It has never been an easy thing to put on Twilight Walk in the north section of Pine Ave. in Downtown Long Beach. While it seemed like a given—the area was in desperate need of connectivity and community—theory is always easier than practice. Just ask Josh Fischel, one of the many members behind the rock theatre group RIOT Stage and also the tireless volunteer who has continually offered hours of work to get the event off the ground.
“The problem with Twilight is the continual ebbs and flows it goes through,” Fischel said. “The vast majority of businesses are disengaged and by now, it would take a solid year to repair just a couple months of setbacks.”
The answer that Fischel (along with Groundworks Fitness owner Giovanna Ferraro, Michelle Molina of Millworks, and all-over-LBCer Mimi Masher) came up with was to temporarily partner up with the Party on Pine folks to synchronize their own events with larger events going on in the city. In this case, an all-out, shut-Pine-down party dedicated to all things bright’n’glowy before Long Beach takes part in its first Glow Run.
Introducing Get Lit, the collaboration’s effort to re-ignite Twilight Walk and infuse some much-needed energy into Pine Ave. above 3rd.
“I wanted to get more involved with the Glow Run but then figured: why not use our own connections and prep people for it?” Ferraro said. “Michelle Molina is right there—and she’s a mentor. She’s always hosting events that are fun, out-of-the-box. That kind of thinking is what brings attention to a neighborhood.”
Introducing Get Lit, the collaboration’s effort to re-ignite Twilight Walk and infuse some much-needed energy into Pine Ave. above 3rd. and what Molina calls a “last hurrah” of sorts.
“Twilight and Party on Pine—maybe it’s time to merge, maybe not,” Molina said. “The point is to open people’s minds and businesses’ doors with something that is different.”
Different is putting it lightly. Pine will be entirely closed to traffic between 4th and 6th Streets to make way for a plethora of offerings, including a roller disco, some grub trucks, a buncha vendors… But most notably will be the premiere of Bubble Soccer in SoCal.
Think blow-up sumo gone World Cup.
This awesomely absurd form of competition puts people in hamster toy-like inflatable balls that run down to about knee height, providing the bubble-trapped person the ability to run. And tackle. We honestly mean tackle since you can bombard someone head-on and fling them away from your precious soccer ball should your foot work prove athletically strong enough. All without harm being done. We wouldn’t even need the soccer ball, to be honest—we’d be perfectly content just running around and jovially jocking our friends into somersaults through the air.
However, it is a sport and there is a point. The organizers, Nicole Mier and Ryan Pinto, have even brought in a flooring company to install temporary flooring that will cover Pine so the game can be played properly.
Of course, competitiveness is being harnessed in multiple ways at Get Lit and for those unskilled on the futbol field but can out-bro fraternity brothers, there is the game of games: beer pong. The tournament will be hosted by Anderson’s Paint & Hardware in their parking lot and organizers expect nothing short of the most skilled and serious of players to catapult toward the championship title and remain forever 21. Oh, did we mention they’re also hosting a full bar? Because how else are you supposed to cheer the pong athletes on?
Not in the mood to sweat through soccer or roller-ing or the exhausting endeavor that is throwing light objects with eagle eye-precision? You can dance. A lot. Groundwork Fitness. Hamburger Mary’s. An after party at MAD Hause from 10PM to midnight. Or if you’re like some of us, you can just hang out with the Glow Drag Queens in front of Mary’s and scream, “Yaaaasss!” to people decked out enough in the glow spirit—all without ruining your hair or make-up.
The after party, mainly organized by Fischel and awesomely titled the RIOT Stage Family Jamboree, also has a higher purpose beyond getting people more lit through more cocktails: it is to get people to talk about North Pine, all with the musical accompaniments of LB Unplugged, RIOT Stage, and the ever-evolving MOVE.
“It’s a chance for people to not only talk about the event but talk about their neighborhood, their businesses,” Fischel said. “To let loose with ideas and create.”
We can get lit to that. Definitely.
Get Lit will take place on Friday, September 19 from 7PM to 9:30PM on Pine Ave. between 4th and 6th Streets, with businesses between 1st and 8th Streets also offering activities, food, and drinks [regard map]. The event is free and open to the public. The after party will be held from 10PM to midnight at MADHaus, located at 624 Pacific Ave.
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