Grover Beach Night Out

Grover Beach, San Luis Obispo County, California. Night Out and Drone Show; Summer.

Details

Map. Grover Beach, San Luis Obispo County, California. Larger map

Where: S. 16th St. & Mentone Ave., Grover Beach, CA 93433. Directions
When: Last held August 1, 2026; next year’s date not yet stated.
Getting there: 16th Street Park at S. 16th St. and Mentone Ave. in Grover Beach.
Fees: Free family friendly event.
Access: Park has individual and group barbecues and a grass volleyball court.
Walk-in or reserve: RSVP information is linked in the city profile bio; required registration is not stated.
Phone: (805) 473-4580
Managed by: City of Grover Beach.

The Grover Beach Night Out fills 16th Street Park, at S. 16th St. and Mentone Ave., from late afternoon until the light goes. The 2026 edition ran on Saturday, August 1, starting at 4 p.m. Food and craft vendors set up across the grass, and the program included family activities, bounce houses, giveaways and a Pinewood Derby race. Admission was free. The music that evening came from Erin and the Earthquakes and Molly Ringwald. The city booked them as a one-off Saturday show and printed it in its Summer Concert Series lineup as a “Special Grover Beach Night Out Event @ 16th St. Park,” with no concert the following Sunday. The city announcement calls the whole affair the Night Out and Drone Show, and the drones come last, over the park.

The Grover Beach Police Department runs the night. The city supports its live music, and the city’s notice states that the Night Out is not officially part of the Sunday concert series. The park itself has individual and group barbecues, a grass volleyball court, and a treehouse-themed playground that opened in mid-July 2021.

Two hundred drones in July 2025

The police department announced the first Night Out on April 16, 2025, as a new community event for friends, families and neighbors, with live music, food trucks and community vendors. “This is a chance for our department to connect with our community in a positive, fun environment,” Chief Jim Munro said in the release. “We’re excited to host an evening that showcases the heart of Grover Beach — great people, an awesome community, and a strong sense of togetherness.” The Nichols Foundation supported the event alongside the department.

That first edition was held on Saturday, July 26, 2025, from 5 p.m. until dark. People were invited to bring lawn chairs and picnic baskets. Children had a bounce house and a pinewood derby race. The finale was the Dreams Drone Light Show, in which 200 synchronized drones flew an aerial show over the town. The city listed it that summer among a run of free events that also included a bike parade, a game night and a screening of The Goonies in the same park. “Local summer events like these are a vital part of building a strong, connected community here in Grover Beach,” said Mayor Kassi Dee.

The first Tuesday in August

The event takes its name from National Night Out, which is observed each year on the first Tuesday in August. The National Association of Town Watch, founded in 1981, introduced the campaign in August 1984. That first year drew 2.5 million neighbors in 400 communities across 23 states. The Grover Beach police still put the old request to residents for that Tuesday: lock the doors, turn on the outside lights, and spend the evening outdoors with neighbors, police and fire personnel.

The department had held National Night Out gatherings for several years before the Saturday event began. On Tuesday, August 3, 2021, from 6 to 9 p.m., it combined the night with the ribbon-cutting for the new 16th Street Park playground. That evening offered food, music, gardening, a reptile petting zoo, raffles, and photographs with live Storm Troopers. “This is one of our favorite events of the year,” said Chief of Police John Peters. The 2022 edition, on Tuesday, August 2, had food trucks, face painting, police and fire demonstrations, and kickball with a cop. In 2024 the city asked residents to throw their own block parties on August 6 and send the time and place to the department, whose officers would stop by with department swag.

Mr. Grover’s city park

The park sits in a town that D.W. Grover, a 35-year-old lumberman, founded on August 1, 1887, when he filed plans at the San Luis Obispo County Court House. He laid out the streets in a grid, named them for popular beaches of the time, and set aside land for a train depot, a hotel and a city park. Southern Pacific built its station in nearby Oceano instead. Grover’s train station came in November 1996, when Amtrak began stopping at a new depot on Grand Avenue. The town incorporated as Grover City in 1959. In 1992 residents voted 2,300 to 2,201 to rename it Grover Beach. On the day Grover filed his plans, a land auction drew more than 1,000 people to look and perhaps buy.

Notable Events

1867A piece of the South County was first claimed under a U.S. land grant by Isaac J. Sparks, who named it El Pizmo Rancho. grover.org
1887A land auction drew more than 1,000 people to look and perhaps buy. grover.org
1887D.W. Grover filed plans at the San Luis Obispo County Court House and founded what would become the City of Grover City. grover.org
1890sGrover's attempt to have a train station built in the Town of Grover to attract tourists and investors failed when Southern Pacific constructed the station in nearby Oceano. grover.org
1935Horace V. Bagwell came north and bought about 1,100 acres, advertising Grover City as the home of the average man. grover.org
1949The Fairgrove Fire District and the Grover City Water District were formed. grover.org
1959Registered voters approved making the Town of Grover a city. grover.org
1959The City Council met for the first time at the Fire House at Ninth Street and Ramona Avenue, where the first City Hall would be located. grover.org
1981The association was founded to give community watch groups information, resources and assets. natw.org
1984The campaign was introduced through an established network of law enforcement agencies, neighborhood watch groups and civic groups; the first year drew 2.5 million neighbors across 400 communities in 23 states. natw.org
1992City residents voted to turn Grover City into Grover Beach, reaffirming the City Council's vote to change the name by ordinance. grover.org
1996Mr. Grover's dream of a train station became a reality when Amtrak began daily stops at a newly constructed station on the Pacific Coast Highway. grover.org
2021Continuing an annual tradition, the Grover Beach Police Department hosted a community recognition for National Night Out in conjunction with the ribbon-cutting for the new 16th Street Park playground. grover.org
2024The Grover Beach Police Department invited all residents to take part in National Night Out, a national community-building campaign to promote police-community partnerships. grover.org
The new community event added a pinewood derby race and a bounce house for kids and closed with a grand finale of 200 drones performing an aerial light show. yahoo.com

People

Dwight William (D.W.) Grover, Founder of the town whose name the event carries; laid out its streets and set aside land for a depot, a hotel and a city park (August 1, 1887).
Fay Keen, First mayor of the new Grover City (1959).
George Gates, Partner of D.W. Grover in promoting Grover City.
Horace V. Bagwell, Bought the land and advertised Grover City as the home of the average man, starting its development (1935).
Isaac J. Sparks, Secured the U.S. land grant over the site of Grover Beach and named it El Pizmo Rancho (1867).
John Michael Price, Founder of Pismo Beach who, the city's history says, is said to have been paid in gold by D.W. Grover for the land.
Nelida Aceves, Grover Beach Police Department Commander and the city's contact for National Night Out.
Karen Bright, Grover Beach Mayor when the city supported the police department's National Night Out and back-to-school events.
John Peters, Grover Beach Chief of Police during the department's annual National Night Out celebrations.
Kassi Dee, Grover Beach Mayor who called summer events vital to building a connected community.
Arnie Dowdy, Former Grover Beach City Manager and well-known local historian.
Bill Rabenault, Chamber of Commerce committee member who promoted and supported the change of the city name to Grover Beach.
Carol Roberts, Chamber of Commerce committee member who promoted and supported the change of the city name to Grover Beach.
Cliff Clark, The first City Attorney and City Clerk of Grover Beach, cited as a source on its history.
Dan O'Donnell, Chamber of Commerce committee member who promoted and supported the change of the city name to Grover Beach.
Peter Keith, Chamber of Commerce committee member who promoted and supported the change of the city name to Grover Beach.
Rachel Manuele, Grover Beach Parks & Recreation Department representative who researched the city's history and organized its train station celebration.
Richard Roberts, Chamber of Commerce committee member who promoted and supported the change of the city name to Grover Beach.
Sandy Smallwood, Chamber of Commerce committee member who promoted and supported the change of the city name to Grover Beach.
Jim Munro, Grover Beach Police Chief who announced Grover Beach Night Out as the department's way to connect with the community.