Kimberly Latham in her East Village women’s boutique, Anneise. Photo courtesy of Peacock Social.
Small Business Saturday may be in less than 24 hours, but in Long Beach—a city that has become increasingly packed with stellar locally grown businesses—even Black Friday provides an opportunity to reject big-name retailers.
In an unprecedented collaboration between the neighborhood association and the boutiques, eateries and galleries of the East Village Arts District, the first-ever Big Bad Black Friday Fest to be held today from 10AM to 10PM will combine shopping deals with a community festival to create a veritable coming-out party for the revitalized area.
By turning the East Village’s tiny Arts Park into a day-long destination with food trucks, wrapping stations, face-painting and a surfing Santa, organizers hope the event will also introduce holiday shoppers to the multi-faceted retail and restaurant options in the neighborhood.
The idea was an offshoot of the month-old Food Truck Fridays program, which opens the park during lunchtime once a week and invites local mobile food vendors to post up outside. Food Truck Fridays organizer Kimberly Latham owns a women’s boutique on 1st St. called Anneise and hopes that events like these can help bring customers to the East Village’s sidewalks and connect the newer businesses in the northern part of the district with those like hers in the lower part a few blocks away.
“I live on the Promenade and am constantly passing the Arts Park,” Latham said, “and since it’s locked unless there is an event going on, I began figuring out more ways I could get that park open and activated.”
Each Friday, from 11AM-2PM, East Village President Michael Mosselli unlocks the Arts Park and DJ Stephanie Saharopulos brings some tunes. Whichever food trucks Latham has wrangled for the day (she is careful not to overlap offerings with restaurants nearby) park at the meters outside and everyone from Downtown office workers to passing-through tourists stop by for some eats.
The event has been more than mere nourishment for hungry stomachs, however. It has turned into an opportunity to show off the quaint and eclectic historic neighborhood that often lives in Downtown’s shadow.
“So many people stop by and it’s just a great catalyst for networking,” says Latham.
The Big Bad Black Friday Fest will not only take the place of this week’s Food Truck Friday, but also expand on it. In addition to the Arts Park being filled with family-friendly activities, the surrounding business will be having the usual Black Friday flash sales on a variety of goods like men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, handbags, bicycles, art, home décor and jewelry—all perfect for gift-giving.
“I’ve had so much help from the community with these events,” Latham says. “There are customers of mine who help secure parking for the food trucks in the mornings and a huge street team of volunteers that want something fun like this to happen here. People are willing to do stuff when people have ideas.”
Big Bad Black Friday Fest goes from 10AM to 10PM at businesses throughout the East Village Arts District. The East Village Arts Park is located at 150 Elm Ave. For a list of all the East Village businesses, click here. Contact each individually for store hours and deals, most of which last through the weekend. For more information about Food Truck Fridays, click here.
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