SANTA MONICA—On Thursday, August 14, the city of Santa Monica announced that Americana in the Park is back for a fifth year with a special edition celebrating the city’s 150th Anniversary with a mix of artists reflecting the city’s diverse and creative spirit on Sunday, September 14, from 1:30-6:30 p.m. at Gandara Park.
Presented by Santa Monica’s own McCabe’s Guitar Shop along with Santa Monica-based KCRW as the media partner, Americana in the Park brings a broad spectrum of Americana music from traditional roots, blues, jazz and folk to its modern forms.
Attendees are invited to bring blankets, lawn chairs and food for a picnic. Local food trucks will be on hand, offering delicious options for purchase — from classic burgers at Messi Burger, to Caribbean fusion at Tropic Truck, to sweet treats from Creamy Boys ice cream truck.
Americana in the Park will also feature kid-friendly activities provided by Rediscover Center and a McCabe’s Guitar Shop pop-up stocked with merch, musical accessories and more.
Altadena Musicians, a group supported by the city’s Art of Recovery initiative and committed to assisting individuals who lost their musical instruments and audio gear in the recent wildfires in 2025, will be on hand to share more information about their efforts with attendees.
The 2025 concert lineup includes:
-El Rayo X – Formed in 1981 by the legendary multi-instrumentalist David Lindley, El Rayo-X fused rock, blues, reggae, and world music into a genre-defying soul-stirring sound. For a special night at Americana in the Park, the original spirit of El Rayo-X returns, paying tribute to Lindley’s legacy while bringing the timeless El Rayo-X sound to life for a new era.
-Alice Howe & Freebo – Rock bass legend Freebo weaves his fretless stylings into Alice Howe’s soulful, impeccably tuned vocals for a harmony-driven performance showcasing two uniquely compelling songwriters.
-The Gumbo Brothers – Formed in 2002, The Gumbo Brothers’ New Orleans and classic 70s funk quickly became a hit in Los Angeles. Throughout the years, the band explored their sound, adding soul, upbeat R&B, and hip-hop, and bringing even more vitality with the addition of vocalist and emcee Apollo Jai (formerly Justin Sky) in 2019.
-Babilonia featuring Celia Chavez – After years touring the world as a singer for major artists, Celia Chavez emerges as Babilonia, reclaiming pieces of herself through soul, jazz, and folk—resisting melancholy, embracing bittersweetness and arriving with a luminous new sound that’s wholly her own.
Americana in the Park is free and open to the public. Public transportation is encouraged. Big Blue Bus Route 43 serves Gandara Park, with buses running every 45 minutes. Additionally, Metro Rail’s E Line serves the nearby 26th St./Bergamot Station, with trains operating between East Los Angeles and Downtown Santa Monica every 10 minutes. Plan your trip at bigbluebus.com.
For more details on American in the Park visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/americana-in-the-park-tickets-1481827639359.
By Danny Jones