Over city’s protests, judge says Huntington Beach rave is a go

An electronic dance party will go on as scheduled in Huntington Beach this Saturday, despite efforts by city leaders to stop it.

The city filed for a restraining order last week against Wet Electric, an all-day rave at Huntington Beach State Park.

The festival, which is billed as an end of summer celebration with DJs, dancers and giant inflatable slides, was scheduled to take place just weeks after the U.S. Open of Surfing ended in violence and destruction in the city’s downtown.

City leaders and residents worried that the event, which is expected to attract thousands, could get out of control.

In court documents, city attorneys argued that the party violated zoning regulations. They asked for a temporary restraining order to keep the party from going forward.

But on Wednesday, Orange County Superior Court Judge Jamoa A. Moberly ruled in favor of festival organizers.

“We tried everything we could to protect our residents,” Mayor Connie Boardman said in a statement.

Robert Kalatschan, president of the nonprofit organization Giving It Back to Kids, which will benefit from the party, said he now hoped organizers, state park staff and city leaders would be able to come together and “say how do we get along.”

He said he was asked not too long ago if his organization, which helps children in southeast Asia, would like to take part in the festival. The dance party is billed as a fundraiser for the group.

“I just want to help kids,” he said. “That’s where my heart is.”

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