Community News

Health Resource Fair

The Long Beach Public Library and Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services are hosting a community resource fair on Saturday, June 4, to connect residents with health services, nutrition education and food support. The event will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Billie Jean King Main Library, 200 W. Broadway. Parking will be available at the West Broadway parking garage located on the corner of Chestnut Avenue and Broadway.

This free event will include interactive and informational tables from local groups providing mental health services and community health resources for all ages. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank will be distributing shelf stable food boxes to 400 families on a first-come, first-served walk-up basis, subject to availability. Veterans connections and various Library services will also be highlighted, and heart health screenings will be available.

Library staff will be available as part of the resource fair to showcase its various citywide services. Community members are invited to register for a free library card at the event or upgrade their existing card under the library’s new expanded library card policy.

The community resource fair on June 4 is made possible by the Long Beach Recovery Act (Recovery Act), a plan to fund economic and public health initiatives for residents, workers and businesses critically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of $3.2 million has been allocated from the Recovery Act to support city’s basic need programs, which includes nutrition security initiatives and the Long Beach Resource Line.

More information about this event is available at lbpl.org.

Installation of Officers

The Long Beach Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) will install its 2022-2023 Board Officers on Saturday, June 4 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at Long Beach City College.

In addition to AAUW members, guests are invited to learn more about AAUW. The two-hour event is designed to acquaint interested people with current members in a social gathering. There is no charge.

Women interested in meeting other women, seeking new associations, intellectual discourse and joining AAUW in honoring its new officers are encouraged to attend the installation.

This annual event is open to non-members (women and men) to allow them to discover how AAUW Long Beach Branch promotes gender equity for women and girls in its on-going projects in Long Beach and statewide.

If interested in attending, please contact “Membership” at aauwlongbeach.membership@gmail.com.

Getty 25th Anniversary

The Long Beach Creative Coalition announced “Getty 25 Celebrates Long Beach” on Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5, at Houghton Park from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Organized in partnership with The J. Paul Getty Trust, Community Arts Resources (CARS) and the Long Beach Creative Coalition, the festival will feature diverse artists from throughout the city, shining a light on local talent with an emphasis on North Long Beach, where the festival will take place.

Headliners Dengue Fever and Seafood Sam will perform with an array of talent, including Grammy-winning guitarist J.Mo the Great, Brainstory, JD Dance Company, Modern Apsara Dance, as well as a procession by the Jordan High School Marching Band, and more.

Activations will take place throughout the weekend, from artmaking workshops by the Museum of Latin American Art and Centro CHA, to live art demonstrations by Inspired LBC, site-specific art installations by Long Beach Art Museum of Art and Rancho Los Cerritos, as well as composting workshops, African drumming, and skate demos in one of Long Beach’s most iconic bowls.

Food and drinks will be available for purchase from a variety of local food trucks, including Belly Bombz, Mikhuna Authentic Peruvian, and Birrieria Michi, to name a few.

The festival is being held in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Getty Center. In conjunction with various community partners, the 10-part series of free outdoor art festivals will occur in neighborhoods across Los Angeles County from May through August. The Long Beach festival is the third in the series and is intended to focus on community building and celebrating cultural diversity post-COVID. The festival is produced by CARS in collaboration with Long Beach Creative Coalition members Studio One Eleven, Intertrend, and Creative Class Collective, and will be a unique reflection of Long Beach.

The Getty 25 Celebrates Long Beach will be located at Houghton Park, 6301 Myrtle Ave. This event is free and open to the public. No reservations are required. For more information about this event, visit www.gettylongbeachfestival.com.

OLLI Summer Session

On June 6, 2022, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at California State University, Long Beach will begin registration for its Summer Session. Classes will be held on campus, at satellite community locations, and online using Zoom.

A wide variety of classes will be offered including literature, computer skills, music, art, crafting, exercise and wellness, writing, history, current events, investing, gardening, and discussion groups. The eight-week session begins on July 5, 2022 and is open to adults 50 and over. For more information including registration, visit the OLLI website www.csulb.edu/olli.

Republican Women

It’s never too early to introduce conservative candidates who are running for statewide office.  Long Beach Republican Women Federated will welcome Denice Gary Pandol, knowledgeable in Middle East and Islamic terrorism, and a candidate for Senate in 2024, at its Saturday, June 11, breakfast meeting.

Also on the agenda is Children Today Director Pamela Austin. The organization is dedicated to assisting children of homeless families. Members can bring items or donate at the meeting to help this worthwhile non-profit.

Held at The Grand, 4101 E. Willow St., the morning meeting will include a discussion on the June 7 primary results and how to make the midterms a Red Wave. Registration starts at 9 a.m. with a buffet breakfast at 9:30 a.m. The cost is just $30 for members and $35 for non-members and there is free covered parking. For information and/or reservations: LongBeachRWF@gmail.com or (562) 433-8996.

Re-Envisioning Church

How is your congregation called to serve the community now and 30 years from now? In this post-pandemic world, faith communities are experiencing a renaissance, as are facing opportunities to re-envision their campuses to better serve God and their community. On Saturday, June 11 at 10 a.m. Grace First Presbyterian Church will host a discussion on this important topic.

Robert Terrell and Michael Zenon of ZT Architecture + Land Development Inc. have collectively more than 80 years of experience in architecture and urban design, construction and development. A primary mission and focus at ZTA + LD Inc., as exemplified by their award-winning architectural design & community development projects, is service; and service especially to often underserved communities. Their specialty is to create projects, that are environmentally sensitive, organically evolved, and sustainable.

Also, ZTA + LD Inc. recently started a “faith-based initiative” to assist religious organizations in the adaptive, highest and best re-use analysis, for their various religious properties and church sites, that are currently and often under-utilized, to better understand how these locations can be re-planned and re-designed to better serve their congregants and community at large, which is consistent with the church and religious organizations original mission of community service.

Their creative proposed designs and often “mixed-use” solutions have included spaces for worship/fellowship, supportive/multi-family housing, education/preschools and senior assisted/independent living facilities, for example, that by plan and design, have the potential to redefine the church and location, as the evolved community spiritual center, and as a place for sharing/interaction and community involvement.

This event is free to the public. For more information, contact Rev. Jonas Hayes at (562) 420-3393, ext. 12, or Jonas.gracefirst@gmail.com.

Moonlight Movies

Moonlight Movies on the Beach returns with expanded screenings and a nostalgic line-up of movies enjoyed by audiences of all ages.

In its 20th year, the partnership between Kris Gragson, owner of GK Media, and Jesel Ortloff, owner of Alfredo’s Beach Club, remains dedicated to providing box office favorites free to the entire community all summer long. This year’s film festival will take place at three outdoor screenings to be accessible to all neighborhoods in Long Beach and the surrounding areas.

• June 21 – Coco - Granada Beach
• June 28 – Black Widow - Granada Beach
• June 30 – Cruella - LBCC LAC
• July 7 – Wall E - LBCC PCC
• July 12 – Goonies - Granada Beach
• July 14 – Harry Potter Prisoner of Azkaban - LBCC LAC
• July 19 – Dirty Dancing - Granada Beach
• July 21 – Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - LBCC LAC
• July 26 – Encanto - Granada Beach
• August 2 – Weird Science - Granada Beach
• August 4 – Spiderman No Way Home - LBCC PCC
• August 9 – Luca - Granada Beach
• August 11 – Star Wars Rogue One - LBCC LAC
• August 16 – The Princes Bride - Granada Beach
• August 18 – The Wizard of Oz - LBCC LAC

The group will also continue the tradition and coordinate nonprofit donations of essential items to a designated charity each night. Information on those charities will be available on the Moonlight Movies website and social media channels.

Long Beach Transit is the presenting sponsor, and Diamond Sponsors include LBS Financial, Don Temple Storage, LBCC Foundation, Long Beach Local App and Long Beach Stuff.

Info: www.moonlightmoviesonthebeach.com.

Family Arts Festival

Plans for the Long Beach Youth Chorus’ inaugural Long Beach Family Arts Festival, to be held on the grounds of St. Matthew Church on June 25, are ramping up, with performers from all over the city lined up. The festival will feature five of the city’s nonprofits and businesses devoted to training youth and children in the arts.

In addition to the Youth Chorus, the festival will feature two stages, with performances by Musique sur la Mer Youth Orchestra, the Jazz Angels, The Kid’s Theater Company (TKTC) and Kick it Up Dance Studios. There will also be a stage devoted to solo performances by kids from all of the groups.

In addition, the festival will feature hands-on art activities led by Long Beach artist Cody Lusby, a booth for the Long Beach Symphony’s kid-friendly Instrument Petting Zoo and food vendors. The Rose Park Neighborhood Association will also have a booth featuring a participatory activity for kids. All of the performing groups will have a table featuring their work, and information on how to join.

For the Youth Chorus, the festival will follow its three-day Summer Arts Institute, an all-arts immersive summer camp-like experience for children of all ages. For more information, or to register for the Institute, visit https://www.longbeachyouthchorus.org/sai Registration for the Institute, which runs June 22-24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., is $50, but only $25 if coupled with $125 registration for the Long Beach Youth Chorus’ 2022-23 season.

St. Matthew Catholic church is the host for the festival and is the host for the Long Beach Youth Chorus’ rehearsals. It is located at 672 Temple Ave. in Long Beach. Attendees are encouraged to bring folding chairs to enjoy the performances.

Long Beach Pride

Paulina Rubio has been added as a headliner on the Fiesta Caliente Stage for this year’s Long Beach Pride, joining previously announced Fiesta Caliente Latin Stage artist Natalia Jiménez and Urban Soul Stage headliner Iggy Azalea.

This year’s Long Beach Pride (July 9-10) is a two-day waterfront festival offering live music, community programming, sponsor activations, and food and drinks from local area eateries with the annual parade will taking place on Sunday, July 10. Teen Pride will kick things off on the evening of Friday, July 8.

For additional information, visit Long Beach Pride and for tickets, visit Long Beach Pride Tickets.