Santa Monica Pier hosts A PIERfect Benefit, a 1930s-themed fundraiser for free community programming

The Santa Monica Pier Corporation will hold its second annual A PIERfect Benefit on Saturday, September 19, 2026 at 3:30 PM on the Pier, featuring live jazz, casino tables and a silent auction to support free Pier programs

The Santa Monica Pier Corporation is staging its second annual A PIERfect Benefit on Saturday, September 19, 2026 at 3:30 PM PDT. The in-person fundraiser will take place at 200 Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California and will direct all proceeds to the nonprofit’s free community programming for residents and visitors alike.

Guests are invited to step back into the 1930s inside the historic Merry Go-Round building, which has been transformed into a replica of the legendary S.S. Rex. The evening promises live jazz by the Art Deco Jazz Orchestra, casino-style gambling tables, a silent auction, craft cocktails and indulgent bites. Ticket holders receive a night of gambling, music and revelry, plus 50 % off gambling chips; full price applies to day-of purchases.

The event’s entertainment lineup is anchored by the Art Deco Jazz Orchestra, which will deliver authentic swing sounds while guests try their luck at craps, roulette, blackjack and even Uno at the themed gambling tables. A silent auction runs alongside carousel horse races and other novelty games, all set against nautical décor that evokes the original offshore gambling ship.

Comedian Olivia Hill, a longtime Southern California performer, will host the night and keep the crowd energized with her sharp wit. The ticket includes access to all games, a selection of craft cocktails and a menu of indulgent bites. Attendees who purchase tickets in advance also receive 50 % off gambling chips; those who buy on the night will pay full price.

Dress code is a key part of the experience. Guests are encouraged to channel 1930s transatlantic travel glamour with tailored suits, wide-leg trousers, statement hats and pearls. For those needing help, Adele’s of Hollywood offers a 15 % discount on rentals and purchases when the code PIER is entered at checkout.

The party’s setting pays homage to the SS Rex, the infamous gambling ship launched by mobster Tony “The Hat” Cornero in 1938. Cornero bought the fishing barge Star of Scotland, converted it into a floating casino and anchored it just beyond the three-mile limit that defined California’s jurisdiction at the time. The ship became a popular destination for Depression-era revelers, offering middle-class patrons clean entertainment, free food and a short water-taxi ride from the Pier.

Legal battles soon followed. California Attorney General Earl Warren declared that international waters began three miles past an imaginary line from Point Vicente to Point Dume, forcing the Rex to operate eighteen miles offshore. After an eight-day standoff known as the Battle of Santa Monica Bay, Cornero surrendered. The story resurfaced in 1973 when director George Roy Hill rented the Merry Go-Round building for the film The Sting, cementing the venue’s place in Hollywood lore. This year’s benefit celebrates both the mobster era and the grifter legacy with honest games of chance, carousel horse racing and 1930s jazz.

This benefit blends Los Angeles’ love of vintage glamour with a concrete investment in the Pier’s free programming, ensuring that the historic waterfront remains a vibrant community hub. By reviving the SS Rex narrative, the event also reminds Angelenos of the city’s colorful past while funding the next generation of public arts and recreation.