Shopping, music and art together: what could be more perfect? It’s all happening locally in Long Beach starting this weekend,
as the city will become the first major city in California to embrace shopping local in the national Independents Week, or Indie Week.
The nine-day campaign, beginning tomorrow, will include unique takes on art shows, food tastings, retailer specials, a social media contest with giveaways, curated local music crawls and more.
One example of the form that uniqueness takes is by way of local surrealist artist Dave Van Patten, who has created black-and-white versions of his work and scattered them throughout businesses for people to simply color in themselves. Aspiring colorists are then encouraged to upload their masterpiece to Facebook or Instagram with #IndieWeekLB.
“We don’t care if you color it with crayons, markers, or blood,” Van Patten said. “Just color it. And you get prizes. And I’ll sign it. Win, win.”
DW Ferrell, Executive Editor at Localism, the organization hosting the event, said shopping local is important to keep Long Beach thriving.
“Locally-owned merchants have a big impact on our city’s bottom line; three times the money stays in our economy when we choose local,” he said. “If we want innovative services, great eateries and a diverse array of shopping experiences here in Long Beach, we need to support our independent businesses all over the city.”
Nearly 20 local businesses will participate in the event, which also features dozens of musical performances and art installations from local artists.
Ferrell said he discovered the importance of small business when he was young, and then again when he grew older.
“My dad ran a small business and now runs a nonprofit, and my mom is an artist and jazz vocalist, and their positive influence on me has shaped my values,” he said. “But when I got into my career, I thought I was supposed to work with the biggest brands and retailers, so that’s what I did. Several years back, I plotted a new path to take marketing and tech savvy strategies that usually benefit the big chains, and turn them on their ear. Small businesses usually need help in ways that would be too expensive for their scale.”
Ferrell said the goal of Indie Week is to convince residents to shop local so they can discover local business districts and independent merchants. He also highlighted the convenience of walking, biking or taking transit easily to local shops in Long Beach.
“I ditched my truck a few years ago, and my wife and I bought motor scooters,” he said. “So far, we’ve saved thousands, and have had more fun too.”
Mayor-Elect Robert Garcia said Indie Week gives the city a chance to show appreciation for new stores as well as beloved favorites that are hiring.
“Independents Week is an opportunity to say we support them, and recognize how much they contribute back to our city, giving each district unique character and boosting our local economy,” he said.
Indie Week will take place Saturday, June 28 through Sunday, July 6 throughout Long Beach. For more information about the event and for a full list of participants, visit IndieWeekLB.com.