Few folks know that paddleboarding, which looks as if it were invented for aging baby boomers, was a craze in the 1940s at the Santa Monica Pier, from which practitioners of the sport would launch themselves for oceangoing forays. Learn all about it at the festival, a fund-raiser for Heal the Bay, where vintage paddleboards will share space with the latest designs. Athletes will compete in ocean swims and dory boat races and, of course, on paddleboards. Hula dancers will…

Bethany Cosentino should receive kickbacks from the California tourism industry for all the praise she lavishes on the Golden State. Her band’s sunny pop makes a perfect soundtrack for cruising along PCH or writing postcards on the beach. More information.

For those of us that can't wait until Oktoberfest, we've got something to cure your blues. Septemberfest is a celebration of everything great about American culture, complete with food trucks, musical performances and over 150 beers.  More information.

In case you didn’t get enough action during the London Olympics (or need an excuse to drink too much beer), here you go. Sorry, this is not a competitive drinking contest. During Drink.Eat.Play.’s Septemberfest (billed as “America’s response to Oktoberfest”), guests can form teams, don uniforms, and drink all the free beer they want for $40. Go for the gold! More information.

Kick off springtime shenanigans with Santa Monica Pier's music fest, featuring Poolside, Yacht, Baio, Kisses, Guns in the Sun, and DJ Mario Cotto. More information

"Buy" a stationary bike for the day to race solo or split the cost with teammates to help raise $500,000 to cover the expenses for kids from 20 inner-city schools to attend camp. More information

There's no better way to get summer started than with these amazing young rockers from Florida with an evolved pop rock sound that's years beyond their actual ages. They kick off the Santa Monica Pier 2013 Twilight Concert Series.  More information.

Grammy-nominated singer Meshell Ndegeocello brings her funky, soulful songs to the beach in the summer’s second free Twilight Concert. More information

The Twilight Concert series keeps it local for its third show of the summer: L.A.-based experimental punk duo No Age headlines with support from Long Beach garage rockers Tijuana Panthers. More information

KCRW favorite Hanni El Khatib brings his bluesy rock to the Pier’s Twilight Concert series. Tuareg guitarist Bombino opens the show. More information.

The latest installation in this free concert series—a summer tradition now in its 28th year—features musicians from Cirque du Soleil. More information.

Hailing from industrial Birmingham, England in the 1970s, The English Beat has fluidly traversed the worlds of soul, reggae, pop, and punk to create an infectious dance rhythm. Join in as they keep the beat of the 80s alive and strong. More information.

Make like a tourist and flock to the Santa Monica Pier for Amadou & Mariam + Y La Bamba at the 29th Annual Twilight Concert Series, where African rock and Portland scenesters join forces to create a cross-cultural vibe. More information.

The Twilight Concert Series continues with a performance by retro rocker Nick Waterhouse (an L.A. native), who will play material from his album Time’s All Gone. More information.

The East Coast’s Newport Folk Festival kicks off its first Pacific edition. The lineup includes a few names who know their way around an acoustic guitar: proto-emo heartthrob Conor Oberst, rootsy Swedish sister act First Aid Kit, and border-rockers Calexico. And they’ll all be playing in a minor key. More information. 

Organized by Tenacious D bandmates Jack Black and Kyle Gass, this promises to be the Coachella of comedy. More than 20 acts will take the stage, including Zach Galifianakis, Adam Sandler, Sarah Silverman, and Princess, Maya Rudolph’s Prince cover band. More information. 

Cirque du Soleil’s TOTEM has blown minds across Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Now it’s our turn. The show takes on nothing less than the evolution of our planet with dazzling costumes and awe-inspiring acrobatics. More information. 

You didn’t read the title wrong. This Saturday morning workout on the Santa Monica Pier starts with a 2 or 5 mile run followed by a yoga class next to the ocean. Run + yoga = roga. Get it? More information

More than 100 stationary bikes will be set up on the pier so you can catch some rays during a five-hour “ride.” Proceeds will be used to send inner-city schoolkids to camp. More information.

Hang ten and head to the beach for paddleboard races and ocean swim meets presented by Tommy Bahama. You don’t have to get wet to have fun; the festival features live music, hula dancing, a pop-up museum, and special appearances by surf culture legends. More information

The seaside music festival returns with atmospheric synth rockers Cults on July 10, Malaysian singer Yuna on July 17, two local indie outfits, Cayucas and Papa, on July 24, and Syrian electro-dance partyman Omar Souleyman on July 31. More information.

Hit the pier on Thursday evenings with one of L.A.’s favorite outdoor summer series

Dub is reggae’s spaced-out cousin, and Perry is the master of its sound. At the summerlong Twilight Concert Series, he takes his far-out frequencies to the beach. More information.