The following is a list of curated Long Beach events and paid placements published every Wednesday on the Hi-lo and Long Beach Post. Have an event to suggest? Email [email protected] with “Things to Do” in the subject, or contact [email protected] to purchase a sponsored placement.
The cultural force is strong in the LBC as AAPI Heritage Month kicks off and a Mariachi Festival comes to Veterans Park in this weekend’s round-up of events.
God’s Favorite (Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3)
Long Beach Playhouse presents Neil Simon’s God’s Favorite on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.
Successful businessman Joe Benjamin is a modern-day “Job” with a loving wife, two clueless but supportive younger children and a household staff. But he is exasperated with his wise-cracking and seemingly apathetic oldest son. Just when it seems things couldn’t get any worse, he is visited by Sidney Lipton, AKA A Messenger from God (and compulsive film buff), with a mission: test Joe’s faith and report back to “the Boss.” The jokes and tests of faith fly fast and furious as Simon spins a comedy like no other in this hilarious contemporary morality tale. Directed by James Rice. (Read our review here.)
Long Beach Playhouse is at 5021 E. Anaheim St. Tickets cost $20 to $30. For more information and tickets, call 562-494-1014 or visit lbplayhouse.org.
Mariachi Festival (Saturday, May 3)
Council Members Roberto Uranga and Mary Zendejas will host the 2nd Annual Mariachi Festival at Veterans Park from noon to 5:30 p.m.
This free, family-friendly event will feature live mariachi and Latin music performances, cultural dance, local resources, food trucks, and activities for all ages. There will also be a resource fair featuring community organizations, a kids fun zone, and a variety of local food trucks.
Veterans Park is at 101 E. 28th St. For more information, call 562-570-7777.
AAPI Heritage Month Kick-off Event (Saturday, May 3)
The Long Beach Public Library presents its AAPI Heritage Month Kick-off Event at the Billie Jean King Main Library from noon to 4 p.m.
The event will feature a performance by Modern Aspara, a local traditional Cambodian dance group, followed by a screening of the acclaimed documentary “New Wave.” The film, directed by Elizabeth Ai, explores the experiences of Vietnamese families navigating generational trauma. A post-screening Q&A session will be moderated by Ky-Phong Paul Tran, an educator at Renaissance High School for the Arts.
The Billie Jean King Main Library is at 200 W. Broadway. For more information, call 562-570-1044 or visit longbeach.gov/library.
Car Show and Fair (Saturday, May 3)
The Assistance League of Long Beach hosts a car show and fair on the grounds of its Cherese Mari Laulhere Philanthropic Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event will feature as many as 50 unique and classic cars, live music, and food trucks. There will also be beer, games and raffle tickets for purchase, in addition to a shopping boutique with more than twenty vendors focusing on gifting for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and graduation.
The Cherese Mari Laulhere Philanthropic Center is located at 6220 E. Spring St. Admission is free. For more information, click here.
Celebration of Women of Many Backgrounds (Sunday, May 4)
Women of Many Backgrounds (WOMB) holds its annual celebration of women at Heights Chiropractic Health Centre from 9 a.m. to noon.
The event is designed as a pre-Mother’s Day retreat to promote health, relaxation, and self-awareness for women in the community. With a tax-deductible donation of $45 per half-hour session, community members can give a health-enhancing gift to their mother, daughter, partner, friend, or any significant women in their life. Gift sessions of massages, life coaching, and holistic consultations will be available throughout the morning, plus a sound bath will be offered on the 30-foot labyrinth from 10 a.m. until noon. In addition, there will be opportunities for women to learn how to care for their pets with guidance by Kim Pertierra of Helping Hands. The event will also include an opportunity drawing for a one-hour cruise for two through scenic Alamitos Bay aboard Gondola Getaway. Participants are encouraged to bring pieces of ceramic or glass items that may have had special meaning in their lives but have since been broken. Local mosaic artist Dawn Mendelson will guide the women through the process of alchemy to integrate these pieces into a precious work of art.
Heights Chiropractic Health Centre is at 4101 E. Fourth St. in Belmont Heights. For more information, donations and reservations, call 562-434-7260.
Walk for Mental Wellness (Sunday, May 04)
The Rotary Club of Long Beach hosts the Rotary Route Walk for Mental Wellness at Granada Beach from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Rotary Club of Long Beach, in partnership with Rotary District 5320, invites the community to lace up their walking shoes for the second annual Rotary Route: South Los Angeles Walk for Mental Wellness. This event marks Long Beach’s first year hosting a Rotary Route, a districtwide initiative with simultaneous walks across South Los Angeles and Orange County communities during the weekend of May 3 and 4. Participants will walk 1K to 5K along the coastline, visit a health fair featuring mental health resources, and connect at an optional (no-host) post-walk meet-up at Belmont Brewing Company.
Granada Beach is at 5100 E. Ocean Blvd. Cost for registration is $5 to $25. For more information and to register, click here.
Aquarium of the Pacific First Wednesdays: Lecture, Cocktails, Music, and Crafts (Wednesday, May 7) – sponsored
California Grunion: A Coastal Phenomenon
Presented by Jim DePompei
The elusive little fish with a big secret unique to the Southern California and Northern Baja California coast. Take a deep dive into what makes this silverside fish so extraordinary. Learn about the spectacular moonlight Grunion runs and critical spawning habitat shared with millions of beach goers. From their development, lifecycle, and harmonious connection to moon cycles and tidal fluctuations, to what the scientific community knows (and doesn’t know). Discover Grunion through the years, Grunion in pop culture and Grunion hatching right before your very eyes! More than a lecture, this is going to be an experience.
Following the presentation, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy cocktails, conversations, music, and crafts in our Art Gallery. The talk will also be live streamed for those unable to join in person.
Aquarium of the Pacific is at 100 Aquarium Way in Long Beach. Get tickets at aquariumofpacific.org.