This past Sunday, a horde of Westsiders, Dogtown-dwellers, and beach bums were out in full force for the 25th annual Abbot Kinney Festival. A nearly one-mile stretch of Abbot Kinney Boulevard was closed between Venice Boulevard and Main Street, as festival-goers young and old (dogs in tow) browsed the booths for everything from clothing and jewelry to artwork, photography, and the ever-popular free samples of organic food and drinks.

Though the restaurants and local eateries enjoyed a definite boost for the day, there was enough barbecue, deep fried Twinkies, kettle corn, tacos, Philly cheese steak and alligator on a stick to keep the masses fueled for all that walking. By late afternoon the southern end of the block was so crowded you had to step lightly to avoid tripping over somebody in front of you, but luckily the lines never got unbearably long. The addition of more ATM locations was a serious plus, especially because the festival was absolutely free of charge, making it easier to part with some cash for a wood-carved giraffe, rare T-shirt, framed art print or even a plush human organ.

The live entertainment began early in the morning on four stages set up at different points in the festival, far enough from each other that the sound didn't bleed over. We caught the better half of an acoustic set by local favorites The Parson Red Heads at the Little Radio stage -- a decently sized crowd sat and stood around while three of the usual seven band members played through their '60s throwback tunes, with a couple new songs added for good measure.

Heading back south on Abbot Kinney towards Venice, we passed the FMLY stage, which had seemingly turned into a big dance pit for revelers spending a day with strangers drunk on hip-hop beats and salty air, while a group of self-proclaimed "Official Homeless People" looked on.

As in previous years, the Abbot Kinney Festival proved to be a great neighborhood event -- especially when it's only a walk or bike ride away from your own backyard -- and a fun way to spend a few hours on an early fall day.