, funny play unfolds in one room, and in an intimate new theater space where there’s not a bad seat in the house. Shooting Star follows two ex-lovers unexpectedly snowed in at an airport overnight, sparking a conversation filled with humor, regret, and what-ifs.

🔹 A romantic dramedy by Steven Dietz, directed by Tara Donovan
🔹 Set just feet from the audience in a cozy, up-close setting
🔹 Sunday matinee talkback on October 26
👉 Event Info

🎬 Halloween (1978) Screening

📍 Old Town Music Hall – El Segundo
🕒 Saturday, October 18 | 7PM
💰 $10–$12

Get spooked the old-school way with John Carpenter’s Halloween, starring Jamie Lee Curtis, in one of LA’s most hauntingly atmospheric theaters.

🔹 The original slasher that started it all
🔹 Watch with live organ music in a 1920s cinema
🔹 Expect chills — and historic charm
👉 Event Info

🎬 Frankenstein (1931) Screening

📍 Old Town Music Hall – El Segundo
🕒 Sunday, October 19 | 7PM
💰 $10–$12

“It’s alive!” Watch the iconic Boris Karloff take on the role that changed horror forever. Presented in a one-of-a-kind historic theater setting.

🔹 The Universal monster movie that defined a genre
🔹 Watch with live pipe organ music
🔹 Timeless, spooky fun in a 1920s theater
👉 Event Info

👻 PVE Police Department Open House

📍 340 Palos Verdes Dr W – Palos Verdes Estates
🕒 Saturday, October 18 | 10AM–2PM
💰 Free

The Palos Verdes Estates PD is hosting a spook-tacular open house filled with Halloween vibes and community spirit. Expect fang-tastic food, a haunted jail, creepy swag, and behind-the-scenes access to the department. Come in costume (if you dare).

🔹 Family-friendly tours, treats, and community connections
🔹 Meet the officers and see the gear up close
🔹 Sponsored by Malaga Bank
👉 Event Info

🥁 RMD’s 30th Anniversary Concert: Chimugukuru nu Utu – Sound of Spirit

📍 Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center
🕒 Saturday, October 18 | 6PM
💰 Tickets available online

Ryukyukoku Matsuri Daiko LA celebrates 30 years of sharing Okinawan culture with a powerful anniversary concert. Expect a high-energy fusion of traditional eisa drumming, dance, and karate — all set to both classic and contemporary Okinawan and Japanese music.

This is more than a show — it’s a celebration of cultural spirit, community, and rhythm you’ll feel in your chest.

🔹 Featuring international taiko performers and Okinawan festival drumming
🔹 A rare chance to experience eisa in its most dynamic form
🔹 Family-friendly and full of heart
👉 Event Info

✈️ Celebrity Lecture: “No Where to Go but Up”

📍 Western Museum of Flight – Torrance
🕒 Saturday, October 18 | 11AM
💰 Free for members | $15 for non-members

Take flight with Dr. Paul Bevilaqua, the inventor behind the vertical lift fan powering the Joint Strike Fighter. This exclusive talk at the Western Museum of Flight offers a rare chance to hear from the former Chief Engineer of Lockheed Skunk Works.

🔹 Live lecture inside historic Zamperini Field hangar
🔹 Learn how vertical lift revolutionized fighter aircraft
🔹 Free parking on-site | Seating is limited
👉 Event Info

🎹 MindTravel Silent Piano Concert

📍 Hermosa Beach Pier – Hermosa Beach
🕒 Sunday, October 19 | 5PM–7PM
💰 Free

Experience a mesmerizing live piano concert — all through wireless headphones — right on the sand. MindTravel blends music, meditation, and mindfulness in a unique sunset performance that’ll leave you feeling deeply relaxed and inspired. 🌅🎧

🔹 Headphone-powered “silent” concert + guided meditation
🔹 Live performance by MindTravel founder Murray Hidary
🔹 Q&A session to follow the concert experience
👉 Event Info

🎨 Baker’s Dozen at the Main Gallery

📍 Torrance Art Museum – Torrance
🕒 On view now through Fall 2025 | Museum hours vary
💰 Free

Thirteen artists. One compelling snapshot of Southern California’s contemporary art scene. Baker’s Dozen is a thoughtfully curated group exhibition showcasing emerging and established voices that made waves with curators over the past year. 🖼️✨

🔹 Features 13 standout contemporary artists from SoCal
🔹 A survey of new directions in regional art practices
🔹 Free admission at the Torrance Art Museum
👉 Event Info

🎭 God of Carnage at MBCC Theater

📍 MBCC Community Hall Theater – Manhattan Beach
🕒 October 17–19* | Friday & Saturday at 8PM, *Sundays at 2PM
💰 Tickets available online

What starts as a civil conversation between two sets of parents quickly unravels into chaos. God of Carnage is a sharp, dark comedy about manners gone missing — and it’s laugh-out-loud hilarious. 🍷👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

🔹 Tony Award-winning play by Yasmina Reza
🔹 Special patron event: Sat, Oct 11 at 6PM
🔹 Presented by MBCC Community Theater
👉 Event Info

📸 South Bay Snapshot

Thanks for sticking with us all the way to the end 👻

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Catch you next Thursday,
Jaime
CEO (Chief Enjoyment Officer) @MySouthBay

P.S. Want to sponsor a future issue? Email [email protected] and let’s talk