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.
Keep your eyes peeled this weekend for pirates roaming Downtown, thanks to the return of the Pirate Invasion at Shoreline Aquatic Park. Locals may also spot a special taco and tequila festival celebrating Jalisco, Mexico’s bicentennial as well as a large pet fair—all in the Downtown area.
Those looking for some lowkey events can also check out a unique DJ night at The Hawk Bar or an outdoor market at the Long Beach Exchange. And for our crafters out there, make sure to check on the International Quilt Festival returning again to the Long Beach Convention Center.
Get to scrollin’!
INTERNATIONAL QUILT FESTIVAL (Thursday – Saturday)
The country’s largest annual quilt show, the International Quilt Festival, returns to the Long Beach Convention Center this week, with display exhibits, vendor booths and an expansive variety of classes July 6-8.
More than 400 quilts will be displayed, showcasing traditional and contemporary quilts, and 33 classes from the country’s top quilting teachers. The festival also features an extensive shopping market with more than 200 vendors selling quilts, fabrics, patterns, notions, books, machines, sewing supplies, crafts and gifts.
Daily general admission costs $15; children 10 or younger may enter for free. There are also $35 full-show passes available. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center is at 300 E. Ocean Blvd.
FUNKY FAVELA (Friday)
This all-vinyl DJ night on Friday, July 7, at The Hawk Bar presents a funky, Latin music-forward dance night featuring tunes from around the world.
Created by DJ Justin Dupée and DJ Alvaro, who was recently voted one of the top five DJs in our Best of Long Beach 2023 competition, the pair have curated a music night that promises tunes you’ve likely never heard before. Using records pressed in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s and personally sourced from various trips to Ethiopia, El Salvador, Morocco, Mexico and Indonesia (just to name a few), the setlist will cover a large swath of musical genres from afrobeats, salsa and cumbia to Brazilian tropicalia, Ethiopian jazz and Thai psych.
Funky Favela is free to attend and starts at around 9 p.m. Must be 21 or older to enter the bar.
The Hawk Bar is at 468 W. Anaheim St.
ANGEL CITY NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET (Saturday)
Angel City Market, a roaming pop-up market, is setting up shop at Long Beach Exchange on Saturday, July 8.
The market features over 50 vendors selling a variety of goods from clothing to art to household items, as well as a live DJ and entertainment for children. Guests are also encouraged to stick around for a free film screening of the Disney movie “Moana” at 7 p.m.
The market is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free to attend. Click here for more information.
The market can be found at The Hangar at the Long Beach Exchange at 4150 McGowen St.
TACOS AND TEQUILA FEST (Saturday)
This year marks Jalisco, Mexico’s bicentennial, and Long Beach is celebrating with a festival that celebrates the culture and cuisine of Jalisco at the Taco and Tequila Fest in Downtown on Saturday, July 8.
Attendees can eat tacos from a variety of vendors and sip specialty tequilas while enjoying live music and lucha libre entertainment.
The festival will take place at the Mosaic Promenade. Tickets start at $20. Food and drinks are not included with entry price. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
The Mosaic Promenade is located along a stretch of The Promenade and can be found at 300 The Promenade N.
PIRATE INVASION (Saturday & Sunday)
On Saturday and Sunday, July 8 and 9, hundreds of pirates will be taking over Shoreline Aquatic Park in a weekend filled with live entertainment, ale-guzzling and general revelry to befit plundering scallywags.
At Pirate Invasion, attendees can expect sword-fighting shows, musket battles, cannon blasts, plus heaps of live music. There will also be photo opportunities, a market with pirate-themed vendors, and a costume contest where the winners will be crowned the Spanish King and Queen of the Pirate Invasion.
The event is all ages, but those who want to drink must be 21 years or older. Tickets range from $10 for children to $150 for VIP packages. Click here for more information on all the festivities and here to purchase tickets.
Shoreline Aquatic Park is at 200 Aquarium Way.
LONG BEACH SUMMER PET FAIR (Saturday & Sunday)
The 2nd Annual Long Beach Summer Pet Fair is returning to Long Beach this weekend for a two-day celebration of pets, with a large pet adoption center, a craft fair and fun pet demonstrations and performances.
The adoption center will feature a wide variety of adoptable dogs and cats you can meet and play with on-site. Vendors at the craft fair portion will be selling handmade pet-themed accessories, toys, artwork, home decor and more. And some of the entertainment highlights include police dog demonstrations and a dog swimsuit contest.
The fair, which is organized by the Little Lion Foundation, The Cat Cove Rescue and Long Beach Animal Care Services, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, July 8 and 9, and is free to attend.
The Long Beach Summer Pet Fair is located at Marina Green Park at 386 E. Shoreline Drive.