This Labor Day weekend there’s plenty to do to wear yourself out before taking a breather on Monday, during the national holiday honoring the labor movement and the contributions of American workers to this country. From Bixby Knolls to El Dorado Park to the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, music, food and comics are set to draw visitors and locals alike out and about for a taste of all that Long Beach has to offer.
Long Beach Comic Con
Break out your cosplay costumes Saturday and Sunday to show off during the two-day comic convention, set to bring in a slew of writers and artists from DC, Marvel and indie publishers. Attending this year’s gathering will be artist Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), actor William Shatner (Star Trek) and Audrey Horne (Twin Peaks).
New to the comic con this year is BURGER CON, a pop-up music fest put on by Fullerton-based record label Burger Records. Tickets to Burger Con are not included in the pass for comic con, so make sure to enter the promo code “Burger Con” on the ticket site when purchasing.
Long Beach Comic Con will be located at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center. For more information, check out the Post’s preview here.
68th Annual Long Beach Greek Festival
The three-day celebration of Greek culture will take place on Saturday, Sunday and Monday at the Greek Orthodox Church, offering attendees Greek dance performances, lessons, videos, demonstrations, food and more. Expect Greek rotisserie chicken, lamb gyros, feta cheese fries and for dessert, a wealth of pastries including Baklava and Loukoumades, pastry puffs covered in honey and sprinkled with cinnamon and walnuts.
Image courtesy of @lbgreekfest.
Admission is $5 with parking available at the VA Hospital off of North Bellflower Boulevard and Anaheim Road. Shuttle rides from the lot will be provided. The Greek Orthodox Church is located at 5761 East Colorado Street. For more info and directions, visit the website here.
End of Summer Bash
A handful of Long Beach Boulevard businesses in Bixby Knolls, including Long Beach Creamery, are throwing an end-of-summer celebration on Sunday from 3:00PM to 6:00PM. The small festival will shut down the creamery parking lot and will feature a band, food and drink. Guests are encouraged to bring their beach chairs and neighbor friends.
For more info, check out the Facebook event page here.
WET Carnival Aboard the Queen Mary
The hottest dance party of the weekend will take place aboard the historic ocean liner with three different decks to feature EDM DJ performances by headliner Viceroy with TEC Twins, Michael Sparks, LZRD and special guest TWRK. Expect water-themed activities, multiple dance floors and bars.
Doors open at 4:00PM. Parking is $20. General admission tickets are $40 in advance and $49 day of. VIP Admission is $125 and includes VIP line entrance and exclusive access to VIP Lounge. Visit the Queen Mary’s site here to purchase tickets. WET Carnival is 18+ only event.
New Blues Festival IV
Image courtesy of New Blues Festival.
Some of Blue’s’ most known female artists such as Ana Popovic, a six-time Grammy nominee and Janiva Magness, whose acclaimed album Love Wins Again was a Grammy nominee this year in the Best Contemporary Blues category will be playing in Long Beach during the New Blues Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Also set to delight Long Beach audiences is award-winning artist Gregg Young of Gregg Young & the 2nd Street Band, Guitar Shorty and The King Brothers.
The festival will take place at El Dorado Regional Park at 7550 East Spring Street. For the full lineup and tickets, which start at $40 for General Admission/Single Day Pass, visit the website here.