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.
Perhaps it’s the advent of the approaching summer, we’re not sure, but this weekend is chock-full of festivals. From a design festival coming to Long Beach for the first time to an anime festival returning for a second year, this weekend there’s a host of major events worth checking out.
We’ve also found a special (and free) acoustic guitar show featuring talent you’re unlikely to see in Long Beach again for a long time.
Get to scrollin’!
LOS ANGELES DESIGN FESTIVAL (Friday & Saturday)
View this post on Instagram
The celebrated Los Angeles Design Festival, which spotlights innovative minds in the realm of design, is expanding to Long Beach this year with myriad events, including a block party.
The Long Beach festivities will be centered Downtown, from Friday, June 23, through Saturday, June 24. There’s a host of studio tours, live talks and artist walkthroughs, and the block party will take place at Mosaic Promenade at 6 p.m. with design demos, an art exhibition, artisan vendors, food trucks, live DJs and a beer garden.
The block party is free to attend. Click here to see the full schedule of programming.
The Mosaic Promenade is located along a stretch of The Promenade, which begins at Studio One Eleven at 245 E. Third St.
FARM LOT 59 TOUR AND POLLINATOR WORKSHOP (Saturday)
The local 6-acre farm Lot 59 is opening up its gardens to the public for a free tour and pollination workshop Saturday, June 24.
From 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. attendees will be guided around the farm to learn about farmer Sasha Kannon’s vegetable and sustainable flower operation as well as the history of the site. Then, guests are invited to learn about the important role of pollinators, like bees, during an informative workshop.
The event is a collaboration with Ground Education, a local nonprofit that focuses on the environment, learning and sustainable practices. The event is free to attend and open to all ages, but reservations are required. Click here to RSVP.
Farm Lot 59 is at 2714 California Ave.
LONG BEACH FAMILY ARTS FESTIVAL (Saturday)
Last year, the Long Beach Youth Chorus, a beloved local singing group, presented the first annual Family Arts Festival as a way to celebrate youth arts in the city. Now, the festival returns for a second year to Grace First Presbyterian Church on Saturday, June 24, for an afternoon of music and performances led by the city’s local arts groups.
The festival will feature two stages with performances by the Long Beach Youth Chorus, The Jazz Angels, the Jewel Box Theater Company, Arts Alive and Musique Sur La Mer Youth Orchestra. The event also features an instrument “petting zoo” by the Long Beach Symphony, allowing kids to interact with various musical instruments, as well as food trucks, games and family-friendly art activities.
The festival is open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is free to the public. Click here for more information.
Grace First Presbyterian Church is at 3955 N. Studebaker Road.
ACOUSTIC NIGHT WITH ELI WINTER AND DANNY PAUL GRODY (Saturday)
Catch this free acoustic show at The Hangout on Retro Row Saturday, June 24, featuring the soothing tunes of artists Eli Winter and Danny Paul Grody.
Both artists, signed under the North Carolina record label Three Lobed Recordings, are currently on tour together in a show that promises an evening of virtuosic acoustic guitar performances.
The concerts are free to attend, no RSVPs are required. Click here for more information.
The Hangout is at 2122 E. Fourth St.
STEELCRAFT SUMMERFEST (Saturday)
Steelcraft Long Beach is hosting a summer festival of sorts at its outdoor dining hall on Saturday, June 24, that’s a great weekend option for families looking to entertain their kiddos.
The event features a petting zoo, photo booth, face painting and live music, plus meet-and-greets with characters Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
The event, which is free to attend, is from 12:30-9:30 p.m. Click here for more information.
SteelCraft Long Beach is at 3768 Long Beach Blvd.
LONG BEACH OPERA’S THE RECITAL FILM FESTIVAL (Saturday & Sunday)
This weekend, the Long Beach Opera is presenting a unique showcase of films in a festival that explores the intersection of film and opera.
The Recital features over a dozen critically-acclaimed animated films, live-action shorts and feature-length films, including a special screening of the SXSW-winning animated film “Christopher at Sea,” paired with a live performance of Franz Schubert’s 1823 song cycle “Die Schöne Müllerin,” on Sunday, June 25.
Tickets for the event range from $35-$165. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
The Art Theatre is at 2025 E. Fourth St.
LONG BEACH ANIMEFEST 2K23 (Sunday)
Fans of Japanese anime and manga will have a place to flock in between conventions this year with the return of the Long Beach AnimeFest 2k23 at Roxanne’s in Cal Heights on Sunday, June 25.
The daylong event will feature live music, an all-you-can-drink sake experience, Japanese foods and desserts and a marketplace. The event’s guest of honor this year is Derek Stephen Prince, the voice actor of several characters in the Digimon Series and the character Elgar in the live-action Power Rangers Turbo and Power Rangers in Space.
Attendees are (very) encouraged to come dressed in cosplay, be it your favorite superhero, anime, comic book or video game character. The event is all ages, but those who’d like to drink must be at least 21 years old.
Tickets are between $10-$45. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. The event is from noon to 6 p.m.
Roxanne’s is at 1115 E. Wardlow Road.