It was easy to see the color and variety of Long Beach over the past weekend, where bicycles ruled the streets and the fifth annual Cambodian New Year Parade displayed one of the city’s most distinctive qualities. Though these events may have made life a little tough for drivers, they reminded one that the city is capable of throwing impressive events that celebrate the culture of Long Beach.
Friday and Saturday were ruled by the first annual Long Beach Bike Festival, which took over Pine, Broadway and other downtown streets over the two day event. Once on foot, though, the streets were perfectly navigable and there was plenty to see. Vendors and biking enthusiasts lined the outline of the race course, and it was not uncommon to see four or five bicycles sharing a rack.
The city has made strong efforts to become more bike friendly in the past year or so, and last weekend’s event only signaled a stronger commitment to that ideology. Long Beach bike ambassador Tony Cruz competed in the Men’s Pro race, and played a crucial role in recruiting some of the best riders (click here for last week’s feature story on Tony). Cruz would finish in 22nd place, but his role in promoting biking in the city has been invaluable thus far. Besides, his five-year-old son Aiden won the Kids Race.
On Sunday, the fifth annual Cambodian New Year Parade rolled down the streets of the city’s designated Cambodia Town. Ending in MacArthur Park, the event showcased one of Long Beach’s most distinctive qualities, it’s variety of cultures and pride in celebrating them. The parade fell on hard times this year, but the determination of dedicated citizens produced yet another high quality celebration. Click here for an article by Greg Mellen of the Press-Telegram that goes into more detail on the struggles and triumph of the event.
By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor