Be it romantic love or a communal affection, the desire for connection can be met through many fun and mostly free events in Long Beach this week. 

Valentine’s Day-centric celebrations include the LBX Nights market Friday, a Galentine’s walk and mingle Saturday morning, a treats and sips festival Saturday afternoon or a chance at speed dating Monday night. Residents can get involved with local politics this week at a PSL meeting Sunday afternoon, a People’s Day demonstration Monday afternoon or a community land trust meeting Tuesday night. 

Celebrate local art at downtown Long Beach’s art and design walk and Loiter Galleries’ newest exhibit opening, both on Saturday, a Black History mask workshop Wednesday or a Black Mosaic performance by local youth Thursday night. 

Antonette Fanceschi-Chavez poses for a portrait while opening the front door to Casita Bookstore on Dec. 7, 2022. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)

Saturday 2/14

Casita Grand Reopening: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Celebrate Casita Book Store’s opening at their new location (272 Redondo Ave.) for a two-day event. Saturday visitors can purchase a book and paper blooms for their valentine and 25% of proceeds will go to CHIRLA in support of immigrants. On Sunday, Homegurl Swap will be hosting a swap where visitors can bring what they can and take what they need from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free. 

Art + Design Walk: 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Public art installations, film screenings, workshops and pop-ups will take over downtown Long Beach to celebrate the vibrant district and the many artists who make it special. The event will feature a Black History Month celebration, live music and a free shuttle to take visitors around. Visit the downtown Long Beach website for a map of all activations. Free. 

Exhibit Grand Opening: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Loiter Galleries will reveal its newest exhibit “Glo-Up,” a celebration of Black History Month through a variety of mediums at 425 The Promenade North. The gallery will stay up through March 21. Free. 

Woman drinking wine from Pexels.com

Sunday 2/15

Galentine’s Walk: 10 a.m. Grab your friends or come solo to this Galentine’s version of the Long Beach Walking Club and coffee stop. Meet at 5400 E. Ocean Blvd. for a relaxed 2.4-mile walk to Foodologie for a sweet treat and Chapter II Coffee for coffee and mingling. The dress code is reds, pinks, whites, hearts and anything cutesy. RSVP through the link in the bio @longbeachwalkingclub on Instagram. 

Clothing Drive: Noon to 2 p.m. Long Beach Rapid Response Mutual Aid is hosting a clothing drive for the community at Bolivar Park (3300 Del Amo Blvd., Lakewood). Items are needed for men, women, children, teens and babies, including formal prom attire, jewelry, shoes, gently-used baby items, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, diapers, formula and wipes.

Sweets & Sips Festival: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Stroll down Second Street enjoying delectable desserts and curated wine selections, cocktails and mocktails using event tickets at Belmont Shore’s festival. Purchase 12 tickets for $15 or 18 tickets for $20. There will also be a swag bag and scavenger hunt this year, and those who complete the hunt will be entered to win a $300 Belmont Shore gift card. Tickets can be purchased at noon in front of the Chase Bank on Second Street. 

PSL Meeting: 2 p.m. Newcomers and all are welcome to Long Beach’s Party for Socialism and Liberation general meeting at Toxic Toast Records (757 Pine Ave.), where guest Eric Morrison-Smith will talk about how Black revolutionary struggle has shown the way to organize and fight back with limited resources. This meeting will center around how to prepare for a general strike. 

Beer (stock photo)

Monday 2/16

People’s Day: Noon. Local groups like Socal Uprising, CSULB Divest Coalition, Boycott Home Depot Coalition, Socal Resistance, PSL Long Beach and many more are reclaiming President’s Day as People’s Day with a meeting on organizing and a march beginning at Junipero Beach Bluff at noon. Free.

Speed Dating: 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Singles ages 28-44 can meet potential lovers and partners at Long Beach Beer Lab’s (518 W. Willow St.) speed dating for busy singles event. Tickets are only available for women seeking men, as the men seeking women tickets are sold out. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online. Participants must arrive no later than 7:20 p.m. to participate. 

Community members of all ages dance with one another on stage as various Latin genres of music play at the third annual Heritage Hispanic Celebration at Chavez Park on Oct. 11, 2025. (Justin Enriquez | Signal Tribune)

Tuesday 2/17

Asthma Workshop: 10 a.m. to noon. The Community Resource Center and partners are hosting a workshop for families to learn the risk factors, causes and triggers of asthma attacks, how asthma is diagnosed, treatment methods and healthy lifestyle habits at 5599 Atlantic Ave. An English portion will be held from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. followed by a Spanish portion from 11 a.m. to noon. Register at bit.ly/crclongbeach.com.

Youth Mental Health Workshop: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Learn tools and resources for managing stress, anxiety, healthy relationships and resilience through peer education, communication skills and mindfulness at this workshop by the Long Beach Community Resource Center (5599 Atlantic Ave.). Free. Register at bit.ly/crclongbeach.com.

Vet One-Year Anniversary: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Celebrate one year of the Promenade Veterinary Hospital (201 The Promenade North) with giveaways, refreshments, raffled prizes and a pet social. Free. 

Salsa Dancing: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Seasoned dancers and beginners alike can salsa dance at 2ND & PCH (6480 Pacific Coast Highway) with a lesson from Peter Araiza and Jenny Mee from 6 to 7 p.m. and social dancing from 8 to 9 p.m. Free. 

Community Land Trust: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Long Beach Community Land Trust non-profit will host its monthly meeting open to everyone at Studio One Eleven (245 E. Third St.), featuring an interactive skill session rooted in collective care and community power. Childcare and food will be available, as well as a virtual attendance option. RSVP at bit.ly/longbeachclt. Free. 

The Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library Learning Garden. (Courtesy of the city of Long Beach)

Wednesday 2/18

Mask Art Workshop: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Teens ages 13-18 can learn about Kimmy Cantrell’s Mask Series and create their own with ideas of asymmetry and “the beauty within flaws” at Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library (5870 Atlantic Ave.) in honor of Black History Month. Free. 

Wrigley Business Collab Kick-Off: 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wrigley business owners are invited for an evening of conversation and connection at the Long Beach Beer Lab (518 W. Willow St.) as they move forward with establishing a Wrigley Business Improvement District. Free. 

Flamenco & Tapas: 6 p.m. Experience the vibrant rhythms and passionate dance of flamenco with live performances while you enjoy indulgent Spanish cuisine at Telefèric Barcelona (6420 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 160). Purchase tickets online. 

The adult computer lab at the Michelle Obama Neighborhood library on January 4, 2022. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)

Thursday 2/19

Bob Foster Celebration: 4 p.m. Celebrate the life of former Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster at the Long Beach Arena (300 E. Ocean Blvd). There will be a cocktail reception at 4 p.m. and a program at 5 p.m. led by the Foster family. RSVP online. Free. 

Virtual Know Your Rights: 5 p.m. Multiple Long Beach and LA County organizations will be leading this virtual know your rights workshop teaching the new ways federal agents are conducting operations and preparing people for dealing with federal law enforcement and ICE. This workshop will be taught in English, Spanish and Khmer. Register at this link. Free. 

Black Mosaic Performance: 6 p.m. Local youth are putting on cultural performances to celebrate Black History Month at a variety of Long Beach locations. Performances will include dance, music and spoken word, ranging from the influences of William Shakespeare to Maya Angelou. This week’s Black Mosaic will take place at the Doris Topsy-Elvord Community Center at Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.) followed by one last performance on Feb. 23 at the Long Beach Senior Center. Free. 

To submit your event for our weekly Around Town edition, please send all information including date, times, location and pricing to newspaper@signaltribune.com. Submissions do not guarantee publication. 

To guarantee promotion for your event, please contact legals@signaltribune.com and ask about our advertising options.