An Interactive Extravaganza of Experiential Art, Innovative Technology, Seaweed-Forward Gastronomy, Custom Beer and Cocktails and a Few Hundred of the Most Interesting People You’ll Meet This Year
October 10, 2025 || 5 pm - 9 pm
AltaSea, Land’s End Berth 60, 2451 South Signal Street, San Pedro, CA, 90731
Join the California Seaweed Festival in collaboration with Blue Robotics, California Institute for the Arts and AltaSea for an exclusive evening of connection, innovation, and collaboration at the 2025 Seaweed Speakeasy! This event helps fundraise for next year’s California Seaweed Festival to keep it free! Renowned, from Humboldt to San Diego for seaweed forward delicacies and drinks, this year’s Speakeasy also spotlights explorations of seaweed and the ocean through cutting edge technologies and cutting edge immersive art. The curated evening will bring together start-ups, researchers, investors, policy leaders, and creatives who are transforming how we work with ocean ecosystems in the rapidly evolving Blue Economy. We’re building a future where seaweed is key to California’s coastal health and flourishing economy.
The Seaweed Speakeasy is THE Event of the Year to engage with the community while sparking innovation and collaboration that will last beyond the Festival weekend.
Some of the highlights of the evening:
Lightning Talks (5-6 pm) and Innovation Showcase – Hear from innovators in aquaculture systems, marine robotics, bioplastics, processing, and more, in talks and live demos, maybe even drive an ROV in the kelp bed.
Blue Echo Exhibition - Experience a collection of projects created by emerging artists from California Institute of the Arts in collaboration with World Resources Institute; with the ocean at its heart the projects span disciplines from sound and sculpture to performance and graphic design.
Blue Table Bites – Sample culinary delights featuring seaweeds and sustainable seafoods and meet the chefs who created them, plus raw bar by local grower Grassy Bar Oyster Co.
Algae Bar - Savor cocktails, mocktails and a specially commissioned seaweed beer created by Smog City Brewing Co.
Live Screen Printing - Make your own customized duds, bring something to print.
Music and More!
Your ticket to the Seaweed Speakeasy includes appetizers, activities and your first drink.
Advance order your festival T-shirt for pick-up at the event (be among the first to wear it at the festival on Saturday!). Note that pre-order is the best way to ensure you get a shirt as quantities are limited.
A limited number of exhibitor spaces are available for Speakeasy Attendees to present information about products, projects and businesses in the areas of seaweed, ocean ecology, blue technology and sustainability. Reserve your exhibitor table when you buy your ticket.
TICKETS FOR THE SPEAKEASY ARE AVAILABLE AT AN EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT. A ticket for the biggest and best seaweed party of the year is $75 through September 20, $100 after.
AND REGISTER HERE FOR THESE ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES BEFORE THE SPEAKEASY
1-4pm: Ocean to Ocean: a kelp's journey in seaweed farming
Hands-on workshop for 20 participants ($100)
At AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles
A full hands-on experience of all of the steps of processing kelps for seaweed farming, including 1) kelp sorus tissue selection and cleaning, 2) meiospore release for cell counting and density calculations, 3) methods of attachment to sea string, 4) nursery upkeep and out planting, and 5) harvesting presentation. The workshop is led by Michael Marty-Rivera, Seedbank Collection Curator at Kelp Ark. Michael has a Masters degree in Environmental Science from the University of Puerto Rico and has been working with photosynthetic organisms since 2013, including a 5-year breeding program for Sugar Kelp on the U.S. East Coast funded by the Department of Energy's ARPA-E Mariner Program. He was tasked with creating and maintaining a collection of over 1,200 individuals as well as providing support on research for a novel technique of isolating kelp meiospores, directly seeking kelp into rope to eliminate seedstring use, and using biostimulants to promote healthier gametophytes and sporophytes.
4-5pm: Tours of the AltaSea Campus
No charge, but pre-registration is required
AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles is dedicated to accelerating scientific collaboration, advancing an emerging blue economy through business innovation and job creation, and inspiring the next generation, all for a more sustainable, just and equitable world. Their portside campus has converted a 120-year old warehouse into a venue for a wide variety of Blue Technology businesses and projects. Come tour what is happening with one of AltaSea's staff before joining us for the Seaweed Speakeasy.
5pm and 5:30pm: Tours of Grassy Bar Oyster Hatchery, San Pedro
Two tours limited to 15 participants each ($20)
Grass Bar Oyster Company will provide industry tours of their San Pedro hatchery facility. Come learn where baby oysters get their start and why eating more oysters is a great way to support sustainable food systems. Grassy Bar's oysters will be featured later in the evening at the Seaweed Speakeasy!
Location
AltaSea, Land’s End Berth 60, 2451 South Signal Street, San Pedro, CA, 90731