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.

If you venture outside during the forecasted rainy weekend, there’s plenty of indoor entertainment to check out from a comedy show to a Baroque classical concert and a radio-style live performance.

An annual celebration of whiskey is returning this weekend, plus we’ve found a gathering local artists may enjoy. Lastly, the Martin Luther King Jr. Parade is back for the first time in two years—more details on where to attend the celebration below.

Get to scrollin’!

CARA CONNORS COMEDY SHOW AT PLANTIITAS (Thursday)

Courtesy flyer to the Cara Connors Stand Up Comedy show at Plantiitas Thursday, Jan. 12.

Los Angeles-based queer comedian Cara Connors is performing live in Long Beach Thursday, Jan. 12 at Plantiitas plant shop in Retro Row.

Connors’ unique brand of comedy hit major strides in 2019 when they began performing their show “Straight For Pay,” about their path to self-acceptance after divorcing their husband and coming to terms with their sexuality. The show was so well received it took Connors to distinguished stages across the U.S. and Europe, and it will soon be released as their debut comedy album Jan. 27. Fans of the show “Dating #NoFilter” on E! may also recognize the comedian, who was a regular panelist and commentator on the dating show.

Guests of Thursday’s show can expect a new stand-up set by Connors. Opening the show will be musical guest Bonded Jacky. Tickets for the show cost $15 if purchased early online here. Tickets purchased at the door cost $20. Doors open at 6 p.m; show starts at 7 p.m.

Plantiitas is at 2011 E. Fourth St.

ARTISTS LINKUP: A GATHERING OF CREATIVES (Friday)

Courtesy flyer to the Artists Linkup: A Gathering of Creatives Friday, Jan. 13, at Cafe Chapin.

Cafe Chapin, a cozy restaurant and art gallery space in Cambodia Town is the hub for an event inviting local artists to meet up for an evening of connection and collaboration.

The event is created by local artists Efren Luna and Candice E. Romero, who hope to establish a creative community that supports each other and has some fun.

The meet-up on Friday, Jan. 13, will begin at 7 p.m, where attendees are asked to order a meal from the restaurant, then sit down for introductions and dinner. Organizers have planned art activities and performances and encourage artists to bring something they’re working on—could be a drawing, painting, song or poetry—to share with the group.

The Artists Linkup: A Gathering of Creatives is free to attend and runs until 9 p.m. Click here for more information.

Cafe Chapin is at 1436A Cherry Ave.

KONTRAPUNKTUS CONCERT “BACH & HANDEL: SOLI DEO GLORIA” (Friday)

Members of the Kontrapunktus chamber ensemble including (from left to right, top to bottom) David Chang (second principal violin); Cameron Alan-Lee (first violin); Osheen Manukyan (cellist); Harrison Dearman (double bass); Aubree Oliverson (violin soloist); Hannah White (violin, concertmaster); Cassia Drake (viola); and Bogang Hwang (harpsichord). Kontrapunktus is performing live at Grace First Presbyterian Church Friday, Jan. 13. Photo courtesy Kontrapunktus.

Kontrapunktus, a Baroque-loving chamber ensemble made up of young, talented professional musicians is returning to stage for the first time this year with a special performance in Long Beach at Grace First Presbyterian Church on Friday, Jan. 13.

The show, titled “Bach & Handel: Soli Deo gloria,” will highlight some of the lesser-known works of Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel, two of the most famous and prolific German composers of Baroque classical music in the 18th century.

General admission tickets are $24.95; tickets for students, seniors and veterans cost $19.95. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. Show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Grace First Presbyterian Church is at 3955 N. Studebaker Road.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND RADIO SHOW (Friday – Sunday)

Image courtesy the Long Beach Shakespeare Company.

This weekend, The Long Beach Shakespeare Company is opening its new season of the year with a radio-style show of the classic children’s tale “Alice in Wonderland.”

The performance is similar to another radio-style show the theater company puts on during the holidays (“A Christmas Carol”), in which actors perform live to a radio recording.

The Alice in Wonderland Radio Show will play at the Helen Borgers Theatre from Fridays through Sundays until Jan. 22. Tickets cost $13. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

The Helen Borgers Theatre is at 4250 Atlantic Ave.

LONG BEACH PLAYHOUSE’S “BEST OF THE BEST SHOW” (Friday – Sunday)

The exterior of the Long Beach Playhouse. Photo courtesy Long Beach Playhouse.

The Long Beach Playhouse is celebrating its 10th year of performing community theater with a show that’s bringing back segments from some of the theater’s most popular plays, storytelling events and shows previously only experienced online during the heights of the pandemic.

The event also includes a show titled “Behind the Mask,” which features 12 local artists performing spoken word, monologues, dance and more that reflect an introspective journey the artists took to learn more about themselves and how they wish to present their art to the world.

Tickets for the show cost $20. The shows on Friday, Jan. 13, and Saturday, Jan. 14, begin at 8 p.m. Sunday’s matinee show starts at 2 p.m. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Long Beach Playhouse is at 5021 E. Anaheim St.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PARADE & CELEBRATION (Saturday)

A float by Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride was one of the 89 entrants in the 31st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on Saturday, January 19, 2019. Photo by Bill Alkofer.

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and Celebration is returning live and in person to Central Long Beach on Jan. 14.

The 35th Martin Luther King Jr. Parade will be held at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Anaheim Street, where it has been celebrated for decades. Attendees can expect floats, brass bands, performers and community organizations to take part in honoring the beloved civil rights activist.

The parade, which is free to attend, starts at 10 a.m. Then, from noon to 5 p.m., the remainder of the celebration will take place at Martin Luther King Jr. Park with speeches and live performances. The park will also feature a health and wellness area, a youth area, food and merchandise vendors and information booths.

Martin Luther King Jr. Park is at 1950 Lemon Ave.

WHISKEY WONDERLAND (Sunday)

Courtesy flyer to the Whiskey Wonderland event at Roxanne’s Sunday, Jan. 15.

Whiskey Wonderland, a celebration of the distilled spirit, is returning to Roxanne’s bar Sunday, Jan. 15. The six-hour event features 10 unique whiskey tastings, cocktail classes, food, vendors and live entertainment.

Some of the whiskeys guests can expect to taste include Heaven Hill, Benromach, Starward, Johnnie Walker, Angel’s Envy, Wille’s Jackrabbit, Dirty Prospector and more.

General admission tickets cost $25. Other experience packages are also available for purchase. Whiskey Wonderland is from noon to 6 p.m.

Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Roxanne’s is at 1115 E. Wardlow Road.