The Coolest Free Thing to do in Los Angeles

I’ve you have been to a Christmas Parade of Lights with all the lighted floats and wished you could see it more than once a year, you can.  It’s the Venice Electric Light Parade and it happens every week. You definitely want to put this on your fun, free things to do in LA bucket list.

It’s referred to as Sunday at Sundown or the Venice Electric Light Parade.  Each Sunday at sundown cyclists meet up on the Venice Boardwalk with their bicycles decked out in colorful LED lights.  Some are very elaborate.  They then proceed as a parade up and down the Venice Boardwalk and The Strand.  I suspect they go into the streets of Venice as well, but I couldn’t find any info on that.

It started as a group of bicycle fanatics that wanted to promote bicycle safety.  It has grown into such a big affair that it has even caught the attention of the British Broadcasting Company!

Everyone is welcome to participate.  They meet up at Windward Plaza in Venice on the Boardwalk just down from the Venice sign.  Times vary, but they start riding every Sunday at Sunset.  Show up about half hour to 45 minutes before sunset with your bike and lights if you want to ride.  Or just find yourself a comfortable vantage point on the boardwalk and enjoy the show.

You can find a little more info on the Venice Electric Light Parade website.

My apologies for the crappy pictures.  I had no idea the parade existed.  I was packing up the van after a commercial photoshoot and finishing wiping the water off a camera that got too close to a wave when I saw the bikes go by. The camera wasn’t ready and neither was I but I ran to get to a vantage point and snap a couple picts.  I’ll go back soon and take better pictures.  The “smeary” effect is because I hadn’t finished cleaning my lens after the wave!