Venice Beach, CA Festival of Chariots

August 4, 2024, 10 a.m.

Parade to Venice Beach: The Festival of the Chariots typically starts at approx. 10 a.m. Sunday at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main Street, and proceeds south on Main Street, with three fully decorated four-story tall chariots leading a colorful parade toward the Ocean Front Walk Plaza at Venice Beach.
Free admission,  larathayatra.com

Line Up 

based on past events but may not be accurate

• 4:30 a.m. Mangal Arati, Tulsi Puja, & Japa
• 7:15 a.m. Deity Greeting & Guru Puja
• 7:45 a.m. Lord Jagannath Appears in the Temple
• 8 a.m. Deities Leave for their Ratha Yatra Parade
• 8 a.m. Devotee Breakfast
• 10 a.m. Parade Begins near Santa Monica Civic Center
• 12:30 p.m. Chariots Arrive at Venice Beach Festival Site
• 7 p.m. Festival Ends
• 8 p.m. Sayana Aarti at New Dvaraka with Lord Jagannath on the Altar

The Annual Festival of the Chariots arrives at Venice Beach. The Festival of the Chariots includes free entertainment and exhibits and booths all bringing together the finest in Indian culture, plus a free feast as well as sumptuous food options.  The festival is put on by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) or more commonly known as Hare Krishna movement. The Festival of the Chariots is now performed in every country across the world and dates back thousands of years to Jagannatha Puri, India.

The event is an outreach like many around the globe, attracting the curious and interested public seeking to watch the novelty of the parade and see the colorful costumes. Four principles of the religious movement include:

Four principles Bhaktivedanta Swami prescribed as the basis of the spiritual life:
No eating of meat (including fish) or eggs.
No illicit sex: only between married couples and only for the procreation of children
No gambling.
No intoxicants (including alcohol, caffeine, tobacco and other recreational drugs.

Events are not guaranteed. It is your responsibility to confirm before going.