Summer feels nearer than ever in Long Beach, underlined by upcoming events like outdoor concerts, gardening workshops and vinyl DJ sets to help you sway into your summer mood.
Plenty of resources are available to residents this week, such as free suits for kids graduating high school on Friday, grocery and kitchen pail giveaways Saturday and a diaper distribution on Tuesday.
Soak up the sun with some outdoor gatherings, like a summer kick-off concert Friday night at Marine Stadium, two different gardening workshops Saturday morning, a book swap Saturday afternoon at Bixby Park and a cultural cooking workshop Sunday at Rancho Los Cerritos.
Residents can get involved in their community by attending an Anduril Out of Long Beach meeting Friday night, a book club on practical anarchy Monday night, a Black Tenant Neighborhood Council meeting Tuesday evening or the 10th Street Greenbelt Walking Path community meeting on Thursday.
Friday 5/22
Free Groceries: Noon to 4 p.m. Get free food, hygiene items, clothing, books and more from Long Beach Community Table (151 W. Victoria St.). Free.
Free Suits: 5:30 p.m. High school graduates who need a suit can get one for free from the Hood Santa at Mexihanas Hibachi Grill (1782 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.). No RSVP necessary, and suits will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Free.
Summer Kick-off Concert: 6 p.m. Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine’s first outdoor summer concert of the year will feature ‘80s cover band Radio Royalty at Conductor Larry Curtis Concert Park in Marine Stadium (5255 E. Paoli Way). Visitors should bring blankets, chairs, food and drinks. Free.
Community Strategy Meeting: 6 p.m. Join local organizations for an Anduril Out of Long Beach day of action. Learn about the military technology company’s impacts on the community’s health and how you can take a stand against them. RSVP at tinyurl.com/no2andurillb to receive a location. Free.
Harvey Milk Day Commemoration: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This evening is meant to mark the start of Pride Month events in June and to honor Harvey Milk, with rhythmic handpan music, landscape painting inspired by the diverse colors found in nature, and mocktail making at the Signal Hill Public Library’s Zinnia Courtyard (1800 E. Hill St.). Registration is required by calling 562-989-7323. Free.
Fourth Fridays: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Fourth Street corridor will come alive for its monthly Fourth Friday event, where businesses host fun and free gatherings, such as Native Sol’s open mic and pop-up, Bel Canto Books’ bake sale for Palestine, Cool Cat Collective’s Cats Against AI art show and much more. Free.
Vinyl Jamz: Every fourth Friday at The Grasshopper (136 E. Anaheim St.) is hip-hop, R&B, funk and slow jamz all on vinyl. For those 21 and older. No cover charge.
Saturday 5/23
Volunteer Planting Day: 9 a.m. to noon. The Long Beach Surfrider Foundation is building an Ocean Friendly Garden next to the Shoreline Bike Path and Marina Green (500 E. Shoreline Drive) and invites the public to help build it. Volunteers can learn how to dig a bioswale, plant native trees and create resilient ocean-friendly landscapes. Free.
Gateway to Gardening: 10 a.m. to noon. Long Beach Organic is hosting a garden-based art workshop at the Zaferia Junction Community Garden (3709 E. 10th St.) meant for ages 12 and older. RSVP at tinyurl.com/lbospringart.com. Free.
Grocery Giveaway: 10 a.m. We Grow Long Beach is giving away fresh produce, pantry staples and more at Church One (100 E. Seventh St.) for anyone in the community. Free.
Prenatal & Postpartum Herbal Care: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This space is dedicated to queer, trans, lesbian, gay and nonbinary folks who are expanding their family, as well as birthworkers, doulas and caregivers. This circle at Green Wisdom (712 Cedar Ave.) will highlight herbal medicine and demo gentle hands-on practices, perfect for herbal care beginners. Admission is on a sliding scale basis between $80-200.
Kitchen Pail Distro: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Long Beach residents can receive a free kitchen pail to collect food scraps before it goes into your green cart, at Veterans Park (101 E. 28th St.). One pail per household, and proof of a zip code is required. Free.
Free Groceries: Noon to 2 p.m. Get free food, hygiene items, clothing, books and more from Long Beach Community Table (151 W. Victoria St.). Free.
Book Swap: Noon to 3 p.m. Get free books and swap books with others at this event hosted by Long Beach Swaps at Bixby Park (130 Cherry Ave.). Register on Eventbrite. Free.
Dance Workshop: Noon to 1 p.m. Learn the history and meaning of Cambodian classical and social dances, as well as how to do them, during this workshop at the Signal Hill Public Library (1800 E. Hill St.). Registration is required by calling 562-989-7323. Free.
Battle of the Bands: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Support local high school bands at this contest at the Recreation Park Bandshell (E. Seventh Street and Park Avenue), where six to 10 bands will perform three songs each and face off against one another. Free.
Art Talk: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Bring your works in progress and chat with other local artists at Kubo LB’s monthly art talk at 3976 Atlantic Ave. All mediums and practices are welcome — excluding generative AI. Free.
Sunday 5/24
Mahjong: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Learn and play 16-tile Pinoy-style mahjong at San and Wolves Bakeshop (3900 E. Fourth St.) while enjoying a wide range of pastries. Free.
Sewing Club: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. This sewing club at 3844 E. Anaheim St. invites anyone who likes to sew to bring their own works in progress or start a new project. Visitors are welcome to bring their own machines or use those made available. Register online at SewingLabLosAL.com. Tickets are $20.
Cocina del Barrio: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. This hands-on culinary workshop will explore food as a living form of cultural preservation as part of the Seeds of Resilience programming at Rancho Los Cerritos (4600 Virginia Road). Visitors will gather around a community comal for an immersive experience in Mexican cooking, led by Carina Lavin. Lavin will guide participants through the cultural importance of corn, the nixtamalization process, grinding corn on a metate and making handmade tortillas. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online.
Monday 5/25
Cooking Matters: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Get a crash course on nutritional eating and learn how to cook a few healthy meals with staple items at the Long Beach Community Resource Center (5599 Atlantic Ave.). Free.
Book Club: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Join local mutual aid group Care Culture Collaborative for its weekly book club, “Practical Anarchism: A Guide to Daily Life” at Vine LB (2142 E. Fourth St.). Author Shuli Branson provides practical examples of anarchism in everyday life, through history, theory and tips that include mutual aid and collective liberation. You do not have to read the book to participate in the discussion. Free.
Tuesday 5/26
Diaper Distro: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Families can receive free diapers from the Long Beach Community Resource Center (5599 Atlantic Ave.) in a variety of sizes. Free.
Free Groceries: 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Get free food, hygiene items, clothing, books and more from Long Beach Community Table (151 W. Victoria St.). Free.
CD4 Meeting: 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. The monthly District 4 meeting will take place at the Los Altos Library (5614 E. Britton Drive). Free.
Black Neighborhood Tenant Council: 6 p.m. This month’s meetup at House of Haven (5231 Atlantic Ave.) will cover upcoming elections, your voter rights and how local politics show up in your life every month on your lease, in your building and on your block. There will be dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m. Free.
Vinyl Listening Session: 6 p.m. Enjoy a double feature of The Strokes’ “Is This It” and Interpol’s “Turn On the Bright Lights” at Good Luck Vinyl Club’s full album listening party at Dolores (2105 E. Fourth St.) on their Hi-Fi Sound System. There will also be all-vinyl DJ sets throughout the evening and album-inspired flash tattoos on the patio. Tickets are $17, include both albums and can be purchased on Dice.
Wednesday 5/27
Wellness Wednesday: 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Seniors ages 55 and older can take part in this guided meditation at the Signal Hill Public Library (1800 E. Hill St.). Registration is required by calling 562-989-7330. Free.
Free Groceries: 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Get free food, hygiene items, clothing, books and more from Long Beach Community Table (151 W. Victoria St.). Free.
Trivia: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Every Wednesday is trivia night at Trademark Brewing (233 E. Anaheim St.), led by King Trivia. Free.
Thursday 5/28
Community Meeting: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Learn about the 10th Street Greenbelt Walking Path Project at this community meeting at the Recreation Park Community Center (4900 E. Seventh St.). City staff will share the final design of the recreational space, take questions from attendees and share the next steps. Free.
Community Craft Night: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Turn your bad art into magnets at Cool Cate Collective (2741 E. Fourth St.). Hang out with friends and cats while you listen to music and make art. Markers and colored pencils will be provided, or you can bring your own supplies. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online.
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