Big Rock block party returns as neighbors celebrate community and rebuilding

By Hayley Mattson · Fri Oct 23 2026

Annual gathering brings more than 50 residents together after Palisades Fire destroyed nearly 80% of the neighborhood’s homes

For Big Rock residents, the return of their annual block party was about more than sharing a meal. It was an opportunity to reconnect with the people who make the neighborhood home. More than 50 neighbors gathered Sunday, Oct. 11, for an afternoon of homemade food, friendship and celebration, reviving a community tradition interrupted by the January 2025 Palisades Fire. The fire destroyed 170 of Big Rock’s 220 homes — nearly 80% of the neighborhood — and forced the cancellation of last year’s gathering. This year’s event offered residents a chance to celebrate progress while strengthening connections through a recovery that remains far from finished.

Longtime neighbors shared the afternoon with new residents who have recently moved into the community. Malibu City Councilmembers Marianne Riggins and Doug Stewart attended, along with City Council candidates Danny Smith and A. Sam Dibaei.

The gathering was supported by a grant from the Department of Angels, secured by Big Rock Mesa Property Owners Association board member Jo Drummond. Neighbors contributed food, refreshments, and a place to gather, making the celebration a community effort.

Colin Drummond, Marcie Post, and Paul Boulet provided homemade chili, while board member Olivier Fortis donated the bar. Board member and former Rebuild Ambassador Abe Roy hosted the event in front of his surviving home.

BRMPOA President Terry Davis led the gathering and recognized outgoing board members Frank Albino and Janet Fulk for their dedicated service. The afternoon provided an opportunity to acknowledge the people helping maintain neighborhood ties as residents navigate displacement, construction, and plans for their future.

There were tangible signs of progress to celebrate. According to the association, Big Rock residents have submitted more than 100 rebuild applications to the City of Malibu, and more than 50 homes are under construction.

The neighborhood is also home to a milestone in Malibu’s broader recovery. Big Rock residents Denise and George Toberman received the city’s first certificate of occupancy for a completed Palisades Fire rebuild, allowing them to return home after construction and final inspections.

The achievement was recognized at the Sept. 14 City Council meeting. According to the city, the Tobermans received their construction permit in October 2025 and completed their rebuild in 11 months.

At that time, the City of Malibu also announced that it had issued its 100th permit allowing reconstruction of a Palisades Fire-affected property. As of Sept. 14, the city had granted 370 planning approvals, with another 66 projects undergoing building plan review. Those reviews precede construction permitting, while a certificate of occupancy confirms that construction and final inspections are complete and residents can move back home.

In September, Malibu Community Development Director Yolanda Bundy emphasized the personal meaning behind those milestones: a permit represents a family moving forward, while a certificate of occupancy represents a family finally coming home.

“We understand that rebuilding is about much more than construction,” Bundy wrote. “It is about putting your life back together.”

Bundy acknowledged that each homeowner faces a different combination of challenges, from insurance and financing to engineering, coastal requirements, wastewater systems, utilities, and access. Families also move through the process at different paces, with some beginning construction while others are still determining what their properties require.

She pointed to the city’s Rebuild Center, expanded online services, clearer guidance, streamlined reviews, and fee relief for eligible projects as efforts to make recovery more manageable. She also stressed that receiving a permit does not end the journey; inspections, utility connections, and other requirements remain before a family can safely return.

For Big Rock, those realities gave the block party particular meaning. The gathering brought together neighbors whose rebuilding timelines may differ but whose connection to the community remains shared.

There is still work ahead, both on individual properties and across the neighborhood. Yet for one afternoon, residents could mark how far they had come, welcome new faces, and enjoy a familiar tradition together.

As homes rise again across Big Rock, the relationships around them are being renewed, too.