The following is a curated roundup of weekend events in Long Beach published every Wednesday on the Hi-lo and Long Beach Post. Have an event to share? Email [email protected] with “Things to Do” in the subject line.
There’s a fine selection of local cinema to check out this weekend, including a free social justice-focused film series and the return of the QFilm Festival. And for kiddos and nostalgic adults, there’s gonna be free screenings of “Gumby” episodes at the Art Theatre.
Those who like to party might consider checking out the Cumbia y Tequila festival at Roxanne’s, or glam up for the Barbie Boogie at Alex’s Bar. And for the art enthusiasts: a special one-day-only exhibition featuring a stunning collection of mixed media works by Iranian American women is showing on Sunday.
Get to scrollin’!
“CONSCIOUS CINEMA” FILM SCREENINGS (Thursday & Saturday)
Conscious Cinema, a Black-focused social justice film series that debuted last week, will be showing two more free film screenings this week with “Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975” at Grey Long Beach on Thursday, Sept. 14, and “The Big Payback” at Martin Luther King Jr. Park on Saturday, Sept. 16.
“Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975” is a documentary film released in 2011 that explores into the history of the Black power movement in America between the mid-1960s and ’70s. The celebrated film features appearances from notable Black poets, musicians, activists and leaders including Angela Davis, Bobby Seale, Huey P. Newton, Eldridge Cleaver and more.
The series concludes on Saturday with “The Big Payback,” a new documentary that dives into the summer of 2019 when Illinois councilmember, Robin Rue Simmons, ushered in the first-ever legislative bill that would give reparations to Black residents in Evanston, Illinois.
Both screenings are free to attend and reservations are highly recommended. Click here to RSVP.
Grey Long Beach is at 237 Long Beach Blvd. Martin Luther King Jr. Park is located at 1950 Lemon Ave.
CARTOON MADNESS (Friday)
The Art Theatre is hosting a special screening of “Gumby” shorts on Friday, Sept. 15 and children 10 and younger can get in for free.
The showing is a feature-length assembly (an hour and 30 minutes) of newly restored “Gumby” shorts and episodes. There are two showings available on Friday, at 11 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.
Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
The Art Theatre is at 2025 E. Fourth St.
BARBIE BOOGIE (Saturday)
If you went all-out this summer to see the “Barbie” movie, this Saturday is your chance to give your theater get-up another go.
Three DJs will be playing three decades of pop and disco music from the 1970s to the early 2000s, all night long.
The night starts at 9 p.m. and is free to attend, but you must be at least 21 to get in the door. Click here for more information.
Alex’s Bar is at 2913 E. Anaheim St.
QFILM FESTIVAL (Saturday & Sunday)
Long Beach’s oldest and longest-running queer film festival returns for its 30th year of celebrating LGBTQ+ communities through film.
A total of 50 queer and queer-made films spanning a variety of genres from narrative to drama, documentary to animation will be screened during the two-day festival.
This year, QFilm Fest is giving a special nod to local cinema, with more than 20 films from local filmmakers. Closing night at the festival will feature 10 shorts from Long Beach and Los Angeles queer filmmakers. And, in a very special nod to Long Beach queer history, locals can watch “Unveiling the Rainbow: Long Beach Pride’s 40 Year Evolution” on Sunday. It’s a documentary about the origins of Long Beach’s largest LGBTQ celebration, Long Beach Pride. Attendees are encouraged to stick around after showings to hear panel discussions and a Q&A from attending filmmakers.
Tickets for individual screenings are $14, or attendees can purchase an all-access pass for $120 that also includes entry to social events and priority seating. A discounted all-access pass for students and seniors is available for $70.
The Art Theater is located at 2025 E. Fourth St.
“WOMEN LIFE FREEDOM” ART EXHIBITION (Sunday)
A new exhibition is debuting at Cal State Long Beach on Sunday, Sept. 17, with a stunning array of artwork by five Iranian-American women.
The exhibition is an artistic exploration of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, which began in Iran in 2022 when Jina Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian woman, died in the custody of the Iranian police after being arrested for wearing “improper attire.” The art reception will also be honoring Amini, who died on Sept. 16, 2022.
The artwork—beautiful, mesmerizing and provocative—will only be available to see on Sunday. The show is open to the public, but a donation is requested for entry. The gallery will be open from 4 to 6 p.m. at The Pointe Conference Center on the Cal State Long Beach Campus. Click here for more information.
The Pointe Conference Center is located inside the Walter Pyramid at the Cal State Long Beach Campus at 1250 Bellflower Blvd.
CUMBIA Y TEQUILA FESTIVAL 2023: PLANETA NETA (Sunday)
Roxanne’s annual Cumbia y Tequila festival returns on Sunday, Sept. 17 for a daylong celebration of Mexican culture through food, drink and music.
An intergalactic getaway is the theme this year, so guests can expect some cosmic decor, some psychedelic-sounding cumbia and spacey DJ sets. This year’s event features three stages and multiple bars with cocktails as low as $6. As with years past, there will be a variety of tequila to sample—over 30 this year—and a small market for shopping. Various tacos will also be available for purchase.
Tickets range from $10-$60 with various packages offering tequila tastings and all-you-can-eat tacos. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Roxanne’s is at 1115 E. Wardlow Road.
KIDICAL MASS COMMUNITY BIKE RIDE (Sunday)
The Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association is hosting its monthly bike ride, Kidical Mass, which invites children and their families to step outside and enjoy the city by bike.
The bike ride will commence on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 11 a.m. from Pixie Toys. The event is free to attend and will provide snacks for riders during the event.
For riders under 18, helmets are required. Click here for more information.
Pixie Toys is at 3914 Atlantic Ave.