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.
In the spirit of trying new things as we enter a new month, this weekend we’ve found a couple of events that will teach you how to make things you may not have tried before. We’ve also found a special comedy show featuring the trailblazing lesbian comic Suzanne Westenhoefer and a new production of William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy “Twelfth Night.”
There’s more so: Get to scrollin’!
PRIDE OUT LOUD WITH SUZANNE WESTENHOEFER (Friday)
Years before Ellen Degeneres came out as a lesbian, comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer was proudly out and about in New York comedy clubs. She would go on to be the first openly lesbian comic on television in 1991 and have a prolific 40-year career that helped inspire many other lesbian comics to take the stage.
On Friday, June 2, Westenhoefer is performing live at The Westin Hotel in Long Beach to kick off Pride month celebrations in the city. Tickets to the show range from $30-$50 and include a complimentary drink and appetizers.
Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
The Westin Long Beach is at 333 E. Ocean Blvd.
MOVIES & MOONLIGHT “DUMBO” (Friday)
The popular sunset film screening series Movies & Moonlight returns to the retail center 2ND & PCH with another free movie screening Friday, June 2.
Disney’s “Dumbo” will be played on a large inflatable screen at the south end of the retail center along Seaport Way, which is closed to vehicle traffic. Friday’s screening will also feature free airbrush tattoos and churros for purchase.
Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs to sit. The movie starts around 6 p.m. Click here for more information.
2ND & PCH is at 6400 E. Pacific Coast Highway.
FILIPINO FESTIVAL AT LBX (Saturday)
In celebration of the upcoming Philippines Independence Day and our city’s Filipino American community, the shopping complex Long Beach Exchange (LBX) is hosting a Filipino festival at its food court, The Hangar, on Saturday, June 3.
Filipino-owned businesses will be coming together to offer traditional foods and drinks, as well as clothing and home goods from other local businesses. There will also be karaoke and live entertainment, including traditional dance performances.
The event is free to attend and runs from noon to 5 p.m. Click here for more information.
The LBX Hangar is at 4150 McGowen St.
TEA BLENDING WORKSHOP (Saturday)
Craft your perfect tea blend during this workshop at Expressive Arts Collective of Long Beach, Saturday, June 3.
Believing in the therapeutic potential of tea to relax the mind and improve mental health, this workshop is both a tea tasting and an exercise in self-care.
Guests will learn how to make their own loose-leaf tea blend and take home a tin of their concoction. Tickets cost $45 and may be purchased online. Find more information here.
Expressive Arts Collective of Long Beach is at 1390 Newport Ave.
GRAZING BOARD WORKSHOP (Saturday)
Learn how to make a grazing board (or charcuterie board, as it’s often called) perfect for your next dinner party. The workshop is a collaboration with retail center 2ND & PCH and The Shop by Jasmine Roth, an online store curated by Roth, a lifestyle personality and host of HGTV’s popular show, “Help! I Wrecked My House!”
The workshop will supply all the ingredients to put together their own grazing board and also a premade, take-home grazing board provided by the shop.
Tickets cost $75. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Find the workshop at 6420 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 127.
MID-CITY STUDIO TOUR (Saturday & Sunday)
The Mid-City Studio Tour, a free citywide event in which local artists throw open their doors and invite you into their workspaces, returns June 3-4.
This year’s event features 25 local artists with studios located all over the city. The public can tour the workspaces of painters, photographers, sculptors, jewelers and printmakers, while also getting to know the artists and their creative process.
The studios will be open Saturday and Sunday, June 3-4, from 1-5 p.m. Many of the studios will offer refreshments for visitors, and some are also offering activities for children. Guests will also have the opportunity to buy art from the artists, if you’re so inclined.
Click here to see a map of all the open studios and click here to learn more about the participating artists.
LONG BEACH SHAKESPEARE COMPANY PRESENTS “TWELFTH NIGHT” (Saturday & Sunday)
The Long Beach Shakespeare Company, a theatre company dedicated to the works of William Shakespeare, is performing the English playwright’s popular romantic comedy “Twelfth Night” at the Helen Borgers Theatre Saturday and Sunday, June 3-4.
For those unfamiliar with the play, it begins with a brother and sister named Viola and Sebastian who are separated by a shipwreck. Viola washes up on a mysterious island and disguises her identity as a man to enter the service of a rich Duke who seeks the disguised Viola’s help to capture the heart of a beautiful countess. The plot ensues with a love triangle of misplaced identities and forbidden love.
Tickets for the show cost $23 ($13 for students). Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
The Helen Borgers Theatre is at 4250 Atlantic Ave.
SPONSORED BY THE AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC
FIRST WEDNESDAYS: WHITE SHARKS (Wednesday, June 7)
Dr. Christopher G. Lowe will present his latest research on White Sharks. Dr. Lowe is a Professor of Marine Biology and Director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach. The Shark Lab utilizes acoustic and satellite telemetry techniques to study the movement, behavior and physiology of sharks, rays, and gamefishes.
Following the presentation, guests will have the opportunity to mix and mingle in our Pacific Visions Art Gallery that will include crafts, music and a complimentary beverage. $5.00 for advance reservations and $10.00 on the day of the event at the door. You can reserve your ticket online, click here, or call guest services at 562-590-3100, ext. 0. Check-In will take place at the main front doors starting at 6:30pm. Theater doors will open for seating at 6:45pm. This program will also be live streamed for those that are unable to attend in person.
Cocktail Hour Presented by ONX Wines.
SPONSORED BY LAWINEFEST
LAWINEFEST RETURNS TO THE LONG BEACH WATERFRONT TO CELEBRATE ALL THINGS WINE THIS WEEKEND! (Saturday & Sunday)
Tickets are now on sale for the 18th LAWineFest, returning to the Harry Bridges Memorial Park at the Long Beach Harbor June 3-4.
The premier wine tasting event comes on the heels of the sold out 2022 Fest, and will feature hundreds of award-winning wines from around the globe – plus craft brews and other fun beverages. The park beside the historic Queen Mary provides a picture-perfect backdrop where wine exploration and education is balanced with loads of fun, live music, delicious food trucks, artisan boutiques, and more. And it’s all for a great cause. This year the LAWineFest has again partnered with the Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club as its charitable partner, raising funds and awareness for the original founding chapter of the organization.
To learn more, please visit LAWineFest.com and follow along @LAWineFest on Instagram.
SPONSORED BY THE LONG BEACH SYMPHONY
LONG BEACH SYMPHONY IN TUNE WITH CLASSIC AMERICAN COMPOSITIONS (Saturday)
Long Beach Symphony’s season finale “An American in Paris,” is a celebration of our country’s musical genius, with all-American compositions from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Under the direction of Maestro Eckart Preu, the performance will feature award-winning pianist Michelle Cann tickling the ivories for “Piano Concerto in One Movement” by groundbreaking American composer Florence Price. The concert also includes brilliant works by Brian Nabors and Nan Schwartz, along with Duke Ellington’s swinging “Harlem” and George Gershwin’s foot-tapping “An American in Paris.”
“This final concert of the season will send you off dancing,” Long Beach Symphony President Kelly Ruggirello said. “This is a carefully curated selection of works encompassing distinct idioms, styles and tonalities completely unique to these American composers’ differing lives and times.”
Long Beach Symphony will present these beautiful compositions Saturday, June 3, at the Long Beach Terrace Theater. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for “Sip & Enjoy,” plus a 7 p.m. pre-concert talk that promises additional insights into the evening’s music. The concert starts at 8 p.m. “An American in Paris” tickets, starting at $32, are available now at LongBeachSymphony.org or by calling 562-436-3203, ext. 1.