A Perfect Start to the Season The Annual Riviera Village Holiday Stroll By Writer and Contributor Amy Bergant
The Riviera Village Holiday Stroll in South Redondo Beach will take place on Thursday, December 7th, from 4-8pm. This special event allows patrons to walk freely on Catalina Avenue and Avenue I, where they can shop at the many specialty stores, dine at the eclectic restaurants, to usher in the holiday season.
Begun almost 30 years ago as a parade, the Holiday Stroll has become a very popular occasion for residents of the South Bay to meet friends, support local businesses, and celebrate the unique Riviera Village neighborhood. The setting of twinkling lights crisscrossed through trees, holiday music in the air, (usually) cooler temperatures and a special procession by Santa Claus himself, is festive for all ages.
Kathleen Fisher, marketing director for the Riviera Village Association, is happy the tradition continues, “First, it is a special time of year. In its simplest form, the holiday stroll is an open house and block party. Stores welcome the community into their businesses, offering snacks and sips to enhance their shopping experience. The stroll is gift wrapped in high quality event lighting, holiday music, photo opportunities, Santa, holiday characters and of course, our visitors enjoy feeling safe with their little ones when streets are closed to motor vehicles.”
The Association itself is the main sponsor of all the events held over the year, but there are local businesses who generously donate funds for the event. This years’ sponsors are BeachLife Festival, Rebel Republic, Hennessey’s Tavern, & South Bay Credit Union. Start to Finish Event Services, which organizes the Riviera Village Farmers Market that takes place on Sundays, will be handing out free Riviera Village Farmers Market tote bags.
The area is called Riviera Village because of its location inside The Hollywood Riviera neighborhood, which was founded in the early 1900’s with the building of the Clifford Reid home, on Monte d’Oro. Mr. Reid had made his money selling real estate in an area he called North Hollywood, and when he visited South Redondo Beach, thanks to the new train lines extending to the shore, he compared the beautiful shoreline to the French Riviera, hence the name. For some time, Mr. Reid entertained the Hollywood elite, such as Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, John and Ethel Barrymore. While several homes were built shortly after Mr. Reids, the toll of the Depression slowed development. It wasn’t until after World War II that young families began moving to the area, establishing it as an upscale community.
When asked what makes Riviera Village so special, owners Kim Judy and Lilah Volpe of Card de A said, “The Riviera Village is special for so many reasons, but one that sticks out for us is the sense of community, with the businesses and customers. We are all rooting for each other and that is pretty amazing.” All the events in the Village are meant to create a sense of community and the Holiday Stroll ushers in the season with that sentiment. “We have so many favorite parts of the holiday stroll! We are always excited to see everyone come together in full holiday spirit, celebrating life together. Seeing all the kids overjoyed with excitement is a lot of fun too! It's just a whole lot of happiness in our little village and we love it!”
The Holiday Stroll is Thursday December 7, from 5pm to 9pm. South Catalina Avenue from Avenue I to S Elena and Avenue I from South Catalina to South Elena will be closed to traffic. Riviera Village has ample parking in the “triangle parking lot” located between Avenida Del Norte and S Elena Street, as well as individual spots on open streets. Parking is metered; payable by coin or credit card. Plaza Riviera, located at 1611 Catalina, is providing parking for a flat rate of $20. Ride sharing is encouraged.
Amy (Barber) Bergant is a proud Miraleste High School alumna, who grew up in Rancho Palos Verdes.
She attended the University of Southern California, getting her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from The Annenberg School for Journalism, where she was also a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. She currently lives in South Redondo Beach with her husband of almost 25 years, twin 14 year old daughters, and their 2 cats, George and Henry. When not chauffering her kids around, she enjoys hanging out with friends, eating good food, listening to great music, watching ridiculous television shows and going to the beach.