To be a street performer on the Santa Monica Pier, it helps to be lucky.
Corey Hart sat in the shade of the Santa Monica Pier’s carousel building on a hot summer Friday, a clear 5-gallon plastic tub at his side.
There are only 24 designated spaces on the pier, and on a summer weekend there can be 50 or more performers at the 5 p.m. lottery drawing. Those whose names are not drawn may walk up the hill to Palisades Park or the Third Street Promenade and ply their self-expression there. But in Santa Monica, the Broadway lights shine brightest on the pier.
But that spot sits by the beach stairs and is sandwiched between Oatman Rock Shop and a group of street vendor carts, potentially overwhelming a performance — whether by a magician or a balloon artist. As a result, spots farther down the pier are often more desirable. Musicians must also consider how close they want to be to another musician or singer.
Some of the participants say the system remains far from perfect. There is still wrangling over who should be considered a performer and not a vendor — the former qualify for a $37 permit, which is good for a year. And there are occasional accusations of selling spaces. But Prince said it’s a better situation than before.The definition of “perform” is critical.
Harris has been involved with street performers on the pier for more than 16 years. He thinks the lottery system is fair. But with the growth in visitors, he said, more performers have been attracted — and the limited number of performance spaces and times means there is competition and some inevitable tension, particularly in connection with the placement of musical performances and break dancing.
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