Starting this Saturday, you can enjoy a lively outdoor atmosphere with a drink in your hand for a few hours each month on a one-block stretch in downtown Long Beach.<\/p>\n
At 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, the Downtown Long Beach Alliance will host its first DTLB Live! event, which will take place on the third Saturday of each month on The Promenade between Broadway and Third Street.<\/p>\n
It comes as part of a yearlong \u201centertainment zone\u201d pilot program first approved by the Long Beach City Council in June.<\/p>\n
This month\u2019s event is themed \u201cSwing into the New Year\u201d and will feature Big Butter Jazz Band along with live swing dancers. There will also be a live DJ and local vendors provided by Angel City Markets.<\/p>\n
During the event, visitors can purchase drinks from designated bars and walk around with an open container within the event\u2019s boundaries.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy creating a monthly tradition on the Promenade with live entertainment, local vendors and activities for all ages, we\u2019re not just hosting an event, we\u2019re building a rhythm for Downtown that residents and visitors can count on,\u201d DTLBA President Austin Metoyer said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The local business improvement district has been slowly expanding events that allow public alcohol consumption.<\/p>\n
Its first one last August drew roughly 2,000 people<\/a>. A Halloween event called Fright Fest brought in an estimated 8,000 people<\/a> over the course of the eight-hour event.<\/p>\n \u201cOur community has been clear, they want to see Downtown come alive with more regular events that bring people together,\u201d Metoyer said in a statement.<\/p>\n