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.

Now that elections are out of the way for the most part, you can move forward with enjoying your weekend. For that, we’ve found some world-class entertainment in town, including a stand-up show with comedian Marc Maron and the return of Circus Vargas.

We’ve also found some new happenings including an immersive art exhibit that activates the senses and a special live falcon experience. And for the shoppers out there, Long Beach is once again hosting the Patchwork Makers Festival, plus there’s a new skateboarding merchandise market.

Get to scrollin’!

CIRCUS VARGAS (Friday – Sunday)

Trapeze acrobats with Circus Vargas. Photo courtesy Circus Vargas.

California’s traveling circus act, Circus Vargas, has pitched its big top at the Lakewood Center this month, inviting locals to check out its new show, “The Circus Vargas Express.”

The new, two-hour production features a storyline with a cast of international characters who board the Vargas Express train to share their culture and talents across the country. Audiences can expect all the world-class acrobats, daredevil stunts, flying trapeze artists, and clowns that have secured the roaming circus its status as one of the best traveling circuses around.

Tickets range from $19-$75, click here for more information and to purchase tickets. Circus Vargas will be in town until Nov. 28.

Lakewood Center is at 500 Lakewood Center Mall.

CHISPA IMMERSIVE ART EXHIBIT (Friday – Sunday)

Artist and poet Ria Kid will be showing an immersive art exhibit that tells a love story through the senses Friday through Sunday, Nov. 11-13 at Gilmore Music Store. Photo courtesy Ria Kid.

A new three-day exhibition that transforms poetry into a multi-sensory art experience is opening Friday, Nov. 11 at Gilmore Music Store.

The exhibition titled “CHISPA” is the brainchild of local artist and poet Ria Kid, whose forthcoming book of poetry “The Muse of Manifestations,” inspired by her life experiences as a queer, Afghan-American woman, serves as the impetus for the show. The theme for the exhibition focuses on a love story and segments of poetry from her book feature a correlating art piece with some pieces using food, music, aromas and even your own cell phone flashlight to enhance the experience.

The exhibition will also feature music by local indie-pop band Good Company, which features Kid and her sister Yaz. Tickets cost $11 for a single day or $22 for entry to all three days. The last day to catch the show is Sunday, Nov. 13. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Gilmore Music Store is at 1935 E. Seventh St.

MARC MARON: THIS IS THE LAST TIME (Saturday)

Actor and comedian Marc Maron is performing at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center Saturday, Nov. 12. Photo courtesy Carpenter Center.

Fans of comedian and podcaster Marc Maron have the chance to catch a rare stand-up show at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Saturday, Nov. 12 where the performer is set to joke about his life and riff on the happenings going on in the world.

For some, the show might feel similar to Maron’s popular podcast “WTF” which dives into present-day political and cultural climates through conversations with well-known public figures. The podcast is where the comedian has been most present since his role on the Netflix show “Glow,” a reboot about an all-female wrestling team.

Maron’s show “This Is the Last Time” will be his only appearance in Southern California this fall. Tickets cost $65 and may be purchased online, click here.

The Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center is at 6200 E. Atherton St. on the Cal State Long Beach Campus. Note: parking is not included.

SKATEBOARD SWAP MEET & MARKETPLACE (Saturday)

Flyer courtesy Bamboo Club.

Tiki Bar Bamboo Club is hosting a skateboard swap meet and marketplace on its outdoor patio Saturday, Nov. 12 from noon to 5 p.m., where skateboarders or enthusiasts can check out vintage skate decks, skate accessories, collectibles and skateboarding apparel from local vendors.

All ages are welcome to join, though if you want to drink—which might make the shopping even more fun—you’ll need to be at least 21.

The swap meet is free to attend.

Bamboo Club is at 3522 E. Anaheim St.

LONG BEACH VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION (Saturday)

In this file photo: A view of the 22nd edition of the Long Beach Veterans Day Parade on Saturday November 10, 2018. Photo by Kelly Smiley.

The Long Beach Veterans Committee is hosting a major celebration for Veterans Day at Houghton Park Saturday, Nov. 12 in honor of our city’s veterans and active military personnel.

The afternoon event in North Long Beach starts at 9:30 a.m. with a “fun run” where guests can run, walk or stroll around the park in solidarity with the community. By noon, attendees can expect a military fighter jet flyover, a color guard presentation and speeches from special guests. Other activities will include a “kid zone” play area, an obstacle course and live music from ’80s cover band Knyght Ryder.

There will also be food trucks and a beer garden hosted by The Auld Dubliner. The event will run until 2:30 p.m. Click here for more information.

Houghton Park is at 6301 Myrtle Ave.

LONG BEACH HOMEBREW FEST & FUNDRAISER (Saturday)

Flyer courtesy We Love LB.

In 2016, local nonprofit We Love Long Beach (We Love LB) hosted its first homebrew festival as a way to highlight the city’s local beer-making community and raise funds for the nonprofit’s outreach. Now, the popular event returns for the first time since the pandemic fro 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12.

What’s unique about the festival is its more intimate feel since the event will be held in the backyard of a private residence near the Virginia Country Club. This year attendees can expect to taste over 20 different brews from local makers and also vote for the winning brew. There will be food and live music. Those who splurge $55 for a VIP ticket (general entry is $45) will also have access to a VIP beer garden, early entry to the festival and other perks.

All proceeds will benefit We Love LB and its city-wide efforts. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

The Homebrew Fest will be at 550 W. Devon Place.

PATCHWORK SHOW MAKERS FESTIVAL (Sunday)

Attendees peruse a jewelry vendor’s offerings at the Patchwork Makers Festival. Photo courtesy Patchwork Makers Festival.

The Patchwork Show Makers Festival is a free biannual craft fair that sets up shop around Southern California offering local artists, crafters and designers a space to showcase their handmade goods in an affordable venue. Back for fall, the Patchwork Festival is this Sunday, Nov. 13 at Marine Stadium Launch Ramps.

Long Beach is Patchwork’s biggest event each year, and Sunday’s festival will be no exception with over 200 makers and artists expected, selling a variety of goods such as handbags, jewelry, home goods, plants, ceramics, clothing for men, women, children, knits and crochets, apothecary items—a lot of stuff, you get it.

What’s more, every vendor in the show has been selected by a jury as a way to ensure that the festival offers a wide array of high-quality, one-of-a-kind gifts and products.

Attendees can also check out some craft activities, live music, and in the inevitability that all that shopping makes you hungry, rest assured there will be food trucks stationed on-site.

The event will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Click here for more information.

The Marine Stadium Launch Ramps are at 490 Bayshore Ave.

MAYA ANIMALS LIVE FALCON EXPERIENCE (Sunday)

Lucy the falcon will be at Hotel Maya Sunday, Nov. 13 during the “Maya Animals” event at the hotel’s restaurant, Fuego. Courtesy photo.

Those who dine for brunch at Hotel Maya’s restaurant Fuego on Sunday, Nov. 13 will also have the chance to learn about and see a live flying demonstration by Lucy, a falcon.

The event is the 11th installment of the hotel’s “Maya Animals” experience, a yearlong venture that aims to highlight and educate patrons about the many animals whose characteristics the Mayans assigned to their deities. According to the hotel falcons are a symbol of celestial power and ferocity in Mayan mythology and were believed to be messengers from the Gods.

Each hour during the event, which is from noon to 3 p.m., a falconer will give an informative presentation about the birds of prey, then allow Lucy to fly on perches set up around the patio. The attraction is complimentary for guests who dine at Fuego for brunch.

Click here to make a reservation.

Hotel Maya is at 700 Queensway Drive. Fuego restaurant is located inside the hotel.

SPONSORED BY THE AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC

THE AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC’S AUTUMN FESTIVAL (Saturday & Sunday)

Celebrate Asian cultures during the Aquarium of the Pacific’s Autumn Festival on Saturday & Sunday, November 12 & 13 from 9:00AM to 5:00PM.

The Autumn Festival highlights the traditions and cultures of Japan, China, Korea, and the Philippines through a weekend of learning opportunities and family entertainment celebrating the rich diversity of Asian and Asian-American cultures. The festival will feature traditional craft demonstrations, music, dance, cultural arts exhibits, and storytelling. The festival is free with aquarium admission.

Click here for more information.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is at 100 Aquarium Way.

 

SPONSORED BY THE LONG BEACH CAMERATA SINGERS

CAMERATA’S CATALYST CHAMBER ENSEMBLE PERFORMS “CONSIDERING MATTHEW SHEPARD” (Sunday)


The Long Beach Camerata Singers rendition of “Considering Matthew Shepard” promises to be a touching and heartbreaking performance of the three-part contemporary American oratorio memorializing the gay man whose brutal murder brought awareness to hate crimes and inspired change nationwide.

Led by 2021 Grammy-award winning Artistic Director Dr. James K. Bass, the choral show is part of Camerata’s 57th season and serves as the debut for Camerata’s new all-professional group, the Catalyst Chamber Ensemble.

Created by composer Craig Hella Johnson, “Considering Matthew Shepard,” is an evocative and compassionate musical response to the 1998 murder of Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming. The composition is a fusion oratorio that draws upon a startling variety of musical styles to tell Shepard’s story, from classical choral and symphonic music to a cowboy song, spoken text, hymns, jazz and pop. Johnson and his co-librettist, Michael Dennis Browne, included texts from renowned poets and authors as well as newspaper accounts and interviews with Shepard’s parents. Some of the most insightful selections are from Shepard’s own journals.

The concert on Sunday, Nov. 13, will be held in the Beverly O’Neill Theater, with a pre-concert lecture at 4:30 p.m. presented by Jeff Mack from the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Tickets start at $40. Call the Long Beach Camerata Singers Box Office at 562-900-2863 or visit www.LBCamerata.org.

The Beverly O’Neill Theatre is at 300 E. Ocean Blvd.