- My South Bay Newsletter
- Posts
- St. Patrick's Parade, Holi Festival & a stacked Saturday in the South Bay
St. Patrick's Parade, Holi Festival & a stacked Saturday in the South Bay
What's happening around the South Bay, March 12 - March 18
Jaime J
March 12, 2026
Hello, South Bay.
Saturday is going to be one of those where you leave for coffee and somehow don't make it home until dinner. Every corner of the South Bay has something going on this week and most of it landed on the same day. Your calendar is about to get interesting.
Here's what's on 👇
This Week in My South Bay
Thursday, March 12
🎗️ Switzer Learning Center 60th Anniversary Gala @ Palos Verdes Golf Club, Palos Verdes Estates
😂 Jay Mohr @ The Comedy & Magic Club, Hermosa Beach
Friday, March 13
🎶 MCHS Evening of Eclectic Ensembles @ Mira Costa High School, Manhattan Beach
Saturday, March 14
🍀 30th Annual Hermosa Beach St. Patrick's Day Parade @ Downtown Hermosa Beach
🎨 Holi Beach Festival 2026 @ Seaside Lagoon, Redondo Beach
🍀 St. Patrick's Day Firefighter's Fundraiser @ The Brews Hall, Torrance
🛍️ 26th Annual Spring Arts & Crafts Faire @ Ken Miller Recreation Center, Torrance
🎶 MBEF Rock the ASK @ Kinecta Federal Credit Union, Manhattan Beach
🎭 Style Thief Fashion Show @ James Armstrong Theatre, Torrance
📚 Food and Mood Nutrition for Adults @ Redondo Beach Main Library
Sunday, March 15
💍 Great Bridal Expo @ Portofino Hotel & Marina, Redondo Beach
🎶 Los Cancioneros Master Chorale: The Heart of America @ James Armstrong Theatre, Torrance
🏐 AAU Southern Pacific Grand Prix Series @ Hermosa Beach Pier Volleyball Courts
Tuesday, March 17
🌸 El Camino College Cherry Blossom Festival @ Student Services Plaza, Torrance
🎗️ Switzer Learning Center 60th Anniversary Gala
📍 Palos Verdes Golf Club, 3301 Via Campesina, Palos Verdes Estates
🕒 Thursday, March 12 | 6:00 PM
💰 Ticketed
Sixty years of Switzer Learning Center, and they are celebrating at one of the most scenic venues on the Hill. This Torrance-based school has served neurodiverse students across LA County for six decades, and the milestone gala delivers an elegant dinner, live entertainment, a live auction, and recognition awards for community champions. Proceeds fund academic, therapeutic, and enrichment programs for students who need them most.
🔹 Elegant dinner, live entertainment, and a spirited live auction at PV Golf Club
🔹 Recognition awards honoring community champions and supporters
🔹 Proceeds fund academic, therapeutic, and enrichment programs at Switzer Learning Center
😂 Comedy & Magic Club weekend: Jay Mohr
📍 The Comedy & Magic Club, 1018 Hermosa Ave, Hermosa Beach
🕒 Thursday, March 12 | 8:00 PM
💰 Ticketed
If you have never seen a set at Comedy & Magic, this is one of the club's bigger nights. Jay Mohr is sharp, physical, and unpredictable on stage. Seats will be tight so check availability early. 18+ show, first come first seated, doors open at 6:30.
🔹 Live stand-up at the iconic Hermosa Beach comedy club
🔹 18+ show with showroom minimum policy and first-come seating
🔹 Doors open 90 minutes before showtime
🎶 MCHS Evening of Eclectic Ensembles
📍 Mira Costa High School Small Theater & Cafeteria, 1401 Artesia Blvd, Manhattan Beach
🕒 Friday, March 13 | Dinner 6:00 PM | Concert 7:00 PM
💰 Ticketed
Nine years in and this one still sells out on reputation alone. Mira Costa's Grammy Award-winning Bands, Choirs, and Orchestras put on one of the most genuinely beloved school concerts in the South Bay. The evening starts with a communal dinner in the cafeteria, then moves into the intimate Small Theater for the performance. Locals who go every year will tell you it is always better than you expect.
🔹 Grammy Award-winning bands, choirs, and orchestras performing together on one stage
🔹 Communal dinner in the cafeteria kicks off the evening before the concert
🔹 Intimate Small Theater setting, 9th consecutive year of this community tradition
🍀 Hermosa Beach St. Patrick's Day Parade
📍 Downtown Hermosa Beach (Pier Ave + Hermosa Ave corridor), Hermosa Beach
🕒 Saturday, March 14 | 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
💰 Free
The South Bay's biggest green-soaked street party is back for its 30th year. Floats, marching bands, bagpipers, and Irish dancers take over Hermosa Avenue, drawing big crowds to the Pier area from across LA County. Streets close early Saturday morning, so get there on foot or rideshare and stake out a spot before 11. After the procession wraps, the party rolls down Pier Avenue all afternoon with live bands and step dancers on the plaza.
🔹 Floats, marching bands, bagpipers, and Irish dancers through the heart of Hermosa
🔹 30th Annual edition hosted by Hermosa Beach Chamber Foundation with City partnership
🔹 Post-parade live music and step dancers on Pier Plaza from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
🎨 Holi Beach Festival 2026
📍 Seaside Lagoon, 200 Portofino Way, Redondo Beach
🕒 Saturday, March 14 | 12:00 PM
💰 Ticketed | Kids under 5 free
The most colorful day of the year at Redondo Beach's Seaside Lagoon, bigger than the 6,000-person event it was in 2025. The South Asian Holi tradition meets a full beachside concert with DJs spinning Bollywood, EDM, Hip-Hop, Afro Beats, and Top 40, plus food vendors, bars, and a marketplace. Wear white. Buy your color powder on-site. Go with people you trust to get covered in it.
🔹 Full festival production with DJs, Bollywood, EDM, Hip-Hop, and Afro Beats on stage
🔹 Festival village with food vendors, bars, and a marketplace at Seaside Lagoon
🔹 Color powder available on-site (non-toxic, skin-safe), kids under 5 get in free
🍀 St. Patrick's Day Firefighter's Fundraiser
📍 The Brews Hall, 21770 Del Amo Cir E, Torrance
🕒 Saturday, March 14 | 12:00 PM
💰 Free
If you want the St. Patrick's Day energy without fighting for a spot in Hermosa, The Brews Hall at Del Amo has you covered. Torrance Fire Pipes & Drums open it up, then Revalute takes the stage from 2:30 to 6:30 with Irish tunes and covers. Green beer, great food, solid atmosphere. This one benefits local firefighters and it is exactly the kind of Saturday afternoon that sneaks up on you.
🔹 Live performances by Torrance Fire Pipes & Drums and Revalute (Irish + covers)
🔹 Fundraiser supporting local firefighters at the iconic Brews Hall
🔹 Green beer, full menu, and a relaxed afternoon that does not require a parking strategy
🛍️ 26th Annual Spring Arts & Crafts Faire
📍 Ken Miller Recreation Center, 3341 Torrance Blvd, Torrance
🕒 Saturday, March 14 | 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
💰 Free
The Torrance Craftsmen's Guild brings their biggest spring event back to Ken Miller Rec Center with over 40 independent artists selling handcrafted goods: ceramics, jewelry, art glass, knitwear, aprons, purses, home goods, toys, and more. There is a DJ, door prizes, and opportunity drawings that benefit a scholarship fund for graduating seniors in the Torrance Unified School District. Easy morning or early-afternoon stop before the rest of Saturday takes over.
🔹 Over 40 independent artists selling handmade ceramics, jewelry, glass, knitwear, and more
🔹 Opportunity drawings benefit scholarship fund for Torrance Unified seniors
🔹 Free admission and free parking at Ken Miller Rec Center
🎶 MBEF Rock the ASK
📍 Kinecta Federal Credit Union, 1440 Rosecrans Ave, Manhattan Beach
🕒 Saturday, March 14 | 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
💰 Ticketed (invitation required)
MBEF's donor appreciation concert is back with an outdoor, festival-style setup: music, food, drinks, and a big thank-you energy for the community that supports Manhattan Beach public schools. Important note: this is adults-only and requires a ticket or invitation.
🔹 Outdoor donor appreciation concert with food and beverages included
🔹 Live music by Members Only Yacht Club
🔹 Adults-only, requires ticket/invitation and RSVP
🎭 Style Thief Fashion Show
📍 James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Dr, Torrance
🕒 Saturday, March 14 | 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM
💰 Ticketed
A late-night option for something different: an interactive fashion show designed to lean into creativity and individuality. If you are looking for a dressed-up plan after dinner, this one works.
🔹 Evening fashion event at the Armstrong Theatre
🔹 Interactive and audience-engaging format
🔹 Pairs well with a dinner-out night in Torrance
📚 Food and Mood Nutrition for Adults
📍 Redondo Beach Main Library, 303 N Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach
🕒 Saturday, March 14 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
💰 Free
A Saturday morning workshop led by nutritional and stress management practitioner Lily Hanna, covering lifestyle strategies for healthy metabolism including diabetes risk reduction. Part of the library's ongoing "Food and Mood" series. Low-key, informative, and free.
🔹 Led by Lily Hanna, nutritional and stress management practitioner
🔹 Focus on healthy metabolism and diabetes risk reduction
🔹 Free workshop at the Redondo Beach Main Library, second floor meeting room
💍 Great Bridal Expo
📍 Portofino Hotel & Marina, 260 Portofino Way, Redondo Beach
🕒 Sunday, March 15 | 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
💰 Ticketed
One of the country's longest-running bridal shows lands at the Portofino Hotel & Marina, one of the best-looking wedding venue backdrops in the South Bay. Engaged couples can browse dozens of local and regional vendors covering florals, photography, catering, and honeymoon travel, all in one afternoon. Knock out months of planning while looking out at the harbor.
🔹 Dozens of local and regional wedding vendors under one roof at the Portofino
🔹 Florals, photography, catering, honeymoon travel, and more covered in one afternoon
🔹 One of the country's longest-running bridal shows at a South Bay landmark venue
🎶 Los Cancioneros Master Chorale: The Heart of America
📍 James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Dr, Torrance
🕒 Sunday, March 15 | 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
💰 Ticketed
A full classical concert program built around American composers and themes. If you want a more "sit down and reset" kind of Sunday, this is a great cultural anchor to end the weekend.
🔹 Concert program focused on American repertoire
🔹 Hosted at the Armstrong Theatre in Torrance
🔹 Ticketing page shows multiple ticket price levels
🏐 AAU Southern Pacific Grand Prix Series
📍 Volleyball Courts, 1 Pier Avenue (north side of the Pier), Hermosa Beach
🕒 Sunday, March 15 | 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
💰 Free to spectate
If you are in Hermosa on Sunday, expect serious youth volleyball energy by the pier. This is a national-qualifier style event, so it is a good spectator stop if you like sports and want something lively (and very South Bay) between coffee and a walk on The Strand.
🔹 Youth qualifier volleyball tournament on the north side of Hermosa Beach Pier
🔹 Runs all day, free to watch from the sand
🔹 City listing points to AAU site for additional information
🌸 El Camino College Cherry Festival
📍 Student Services Plaza, El Camino College, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd, Torrance
🕒 Tuesday, March 17 | 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
💰 Free
St. Patrick's Day falls on a Tuesday this year, and El Camino College is celebrating the season a different way. The 26th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival features a Japanese dance performance by Shiho Tendou, haiku readings by creative writing students, and a book signing by Dr. Donald Teruo Hata. Plus, free handmade ice cream from Gardena-based Kansha Creamery. A short, sweet hour under the blossoms if you are in the Torrance area.
🔹 Japanese dance performance by Shiho Tendou, haiku readings, and a book signing
🔹 Free handmade ice cream from Gardena-based Kansha Creamery
🔹 26th Annual tradition honoring Dr. Nadine Ishitani Hata, a beloved ECC leader
📸 South Bay Snapshot
Someone tell the sunset to relax
That's it for this week.
You now know more about this weekend than 99% of the South Bay. Use that wisely. Or just forward this to your group chat and let everyone figure it out together.
See you out there,
Jaime @MySouthBay
Quick Poll: Coffee order? |