Talk the Block – Cambodia Town. Photos courtesy of We Are the Next.
Local nonprofit We Are the Next’s Talk the Block event will return on Saturday, April 28 with a session in Bixby Knolls. Centered around the changing faces of the area, a Q&A with the owners of Lola’s Mexican Cuisine, Rasselbock Kitchen & Beer Garden, among others, and a scavenger hunt of the neighborhood will tell the story of the evolving corridor.
“Talk the Block – Bixby Knolls” is the fourth installment of the series, designed to highlight entrepreneurs and community members whose contributions are traditionally underrecognized, and to tell the story of their neighborhoods. We Are the Next began Talk the Block in early 2017 and has so far visited Retro Row, the Eastside and Cambodia Town.
“Since the 1950s Bixby Knolls has been a cornerstone of commerce in Long Beach,” said Executive Director of We Are the Next Katie Rispoli Keaotamai in a statement. “Its transformations over the years have been numerous, including its most recent transformation to an arts and culture-driven commercial district under the leadership of Blair Cohn of the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association.”
The upcoming event aims to raise awareness of the small businesses and history of the area, and to support We Are the Next’s programs for local youth, according to the release. Past Talk the Blocks have highlighted female entrepreneurs, immigrant communities and local artists.
“We are excited to host this event in partnership with the association to illustrate the recent changes in Bixby, and to highlight the incredible accomplishments of business owners in the district,” Keaotamai stated.
Check in for the event begins at 9:45AM at the Expo Arts Center located at 4321 Atlantic Avenue. Tickets are $30, and include breakfast for attendees from Lola’s Mexican Cuisine, coffee from The Merchant, attendance to the Q&A with local business owners, and access to the scavenger hunt.
Select businesses throughout Bixby Knolls will also offer discounts to attendees on the date of the event. All proceeds of this event will go to support We Are the Next.
Tickets may be purchased at the door with cash or card, or in advance via the website here.