The Venice Sign is the most iconic symbol of Venice, California. The landmark has a long history. On July 4th, 1905, legendary developer Abbot Kinney built the sign to attract people to his nascent community. Roughly fifty years later, the sign vanished.
In 2007, the Venice Sign Restoration Project recreated and installed the second iteration of the sign, and it became an instant sensation. The annual lighting of the sign is a Venice tradition, where people from across Los Angeles gather to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones. Many celebrities have paid a visit, including Robert Downey Jr., P!nk, Robby Krieger, and members of the L.A. Rams. Venice Paparazzi has done an incredible job chronicling our past celebrations.
The Venice Sign has been lit up in a multitude of different color schemes for different events and causes, including red white and blue, rainbow colors for LGBT pride, and red white and green for Christmas. One of the more popular variants was an “O’Venice” display for St. Patrick’s Day.
The Venice Chamber of Commerce is responsible for the upkeep of the sign and the protection of its trademark. The Chamber runs an Adopt-A-Bulb program where patrons can pay to support the sign and have their names added to the Venice Sign Plaque. In addition, the Chamber has partnered with The Ave Venice to sell exclusive Venice Sign T-Shirts.
While times may have changed since 1905, Abbot Kinney’s dream is still alive and well. The Venice Sign is a testament to the spirit of Venice, and the people that make it thrive. As long as there’s a Venice, the sign will be there to light the way.
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