4:25pm | The monthly street scene of art and live performances known as First Fridays Long Beach is back again tonight, featuring a host of attractions from readings, new galleries and great bands to a community art piece and a celebration of BMX.
Quickly becoming a staple of North Long Beach and the Bixby Knolls neighborhood, First Fridays is growing and adding new events and more life with each passing month.
The event is growing each month and we recently took a trip to the Los Angeles Arts Walk with First Fridays organizer Blair Cohn, to see some of the things that he envisions for First Fridays in the future.
For tonight, first things first. BMX (bicycle moto cross) got its start in Long Beach forty years ago, and the event is paying tribute tonight with an exhibit of the sport’s history at EXPO featuring classic collector bikes, old jerseys and more memorabilia. Check out 40yearsofbmx.com for more.
One of the more interesting aspects of First Fridays is Cohn’s vision to make everything interactive. During our trip to the Arts Walk, his favorite moment was an impromptu dance session that broke out on the sidewalk. He’d like that kind of atmosphere at First Fridays, where hopefully everyone is encouraged to make the event their own.
Hence, the community art piece known as the Leave Something Behind collage, where you can post any item to make your mark and become a part of something big and beautiful. Adding to the idea is the anonymous poetry box left in nearby coffee shops, where collections can be dropped off and will be organized into an anthology once there are enough submissions.
There’s something for everyone, even the kiddies. City Councilmember James Johnson will hold another First Books At First Fridays at the Dana Branch Library with special guest Mayor Bob Foster at 5:30pm. They’ll be reading children’s books and balloon animals will also make an appearance.
There are always great food and drink specials from participating restaurants along Atlantic Avenue, most notably The Factory and Nino’s Italian Restaurant which will also feature live music into the night.
If you’re knew to FFLB, a good place to start is the info table at Bixby & Atlantic Avenue. Check it out and leave your mark on this edition of First Fridays.