Eighteen months after the devastating Palisades Fire, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (Conservancy) and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) announced today that Temescal Gateway Park will reopen to the public at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, July 17, 2026, marking a major milestone in the recovery of one of Pacific Palisades’ most treasured public landscapes.

The reopening follows 18 months of fire suppression, storm recovery, emergency operations, regional logistics, and park restoration that have transformed Temescal Gateway Park from the front lines of one of Southern California’s most destructive wildfires back into a place for outdoor recreation and renewal.

Visitors can hike the rebuilt Rivas Trail to two scenic overlooks or continue to Will Rogers State Historic Park. The Sunset Trail is open, providing access to Temescal Ridge Trail and Topanga State Park. Park users can also enjoy the Sycamore Grove and Rubell Picnic Areas.

The popular Temescal Canyon Trail to the waterfall will remain closed until further notice because fire damage created unsafe trail conditions.

When the Palisades Fire threatened Temescal Gateway Park, the MRCA Fire Division mounted an extraordinary defense that prevented the park from being destroyed. Those efforts also enabled the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) to establish one of the region’s principal wildfire recovery operations within the park.

For months, the park served as the ACOE’s central command site supporting debris removal from thousands of fire-damaged homes and vehicles throughout Pacific Palisades. After that mission concluded, the ACOE restored its operational footprint, allowing MRCA staff and partner organizations to complete the park’s restoration.

“Temescal Gateway Park has long been a place where people come to experience the beauty of the Santa Monica Mountains,” said Miguel Luna, Chair of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. “Reopening this park reflects the resilience of both our natural landscapes and the many public agencies, nonprofit organizations, volunteers, and community partners who worked tirelessly to make this day possible. We are proud to welcome visitors back while continuing our commitment to restoring this remarkable landscape for future generations.”

MRCA staff worked alongside the California Conservation Corps, the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, the workforce and economic development organization Managed Career Solutions, the Sierra Club, the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Camp 13 hand crew, Palisades Resilient, California State Parks, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other state and local agencies to restore trails, repair visitor facilities, remove hazardous trees, and prepare the park for safe public access.

Numerous fire-damaged trees throughout the park and along its trails—including several beloved mature oak trees—had to be removed to protect public safety. Although visitors will continue to see evidence of the fire, they will also witness the landscape’s remarkable natural recovery. Habitat restoration and reforestation efforts will continue as additional funding becomes available.

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Trash everywhere. Two days after the end of the controversial "FiFA World Cup Fan Zone" at Venice Beach the area is still littered with garbage.

The grass has been destroyed, trash is still everyone on the ground. The organizers have left abandoned the site, the city workers are left cleaning up their mess, with locals steppong in to help out.

Huge sections of the grass is now dirt, because the booths and installations left over the 5 days have killed the grass.

The City of Santa Monica anounnanced the return of COAST Open Streets Festival, July 19 – a free, all-ages, car-free, pedestrian-focused culmination of Santa Monica’s World Cup activations featuring art installations, cultural programming, interactive experiences and food vendors. COAST will link key destinations along and near Ocean Avenue, including the Santa Monica Pier, Tongva Park, Palisades Park, Arizona Avenue, Third Street Promenade and the Fourth Street Metro E Line terminus.

From 2016 - 2019, Community Arts Resources (CARS) produced COAST, the City of Santa Monica's Open Streets Event, transforming the streets of Santa Monica into a giant park for a day.

For two miles COAST brought the streets of Santa Monica to life with arts and cultural programming and installations, community outreach by city departments, engaging and active workshops, as well as small business outreach.



COAST 2026 serves as the grand finale to the six week World Cup activation series. This is a massive open street takeover that transforms Santa Monica into a giant pedestrian festival. Spanning from the Promenade and LA Metro stations across to Ocean Avenue, Colorado, Arizona, and the iconic Pier, the entire city comes together for one final celebration. This is the ultimate conclusion to the tournament energy, bringing the community into the streets for an unforgettable day of music, food, and culture.

‍ What to Expect

A complete open street takeover spanning the heart of the city

The grand conclusion to six weeks of international World Cup celebration

Live art installations and immersive visual performances throughout the streets

Family friendly activities and interactive zones across multiple city blocks

High energy atmosphere celebrating the global spirit of Santa Monica

A massive fleet of food trucks offering a wide range of global flavors

Expansive beer gardens and social zones for all day connection

The largest community festival of the year in a pedestrian focused setting

COAST was Southern California's most pedestrian-centered open streets event, with more than 80% of participants walking the route. With over 50,000 locals and visitors in attendance each time along parts of Ocean Avenue, Colorado Avenue and Main Street.

Until the pandemic, this project was the City of Santa Monica's signature event, inviting the local community and visitors from across greater Los Angeles to experience car-free streets in Santa Monica every fall. The event included live music and performances, curated art installations, interactive workshops, food, and more! CARS produced COAST in collaboration with the City of Santa Monica's Cultural Affairs Division, the Office of Sustainability and the Environment, and Transportation Planning Division.

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The City of Malibu is proud to be included on California's 2026 Fire Risk Reduction Community List (FRRCL), recognizing our ongoing commitment to reducing wildfire risk and building a safer, more resilient community. This statewide designation highlights communities that have implemented comprehensive wildfire risk reduction strategies, including emergency planning, vegetation management, public education, defensible space efforts, and strong coordination with fire agencies and community partners.

For Malibu, this recognition reflects years of work to strengthen wildfire preparedness and resilience—efforts that have become even more important following recent wildfires. While no designation can eliminate wildfire risk, being on the FRRCL demonstrates that Malibu is taking proactive, state-recognized steps to help protect lives, homes, businesses, and our natural environment.

There are significant advantages to being on the FRRCL, including priority for wildfire prevention grants from CAL FIRE and the potential for obtaining other state or federal resilience, hazard, and community planning funds. It also provides advantages to City homeowners and businesses when applying for insurance, as insurance companies are required to consider the FRRCL designation when calculating premiums for homes and businesses in the community, thereby potentially lowering insurance costs.

Wildfire preparedness is a shared responsibility. The City thanks our residents, neighborhood Firewise communities, partner agencies, and staff for their continued commitment to creating a safer Malibu

The Malibu Volunteers on Patrol (VOP) program has expanded its fleet with the delivery of a new patrol vehicle, funded by the City of Malibu. The new vehicle enhances the team's ability to support the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and serve the Malibu community through non-emergency patrols, parking enforcement, traffic and event support, and reporting accidents, fires and suspicious activity, which allows sworn deputies to focus on higher-priority law enforcement.

The Malibu VOP program is fully funded by the City of Malibu and is staffed by dedicated trained civilian volunteers who donate thousands of hours each year to help keep the community safe.

The latest Live Fuel Moisture reading is 70%, down from 74% and below the historical average of about 80% for this time of year, indicating vegetation is continuing to dry and becoming more available to burn.

Live Fuel Moisture measures the water content of living vegetation and is a key indicator of wildfire potential. Large fires can develop when readings are in the 70%–80% range, especially with heat, low humidity, and strong winds. At about 60% or lower, vegetation burns much like dead fuel and conditions become critical.

The current Smokey Bear fire danger level is Moderate, meaning fires can start and spread through dry vegetation, particularly when winds increase or humidity drops.

Fire potential in the Santa Monica Mountains is moderate, with locally elevated concern on hotter, drier interior slopes, ridgelines, and wind-exposed areas. Coastal Malibu should remain somewhat cooler and more humid, but the low 70% live fuel moisture means fires could still spread rapidly if ignitions occur during gusty winds and low humidity. Over the next 10 days, inland Los Angeles County faces greater concern, with wind gusts of 25–40 mph, humidity as low as 5%–15%, and temperatures of 90–105 degrees.

A slight chance of monsoonal thunderstorms begins Sunday. Early storms may produce lightning with little rainfall, increasing the risk of new fire starts.

Quarter-final weekend on the boardwalk, July 10 - 11, 2026. A free public Fan Zone and Windward Avenue Block Party — open to all, no ticket required. Premium Watch Party and VIP (21+) experiences at Windward Plaza. Live match broadcasts on a stadium-scale LED

The official Los Angeles World Cup 26 Fan Zone at Venice Beach, on Windward Plaza — two days of live match viewing on one of the most photographed pieces of coastline on Earth.

On Friday, July 10 and Saturday, July 11, 2026, the Los Angeles World Cup 26 Fan Zone at Venice Beach turns one of the most iconic boardwalks in America into the global gathering point for the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.

A massive LED screen. Stadium-quality sound. The crowd in jerseys, the boardwalk packed, the ocean a hundred feet from the screen. Live music and DJs between and after matches, food and beverage from coastal hospitality partners, and an atmosphere built for the moment the world stops to watch.

For the weekend, Windward Avenue between Speedway and Pacific Avenue is closed to vehicle traffic and opened up for people — a pedestrianized street activation running from the boardwalk to Pacific.

The Fan Zone and Windward Avenue Block Party are free and open to the public — no ticket required. For fans who want reserved sightlines, a dedicated bar, and after-party access, the Premium Watch Party and VIP (21+) experiences live inside Windward Plaza.

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Golden Hour on the Third Street Promenade is a recurring activation that transforms the Promenade into a vibrant, pedestrian-focused gathering space during World Cup season. Running from Broadway to Wilshire, the experience builds from afternoon energy into an evening social atmosphere.

Designed to complement Pier-based match viewing, Golden Hour focuses on pre and post match gathering rather than live broadcast, creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for residents, visitors, and families. The series establishes a consistent rhythm that drives foot traffic and reinforces Downtown Santa Monica as the city's central World Cup destination.

June 12, June 27 & July 10

2:00 PM – 10:00 PM

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Venice Healer Daisy and her fiend, singer/songwriter Jaida Henley visit a new shop on the Venice Beach Boardwalk, Sprayed, where you can learn how to make graffiti art.

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