Community members flocked to Emerson Ave. to enjoy the festivities at the 7th Annual Westchester Arts & Music (WAM) Block Party on September 24, and if you weren’t there, you definitely missed out on the weekend’s most talked about event in the 90045.
Event producer John Sharpe estimates that upwards of 7,000 people visited WAM, an attendance record for the block party, which features all-day entertainment from live bands, dance performances, food trucks, community booths, art vendors, and of course, the ever popular beer & wine garden. WAM was at max capacity this year, stretching completely from 80th Pl. to 80th St., thanks to almost 90 booths and sponsors who stepped up to support this neighborhood tradition.
Besides hanging out in the beer garden and enjoying the sounds of Rose’s Pawn Shop and Omar Torrez, standout activities included pumpkin painting and ornament making with the Rotary Clubs, swag courtesy of LMU, getting one of 5,000 ice creams handed out by Kinecta, taking photos in the Zacha Homes photo booth, wood crafting with the Home EC Center, dancing in the 3D video booth hosted by the Suarez Team and playing basketball on the giant inflatable court provided by the Westchester Family Y.
“WAM really is a testament to our community. The whole thing is about connection and bringing people together,” said Sharpe. “Walking down Emerson, I’d hear snippets of conversations between friends and people making new acquaintances and the vibe was so positive. The WAM Committee and I have a tremendous sense of pride in pulling this event off every year, and we’re so happy to bring this to Westchester and see how it continues to grow.”
Sharpe is excited to share that the event raised an estimated $20,000 that will benefit the YMCA’s Teen Health and Wellness programs.
Save the date for the 8th Annual WAM scheduled for Saturday, September 23, 2023. Thank you to this year’s sponsors: Platinum: The Drollinger Family Charitable Foundation and Stephanie Younger Group. Gold: Westchester Rotary. Silver: Decron Properties, Los Angeles World Airports, Loyola Marymount University, Gerber Kawasaki. Premium Plus: Suarez Team. Premium: NCWP, 3L Properties, Ramey Law, Playa Venice Sunrise Rotary, Kaiser Permanente, RE/MAX Estate Properties, Team Tami, Otis College and Cedars Sinai. Basic: Zacha Homes, SoCalGas, LAX Coastal Ed Foundation and Playa Vista Orthodontics. The HomeTown News is also a proud sponsor of WAM.
Interested in supporting, volunteering or sponsoring the event in 2023? Email wamblockparty@gmail.com for more info on how to get involved!