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.
Raise your hand if you’ve already written down a date mistakenly with the year “2023.”
Surely, you wouldn’t be alone. And if you’re looking for ways to wind down from catching up on all the emails and work you’ve put off to “circle back” on after New Year, we’ve got you.
This week, we have the Animé Los Angeles convention returning to Long Beach, a cooking class for kids and there will even be some headbanging opportunities at a punk rock show this week.
Get to scrollin’!
Red Dons, Neighborhood Brats, Hex Code and Maniacs at Supply & Demand (Thursday)
Supply & Demand, a venue along the Anaheim corridor in the Zaferia district, will host four punk and post punk bands on Thursday, Jan. 4 from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Bands featured include Red Dons, Neighborhood Rats, Hex Code and Maniac, so come grab a drink and check out these local acts.
Tickets start at $15 (with a service fee) and can be bought here.
Supply & Demand is located at 2500 E. Anaheim St.
Animé Los Angeles 19 (Thursday – Sunday)
Anime enthusiasts from all over will be packing the Long Beach Convention Center for the 19th year of Animé Los Angeles this weekend starting Thursday, Jan. 4 at 9 a.m. through Sunday, Jan. 7 at 3 p.m.
Smaller than the massive Anime Expo typically held in Los Angeles, this convention is medium-sized and slower-paced, giving people the opportunity to make friends, meet fellow fans and cosplay as their favorite characters.
The convention will feature activities like a fashion and talent show, a nighttime dance party, dealers and vendors selling all sorts of anime-related merchandise and guests including artists, voice actors and notable cosplayers.
Registration at the door goes for $100 for a four-day pass and starts at $35 for a single-day badge. If you’re buying your badge day-of, enter through the North Promenade. More info here.
The Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center is located at 300 E. Ocean Blvd.
Bixby Knolls First Fridays: All That Jazz (Friday)
This Bixby Knolls First Friday will feature a variety of jazz artists playing at venues around the district this Friday, Jan. 5 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Deals at participating establishments include a BOGO deal at Chicken University, a food pop-up by LA Pretzel Lady at Beachwood Brewing and complimentary chair massages at Bixby Knolls Wellness, among many others.
Guests can explore all that the neighborhood has to offer while enjoying dinner, drinks, live music, shopping, art and more.
To help get you to all the festivities, the Big Red Bus will be free to ride and will be traveling around the area until around 9:30 p.m.
More information can be found here.
LBMA Artful Evenings (Friday)
If you’re in an artsy mood, the Long Beach Museum of Art is holding a clay sculpting workshop Friday, Jan. 5 at 4 p.m.
Artist Thomas Pilnik will lead you through clay basics and help you create a free-standing hand-built terracotta sculpture of your own hands. Those will be glazed and fired for you to pick up later.
The workshop is open to those 16 and older and all levels of experience are welcome. All materials will be provided and attendees can buy light refreshments. Admission into the workshop also grants day admission to the museum.
Tickets start at $35 for members and $45 for general admission. More info here.
The Long Beach Museum of Art is located at 2300 E. Ocean Blvd.
DIY Confetti Poppers at Harte (Saturday)
Kids ages tween and teen can make their own confetti party poppers using recycled materials to celebrate the new year at the Harte Neighborhood Library on Saturday, Jan. 6 from 1 to 2 p.m.
The event is free to the public, and all supplies and snacks will be provided, so pop in for some family fun.
More info here.
The Harte Neighborhood Library is located at 1595 W. Willow St.
Basic Cooking for Kids (Saturday)
Active Kids is holding a cooking class for all the young chefs out there at the Teen Center in El Dorado Park West on Saturday, Jan. 6 starting at 1 p.m.
Students will receive hands-on training through lectures and a kitchen lab environment, learning culinary terms, skills, techniques, safety, etiquette, nutrition and substitution. The class will cover sautéing, simmering and more for snacks, breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts.
Zero experience is required – they’ll start with the basics, from boiling water and cracking eggs to more advanced dishes like chicken pot pie and stir fry.
Registration starts at $130 per kid and can be booked here.
El Dorado Park West is located at 2800 N. Studebaker Road
Club Real Ones Day Party (Sunday)
Looking for a lively end to the weekend? Club Real Ones, which goes down every month in the city, will host a “day party” at Grey LB on Sunday, Jan. 7 starting at 3 p.m.
On top of art installations and DJs including Curse, Icy Ice and Bobbito the Chef, there will be tacos, drinks and “plenty of vibes” to go around, as well as an after party.
Tickets go for $15 pre-sale and $20 for general admission and can be bought here. The entrance is on Third Street next to Rainbow Juice.
Grey LB is located at 237 Long Beach Blvd. Unit B.