Marlie Langer | Head Editor & Emily Ota | Head Editor
September 14, 2025
In September of 2023, San Clemente introduced a new community event: the Rhythm and Resin Festival. The festival includes local vendors selling food, clothes, and other goods while also showcasing multiple bands on a concert stage. For the past two years, Rhythm and Resin has been hosted by Los Molinos Beer Company and has taken over Los Molinos street. However, this year, many changes occurred.
For one, the festival has always been free entry in the past. Since it was on a public street, anybody could come and shop or enjoy the music free of charge. In 2025, the festival moved locations to the nearby softball field at the Boys and Girls Club up the street. The cost of entry into the softball field was $25 and since the event was fenced in, it was easier to keep people out if they did not pay. This upcharge and location shift caused plenty of controversy among the San Clemente population, with many urging to go back to the way it was.
Hannah Lloyd, a senior at San Clemente High School, was working a booth for the surf store All Swell during the festival. When comparing her experience to previous years she described how there were “less booths and less people” since the change in price and location. This observation could be negative, meaning there was less of a gathering for the event, but also positive, because there was more space for the people who paid. Lloyd recounts that she too had to pay for admission. Even though she was a vendor and had to be there for work, Lloyd was forced to buy a $25 ticket to enter the grounds. Despite the charge of admission she claimed she “enjoyed the show very much.”
Similarly, senior Hanalei Marshall thoroughly appreciated the show and “loved all the bands’ energy.” Although she loved the music, she agreed with most of the public. “The show should have been free,” she stated. Despite still having a good time at Rhythm and Resin, this common grievance of ticket price has undermined the overall experience for Marshall and many other attendees.
San Clemente is known for its multitude of fun, accessible events that it puts on throughout the year. Rhythm and Resin was always a fan favorite, but this year says otherwise. Keep your eyes out to see how next September’s Rhythm and Resin turns out!
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