Marina del Rey Summer Concerts

During the summer, Marina del Rey hosts a free classical and pop concert series on the water at the beautiful Burton W. Chace Park. Four of the concerts feature the 75-member Marina del Rey Summer Symphony. The concerts take place on one of the most spectacular water front settings in Los Angeles. Concert goers can bring their own lawn chairs and blankets as well as wine and beer for a festive evening. Concerts start at 7:00pm and last about two hours.

I grabbed my camera took the WaterBus to see the concert. It was a beautiful evening and it was nice to tour the marina on the way to see the concert. As we were docking, I could see the small hill at the park was already filled with people enjoying themselves before the concert started. Most people brought chairs and picnic dinner. You could see the boats coming in as the sun was setting, a perfect setting to see the concert.

The concert that night featured Maestro Fetta with the Marina del Rey Summer Symphony. Performing was Dame Cleo Laine and Sir John Dankworth & Friends. Orchestra by Sir John Dankworth with classics from jazz to Broadway. The performance was well received.

There is a very small parking lot at the park so you will need to find parking in the area (parking lots listed below). However, it is much more fun to take the WaterBus which runs every 20 minutes until midnight. There are seven WaterBus stops and the fair is one dollar each way. See the map below the pickup locations.

The concerts are on Thursdays and Saturdays. Unfortunately, the free concerts at Marina del Rey on Thursday nights are the same days of the free concerts at the Santa Monica Pier during summer. Some of the alternate Thursdays and Saturdays they have movie night at Marina del Rey.

Concert Schedule for 2010

Marina del Rey Free Concerts July 8, 2010 through August 28, 2010

• CLASSICAL THURSDAYS
  Concerts start at 7:00pm
• July 8
  Finalists from Loren L. Zachary National Vocal Competition present a program of opera arias and ensembles with the Marina del Rey Summer Symphony
• July 22
  The Marina del Rey Summer Symphony with soloist 19-year-old pianist Claire Huangci
• August 5
  A symphonic program featuring music of The Beatles and George Gershwin
• August 19
  The Marina del Rey Summer Symphony with soloist 22-year-old violinist Hahn-Bin
• POP SATURDAYS
  Concerts start at 7:00pm
• July 17
  Florence La Rue and The 5th Dimension
• July 31
  James Darren and his ensemble
• August 14
  Oscar Castro-Neves and his musicians in a program of Bossa Nova
• August 28
  Cleo Laine and her ensemble
• MOVIE NIGHTS
  Bring the entire family, a blanket, a picnic and some popcorn to movie nights. All movies start promptly at 8:00 pm. Admission to the event is FREE.
• July 24
  Hair Spray
• August 7
  The Blind Side
• August 21
  Shark Tale
• September 4
  Arctic Tale

As soon as I get the schedule for the 2010 concerts, I will post it on this website.

Public Parking Locations

• Public Lot #4
  13500 Mindanao Way; one block from Chace Park (370 spaces) $5
• Public Lot #5
  4545 Admiralty Way; three blocks from Chace Park (219 spaces) $5
• Dock 52
  13501 Fiji Way; between Admiralty Way and Fisherman's Village (232 spaces) Free Parking

WaterBus Stops

The WaterBus runs every 20 minutes from 5:00pm until midnight

1. Fisherman's Village - 13755 Fiji Way
2. Burton Chace Park - 13650 Mindanao Way (ADA accessible)
3. Los Angeles County Fire Station #110 - 4433 Admiralty Way (ADA accessible)
4. Marina "Mother's" Beach, - 4101 Admiralty Way, corner Admiralty and Palawan Way (ADA accessible)
5. Dolphin Marina, - 13900 Panay Way Dock Gate C-200 (ADA accessible)
6. Esprit I - 13900 Marquesas Way, Dock Gate B-416 (ADA accessible)
7. Marina Harbor - 14028 Tahiti Way, Dock Gate A-2200 (ADA accessible)