To put it mildly, the weather for the next week will be … not so mild. Though the heat will be back in full force, there will be a plethora of activities that can be enjoyed with water and copious amounts of sun protection.
It’s the start of a new (and spooky) month, which means the First Fridays art walk is back in Bixby Knolls with artistic and Halloween-themed activities. Speaking of spooky, the Bembridge House is offering haunted house tours this Friday and Saturday, The 4th Horseman will host horror trivia Tuesday and Dolores is hosting a nighttime screening of “Practical Magic” Thursday.
This week also brings bountiful ways to celebrate the city’s cultural diversity, including the Cambodian Food Festival at Trademark Brewing Saturday, Centro CHA’s Hispanic Heritage Celebration, also Saturday and the two-day UbeFest, taking over Cerritos Performing Arts Center Saturday and Sunday. Plus, don’t forget that Monday starts the third edition of Latino Restaurant Week, and if you want more details — we’ve got you covered.
Playbills for the LBC Poetry Series rest in a holder near the door of the Helen Borgers Theatre in Bixby Knolls on Oct. 3, 2023. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
Friday 10/2
Long Beach Photo Walks (Flora & Fauna): 10 a.m. to noon. Photographers of all levels can snap pics of seasonal flora and fauna on a guided photo walk through downtown Long Beach led by Travis of Happily Bearded After. Participants will meet at Terrace Theater Plaza (300 E. Ocean Blvd.). Images taken during the walk can be submitted in Happily Bearded After’s DTLB Unfiltered photo contest, happening all October long. Free.
First Friday Adoption Special: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. As is tradition, Long Beach Animal Care Services (7700 E. Spring St.) is waiving adoption fees for all available cats, dogs and bunnies for the First Friday of the month. All pets are spayed or neutered, microchipped and vaccinated. Free.
Day of the Dead Community Altar: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. For the first weekly installment of its Day of the Dead-inspired arts series, Harte Neighborhood Library (1595 W. Willow St.) invites crafters of all ages to make paper marigolds and paper picado for the library’s community altar. Free.
Long Beach Poetry Festival: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. A typewriter performance poetry session from Linda Ravenswood outside the Helen Borgers Theater (4250 Atlantic Ave.), as part of First Fridays, will kick off Long Beach Shakespeare Company’s fourth annual Long Beach Poetry Festival. The series will continue Saturday and Sunday with live poetry readings, performance and live music at the same location. Tickets are $21.50 for the weekend’s festival events at lbshakespeare.org. Free.
First Fridays: 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Atlantic Avenue will be abuzz with dining and shopping deals, live music, artistic activities and more during Bixby Knolls’ monthly First Fridays art walk. Festivities will include an open house at Sunshine Rabbit Center (4202 Atlantic Ave.), free face painting at Pixie Toys (3914 Atlantic Ave.), a skull decorating contest at Eclipsed Emporium (4376 Atlantic Ave.) and complimentary Halloween treats at Long Beach Clothing Co. (4218 Atlantic Ave.). Free.
Whisper in the Walls: Haunted Tours at The Bembridge House: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Receive a ghostly tour of The Bembridge House (953 N Park Cir.) by lantern light, happening three consecutive Friday and Saturday nights. Ticket options on Eventbrite include general admission ($28), VIP admission ($50), admission for Long Beach Heritage members ($23) and entry for children under 13 ($13).
Local artist Annie Stromquist sits at her desk behind the large window of her home studio on May 30, 2023. Residents can get a tour of her work and studio during the Mid-City Studio Tour. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
Saturday 10/3
Long Beach Open Studio Tour: Various times. Explore over 80 studios and the works of more than 120 Long Beach artists throughout four weekends in celebration of Long Beach Arts Month and National Arts and Humanities Month. The Long Beach Open Studio Tour begins this Saturday and Sunday in the Belmont neighborhood and visitors are welcome to check out each stop on the interactive map at their own pace during open hours. Participating studios and neighborhoods will be marked with lawns bearing the LB Open Studio Tour logo. Free.
Yoga & Beach Cleanup: 9 a.m. to noon. Join Long Beach Surfrider for a relaxing wellness activity and a bit of environmental do-gooding at Belmont Pier (35 39th Place). The event will begin with yoga (9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.), followed by the beach cleanup (10 a.m. to noon). Bring your own yoga mat or towel; cleanup supplies such as buckets, gloves and pickers are limited. A free parking code will be provided at the Surfrider tent. The RSVP link is in @lbsurfrider’s Instagram bio. Free.
Japanese Classic Car Show: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admire hundreds of Japanese-made automobiles during the 21st annual edition of this gearhead classic at Marina Green Park (386 E. Shoreline Drive). Admission is $20 online and $25 the day-of for adults, while kids ages 12 and under receive free entry.
Community Painting Day: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stop by Pete’s Market (698 Cerritos Ave.) to join Books and Buckets and Franklin Middle School students in installing a new mural. The new mural at Pete’s Market was co-designed by muralist Tracy Negrete and local youth leaders. Breakfast, lunch and refreshments will be provided. Free.
Gardening Workshop: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Learn a slew of tips for your fall garden during this educational and environmental workshop at Signal Hill Community Garden (1917 E. 21st St.). “Transitioning Your Summer Garden for Fall Season” will help those wanting to grow a nutritious garden in their backyard or in containers. Free.
Yap & Stitch: Noon to 3 p.m. Hang out, work on crafts and yap a little during Yap & Stitch’s first meet-up of October. Crafters will meet at Mama Juana’s Taqueria (3600 Long Beach Blvd.) and are welcome to bring any current projects, friends or just their crafty selves. Free.
Animate the Community: Noon to 3 p.m. Artist Jason Keam will host a Halloween-themed animation workshop at PLACE LB (3923 Long Beach Blvd.), where attendees can collaborate on creating a GIF frame by frame. Space is limited. Tickets are $10 on Luma.
Long Beach Cambodian Food Festival: Noon to 6 p.m. Chef Chad Phuong of Battambong BBQ invites all to enjoy a day of Khmer music, culture, vendors and mouthwatering cuisine at Ten Mile Brewing Co. (1136 E. Willow St.). Free entry.
Doodlefest: Noon to 8 p.m. At Trademark Brewing (233 E Anaheim St.), Oktoberfest is for the dogs too, especially doodles. This pet-friendly celebration will include live music, German food, stein holding and costume contests for humans and dogs. Free entry.
Drake Park Ribbon Cutting: 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Revel in the grand opening of the newly renovated Drake Park Community Center (951 Maine Ave.) during this community event. Remarks by City leaders will be followed by a ceremonial ribbon-cutting, refreshments and family-friendly activities. Free.
Hispanic Heritage Celebration: 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Centro CHA is throwing its fourth annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration, complete with live music, lowriders, food, art, folklórico and much more at Cesar Chavez Park (401 Golden Ave.). Attendees can also cast their votes at the event for the first-ever Long Beach Latino Cultural Center logo. Free.
UbeFest: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Bring your appetite for the fifth anniversary of UbeFest. Held in front of Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (18000 Park Plaza Drive), this event will showcase a wide range of Filipino cuisine, most notably mangos and ube. The festivities will continue Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the same location. Free entry and parking.
Tea blends from local herbalists are packed into various jars and bags, each with their own story, effect and intention, at Twelfth House Tea Sanctuary on Feb. 28, 2026. The space has its own Twelfth House blend, an earthy, calming tea made to enhance dreams. (Justin Enriquez | Signal Tribune)
Sunday 10/4
Norfside LB Outreach: 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers are requested for Norfside LB Outreach’s upcoming distribution in North Long Beach. If you can’t join, they are accepting monetary donations, as well as donations of tents, blankets, toothbrushes, pants, wagons, shoes, water and more for neighbors in need. Sign up online for the exact location. Free.
Studio Sale + Goodbye Party: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. With Icehouse Arts Complex (625 W. Anaheim St.) soon shutting its doors, the local gallery space is throwing a garage sale. Icehouse’s studio artists will be selling, trading and giving away art supplies, furniture, books, prints, trinkets and more, as they try to raise funds to move to a new location. Free.
Downtown Draws: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pop into the Long Beach Museum of Art’s downtown location (356 E. Third St.) for an impromptu drawing session. Creative prompts will be provided and supplies are available to borrow from the front desk; attendees may bring their own paper, pencils and colored pencils. Free.
Holistic Healers Market: 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Enjoy an afternoon of art, healing and community at Valparaiso Plaza (1 S. 18th Place) on the Long Beach Bluffs. This market will feature readers and healers, a tea ceremony, sound healing, a drum circle and massage therapy, as well as vendors selling crystal jewelry, local art, tamales, natural skincare and more. Free.
Plants & Pints: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Local horticulturist Lauren Brumbaugh of @greenroutine.lb will lead a planting and painting session at Sake Secret (460 Pine Ave.), where attendees can paint a pot, pick a premium plant to go with it and enjoy a sake pour. Tickets are $50 on Eventbrite.
La Chancla Mexican Grill offers a wide variety of food options such as tacos, burritos, nachos, fajitas and enchiladas. (Samuel Chacko | Signal Tribune)
Monday 10/5
Latino Restaurant Week: Various Times. See, and, most importantly, taste what several of Long Beach’s standout Latino-owned restaurants have to offer during the third annual Latino Restaurant Week. This year, 18 local eateries are taking part, including Confidential Coffee (137 W. Sixth St.), La Chancla Mexican Grill (990 Cherry Ave., Unit 102) and Zarapé Cocina & Cantina (4702 Second St.). To learn more, check out latinorestaurantweeklbc.com. Prices vary.
Plant Music: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. This monthly, family-friendly gathering returns to Earthing (2022 E. Fourth St.) for games, music and community bonding time. There will be checkers, chess and cards, as well as 30-minute vinyl sets of all genres with open turntables (sign up at the event for your set). Free.
Dani Carter attempts to take a picture of her year-old-rescue English bulldog, Benjamin, while waiting in line to receive a blessing from Rabbi Mikal Loving at the Long Beach Blessing of the Animals at Rosie’s Dog Beach on Oct. 2, 2022. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
Tuesday 10/6
Paws on the Promenade: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Bring your furry friends and converse with fellow dog owners at this monthly dog-friendly meetup in downtown Long Beach. Attendees will meet at 6 p.m. at Dog Haus Biergarten (210 E. Third St.) and begin walking at 6:15 p.m. Free.
Horror Trivia: 7 p.m. Fans of horror films and cinematic screams are invited to this 21 and older trivia session at The 4th Horseman (121 W. Fourth St.) on the first Tuesday of each month. Test your knowledge of classics, cult favorites and new-age films and icons for the chance for your group to win tickets to this year’s Queen Mary Dark Harbor festivities. Free.
Folklorico dancers big and small perform for the community at the Latino Cultural Center. (Centro CHA)
Wednesday 10/7
National Coffee with a Cop Day: Various Times. To help bridge the gap between communities and law enforcement, residents are invited to converse with police officers over a cup of joe during National Coffee with a Cop Day. Meet up with Long Beach Police Department personnel from the South Division (8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.) at RightMealz (422 E. Fourth St.), West Division (10 a.m. to 11 a.m.) at Starbucks (4101 E. Willow St.), North Division (noon to 2 p.m.) at Starbucks (4704 Cherry Ave.) and East Division (1 p.m. to 2 p.m.) at Cassidy’s Corner Cafe (5900 E. Spring St.). Free.
Mexican Regional Dance Workshop: 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Children can learn the basics of Huapango Norteño dancing during this event at El Dorado Neighborhood Library (2900 Studebaker Road), as part of the Long Beach Public Library’s Vida Latina series. Participants will engage with traditional attire and accessories such as sombreros, belts and pañuelos and receive beginner-friendly dancing instruction. This workshop is recommended for kids ages 6 to 10. Free.
Tommy Mofid, the owner of the Wrigley Tavern, makes a cocktail with a homemade mixer that he keeps in an old tequila bottle on Aug. 5, 2021. (Richard H. Grant | Signal Tribune)
Thursday 10/8
Bird Walk: 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Amateur and expert birders alike are welcome the morning of every second Thursday at Rancho Los Cerritos (4600 Virginia Road) for a guided walk around the property. Staff will be on hand to answer bird and nature-related questions. Participants are asked to meet in the parking lot at 8 a.m. and are encouraged to bring binoculars if they have them. RSVP online. Free.
Bizarre & Surreal: 6:30 p.m. Embrace unusual creative themes during Make Stuff Art Club’s collage journaling class at Ambitious Ales (4019 Atlantic Ave.). Inspired by the spooky season shift of October, attendees can make a surreal collage that evokes a sense of paranoia. Bring your own mixed media or purchase one at the event; all collage materials will be provided. RSVP on Partiful for the complete location. Free to attend, but there is a suggested $5 donation.
Nightmare on 4th Street: 7 p.m. Dolores Long Beach (2105 E. Fourth St.) is getting into the Halloween spirit by offering spooky food, drinks and treats, available all month long, and playing Halloween films on their projector every Thursday night in October. This week’s selection is the 1998 fantasy comedy “Practical Magic.” The screening will start promptly at 7 p.m. Reserve your table at the link in the bio of @doloreslbc. Free.
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