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.
Looking for fireworks? We’ve got a full list of shows here.
A slate of Independence Day celebrations kicks off the holiday weekend in Long Beach. Enjoy a day of great food, drink and a bike parade before ending the night with a spectacular display of fireworks to honor life, liberty and happiness. The Historical Society of Long Beach welcomes local author Lane Igoudin to discuss his book in which he documents his and his husband’s experiences with the Los Angeles County foster system and the adoption process. Groove to the melodic island tunes at the Long Beach Reggae and Food Fest, or partake in an afternoon matinee about an orphaned girl and her “dog.”
Fireworks at Fuego (Thursday, July 4)
With delicious tastes on the plate and spectacular views in the air, the July 4th celebration is at Fuego’s waterfront restaurant and Hotel Maya’s seaside pool during the city of Long Beach’s 4th of July fireworks show over Queensway Bay all day.
Join Fuego at Hotel Maya for a special Independence Day celebration with a BBQ feast dinner from 5 to 10 p.m., accompanied by a live rock band, Mike Vitale & Co. from 6 to 9 p.m. The grill will be sizzling poolside from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., featuring barbeque burgers and hot dogs, along with live entertainment from Mike the Steel Drummer from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The pool party continues with Mike the Steel Drummer performing on Friday and Saturday, July 5 and 6, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Fuego at Hotel Maya is at 700 Queensway Drive. To make reservations, call 562-435-7676 or visit hotelmayalongbeach.com/fuego-restaurant/.
Queen Mary 4th of July (Thursday, July 4)
The Queen Mary hosts its Fourth of July celebration from 3 to 10 p.m.
Celebrate an all-American 4th of July aboard the Queen Mary and enjoy a fun-filled day of good food, great entertainment, family games, activities, a World War II aircraft flyover and a spectacular fireworks show. Entertainment will include DJ music, commodore welcome, patriotic performances, deck games, watermelon eating, best 4th-of-July attire, and dance-off contests, plus giveaways.
The Queen Mary is at 1126 Queens Highway. For more information and tickets, click here.
The Great American Kids’ Bike Parade (Thursday, July 4)
Justin Rudd’s Community Action Team hosts its annual Great American Kids’ Bike Parade starting at 10 a.m. at the Granada Avenue Boat Ramp.
The 2-mile parade is for children and adults, and travels along the beach bike path and Bay Shore Avenue. In lieu of an entry fee, please bring tuna, pasta noodles, breakfast cereal or peanut butter that will be donated to agencies serving homeless men and men in the community.
The Granada Avenue Boat Ramp is at 5000 E. Ocean Blvd. For more information and to register, click here.
Book Talk (Friday, July 5)
Historical Society of Long Beach welcomes local author Lane Igoudin, who will discuss his book “A Family, Maybe: Two Dads, Two Babies, and the Court Cases That Brought Us Together,” with two-term Long Beach City Councilmember Gerrie Schipske beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Public adoption can be filled with twists, turns and heartache. This is something Lane and his husband Jonathan experienced firsthand in their 3-year foster adoption process. A Long Beach family story, “A Family, Maybe” offers an unprecedented look at the adoption side of an overburdened, and at times chaotic Los Angeles County foster system, the largest in the country. The book shows how it impacts the lives of everyone involved, from the children raised in foster care, to the suffering birth parents, to the couples like Lane’s desperately hoping to start families of their own.
The Historical Society of Long Beach is at 4260 Atlantic Ave. For more information, click here.
Reggae and Food Fest (Saturday, July 6)
The Long Beach Reggae and Food Fest takes place at Shoreline Aquatic Park from 1 to 9 p.m.
Get ready for a day filled with amazing reggae music and delicious food. Sit back and sway to infectious island beats from talented artists. There will be a variety of food vendors to tantalize your taste buds from jerk chicken to island specialties.
Shoreline Aquatic Park is at 200 Aquarium Way. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Summer Cinema (Saturday, July 6)
Long Beach Public Library presents a showing of “Lilo and Stitch” at Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library from 2 to 4 p.m.
The film is centered around an orphaned Hawaiian girl named Lilo Pelekai and the extraterrestrial creature Experiment 626, who is adopted by Lilo as her “dog” and named Stitch. Stitch, who was genetically engineered to cause chaos and destruction, initially uses Lilo to avoid recapture by the intergalactic federation. They develop a close bond through the Hawaiian concept of ‘ohana or extended family, causing Stitch to reconsider his intended destructive purpose in order to keep his newfound family together.
Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library is at 5780 Atlantic Ave. For more information, visit longbeach.gov/library.