The following list 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.

A pre-Thanksgiving weekend in Long Beach welcomes Santa Claus to town. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons take their Last Encores Tour to the Terrace Theater. Fusion brings together dance and a live orchestra at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center. And the First Congregational Church of Long Beach throws a concert that is a combination of poetry, music and dance. Plus, the Museum of Latin American Art hosts a Latino Comics Expo.

SPONSORED BY 2ND & PCH

Christmas tree lighting (Thursday, Nov. 21)

Join @2nd_pch for the center’s annual tree lighting and Santa arrival!

Kick off the holiday season and feel the magic by the marina as we light the holiday tree and welcome Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Toy Soldiers to spread holiday cheer. Families can also enjoy holiday crafts, a photo booth, character meet and greets, balloon art and more!

The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. 2ND & PCH is at 6400 Pacific Coast Highway. For more information, click here.

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons (Friday, Nov. 22)

Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons bring their The Last Encores tour to the Long Beach Terrace Theater, starting at 8 p.m.

The Last Encores tour is a limited run of shows honoring the 60-year legacy of Valli and the Four Seasons with hits like “Sherry,” “Walk Like a Man,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”

Organizers promise it will be a “poignant celebration of Valli’s legendary career, showcasing his timeless music and incredible showmanship.”

The Terrace Theater is at 300 E. Ocean Blvd. Tickets start at $73. For more information and tickets, click here.

Fusion dance and orchestra (Friday, Nov. 22 and Saturday, Nov. 23)

Cal State University Long Beach Department of Dance and Bob Cole Conservatory of Music presents “Fusion – A Collaboration of Dance and Live Orchestra” at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on Nov. 22 and 23 at 8 p.m.

The event features premiere works by faculty choreographers Tsiambwom Akuchu, Lorin Johnson, Rebecca Lemme, and Andrew Vaca and guest choreographer Hannah Victoria Thomas. It will be accompanied by the Bob Cole Conservatory Symphony under the direction of Johannes Müller Stosch.

The Carpenter Performing Arts Center is at 6200 Atherton St. General admission is $30 and $25 for students with ID. For more information and tickets, click here.

Confluent (Saturday, Nov. 23)

“Confluent: Spirit, Art and Justice” — a poetry, music and dance concert — will be performed at the First Congregational Church of Long Beach at 3 p.m.

The concert is a “multi-arts event exploring how spirituality and the arts foster justice by helping us develop compassion and emotional literacy,” according to organizers.

It will feature poetry by Tina Datsko de Sánchez, Peggy Trotter Dammond Preacely, Nancy Lynée Woo, Long Beach Youth Poet Laureate Helena Donato-Sapp, and Long Beach Youth Poet Ambassador Liam Balmeo. Original compositions by Curtis Heard and Stan DeWitt will be performed by The Sanctuary Choir and Megan O’Toole, soprano.

The First Congregational Church is at 241 Cedar Ave. For more information, click here.

Latino Comics Expo (Saturday, Nov. 23 and Sunday, Nov. 24)

The Museum of Latin American Art presents the Latino Comics Expo on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Established in 2011, the Latino Comics Expo is the premiere event to connect with Latinx and Latin American comic artists and animators, experts, and fans. The event will feature comic book vendors, illustrators, panels, food trucks, a beer tent, kids’ area, workshops and cosplay.

The Museum of Latin American Art is at 628 Alamitos Ave. For more information, including a lineup of speakers, click here.

SPONSORED BY AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC

First Wednesdays: Lecture, Cocktail Hour, Music, and Crafts (Wednesday, Dec. 4)

Wednesday, Dec. 4 between 7 – 9 p.m. 

Honda Pacific Visions Theater and Art Gallery at Aquarium of the Pacific 

Polar Bears in a Changing Arctic

Featuring Dr. Karyn Rode, Research Wildlife Biologist

Join us for a compelling talk on polar bears and their habitat. Polar bears are majestic animals that play an integral part of the Arctic ecosystem and have an important role in the overall health of the marine environment. They are at the top of the food chain and depend on sea ice to move around and hunt their prey. But in a warming world, the sea ice has been disappearing and populations are at stake.

Learn about polar bears, their habits, behaviors, adaptations, and how we study them. Discover what we have learned about the changing Arctic and how those changes are affecting polar bears.

Get more info at https://pacific.to/3OfIiqH

SPONSORED BY THE CARPENTER CENTER

The Klezmatics/Mostly Kosher (Thursday, Dec. 12)

The Carpenter Center is celebrating the festival of lights on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. with a double-bill treat featuring The Klezmatics and Mostly Kosher! Bring your friends and family to this inspiring holiday concert filled with outstanding musicianship and songs of peace and hope.

For nearly 40 years, the Grammy-winning Klezmatics have been blending klezmer’s East European Jewish tunes with Latin stomps, jazz riffs, and Balkan, Middle Eastern, African, and American rhythms. Among a selection of engaging songs, The Klezmatics will be performing the title track from their album of original music set to Woody Guthrie’s lyrics, Happy Joyous Hanukkah, a new addition to the Hanukkah song tradition.

The Klezmatics share the evening with klezmer-rock band Mostly Kosher, led by frontman Leeav Sofer, a graduate of CSULB’s Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. Mostly Kosher are known for their vibrant fusion of klezmer, jazz, Latin, folk, and rock. Among their many engagements, the band has performed for seven seasons at Disney Park’s Festival of Holidays.

Tickets to see The Klezmatics and Mostly Kosher on Thursday, Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. are available online at carpenterarts.org. Single tickets are $50. The Carpenter Center is located on the campus of California State University, Long Beach. Campus parking for the performance is only $10.