3:01pm | The city’s annual Long Beach Sea Festival is in full sail as summer takes its hold on Southern California.This weekend, June 18 and 19, the Urban Ocean Festival will take over the aquarium in celebration of eco-friendly lifestyles. The festival will take a look at human and wildlife uses of this part of the ocean, and attendees will enjoy an art exhibition, eco-friendly fashion show and contest, interactive mural painting, urban ocean cruises, poetry readings, sustainable seafood demonstrations, live music and educational activities.
The festival got underway the first weekend of June with several events, including the Imua Festival, second annual Power Festival, Pacific Islander Festival and a volleyball tournament.
The festival’s roots can be traced back to 1911, though it was not officially presented as a festival until the early 1970s. Certain signature events, such as the fishing rodeo, dates back to 1915. The Sand Castle Competition is another longtime event, having begun in 1933, and the first Long Beach-to-Catalina Ski Race happened back in 1948.
The Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau, then dubbed the Convention and News Bureau, in 1971 linked these and other activities under a single header, and the Long Beach Sea Festival was born. Today, the slew of events is offered by the nonprofit Sea Festival Association of Long Beach under the direction of CEO Bob Seagren and the staff at RUN Racing, which holds the annual Long Beach Marathon. With the Port of Long Beach serving as this year’s Sea Fest presenting sponsor, the port’s 100th anniversary celebration on June 25 is being incorporated into the festival’s bill of events. The Long Beach Municipal Band, now in its 102nd year, will kick off its Sea Fest season during the port’s birthday celebration before diving into its four-nights-a-week lineup of performances at parks located throughout the city. A full schedule of themes and locations can be viewed by clicking here. All concerts start at 6:30 p.m. Much more will be offered during the months of July, August and September, the details of which can be found by logging on to LongBeachSeaFestival.com/events. Highlights in July include a pirate-themed festival on the Belmont Pier July 2 and 3; the Transpac (Transpacific Yacht) Race on July 4 and July 8; the Bixby Knolls Dragster Expo & Car Show on July 9; and both the Long Beach Crawfish Festival and the Long Beach Dragon Boat Festival on July 30 and 31. Also on the final weekend of July will be a special celebration at El Dorado Nature Center, where the city will stage a civil war reenactment in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
Beginning July 5 and running throughout the summer, Moonlight Movies on the Beach will show movies on Tuesdays at Granada Beach, Wednesdays at Cherry Beach and Thursdays at Marina Green. The complete schedule can be viewed by clicking here. All movies start at dusk, or approximately 8 p.m.
August highlights include the Kids’ FIshing Rodeo on Aug. 5; the Long Beach Sprint Nationals Aug. 6 and 7; Long Beach Sand Sculptures Contest Aug. 13 and 14; Tiki Beach Festival Aug. 20 and 21; and the Beach Water Polo Cup & Naples Island Stand Up Paddleboard Race Aug. 27 and 28.
New this year, Taste of Brews will offer a premier beer-tasting festival at Lighthouse Park on Saturday, Aug. 20.
September’s highlights include the Lobster Festival Sept. 9 and a pirate-themed celebration at Rainbow Lagoon Sept. 17 and 18.
Additional information about the Long Beach Sea Festival can be obtained by visiting LongBeachSeaFestival.com.