VOLUNTEERS NEEDED - Due to an awesome and overwhelming response from the Westside Community the Venice Beach Games team needs your help! Please click here to find out more and sign up to help make the event a huge success!
Here's how you can help:
Friday - 4p-6p - Marketing, Vendor Support, Set-up
Saturday - 7am - Set-up, Vendor Support
Saturday - 4p - Wrap-up, Celebrate
Location: Venice Beach Recreation Center. 1800 Ocean Front Walk. Venice, California 90291.
Best parking: Street parking or park at the South City Parking Lot, 2100 Ocean Front Walk. Venice, Ca 90291
More Info About the Event: Venice Paparazzi is proud to announce its partnership with the City of Los Angeles Dept. of Rec. & Parks to produce The Venice Beach Games 2023. The event is a sun soaked celebration of sports and fitness, that brings together the entire community and beyond in a healthy, fun, day of sports, fitness, competition, and camaraderie in the world's greatest beach front recreation center.
The entire park and its glorious amenities are full of organized activity put on by the fantastic groups of people playing here. It is a day where the public can join 80+ sports and fitness groups running free competitions and classes. Our Two Group Fitness Stages, Martial Arts Zone, and Fitness Vendor Village facilitate guest interaction with the best in group workouts, local gyms, wellness, and more. As well, activities such as capoeira, parkour, and calisthenics offer the spectator an exciting look into the various worlds of less known fitness spaces.
A big fist bump to the City of L.A. Department of Rec. and Parks for partnership on this, to the Venice Beach BID for sponsoring the event, and Councilwoman Traci Park for providing material support.
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VENICE – Although the 2028 Olympics are still a while away, the Venice Beach Games are bringing an early taste to LA this summer. From classes to competitions and martial arts to skateboarding, there is something for all ages and skill levels at this completely free event.
On July 29, Venice Paparazzi and the LA Rec. and Parks Dept. are partnering to host the second annual Venice Beach Games. With over 40 sporting and fitness events and over 80 groups and brands participating, the community is invited to learn from and compete against some of the best the athletic world has to offer. The Venice Beach Games offer a variety of health-related activities including two Fitness Stages, a Martial Arts Zone, and a Fitness Vendor Village. Hosted at the Venice Beach Rec. Center, participants are welcome to explore group workouts, local gyms, free classes, fitness challenges, and more.
In addition to traditional sports such as basketball and paddle tennis, the Venice Beach Games include niche sports such as parkour, grappling, calisthenics, and skateboarding. Alex Stowell, co-founder of Venice Paparazzi, wants to use this precursor to the Olympics to “shed some light on these events that wouldn’t get attention otherwise.”
Aside from fitness-related activities, there will be a DJ, arts and crafts in the Kids Zone, open play chess, and more. There will be no food trucks, as Stowell is passionate about generating business for local restaurants.
Founder of the World Calisthenics Organization and LA local Brendan Cosso will be hosting the first freestyle calisthenics competition of its kind, Battle of the Bars, the winners of which will compete in the WCO’s annual event in Dubai. A relatively unknown sport, Cosso is excited to be involved in the only event that focuses on a multitude of sports in this way and believes that the Games are significant for the community too. “LA has gotten a really bad rap, but it’s a city that’s working hard towards rebuilding a community of athletic people [and] active lifestyles,” said Cosso.
Cosso was also involved in the first Venice Beach Games in 2021, in celebration of the cleanup of the Venice boardwalk and its facilities spearheaded by Stowell and his wife and co-founder of Venice Paparazzi, Edizen Stowell. With only around 20 events and 1800 participants in 2021, the event has expanded in scale and more than double the participants expected this year. “There’s a real feeling of community and coming together, so I really couldn’t be happier,” said Alex Stowell.
Originally a photo booth on the Venice Boardwalk in 2003, Venice Paparazzi has grown into an important site sharing information with the community, promoting and creating local events, and providing photography services. Both athletes and fitness lovers themselves, Edizen and Alex Stowell hope to make the Venice Beach Games an annual event.
The Venice Beach Games will take place on Saturday, July 29 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Venice Beach Recreation Center, 1800 Ocean Front Walk, with registration starting at 8 a.m. To secure a spot, RSVP, or arrive early and register as a walk-in. Admission is free, with a full itinerary available here.