What does it take to close the foot of Manhattan Beach Boulevard for 40 hours? The answer is a single Sunday, October 18. That day, the pier hosts a charity walk in the morning and the 36th Annual Pumpkin Race in the afternoon. A few miles inland, a meet-and-greet with City Council candidates runs into the evening.
The Hometown Fair ran October 3 and 4, and the MB10K was held October 3, so the fall calendar's biggest weekend has already passed. What's left of October is built around the 18th. The city has set up its marquee Halloween event to give residents first claim on it.
Saturday, 6 a.m.: The Boulevard Closes First
The race doesn't start until Sunday afternoon, but closures begin Saturday morning. The city's 2026 schedule closes Manhattan Beach Boulevard from the Pier to Ocean Drive from 6:00 a.m. Saturday, October 17, until 10:00 p.m. Sunday. On Sunday the closure stretches further inland and spreads to the side streets around the pier:
| Location | Closed |
|---|---|
| Lower Pier parking lots | Sat., Oct. 17, 6:00 a.m. to Sun., Oct. 18, 10:00 p.m. |
| Upper Pier parking lots | Sat., Oct. 17, noon to Sun., Oct. 18, 10:00 p.m. |
| Manhattan Beach Blvd., Pier to Ocean Drive | Sat., Oct. 17, 6:00 a.m. to Sun., Oct. 18, 10:00 p.m. |
| Manhattan Beach Blvd., Ocean Drive to Manhattan Avenue | Sun., Oct. 18, 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
| Ocean Drive, 10th Place to Center Place | Sun., Oct. 18, 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
| 11th Place and 11th Street Fire Lane | Sun., Oct. 18, 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
| 12th Street, Manhattan Avenue to Ocean Drive | Permit parking only, Sun., Oct. 18, 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
A few spaces are blocked off even longer. Eight spots at the northeast end of the Lower North Pier Lot, six in the Upper South Pier Lot and two in the Upper North Pier Lot are closed from 6:00 a.m. Friday, October 16, to 10:00 a.m. Monday, October 19. The city posts a single map covering both Sunday events, titled the "Skechers Friendship Walk and Pumpkin Race Street Closure Map." One map for both events says a lot about the day: two organizations with different audiences share the same strip of pavement within a few hours of each other.
Sunday Morning Belongs to the Walk
The day opens with the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk, which starts and finishes at Manhattan Beach Pier. Check-in opens at 8:00 a.m., the opening ceremony is at 9:00, and the walk sets off around 9:30. Walkers head south to Hermosa Beach Pier and back, a route the organizers put at about 3.4 miles. The city's page puts the walk at 9:00 and calls it about 3.5 miles, so treat both the start time and the distance as approximate.
The walk draws a wider crowd than the race does. The event site lists seven beneficiaries: the Friendship Foundation and the education foundations of El Segundo, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, the Peninsula, Redondo Beach and Torrance. Organizers say all proceeds support children with special needs, public education and Skechers' national college scholarship program. The walk's own page reminds participants that Manhattan Beach Boulevard will be closed between the Pier and Manhattan Avenue for the Pumpkin Races, so the handoff between the two events is built into the plan.
Noon to 5:45 p.m.: Pumpkin Race Land
At noon the pier area becomes what the city calls Pumpkin Race Land, a free festival with activities and costumes. First-timers who arrive without a racer can build one from scratch with help from the city's Pumpkin Pit Crew. Most Southern California Halloween events are borrowed traditions. This one began here. According to the city's history, Karl Rogers, Michael Aaker and John Holliday came up with the racer design and the race format on Halloween Eve in 1990 for Rogers' birthday party. Friends insisted on a rematch the next year, and the race became an annual event.
Races are head-to-head and single elimination down Manhattan Beach Boulevard, and the winner is the racer whose wheels cross the finish line first. The official rules are short and strict:
- One pumpkin per racer
- Two independent axles running through the pumpkin, with wheels attached
- No joining the axles to each other and no fabricated chassis
- Wheels no more than 12 inches in diameter, axles no more than 18 inches long
- No pushing at the start
Because the pumpkin itself serves as the chassis, a racer's shape and weight matter as much as its wheels. The city's tagline sums it up: "creativity runs wild and cheaters never prosper."
The city lists approximate times for the afternoon and notes they may change:
- Showcase races, 1:30 to 2:00 p.m.
- Qualifying races, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
- Quarterfinals, 5:00 to 5:30 p.m.
- Semifinals and finals, 5:30 p.m.
- Championship race, 5:45 p.m.
Racers who show up late may be allowed to race against the clock for fun, or against other late arrivals for a spot in a qualifier, but only if time allows and the main bracket keeps moving. LAcarGUY is listed as presenting sponsor, Chevron as community sponsor and The Strand House as shout-out sponsor on the city's Pumpkin Race page.
The Week Residents Get First
For a free event, the most important date may be one that has already passed. The Turbo Pass costs $7 and covers two pumpkin entries plus a timed slot in a separate Turbo Pass line. It's optional, since anyone can wait in the regular line, and it expires once its booked slot is over.
Sales opened online for Manhattan Beach residents at 6:00 a.m. on October 5. Non-residents can buy starting October 12. As of today, October 6, the pass is still in its resident-only window. That gives local families six more days to book the afternoon slot they want before the regional crowd, many of whom will already be in town for the morning walk, can buy in.
This is where the day's structure shows. The morning walk raises money for seven South Bay foundations and is open to everyone. The afternoon race is free to watch, but its one scarce resource, a guaranteed place in line, goes to residents first.
4 p.m. on Rosecrans
While the qualifying rounds are still running at the pier, the day moves inland to its third event. MB Weekly has invited readers to meet the City Council candidates on Sunday, October 18, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Lido di Manhattan Ristorante, 1550 Rosecrans Ave. The paper says there will be no speeches or formal program, just complimentary appetizers, a no-host bar, casual dress and plenty of free parking. RSVPs go to the address listed in the October 1 issue.
Those two hours line up almost exactly with the end of qualifying and the quarterfinals. Anyone hoping to catch both can plan around the 5:45 p.m. championship. The free parking at Lido di Manhattan helps, since the pier lots will still be closed until 10:00 that night.
The Rest of October Follows the Same Pattern
The other dates on the city's October calendar are free events run by the city or with city partners at neighborhood venues:
- Saturday, October 10, 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.: A free composting workshop led by Waste Management at the Manhattan Beach Botanical Garden, 1237 N. Peck Ave.
- Saturday, October 24, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.: The 38th Annual Family Halloween Carnival at Manhattan Heights Park, 1600 Manhattan Beach Boulevard, with games, a costume parade and a haunted house.
September's big food event shows the other end of the range. Manhattan Beach Food & Wine sold out its third year at its new home, Westdrift, drawing 1,500 guests on each of its two nights. The festival ran September 25 and 26, according to Los Angeles Magazine. MB Weekly's recap counted 23 chefs and restaurants, some from as far away as Fort Lauderdale and New Orleans. The local lineup included David LeFevre of The Arthur J, Fishing With Dynamite and MB Post; Sherri Yard of Bakery By the Yard; Chris Feldmeier of Love & Salt; and Chris Park of The Strand House. That was a ticketed hotel event with a guest list. October's events take place on a closed boulevard, in a park and in a garden, and anyone can come.
If race weekend has you wondering what your home near the pier, or anywhere else in town, is worth, the ARIA Properties team keeps a close eye on the Manhattan Beach market. Get your instant home valuation, and we'll be happy to walk you through the results whenever it suits you.
