Long Beach Summer Events Series

Long Beach loves an outdoor event that combines food, music, and local flavor, and the summer calendar is just packed with such shindigs. These event series are free or low cost and bring out the best of what our city has to offer when the weather is perfect for getting out and enjoying it all.

STROLL & SAVOR

Come hungry to Stroll & Savor, the Belmont Shore Business Association's most popular event of the year. Over 50 eateries will be participating, providing samples of food and drink along 30 blocks of Second Street in Belmont Shore. Past delicacies have included everything from sliders to cupcakes to fried oysters. In 2023, these events will be held on two consecutive nights each month from May through August. Purchase a sheet of 12 tickets for $15 at Second Street shops starting the Friday before or at the Chase bank on Second Street the night of the event.

Credit: Vixen Creative Agency

BEACH STREETS

During Beach Streets, Long Beach gets to tout its reputation as the most bike-friendly city in the United States, closing off its thoroughfares to vehicle traffic and opening them up to pedestrians, cyclists, and skateboarders. On May 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Beach Streets will close down Broadway from Pine Avenue downtown to Euclid Avenue in Belmont Heights. Festival hubs will be set up along the route, with stages for live music and DJs, kids activities like face painting and bike decorating, skate demos, and more.

Credit: City of Long Beach

LONG BEACH MUNICIPAL BAND

Nothing says summer quite like lounging on a blanket at sundown with a picnic while a big band pumps out a Sousa march. The longest running municipal band in the country, the Long Beach Municipal Band celebrates its 114th season in 2023, providing free concerts in half a dozen park locations around the city throughout the summer. In addition to their crowd-pleasing repertoire of favorites played in the first half of each concert, the band shrinks down to a smaller combo with a star vocalist for a jazzier act after sundown.

MONTHLY NEIGHBORHOOD FAIRS

In Long Beach, we’ve got First Fridays, Fourth Fridays, and Second Saturdays, so your calendar is going to need some color coding. First Fridays in Bixby Knolls centers around the Expo Art Center and stretches along Atlantic Avenue, with live music, food, and special deals and activities at businesses along the route. On Fourth Fridays, vendors, artists, and musicians line 4th Street’s Retro Row, from Temple to Hermosa Avenue. Downtown Long Beach hosts the year round Long Beach Art Walk on Second Saturdays, featuring food and drink, artists from local galleries, and live performances.

TASTE OF DOWNTOWN

Taste of Downtown is an annual event series hosted by the Downtown Long Beach Alliance showcasing the city’s diverse community of chefs, brewers, and mixologists accompanied by live bands and DJs. Upcoming dates include June 7 and 8 at Pine and Promenade and August 9 and 10 on the Waterfront. Admission is free, but be sure to purchase tasting tickets (20 tickets for $20) to sample the event’s culinary delights. Pro tip: If you have any leftover tickets in June, use them at the next Taste event in August.

About the Author

Claire Atkinson

Claire Atkinson is a Southern California native who has lived in Long Beach for nearly 20 years. She spends her free time visiting local parks, farmers markets, and museums, and loves learning about Long Beach history and culture.