Hey, neighbor!
Maycember is oh so here.
It’s the month that pretends it’s chill, but is actually a total whirlwind. The stretch of the year where every calendar square somehow contains a school event, birthday, deadline, recital, BBQ, teacher gift, spirit day, and at least one text that says, “Wait…was that today?”
But in the chaos, summer also starts to peek through. Longer evenings. Kids on scooters. The smell of sunscreen. ☀️
This week:
🌊 The hometown parade Torrance residents fought to keep
🌊 Goat yoga, plant bingo, beer anniversaries + a weekend that somehow keeps getting more Torrance
🌊 The South Bay musicians behind a 36-year tradition that turns lawn chairs and Bob Dylan songs into community
🎉 Congrats to our launch month giveaway winner: choppstixz! Check your inbox for that local favorite gift card...
Meet South Bay musicians Andy Hill and Renee Safier
On a warm summer night in Torrance, when lawn chairs start unfolding across the grass and someone tunes a guitar near the stage, there’s a good chance Andy Hill and Renee Safier are somewhere nearby.
The South Bay duo — known for fronting the band Hard Rain — have been making music together since 1986.
What started with college bands and cross-country touring eventually settled into something deeper here in the South Bay: a musical community that has grown around their performances for decades.
Their catalog is vast with more than 500 songs in their repertoire, including over 100 originals. Their sound moves easily between singer-songwriter storytelling and classic rock influences, shaped by artists like Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and the Rolling Stones.
Over the years, they’ve performed everywhere from intimate South Bay venues to international festivals and concert stages around the world — but Torrance has remained home base.
But music, for Andy and Renee, has never been just about the songs.
“It’s the community that forms around the music,” Renee said. Some fans have been coming to shows for decades. Others discover them for the first time and quickly become part of the circle. What connects them all is a shared love of live music — and the joy of experiencing it together.
That spirit shows up most vividly at Dylanfest, the beloved Torrance celebration they started more than 30 years ago after performing a one-off tribute for Bob Dylan’s birthday.
What began as a small show has grown into an eight-hour festival featuring dozens of musicians and a volunteer-run community effort. This year’s Dylanfest returns May 24 to the Torrance Cultural Arts Center with 60+ Dylan songs, food, sunshine, and the kind of bring-a-chair-and-stay-awhile energy that has made it a South Bay tradition. Whether you know every lyric or just love a good outdoor music day, it’s one of those unique community experiences that keeps people coming back year after year.
In many ways, it mirrors the South Bay itself — diverse, welcoming, and built on people showing up for one another.
Or as Andy likes to say, looking out at the sunshine each morning after moving from Canada: “Good again.”
And when Andy and Renee take the stage, the whole community shares in that feeling.
Connect with Andy and Renee — and find tickets to upcoming shows, including Dylanfest.
Next Week: Meet Jenna Christensen, Seaside Heroes Park Volunteer Organizer
Know someone we should feature? A place hidden in plain sight? Help share the magic of Torrance. Submit an idea here.
SPONSORED
Dylanfest is back on May 24!
What started as a one-time birthday party for Bob Dylan somehow turned into an eight-hour tradition—and honestly, Torrance is better for it.
Hosted by Andy & Renee and Hard Rain, Dylanfest returns May 24 with 60+ Dylan songs, 50 musicians, food, sunshine, and the kind of community vibe that keeps people coming back year after year. Whether you know every lyric or just love a good outdoor music day, this is one of those uniquely South Bay traditions worth experiencing at least once.
📍 Torrance Cultural Arts Center
🗓️ Sunday, May 24
☀️ Bring a beach chair, sunscreen, and your music-loving friends.
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Suggest an event. | Feature an event.
Last December, Torrance residents packed a City Council meeting to fight for a local tradition: keeping the Armed Forces Day Parade on Torrance Boulevard. Veterans, families, neighbors. One by one, they stood up to say this mattered.
The city listened.
Now, the 64th Annual Armed Forces Day Celebration returns this weekend, honoring the United States Marine Corps and celebrating 250 years of American history.
Expect military aircraft and vehicles at the City Yard, the Stars & Strides 5K, community festivities all weekend — and on Saturday at 1:30 p.m., the parade itself: the nation’s longest-running Armed Forces Day parade sponsored by a city.
And somewhere along Torrance Boulevard, hundreds of new recruits will raise their right hands and officially enter military service. Right here at home.
Friday, May 15
Torrance City Yard – Armed Forces Day Military Exhibits at 10 a.m. Aircraft, military vehicles, and support equipment on display all day — an up-close look at the machines and people behind the weekend celebration.
South Bay Tennis and Pickleball Center – Free Pickleball for First Responders at 6 p.m. A fun thank-you to the people who keep the South Bay running. First responders — including police, fire, EMTs, healthcare workers, and dispatchers — are invited to an evening of round-robin play, coaching, refreshments, and community appreciation.
James R. Armstrong Theatre – USAF Band of the Golden West Concert at 7:30 p.m. Kick off Armed Forces Day weekend with a free evening of patriotic music performed by the US Air Force Band of the Golden West. A stirring, community-centered concert — and one of those classic Torrance traditions that feels especially meaningful in person.
Saturday, May 16
Maple Avenue & Civic Center Drive – Stars & Strides 5K Run/Walk at 8 a.m. Start your Saturday with a hometown favorite — plus commemorative tees, booths, and parade-day energy building all morning.
Torrance Certified Farmers' Market – Starting at 8 a.m., one of Torrance’s best weekend rituals. Wander the stalls for peak-season produce, fresh flowers, local specialties, and all the market snacks your tote bag can handle. Rain or shine, it’s the kind of place where you always run into someone you know.
South Coast Botanic Garden – Goat Yoga & Mimosas at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Yoga, roaming goats, mimosas, and garden wandering. Equal parts chaotic and delightful.
Smog City Brewing Co. – Smog City: Year Fifteen at 12 p.m. Fifteen years of Torrance beer culture calls for a proper party — expect food trucks, live music, games, raffles, and limited-release pours.
Torrance Boulevard – Armed Forces Day Parade at 1:30 p.m. The nation’s longest-running Armed Forces Day parade rolls through Torrance with marching bands, military tributes, and thousands lining the boulevard.
Torrance City Yard – Armed Forces Day Military Exhibits at 3 p.m. Keep the day going with exhibits, vehicles, and interactive displays after the parade wraps.
Sunday, May 17
Torrance City Yard – Armed Forces Day Military Exhibits at 9 a.m. A quieter final day to wander the exhibits, climb aboard equipment, and take it all in at your own pace.
South Torrance High School – NFL Flag SoCal Intro to Flag Football Camp at 11:30 a.m. A fun, low-pressure intro for kids ages 4–10 to try flag football, meet coaches, and burn off some Sunday energy.
Common Space Brewery – Plant Bingo with Que Chulas Plantas at 6 p.m. Nine rounds of bingo, plant prizes, and brewery hangs—basically bingo night for people whose camera roll is full of houseplants.
Mom Said Yes Pizza & Bar – Harland Williams Stand-Up Comedy at 6 p.m. Yes, that Harland Williams. The Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something About Mary comedian lands in an intimate Torrance pizza bar for a delightfully random Sunday night out.
All Weekend
Torrance Historical Society Museum – Soccer Exhibit (AYSO + World Cup Collection). A timely exhibit celebrating Torrance as the birthplace of AYSO Soccer, featuring a private collection of global memorabilia. A love letter to the game just as World Cup buzz starts building.
Weather Forecast? As Andy Hill likes to say, “Good again.”
🌤️ Fri 69°/59° Morning Clouds, Afternoon Sun
🌤️ Sat 68°/59° Morning Clouds, Afternoon Sun
⛅️ Sun 69°/60° Partly Cloudy
🍽️
Must Try
Offset Coffee | Iced latte | No notes.
Try It →
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On Repeat
“Feels Like Summer” – Childish Gambino — it's definitely starting to.
Hit play →
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Eye Catching
23446 Kathryn Ave —Completely reimagined and just listed today.
Let's Go →
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☀️ Hit play on nostalgic summer vibes: Windows down, volume up — this is your soundtrack for beach days, backyard hangs, and golden hour drives.
📚 Have you read Our Perfect Storm yet? It was an immediate add to our list of ultimate beach reads. And for good reason.
🇺🇲 Celebrate stars, stripes, and sparkle with this limited-edition collection starring Mickey & Friends.
🎓 Graduation season PSA: You can order a sheet cake straight from the Costco app now. The future is beautiful.
📸 Testing a DIY photo booth setup for an upcoming party with this tiny portable printer. If you suddenly start seeing printed candids everywhere this summer…this is why.
🛒 How did we all survive before collapsible wagons? Beach days, sports sidelines, farmers’ market hauls — these things deserve awards.
🍓 Peak strawberry season at the Torrance Farmers' Market is here, and honestly? They deserve their own section of the newsletter. And the wagon.
| Have you ever been to the Armed Forces Day Parade? |
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Last Week's Results
Your ideal Torrance summer day? For most of you, it's a backyard BBQ hang. Hard to argue with that.
🎖️Armed Forces Day returns this weekend
Torrance’s 64th annual Armed Forces Day celebration kicks off May 15 — honoring the United States Marine Corps and marking 250 years of American history. The largest parade of its kind in the country returns with a full weekend lineup, including a parade, 5K, expanded exhibits at the City Yard, and a new shuttle from the Transit Center.
Kick things off with a free patriotic concert by the US Air Force Band of the Golden West on May 15 at James R. Armstrong Theatre, then lace up for the Armed Forces Day 5K on May 16.
🍳 Home kitchen businesses could expand in Torrance
Torrance City Council is discussing updates to rules around Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations — small, home-based food businesses that can legally sell meals directly from residential kitchens. If approved, the changes could make it easier for more local cooks and food entrepreneurs to serve their neighborhoods from home.
📚 Your library will loan you a park
Quietly tucked into the Torrance Public Library’s list of things you can borrow — alongside books and e-readers — are California State Park Passes. Three-week loan, all six branches. If you’ve been meaning to take the family somewhere fully analog for a day, consider this your sign.
🌹 Torrance’s 2027 Rose Parade float is taking shape
Torrance has unveiled the design for its 2027 Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade float, themed around underwater tranquility and ocean life. It’s an early peek at one of the city’s most beloved traditions — and proof that Rose Parade magic starts long before New Year’s Day.
🚓 A closer look at mental health response
The Torrance Police Department is spotlighting its Mental Evaluation Team, which helps connect people experiencing mental health challenges with care and support. Watch the video for a closer look at how the city is approaching crisis response with a more resource-driven approach.
🏗️ New Public Works Director appointed
Torrance has named Alvin Papa as its new Public Works Director, bringing more than 25 years of experience in infrastructure and city operations. He officially steps into the role June 2, following the retirement of longtime director Craig Bilezerian.
➡️ Celebrate, roast or cheer on your friends and family here! Pick on your buddy for his team losing another MLB game. Shower praise on your mother-in-law on her birthday. Share an inside joke with your BFF. Make this space yours with a 1-minute self-checkout.
💌 P.P.S. You’re officially one of the first readers of The Torrance Tide. If you know someone else who loves Torrance, send them this link — we’re building this community together. 🫶