This Weekend in Long Beach

The JazzTrax Festival is the world’s longest-running smooth jazz festival, celebrating the genre since 1987. Each weekend begins with Unplugged Under the Stars at Descanso Beach Club, followed by performances inside the historic 1929 Casino Ballroom.

Back in the early 20th century, the unofficial ‘California Arts' movement began, a free-spirited time with a “make your own rules” ethos that continues today in an exhibition called “California Dreaming,” curated by Loiter Galleries. Located off the pedestrian Promenade in Downtown Long Beach, this nonprofit art space will host the exhibition featuring photography, paintings, mixed media works, and sculptures by four diverse artists in October and November. A grand opening will be held on October 11 from 5 to 8 PM during Downtown Long Beach’s Art + Design Walk.

HEATHERS: The Musical is the darkly delicious satire based on the iconic teen-comedy movie of the '80s. Veronica Sawyer, a brainy teenage misfit, hustles her way into the most powerful and ruthless clique at Westerberg High: the Heathers.

Building upon the success and energy of “Kill Tony”, "Killers of Kill Tony" showcases the diverse talent pool of comedians who have graced the stage of the original podcast with their wit, humor, and unique comedic styles. “Killers of Kill Tony” will feature your favorite characters doing their longer stand-up sets, all in one night.

An irreverent, darkly comic, modern take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous sleuth and sidekick, this fast-paced romp re-examines the world’s most famous detective story with a bold new feminist lens.

Formula Drift is the premier international showcase of the auto-racing phenomenon known as drifting, where drivers intentionally oversteer their vehicles to cause them to slip and slide across the track in a thrilling display of controlled chaos. Long Beach hosts the 2025 finale on a BRAND-NEW one-of-one street layout.

The El Dorado Nature Center is hosting a Halloween event for the whole family! Trick or treat through the trails on this hare-rasing adventure. Visit the animal education village and listen to shivery stories on the spooktacular stage. Bounce yourself silly at the Ohhh-possum Patch, and grab some ghoulish grub for the road. Don’t forget to wear your Howl-o-Ween finest. This is a family friendly event, but please leave your four-legged fantastic beasts at home.

"Sprezzatura" is an Italian term meaning effortless mastery or the art of making something difficult look easy -- directed by Gonzalo Ruiz, this program displays such a virtue in spades over a vibrant journey from early Baroque pearls by Francesca Caccini and Isabella Leonarda, through tempestuous instrumental works of Antonio Vivaldi and Gioachino Rossini, then offering (without refusal) modern cinematic themes from Nino Rota.

Celebrate local literature in Belmont Shore with a full day of books, poetry, panels, and live music. Meet and support over 50 local writers, publishers, and poets while discovering new works and enjoying engaging discussions and activities.

Secret Island will host Freaky Tiki, a Halloween experience like no other. Spread across four levels of fun, the event will feature two stages of live music and DJs, electrifying live entertainment, and exciting costume contests. Guests can also enjoy exclusive rum tastings and plenty of surprises throughout the day.

Composer, conductor, and author Jack Curtis Dubowsky and his Jack Curtis Dubowsky Ensemble return this Halloween with Dubowsky’s original score to FW Murnau’s chilling 1922 horror classic NOSFERATU at the historic Art Theatre of Long Beach. Summoned to a bloodthirsty vampire's faraway castle, a young land clerk embarks on a harrowing journey into the unknown as his innocent wife falls under the spell of a terrifying shadow in her dreams.