Things to do in Long Beach this weekend including… The Nutcracker and Charlie Brown

The following is a curated roundup of weekend events in Long Beach published every Wednesday on the Hi-lo/Long Beach Post. Have an event to share? Email [email protected] with “Things to Do” in the subject line.

Two annual Christmas-time performances are back this year (and in-person) including Long Beach Opera’s “The Nutcracker” and the Carpenter Center’s “Christmas Tribute to Charlie Brown” with David Benoit.

We’ve also found a family-friendly event featuring snow-sledding. Plus, a pirate-themed celebration of dark beer where you celebrate by drinking said beer, of course.

There’s more, but you know what to do: get to scrollin’!

“FRED CLAUS” MOVIE SCREENING – 2ND & PCH (Friday)

Closing out its holiday Movies & Moonlight series, shopping center 2nd & PCH will show a free, outdoor movie screening of “Fred Claus” Friday, Dec. 17.

From 5-6 p.m., 2nd & PCH will host pre-show entertainment with a meet-and-greet with Mickey and Minnie Mouse before the movie begins at 6 p.m.

Early arrival is encouraged so you can stake your spot along Seaport Way, which will be blocked off to traffic.

Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets as complimentary seating is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. There will be heaters stationed outside, though getting a spot near those will also be first-come, first-served.

The center requests that all attendees adhere to social distancing.

2nd & PCH is at 6400 Pacific Coast Highway.

LONG BEACH BALLET’S “THE NUTCRACKER” – TERRACE THEATRE (Friday – Sunday)

For the 39th incarnation, the Long Beach Ballet brings Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece to the Long Beach Terrace Theater again (and finally, in-person) in one of the most dazzling, high-quality performances of the season.

With a production that includes a flying sleigh, a live horse, on-stage pyrotechnics, a full symphony orchestra with a cast of over 200 dancers, it’s easy to understand why the Long Beach Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” was named Best Love Nutracker by Goldenvoice in both 2018 and 2019.

The show will be available for both evening and matinee performances starting Friday, Dec. 17 through Sunday, Dec. 19. Tickets range from $25-$115. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

The Long Beach Terrace Theater is at 300 E. Ocean Blvd.

VICTORY AT SEA DAYS – BALLAST POINT (Friday – Sunday)

Going eight years strong, Ballast Point’s “Victory at Sea Days” is a weekend-long celebration of dark beers that invites drinkers to come dressed in their finest pirate garb and glug those sweet, bitter brews.

This year Ballast Point will serve its seasonal “Victory at Sea” porter as well as nine, rare dark beer variations selected by a Ballast Point employee-wide vote.

Tickets start at $30 and include entry, four 4oz “Victory at Sea” tasters, a “Victory at Sea” glass, sticker, eye patch, and coin. The $45 package features entry, the aforementioned merch and a “Chai Victory at Sea” special release 6-pack.

The event begins Friday, Dec. 17 and goes through Sunday, Dec. 19. Click here to purchase tickets and for more information about packages and the brews.

Ballast Point Brewery in Long Beach is at 110 N. Marina Dr.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL RADIO STYLE – HELEN BORGERS THEATRE (Friday – Sunday)

Hear the 1939 radio rendition of “A Christmas Carol,” where American actor Lionel Barrymore voices Ebenezer Scrooge with a special radio-style live performance by the Long Beach Shakespeare Company.

For decades this radio story, which was produced by Orson Welles for his Campbell’s Playhouse—which is what The Mercury Theatre on the Radio became after “The War of the Worlds” broadcast—was aired live every Christmas Eve.

Bit of a podcast junkie? This showing at the Helen Borgers Theatre from Friday, Dec. 17 through Sunday, Dec. 19 ought to prove a nice reprieve from your usual listening station, otherwise known as your car.

Tickets cost $13. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m. Click here to purchase tickets and for more information. Patrons are required to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status, while inside the theater.

The Helen Borgers Theatre is at 4250 Atlantic Ave.

ARTISAN MARKET – LONG BEACH BEER LAB (Saturday)

 

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Wrigley’s Long Beach Beer Lab is hosting its first makers market at its brewery Saturday, Dec. 18.

Check out over 10 local vendors, selling a variety of vintage and artisan wares, including clothing, jewelry, mixed media art, paintings, soaps and more.

The pop-up will run from 2-5 p.m. and is free to attend.

Long Beach Beer Lab is at 518 W. Willow St.

WINTER IN WILLMORE – DRAKE PARK (Saturday)

Every year in Drake Park the Willmore City Heritage Association puts on Winter in Willmore, a family-friendly holiday celebration that’s a real big hit with the kiddos thanks to some 40 tons of snow—yes, real snow—sculpted into a slide for sledding.

On Saturday, Dec. 18 the snow returns, along with a host of other holiday activities to check out, including a rock climbing wall, face painting, arts and crafts classes, and more.

Also, be sure to bring a canned good you can trade for a raffle ticket you can enter to win a special prize. The event is from 1-4 p.m. and is free to attend.

Drake Park is at 951 Maine Ave.

LONG BEACH PAROL LANTERN FESTIVAL – DOWNTOWN (Saturday)

The 4th annual Long Beach Parol Lantern Festival is set to return to Downtown Saturday, Dec. 18, where the community may share in the Filipino tradition of lighting star-shaped lanterns during the Christmas season.

The Parol is a five-point star, which is traditionally made from bamboo and paper. It’s intended to represent the Star of Bethlehem that led three wise men to Jesus and symbolizes finding light in the dark.

Thousands of lanterns are expected to be lit during the event that will also include cultural experiences through live entertainment, music, dance and food. Attendees will also be able to create their own Parols.

The free event is from 2-8 p.m. at Fifth Street and Pine Avenue in Downtown Long Beach.

Click here for more information.

DAVID BENOIT: CHRISTMAS TRIBUTE TO CHARLIE BROWN – CARPENTER CENTER (Saturday)

Every December since 2013, the Carpenter Center has invited five-time Grammy-nominated jazz pianist David Benoit to perform the soundtrack to “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the classic Peanuts animated movie which features the iconic jazz soundtrack by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.

Why is a Benoit performance so special? First off, Benoit has been a big Guaraldi fan since his youth and points to Guaraldi’s work as a major influence to his own. But Benoit also spent the last 20 years recreating the beloved, contemporary Christmas album, even picking up where the late composer left off, as musical director and performer for later animated adaptations of the Peanuts comic strip, such as the feature film, “The Peanuts Movie.”

Benoit will perform, with special guest vocalist Courtney Fortune, Saturday, Dec. 18 at the performing arts center. Tickets cost $45 and may be purchased online. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test are required to see the show. Click here to purchase tickets and for more information.

The Carpenter Performing Arts Center is at 6200 E. Atherton St. on the Cal State Long Beach Campus. Parking, which can be paid for on-site, costs $4 per hour, or you can buy at $10 day pass.

SUBSTANCE: AN ART EXPERIMENT EXHIBITION – CAMBODIA TOWN (Saturday)

Local artist Omar R. Howard draws inspiration for his newest art exhibition, “Substance” from science and altered reality. His first solo exhibition on Saturday, Dec. 18 will feature over 100 original works, predominately paintings, but also murals and pop culture memorabilia, some dating back to the 1960s.

Through the exhibition, Howard will embark on an experiment of sorts. Howard, the “scientist,” will have his test subjects (the audience) fill out a survey with questions designed to gauge their emotional response to the art, hopefully guiding the audience into a “beautiful mood.”

The free exhibition will debut at 1242 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. and run between 5-11:30 p.m. All ages are welcome, but the exhibition was designed for audiences ages 14 and older.

Substance: An Art Experiment exhibition will be at 1242 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.