Please join me in wishing the Santa Monica Pier a “Happy Birthday!” The Pier opened to great fanfare on September 9, 1909. Written numerically, that’s 9-9-09, which is really cool, and works great when I speak about the Pier to school children!
It was originally built as a public utility – the answer to the City of Santa Monica’s then-growing sewage problem. And yet, the Pier’s opening day was a highly celebrated occasion, with a parade through downtown, a ribbon cutting featuring local and state officials, athletic competitions, a theatrical performance, and fireworks! All for the opening of a public utility.
There were no thrill rides, no restaurants. In fact, there wasn’t much of anything. So why such a celebration?
The Santa Monica Pier opened on that September day as the first pier on the West Coast of the United States to be made entirely of concrete. And, only the second one in the world!
Much has changed since opening day, of course. The deck is no longer concrete, having long ago been converted to wooden deck boards that give it that distinct, old-fashioned boardwalk appeal.
And of course, there are many activities and businesses upon it. One thing remains consistent with that storied opening day, though, and that is the ability to attract thousands of people every day.
This September we celebrate 115 years of the pleasure provided by the Pier with a very special free movie screening of one of the many popular movies filmed at the Pier – Barbie – and we invite everyone to join. There will be cake, live music, fun activities, and of course we will all sing “Happy Birthday, Dear Pier” together.
The celebration will be a few days early – on Friday, September 6th – and doors open at 5:30 p.m. Please put that on your calendar and come be a part of our very special day.
For more details about all of the Pier’s great programming, please visit santamonicapier.org
By Jim Harris
Jim Harris is the Executive Director of the Santa Monica Pier Corporation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of the Pier visitor experience, as well as an accomplished author and playwright.
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