A band with Doors’ Robby Krieger performed at the event on Sunday at Palisades High School.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN
By CHAZ PLAGER
Grey skies over the Palisades did not accurately reflect the bright and sunny mood of the attendees at March 22nd’s Palisades Renewal Celebration.
Everyone had fun on Sunday.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN
The event held at the Palisades High School Campus, was a collaboration between the Pacific Palisades Community Council, the Boy Scouts, Team Palisades and other Palisades nonprofits. It was touted as “a renewal celebration featuring music, art, food and connection.”
What was the occasion? Nothing in particular, really, said chief event organizer Lee Ann Daley. What mattered more than anything was community. After the 2025 Palisades Fire, the entire community was first evacuated, then relocated and only in the past six months is starting to return.
“There’s nothing more important than coming together as neighbors,” said Daley. “It’s a reminder every time you come together how important it is to have a shared community. You don’t need a specific reason to do that.”
Arts and crafts were available for children. Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN
Children gathered excitedly around activity tables, including make-a-chocolate-tree (in which kids used chocolate syrup and other sugary liquids to draw out an edible masterpiece), paint-a-dolphin, cornhole, bracelet making, face painting, and more arts and crafts.
At the center of the tables, a blueprint for the new Palisades Elementary School (PES) was displayed. “The whole faculty has been able to give their input on the new design,” said PES faculty member Amanda Achen. “There’s almost full attendance from all of us at every meeting regarding the design.” A date for its completion has yet to be finalized.
In the school quad, attendees lounged on Bliss Beach’s provided chairs and towels to enjoy performances on the outdoor stage: first, students of Gerry Blanck’s karate studio came to the stage to perform various karate techniques, nunchuck flips, and board-breaking to an excited audience.
Immediately following it was the beginning of a stream of live music, courtesy of Pali Beats, Luke Shelton, and finally Andrew Cole, the latter of whom performed alongside a special guest: PaliHi alumni and the last surviving member of The Doors, Robby Krieger.
As a founding member of the rock band, he wrote or co-wrote many of the Doors’ songs, including Light My Fire, Touch Me and Love Me Madly. Attendees old enough to remember The Doors in their prime roared with excitement as the group performed a live rendition of Riders on the Storm.
“The only way we could get Robby Krieger to come out to this celebration is because Tony Hocking, leader of Team Palisades, knows Andrew Cole, who frequently collaborates with The Doors, who also knows Robby Krieger,” Lee Ann Daly later explained. “We’re very lucky to have him come out here for us.”
Fancy Feet performed on Sunday during the Renewal Celebration.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN
Between music acts, PCHS principal Dr. Magee teased a 4th of July celebration, which will be held at Pali High, and have a drone show and live music. A moment of silence in memory of Head Scoutmaster and community cornerstone Mike Lanning, who recently passed away at the age of 93, soon followed.
Palisades High School Pamela MaGee joined emcee Sam Lagana on stage.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN
Although it’s hard to compete with The Doors, the other major show, Theater Palisades’ final performance of RENT in the school auditorium, was similarly well-received.
When asked about their thoughts on the festival, attendees echoed Daly. “I’d say [this celebration is] more about getting the community together than celebrating any one particular thing,” said longtime Troop 223 Scoutmaster Randall Davidson. “Nice to have a reason to get everyone together when we’re all so far apart now.”
Other attendees reported being pleasantly surprised by the quality of the celebration. “I didn’t expect to like it this much,” one said. “I came in expecting nothing and here I am, singing along to Riders on the Storm live.”
Another popular attraction was the Wall of Dreams, a wall on which Palisadians could write their hopes and dreams for the new Palisades. Some dreams included:
“Less Traffic”
“More nail salons”
“Charles Leclerc 2026 World Champ”
“New Neighbors!”
The event was capped off with the releasing of paper lanterns into the night sky, intended to symbolize the many wishes of the Palisades community for a future as bright as a night sky filled with lights.
If a resident enjoyed this event or are suddenly feeling a bit jealous that they didn’t go, Lee Ann Daly and the rest of the volunteer team has a message for you: “We, as a community, could use more volunteers to help make these events possible. Please, check out teampalisades.org, the Palisades Recovery Coalition, or the Pacific Palisades Community Council and see if they need help; we could use some of the truly gifted people in this community to work alongside us. Don’t be scared to step up and give back!”
The evening concluded with small lights being turned on in the Chinese lanterns.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN