Just because the kids are back in school doesn’t mean you have to miss out on these fun and (mostly) free events in Long Beach and Signal Hill.
The city hosts fewer concerts and movies during the summer, but recent options include an ’80s tribute band at El Dorado Park on Friday, a screening of “Elemental” at Stearns Park the same night and a concert at Ranchos Los Alamitos on Sunday night.
For even more hands-on fun, local urban farms invite residents to tour their facilities on Saturday, Compound LB offers a free drawing collage workshop on Sunday, and residents can learn about orchid conservation at a club meeting on Monday.
Outdoor activities this week include the two-day Happy Sundays festival throughout the Zaferia neighborhood, a family picnic at Reservoir Park, yoga on the farm, a farmers market, a sound bath and a roller skating disco night.
Friday, 23.8.
Open day at Outer Limits: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Local residents can learn about Long Beach’s tattoo history at this open house and tour at Outer Limits Tattoo and Museum (22 S Chestnut Place). Visitors can also learn about owner Kari Barba’s efforts to create a national tattoo museum in Long Beach. Admission is free.
Concert in the Park: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The City of Long Beach hosts its final summer concert in the park featuring ’80s tribute band POPGUN ReRun at El Dorado Park West (2760 Studebaker Road). Visitors are asked to bring a lawn chair, blanket and picnic food. Free.
Gallery opening: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Loiter Galleries (425 The Promenade) will host an opening reception for this Earth Art exhibition that explores building sustainable communities and our impact on the environment. An artist talk will be held Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and the closing ceremony will be Sunday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Admission is free.
Movie in the Park: 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The public is invited to an outdoor screening of the animated film “Elemental” at Stearns Park (4520 E 23rd St.). Visitors are asked to bring a lawn chair, blanket and picnic food. The film begins at dusk. Admission is free.
Saturday, 24.8.
LB Garden and Farm Tour: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: Local residents can explore Long Beach’s urban farm scene, community gardens, and other hidden green gems during this tour. Tour stops include Farm Lot 59, LB Mushrooms, LB Organic Zaferia Community Garden, Santa Fe Community Learning and Teaching Garden, and Grow2Zero Farms. Half-day passes are $25, full-day passes are $45, and can be purchased online.
Back to school celebration: 10 a.m. to noon. Families are invited to this back-to-school celebration at Craftsman Village Park (851 Orange Ave.) where backpacks and school supplies will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis. Admission is free.
Housing Policy Forum: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.: Residents can learn about Long Beach’s housing policies and goals at this forum at the Houghton Park Community Center (6301 Myrtle Ave.). Admission is free, but online registration is required.
Happy Sundays: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Several Long Beach locations become hubs for live music, comedy shows, art workshops, tattoos and interesting talks all weekend long at this annual “anti-festival festival.” For the full map and schedule, visit happysundaysfest.com/2024-lineup/. Admission is free.
Family picnic: Noon to 2 p.m.: Families and friends can bring a picnic blanket, lunch and their competitive spirit for an hour of family-friendly competitive games at Reservoir Park (3315 Gundry Ave.).
Fundraiser to save kittens: 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.: Residents can shop local businesses, snuggle with kitties and support local nonprofit The Little Lion Foundation at this family-friendly fundraiser at Roxanne’s (1115 E Wardlow Road). Participants can receive a stamp at participating local businesses to enter into a drawing. Participation is free.
Sunday, 25.8.
Yoga on the farm: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.: Residents can enjoy light yoga in nature at Farm Lot 59 (2714 California Ave.). Participants should bring a mat or blanket and a water bottle. Tickets range from $10 to $20 and can be purchased online or in person.
Still life collage workshop: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Local artist Narsiso Martinez leads this free workshop at Compound LB (1395 Coronado Ave.) where participants can learn how to draw a still life. Participants will learn to combine different materials such as charcoal, paint or ink to create three pieces that will be combined into a collage. Free, but online registration is requested.
Bicycle tour for children: 11 a.m. Families can join this kid-friendly bike ride through Bixby Knolls. Participants meet in the parking lot of Pixie Toys (3914 Atlantic Ave.) and wear helmets. Snacks will be served during the tour. Free.
Pulp Fiction screening + Q&A: 4:00 or 7:30 p.m. The cult classic “Pulp Fiction” will be shown Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Long Beach Art Theatre (2025 Fourth St.). All Sunday showings will feature a Q&A with Stephen Hilbert, the actor who wears the gimp suit in the film. Tickets can be purchased on the theatre’s website.
Authors’ showcase: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Five emerging women writers will speak at this event hosted by Kubo LB (3976 Atlantic Ave.). The event includes a reading, discussion, Q&A, book signing, and time to shop. Admission is free, but online registration is requested.
Concert in the Park: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Rancho Los Alamitos will host its final summer concert featuring guest artist Very Be Careful. Grab lawn chairs and a picnic dinner for a movie night amidst the lush historic grounds (4600 E Bixby Hill Road). Parking is available in the CSULB parking lot G13 and there will be shuttle service to and from the Rancho. Shuttle service will depart at 4:30 p.m. There is no parking on the Rancho grounds. RSVP at this link.
Monday, 26.8.
Women’s Fair: From 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Long Beach celebrates National Women’s Equality Day with this fair featuring local resources, live entertainment, activities, music and refreshments at City Hall Plaza (411 W Ocean Blvd.). Admission.
Writing and drawing workshop: 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Artist Shana Fabiano leads this hour-long workshop that focuses on writing and drawing exercises that help unlock your natural, instinctive creativity. This workshop is hosted by The Wicked Wolf (2332 Pacific Ave.) and $35 tickets include a drink from the bar. Tickets can be purchased online.
Orchid Society Meeting: 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The South Coast Orchid Society of Long Beach is hosting this meeting to discuss protecting wild orchids and forests threatened by human activity. Ron Kaufmann, director of the Orchid Conservation Alliance, will lead the discussion at the Whaley Park Community Center (5620 E Atherton St.). Orchids grown by members and visitors will be on display. Admission is free.
Tuesday, 27.8.
Spanish story time: 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Join the staff at Signal Hill Library (1800 E Hill St.) for storytime in Spanish with snacks and crafts afterwards. Every Tuesday. Free.
Farmers Market: 3:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: This weekly farmers market in Bixby Park (130 Cherry Ave.) allows local residents to purchase local produce and handmade goods from vendors. Admission is free.
Sound bath: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Local residents can enjoy this stress-reducing and sleep-enhancing meditation practice at Lincoln Park (101 Pacific Ave.). Free.
Wednesday, 28.8.
Open Day for RLC Volunteers: 10 a.m. Local residents interested in learning how to volunteer at Ranchos Los Cerritos (4600 N Virginia Road) are invited to attend this open house. Volunteers are needed to lead tours for fourth-graders, work behind the scenes in the gardens or greet visitors at the museum. Admission is free, but online registration is required.
Housing Policy Forum: 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Residents can learn about Long Beach’s housing policies and goals at this forum at the Long Beach Energy Resources Auditorium (2400 Spring St.). Admission is free, but online registration is required.
Thursday, 29.8.
Hiking club for seniors: 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Seniors can enjoy fresh air and the outdoors while making new friends at this weekly walking club. Meet at the Reservoir Park Shelter (3315 Gundry Ave.). Water will be provided. For questions or concerns, contact Community Services at (562) 989-7330. Free.
Tenant Advisory Board: 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. In this online webinar from Long Beach Residents Empowered, residents can learn about their rights as renters, how Long Beach allocates its budget, and learn about the Tenants’ Right to Counsel program aimed at preventing evictions. Spanish interpretation is available. The Zoom link is us02web.xoom.us/j/85726005374. The meeting ID is 857-2600-5374.
Roller skating disco: From 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Pine Avenue between Third Street and Broadway in downtown Long Beach will be closed to cars. Roller skaters are invited to take full advantage of the pedestrian-friendly streets during this disco night. Admission is free.
