Manhattan Beach's downtown art corridor now has a recurring date on the calendar. The city's Gallery Hop, which links three galleries along Manhattan Beach Boulevard, will run once a month after its third edition took place Saturday, Aug. 22.

Randy Niessen, cultural arts supervisor for the city of Manhattan Beach, told MB News on Aug. 21 that the series soft-launched earlier this year and is ready to become a fixture.

"Our intention is to host the Gallery Hop once a month, with each gallery developing its own programming," Niessen said. "The idea is to create a more casual experience where guests can stroll from gallery to gallery at their own pace and enjoy what each space has to offer."

The three participating spaces sit within a few blocks of one another: the Manhattan Beach Art Center at 1560 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Diversions Fine Arts at 1069 N. Aviation Blvd. and Bluerider ART at 1030 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Each gallery programs its own exhibits independently, giving visitors a different lineup every month.

Saturday's hop ran from noon to 4 p.m. The Manhattan Beach Art Center doubled as host for its Fall Open House from 1 to 4 p.m., where residents could preview upcoming classes, meet instructors and walk through the Annual Community Exhibition. Diversions Fine Arts showcased "Visionaries," a group show that included a painting by Claudia Kazachinsky. Bluerider ART offered a guided tour of "Ink Reborn," an exhibit exploring seven narratives of contemporary Chinese ink art, from 2 to 3 p.m.

The format is self-paced. There is no set route or timed schedule between stops, so visitors can start at any gallery and linger as long as they like. The city has not announced a specific date for the fourth Gallery Hop.