Hopefully Signal Hill and Long Beach residents are staying cool and hydrated through the heat waves hitting sunny Southern California. Next priority: attend a fun event, whether it’s a festival, book fair, summer concert, movie screening or community clean-up.
Festivals are in full swing, as the annual Love Long Beach Festival is making its return, accompanied by the Japan Rising Music Festival and a plant festival at Plantiitas Saturday morning. Book lovers have reason to celebrate too, with a book fair at Good Time Long Beach Saturday morning and a booze-filled book fair at Ambitious Ales Sunday afternoon.
Families have no shortage of exciting, fun ways to keep busy. Children can send their favorite stuffy off to a Signal Hill Public Library sleepover Friday night, learn about sharks at the CSULB Shark Lab Saturday and a family game night at Steelcraft LB Sunday night.
Friday 7/21
Love Long Beach Festival: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Around 20 performers will take the stage during this two-day music festival at Shoreline Aquatic Park (200 Aquarium Way). The event will also include art, yoga, food and more. This festival is appropriate for all ages. General admission tickets cost $35, and can be purchased on Ticketpro.
Bilingual Storytime: 11 a.m. Children will be able to listen to a bilingual story read in English and Spanish at Casita Bookstore (1440 E 4th St.). Free.
Food Distribution: Noon to 2 p.m. Local nonprofit Adventures to Dreams (903 Fairbanks Ave.) and the Foodbank of Southern California invites individuals and families in need to receive groceries. Free.
Great Stuffed Animal Sleepover: 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Children are welcome to drop off their favorite stuffed animal between the listed hours at the Signal Hill Public Library (1800 E Hill St.) for a sleepover. Participants will create a name tag and craft for their stuffed animal and will receive a picture journal documenting its fun times at the library overnight. Space is limited and registration is required by calling 562.989.7323. Free.
Long Beach Municipal Band Concert: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Long Beach Municipal Band will be continuing its 114th season at Dorado Park West (2800 N Studebaker Road) with a theme of “It’s Showtime,” where they will play classic Broadway musical numbers. Residents are invited to bring chairs, blankets and picnic food. Free.
Comedy Night: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Several local comedians will be performing at Plantiitas (2011 East 4th St.). Tickets can be purchased for $15 on Eventbrite.
PCH Movies & Moonlight: 7:30 p.m. Residents are invited to this weekly rotation of family-friendly movie screenings along Seaport Way. This week’s film is “Lyle, Lyle Crocodile,” a live-action film based on a children’s classic book. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets and snacks. Friendly dogs are welcome but must remain on a leash. Free.
Saturday 7/22
Beach Clean-Up: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Let’s Make Waves needs volunteers to help clean litter off Junipero Beach. Gloves, bags and free parking will be provided to volunteers. Volunteers will meet in the Junipero Beach parking lot (1 Junipero Beach).
Hiring Event: 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Long Beach is hosting a Refuse Operator hiring event in the Main Health Facilities Building at 2525 Grand Ave. to fill 30 full-time and part-time positions. Pay for the positions range from $19.73 to $29.03 depending on a number of factors. Attendees can participate in interviews, a physical, background check and work screening. Free.
Book Fair: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Casita Bookstore and Good Time Long Beach (1322 Coronado Ave.) will be holding a book fair with a wide range of titles for adults and children. Free to attend.
Shark Lab Open House: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The public is invited to learn about shark science technology, review safety tips and participate in shark-themed arts and crafts at Cal State Long Beach’s Shark Lab located in the Hall of Science (1250 Bellflower Blvd.) Free.
Long Beach Plant Fest: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hella Plants Market and Plantiitas will be hosting a festival at 1738 East Seventh Street featuring plant vendors, plant care workshops and food. General admission tickets cost $5 per person, and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Japan Rising Music Festival: noon to 10 p.m. This two-day festival at Marina Green Park (400 E Shoreline Drive) will feature over 20 Japanese music artists, food, sake tastings and more. A one-day ticket is $60 and a two-day ticket is $110. Tickets can be purchased on the RJMF website.
Sunday Saturdays: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. V.I.P. Records will be hosting a celebration of gospel music on the Billie Jean King main Library’s terrace (101 Pacific Ave.) in Downtown Long Beach once a month during the summer. Local churches and various city departments will be present. Free.
East Village Summer Fest: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Residents are invited to shop and enjoy themselves at this outdoor community event. The event will take place in the East Village Arts District, between E Third Street and E Broadway. Free to attend.
Alt Rhythms: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Residents are invited to enjoy Latin and Caribbean music at the Museum of Latin American Art (628 Alamitos Ave.). There will be food, beer and paletas available for purchase. Tickets can be purchased for $35 on the museum’s website.
Sunday 7/23
Clean Streets Clean-Up: 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Residents are invited to help clean the Bixby Knolls and Los Cerritos neighborhoods during this weekly clean-up. The meeting location for this Sunday is at 3433 Long Beach Blvd. Gloves and tools are provided. Free,
Rockin Summer Marketplace: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Over a dozen small businesses will be selling their products at Roxanne’s (1115 E Wardlow Rd.). There will also be DJs and tiki-themed drinks. Admission costs $5.
Boozy Book Fair: Noon to 5 p.m. Ambitious Ales (4019 Atlantic Ave.) and Bel Canto Books will be hosting an adult book fair, where those 21 and older can drink beer as they peruse the different titles available. Smoked and Salted Barbecue will be selling Filipino-Texas fusion dishes. Free to attend.
Fashion Show Fundraiser: 4 p.m. The Silver Fox (411 Redondo Ave.) will be hosting a summer apparel fashion show featuring designs from Jomo Patterson, a “Top Model” competition and prizes to be auctioned. All proceeds will benefit the AIDS Food Store in Long Beach. Free to attend.
Family Game Night: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Families are invited to a weekly family game night at Steelcraft LB (3768 Long Beach Blvd.) where they can rent or bring their own board games and card games to play. Free.
Silent Disco: 6 p.m. So We Are Silent Disco invites the community to surrender themselves to the music and tune into their bodies by the beach (3998 E Allin St.). All participants will be given a pair of headphones and encouraged to try “ecstatic dance” while listening to a curated playlist. General admission costs $30. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Monday 7/24
Glass Bottom Boat Eco-Tour: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Passengers will board a glass-bottomed boat and visit the break wall off the coast of Long Beach, while observing and searching for local marine life. The boat will depart from Shoreline Village (429 Shoreline Village Dr.). General admission tickets can be purchased for $25 on Eventbrite.
Concerts in the Park(ing lot): 6:30 p.m. Residents can gather at the Bixby Joe Coffee & Tea parking lot (4245 Atlantic Ave.) to dance the night away with live music from Blanco y Negro. Attendees can bring food, lawn chairs, coolers and more. Free.
South Coast Orchid Society Gardening Talk: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Residents can attend this meeting from the South Coast Orchid Society at the Whaley Park Community Center (5620 E. Atherton St.). Jose Carlos Lopez is a local greenhouse specialist and will lead a discussion on how to best care for an orchid plant. Free.
Movie in the Park: 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. The public is invited to an outdoor screening of the Disney movie “Toy Story” at Grace Park (intersection of Elm Avenue and Plymouth Street). Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair, blanket and picnic food. The movie will begin at dusk. Free.
Tuesday 7/25
Senior Movie Matinee: 11 a.m. Residents ages 55 and older are invited to the Signal Hill Public Library Community Room (1800 E Hill St.) for a social club and movie screening of “The Wizard of Oz.” Free.
Comedy & Juggling: Noon to 1 p.m. Juggler and comedian Michael Rayner will be performing for visitors of all ages at Bay Shore Neighborhood Library (195 Bay Shore). Free.
Long Beach Municipal Band Concert: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Long Beach Municipal Band will be continuing its 114th season at Bixby Annex Park (130 Cherry Ave.) with a theme of “It’s Showtime,” where they will play classic Broadway musical numbers. Residents are invited to bring chairs, blankets and picnic food. Free.
Moonlight Movies on the Beach: 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Watch a screening of “Lilo & Stitch” at Granada Beach (5000 E. Ocean Blvd). The event will feature pre-show entertainment from local bands. This screening is part of the summer-long Moonlight Movies at the Beach series. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs to sit on. Food trucks will be present. The movie screenings are family-friendly and pet-friendly. Free.
Wednesday 7/26
Rising to the Occasion: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The United Cambodian Community will be hosting this small business summit at the Long Beach Airport (4811 Airport Dr.). The purpose of this event is to encourage and inform members of the Cambodian community who want to do business in Long Beach. To register for the event, bit.ly/RisingtotheOccasion. Free.
Save Our Water: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Centro CHA will be holding a workshop at the Jenny Oropeza Community Center (401 Golden Ave.) where residents can learn how to conserve water during the summer. Free.
Bixby Knolls Zoning Open House: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The public is invited to a meeting to discuss zoning regulations for the Bixby Knolls neighborhood, which has not been updated since the 1980s. During the two-hour window at the EXPO Arts Center (4321 Atlantic Ave.) residents can review the plan and ask City staff questions. Free.
Karaoke: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Residents are invited to Dutch’s Brewhouse (4244 Atlantic Ave.) every Wednesday night to sing their heart out through karaoke. Free.
Wine & Roots: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Those 21 and over are invited to learn how to repot a plant while enjoying wine at local plant shop Plantiitas (2011 E 4th St.). This event is a collaboration between local businesses Plantiitas and Art du Vin. General admission costs $40. To purchase tickets, visit Eventbrite.
Concerts in the Park: 6:30 p.m. The cover band Jimmy’s Buffet will be performing at Signal Hill Park (2175 Cherry Ave.). This is a family-friendly event appropriate for all ages. Free.
Thursday 7/27
Blood Drive: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Long Beach Fire Department is asking for volunteers to donate lifesaving blood at its headquarters (3205 Lakewood Blvd.) To make an appointment to donate blood, visit www.RedCrossBlood.org and enter the sponsor code: LBFD.
Lego Club: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. School-aged children 6 and older are invited to build with Legos at the Los Altos Neighborhood Library (5614 Britton Dr.). Legos will be provided. Free.
PCH Raising Decibels: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. This live music series along Seaport Way will feature reggae band Tomorrows Bad Seeds, face painting, airbrush tattoos and a dance floor. Free.
Long Beach Municipal Band Concert: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Long Beach Municipal Band will be continuing its 114th season at Recreation Park (4900 E Seventh St.) with a theme of “Take Flight,” featuring vocalist Meloney Collins. Residents are invited to bring chairs, blankets and picnic food. Free.
Hosting an event? Email all details to Newspaper@SignalTribune.com for a chance to be featured in our weekly Around Town. Submitting an entry does not guarantee publication and the Signal Tribune reserves the right to choose which events to promote.
