Today marks the first official day of fall, coming off the heels of a pleasantly chilly week. Take advantage of the cooler weather by attending some of the fun and free things to do in Long Beach and Signal Hill.
Residents can kick off their fall season by taking in local sights and history at the fifth annual Rancho Walk Saturday morning, doing yoga and cleaning up the beach with friends a bit later in the day, or attending a cultural festival hosted by Signal Hill.
Support young musicians at a battle of the bands at Recreation Park Sunday evening or watch local comedians at a comedy show at Ficklewood Ciderworks Friday night or at a weekly round-up of comedians at Que Sera Wednesday night. If your New Year’s resolution was to become an engaged community member, there’s still time to attend some educational meetings like the LGBTQ+ Cultural District visioning meeting Monday night, or the Pride Lifeguard Tower meeting Wednesday night.
Friday 9/22
Pajama Movie Night: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Kids are invited to watch “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” in their pajamas at the Signal Hill Public Library (1800 E. Hill St.). There will be a 10-minute intermission half-way through the movie where everyone can get popcorn and drinks. Pre-registration is required, call 562-989-7323. Free.
Comedy Show: 8 p.m. Those 21 and older are invited to Ficklewood Ciderworks (720 E Broadway) to watch a series of stand up performances organized by The Friendzone Comedy Show. Outside food is allowed, and Dog Willing Pizza will be on-site. There is no cover charge, however there is a two-drink minimum. Friendly dogs are welcome.
Saturday 9/23
5th Annual Rancho Walk: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Residents will get the opportunity to exercise while enjoying local history during the 9.4-mile annual Ranchos Walk organized by Walk Long Beach, Rancho Los Cerritos, Rancho Los Alamitos and the Historical Society of Long Beach. Registration will take place at Rancho Los Cerritos (4600 Virginia Rd.) and then take participants to Willow Springs Park, Hilltop Park, Reservoir Hill, the CSULB campus and finally to Rancho Los Alamitos (6400 E Bixby Hill Rd.). Free.
Community Shredding: 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Long Beach residents are encouraged to drop off up to three file boxes worth of documents to be shredded by the City at the rear parking lot of Veterans Memorial Stadium (500 E Lew Davis St.). Attendees will be asked to verify which zip code they live in. Free.
Community Clean Up: 8 a.m. to noon. Volunteers are needed to help clean the WESCA-Zaferia neighborhood. Participants are encouraged to wear face masks and gloves. Meet at 1435 Orizaba Ave. Free.
Community Yoga + Beach Cleanup: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Algalita Marine Research & Education and Sanctum Yoga will be holding this event in honor of California Coastal Clean-Up Day. The event will start with a group yoga session at 72nd Place on the Long Beach Peninsula, followed by cleaning trash off the beach. Register for free on Eventbrite.
Silent Book Club: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Book lovers are invited to read a book of their choice silently together at Los Altos Park (5481 E Stearns St.). Free.
Garden Adventures: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Adventures to Dreams and Ground Education invites children between 5 and 16 years old to spend an educational day in the garden (903 DeForest Ave.). Lunch and snacks will be provided. Free.
Cultural Festival: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This festival’s goal is to bring the community together to embrace and appreciate differences while enjoying a day of entertainment and activities at Signal Hill Park (2175 Cherry Ave.). The festival’s lineup includes a diverse range of performers, including R&B and hip-hop musician “The Real Mr. Clark,” the Cambodian Royal Ballet dancers, Spanish flamenco dancers, Hawaiian ukulele performances, African drumming and more. In addition to the performances, attendees can participate in Zumba and line dancing for a fun and healthy experience. Children’s activities will include face painting, a bouncy house and art and crafts. For those looking to satisfy their taste buds, the festival will have food trucks on-site offering a variety of options, including Cuban food and Thai food.
Sunday 9/24
Baja Splash Cultural Festival: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents can celebrate cultures from Mexico, Central and South America, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and more with the Aquarium of the Pacific (100 Aquarium Way). The event will feature dancing, Spanish and English programming, live music, games and more. Tickets to the festival are included with general admission to the Aquarium, which can be purchased online.
Fall In Love Adoption Series: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Long Beach Animal Care Services will be waiving adoption fees every weekend in September. Friday through Sunday, people can pick out a new best friend at the shelter (7700 E Spring St.). Free.
High School Battle of the Bands: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The public is invited to watch six different bands formed by local teens compete with each other at the Recreation Park Bandshell (7th St. & Park Ave.). Awards will be given out for best cover song, best original song and best overall band. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own snacks and beverages. This event is organized by the Friends of the Rec Park Bandshell. Free.
Monday 9/25
Narrated Harbor Tour: 11:30 a.m. This narrated tour of the scenic Long Beach harbor will teach attendees about the history of the harbor while they take in the views of the Long Beach skyline, California Sea Lions, the Queen Mary, large cargo and container ships and more. The boat will leave from 100 Aquarium Way, Dock #2. General admission tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite for $20.
LGBTQ+ Cultural District Visioning Process Community Workshop: 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Residents are invited to give feedback on the proposed plan for Long Beach’s new LGBTQ+ Cultural District at an in-person workshop at Bixby Park (130 Cherry Ave.). To learn more about the plans in place for the city’s LGBTQ+ District, residents can visit longbeach.gov/LGBTQDistrict. For more pertinent information regarding the upcoming community outreach events, residents can email lgbtqvisioning@longbeach.gov. Anyone interested in attending the event is encouraged to RSVP online through the City’s website. Free.
Tuesday 9/26
Rancho Storytime: 10 a.m. to 10:30 am. Parents and caregivers are invited to bring young children to listen to a story read out loud at Rancho Los Cerritos (4600 Virginia Rd.) Attendees are welcome to bring blankets, strollers and snacks. Free.
Lego Club: 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. School-aged children 6 to 12 years old are invited to build with Legos at the Alamitos Neighborhood Library (1836 E. Third St.). Legos will be provided. Free.
Nights at the Observatory: 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Cal State Long Beach Department of Physics and Astronomy invites residents to the Hall of Science for a night of wonder every Tuesday evening through Dec. 5. Parking lot E7 is the nearest to the Hall of Science building on the CSULB campus (1250 Bellflower Blvd.) and the roof is accessible by the outdoor staircase. Check @CSULBPhysics Twitter page for cancellations. The event is free, but parking on-campus is $10.
Wednesday 9/27
Baby & Toddler Storytime: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Babies and their caregivers are invited to Signal Hill Public Library (1800 E. Hill St.) to enjoy stories and playtime. Free.
Pride Lifeguard Community Meeting: 5:30 p.m. The public will learn about updates planned for the Pride Lifeguard Tower during this meeting at the Bixby Park Community Center (130 Cherry Ave). Free.
Bear City Comedy: 7:30 p.m. A roster of stand-up comedians perform weekly at Que Sera (1923 E 7th St.). This event is for those 21 and older. Free.
Thursday 9/28
How to Stay Calm in the Chaos: Noon to 1 p.m. The first online workshop in an eight-week series organized by the Family Resource Center and the Long Beach Unified School District. This workshop will focus on teaching parents how to get their children to cooperate without using punishments and threats. To register, visit https://bit.ly/FRCStayCalm2023. Free.
Shaqtober Fest: 7 p.m. to 10:30 pm. This Halloween-themed event hosted by Shaquille O’Neal on the Queen Mary (1126 Queens Hwy.) will feature carnival rides, music, haunted trails, themed bars and more. General admission tickets can be purchased on the festival’s website for $29.99.
