Came here today to check out this arts & Crafts fair. Spent a good 1 to 1.5 hours here looking at…read morebooths, buying some chili sauce, and trying a couple food samples. Food trucks lined the perimeter, didn't get a dish other than buying a can of Orangina to quench thirst on a hot day. Parked in the lot that's near the lifeguard museum, had to walk a good 10 minutes from parking space to the fair.

Patchwork is always a great time when it comes to Long Beach. We tend to lean more towards the…read moreNovember market since we're always on the hunt for cool and unique holiday gifts, but the spring ones are fun too for an afternoon of perusing. Because it's a short walk from Belmont Shore, we typically have brunch nearby so that we not only find a convenient parking spot, but are well caffeinated before taking on the wares of the day. They do have a variety of food trucks available on-site too if get hungry mid-shopping. The saving grace is usually the shaved ice truck, cause it can sometimes get so hot out and it provides a nice little sweet relief. I love that it's free and there's always a good variety of things to look at. Be sure to bring some sunscreen, a hat, and maybe a tote bag in case you score a lot of goodies.

This museum is in a really nice location. It's right next to the beach and you can't beat that. I…read morebought my tickets online and they had a special for 50% off. There's also free parking next to the museum which is a plus. It was my first time at this museum and it's a pretty small museum. When I went, the second floor was closed because there was an event that night. I went to see the Robert Williams exhibit which is on the main floor and there was a lot to see. There's also a lower level with an exhibit for local high school artist which is cool. Although the museum was small I was there for almost an hour. I thought the description of the pieces were very detailed and helped me understand what I was looking at.

This is a review for LBMA as a wedding venue. Wow, what a fabulous event LBMA creates for a…read morecouple's special day. They are professional, flexible and very kind. I loved working with the staff to create the perfect day for my daughter Simone and her new husband Ujwal. The venue is lovely on a warm summer night with the palm trees and the setting sun over the Pacific. Worth every penny! The memories are forever.

We came to Bixby Knoll's First Friday and it was a great event. Live music on every corner, lots of…read moretabling from local organizations and the chance to check out wonderful displays at the Historical Society. We spent a lot of time her speaking with the very knowledgeable gentleman/docent. He showed us all the cool models, pictures, and mostly just told us all kinds of Long Beach stories. It was fascinating. They have a giant old timey map on the wall to see how things used to look in Long Beach. We definitely want to come here again to spend more time looking at all the details!

I finally had the opportunity to check out HSLB during Bixby Knoll's First Fridays. It is located…read moreamong the shops of Atlantic Ave. and the space used to be an old fur coat shop! What initially caught my eye was women's suffrage movement on its window display, and when I walked in, I was busy looking at a model replica of the pike rollercoaster, history timeline of Long Beach, Cambodian population of Long Beach, children's artwork on COVID-19, etc. Every piece inside tells a story about Long Beach, and the historians working there are so knowledgeable. We spent most of our time with Jesse, and he wowed us with many cool stories. For example- did you know that there was a gorgeous auditorium called Crest Theater right across the street from HSLB that is now a shopping mall? Jesse showed us a picture of the old theater at its glory in 1930s, and I was amazed. You can tell that all the historians are excited to share the history and memories of LB to visitors, and I really enjoyed my time here. HSLB is a living archive of Long Beach, and I can't wait to share the word so more people can visit. If you are in the area or want to learn new history about Long Beach, please visit HSLB!

I walked into my third Unique Markets telling myself I would be restrained this time. I should have…read moreknown that wouldn't happen because I'm only half way through and I have 5 bags on my arm. I absolutely adore Unique Markets and make a point to come very time they're in town. For just $15 you can have access to incredible vendors, music, food, art and overall a wonderful group of people. Everyone is so kind and cool and makes you feel at home. Each year the founder and her team (yes HER) work to curate a wide variety of vendors with something for everyone. If you're shopping for a fathers day present or something for yourself you'll find all that and more. I cannot recommend coming enough. They have shows in Portland, DC, Phoenix and LA. If you can, definitely splurge for the $45 VIP bag. Thanks unique markets!

This twice yearly event takes over the top floor of a downtown arts district high rise and is a…read moreblast! Some sticker shock at the entry ($15), but includes a tote bag I keep in the trunk for Erewon runs for a single bottled water (also $15, so a good deal in comparison). About 100 booths of "shop small" businesses, largely handmade stuff including jewelry, soaps, clothing, cards and gifts, tarot, and food. The booths are run by the artists/sellers themselves which is a great way to connect with these super talented entrepreneurs. Hard to make the rounds without picking up a few items and supporting local artists at the same time, most of whom work out of their apartments. There are some foodie freebie samples and a freebie photo booth too. Meters all around downtown but as of this writing (5/23), self-parking in the building was a flat $8. I ended up with a giant chicken named Bella along with cards, stickers and iron-on patches. Yelpers, you will run into people you know, so the 'no sweatpants' rule applies. See you there.

I drive by this theater weekly and never realized it was there. Local theater is a unique…read moreexperience and it's intimate. Beyond grateful to be invited to a local production (yes, we paid for our tickets), as this was the first time experiencing theater in a setting like this. The actors are from our local and surrounding communities. Tickets are affordable and supporting local artists/talent is important. I appreciate a great night of entertainment!

Congratulations! I found a theater that beat the Pantages in discomfort! I know its an old venue…read morebut these are the worst seats I have ever had the displeasure of sitting in for so long. By the end of show my behind hurt, my knees hurt. It was just awful. This is also the first time in my many years of show going I saw (and heard) people leaving during intermission due the discomfort of the seats. One lady even screamed in the narrow passage way to I assume the rest of her party (MY KNEES CANT TAKE ANYMORE). Her husband then said yeah Im running her home and ill be back. This was my first time going to this theater so my first impressions were good at first. Staff seemed personable. We went to see August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean. I have never been to a theater in a U shape before. I have decided I dont care for it. There were so many times where I didnt know what was going on because the actors back was to me. I dont know if there was a kiss, a nose snuggle, who knows. My partner also point out that in one scene on our side we saw that one actor was rubbing anothers foot. This was how the piece came back from the dark. He pointed out that the folks on the other side had zero clue because they just saw her back. He also pointed out how much wasnt really used and the set could have been "pushed back" for better viewing and I agree. I also found it distracting for me to see the audience across, folks were laughing and speaking in times that didnt call for it and for someone like me who is ever observant it was a distraction. Final complaint the smoke machine was too much for me. It literally made me start coughing. The people I was with also said it got to them in other ways. The sound was good, lighting good. If I am invited back to a performance at this place as I was this time, I would have to see the run time of the piece. This piece went on for almost 3 hours and oh how could I forget started close to 20 minutes late! Just not cool man. As a first time goer it made me wonder if this is the norm for this theater and would have to keep that in mind as well.

Midsummer Scream was, well, a scream in so many ways! 2026 was their 10th year and they went all…read moreout to celebrate (as did us)! Wifey and I splurged on Gold Bat Passes this year and if you think it doesn't make a difference - it really does! With the convention getting bigger and bigger each year, Gold Bat is the way to go so you can see everything and not get FOMO. It comes with admittance for the entire weekend, priority entrance for Friday night, entrance an hour early on Saturday and Sunday, entrance to the Saturday night after-party, and priority entrance for panels and mazes. We booked a room at the hotel next door for the weekend so we got to come/go to drop off goodies when our hands got full. Speaking of which, there are so many vendors in all corners of the convention center that sell anything/everything Halloween and horror related. You're going to want to bring a bag, but if you don't they also pass out plenty of free tote bags (we got 6 just walking around!). Celebrities are aplenty taking photos and autographing stuff for fans. They can get a bit pricey, but if you're a fan it's hard not to convince yourself to splurge. It's the 30th year anniversary of Scream, so they had plenty of actors (and Marco Beltrami) appear. We took a picture with Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard (both of which couldn't have been nicer). Lots of Ghostface fans in costumes and masks! There are food vendors inside as well, but they're so pricey that you might as well go outside and walk to a nearby restaurant (unless you're super hangry and need an emergency fix). For drinks we had to go with our reliable Horror Vibes Coffee and then topped it off with sweet treats from Deadly Sweet (they consistently had one of the longest lines each day but their cookies are to die for!). The Hall of Shadows is their dark hall filled with haunted attractions/mazes by home haunters and professionals alike. Some experiences are shorter than others, but it hits the spot until proper spooky season in October (though every season is spooky season if you got the horror within you). There's a lot of fog machines so watch your step! This is really one of the better Gold Bat perks - instead of waiting in the General Admission line, you get your own shorter line and basically walk right to the front. We walked right on in for the majority of the mazes! There's an after-party on Saturday night that we were interested in, so we checked it out since we didn't have to pay extra for it. It was in the main ballroom with photo ops on the sides and tables/chairs surrounding the huge dance floor. The energy was kind of buns though - it took a long while for the dancing to fully swing into motion. Lots of lurkers staring from the sides and standing on the dance floor so heavy middle school vibes. Naturally a lot of fans had been there all day so the stank was overwhelming! The after-party also comes with a separate karaoke room and a screening room for a horror movie. If you're a horror/Halloween lover and haven't been to Midsummer Scream - for shame! It's so much fun with so many photo ops around, so much memorabilia/merch, so many free/discounted tickets for other events like Haunted Hayride, and so many fans united in spookiness. If you're thinking about going, follow them on social media and scoop up the Gold Bats as soon as they're available because they'll sell out quick. We can't wait to come back and make this a yearly tradition! We're already 2 years down and we found out that this is the last year Midsummer Scream will be in Long Beach. They have officially grown so much that in 2027 they're moving to Anaheim! We were there for the end of an era, and we'll be there for the beginning of the next!

I have always wanted to go to this convention/expo since I am a spooky girl. As a birthday gift, my…read morefiancé gifted me a pass for both of us this past Saturday. Unfortunately, when we arrived, the line was so long that it took us at least an hour and a half to enter the actual event. It was well worth the wait, and surprisingly, it went by fast, although we got sunburnt. I highly recommend investing in the VIP pass to avoid the long lines because this keeps getting busier each year. The convention itself is pretty cool, especially if you are a fan of everything spooky. You can find unique merch from small businesses such as Backstitch Bruja, Spooksieboo, DIY Light Guy, Bob Gurr, and Black Mast. Plus, there are many event attendees dressed as your favorite monster or whatever your little dark heart desires. Saw many cool costumes, and I was able to capture some in my photos. Convention parking is throughout the convention area in adjacent lots, and I paid $30 to park and walked over to the convention. I suggest trying to get an Uber if you do not want to deal with the traffic getting into a lot. You will be paying around the same amount or possibly more during peak times. There are also food trucks throughout the expo and snacks to enjoy while shopping, browsing, and having fun. In the Hall of Shadows, there are many mazes and photo ops to enjoy. Not too spooky, but you can get a feel of how Universal Horror Nights or Knott's Scary Farm is. So much fun! There are lots of panels, celebrity signings, Casa de Calaveras, and a Black Cat Lounge, but some lines were long, so I didn't get to experience them except for the Casa de Calaveras, which was pretty cool. Can't wait for next year's event, and I will for sure be purchasing the VIP pass to be able to experience more and get more out of my pass. Such a fun and spooky day!

Came here today for the first time to enjoy the festival. Saw NO cherry blossom trees though…read more Picked up some Torrance city related swag and saw some vendor booths. Ate 2 pizzas from the food trucks on site. Picnic under the trees with shade. Kids played in the playground area nearby. Saw a cultural performance. Glad the weather was nice to enjoy this Saturday.

Great local cherry Blossum hosted by city of Torrance. Bring a picnic blanket and hang out on the…read moregrass with venders, food trucks and cultural performances throughout the day. Great family fun!

You know, I've worked at two different art museums, and I'm still not what you'd call an "art…read morebuff," ...I'm more of what's you'd call "a lot buff!" *rimshot* Thanks folks, I'll be here all week. Take my wife, please. Boy are my arms tired. I'm pretty sure Grand Central Art Center is my new fave part of downtown Santa Ana. It's part grad student studios/other exhibitions/sales galleries. And, let me tell you, this is one top notch art gallery. Coming from a non-art buff, that means a whole helluva lot, doesn't it? Well, it should - because if I, a person who thinks Damien Hirst is just complete bullshit, then it should mean something to you. I'd say 85% of the works in this gallery caught my attention - a much higher ratio that the rest of the galleries around here. They've got some cutting edge stuff, a lot of trendy stuff and a dash of traditional sorta stuff. The space is top notch too. I love the way the different galleries are setup. But wait...there's more. On this particular art walk night that I went, they had posters of their upcoming exhibitions. Don't you roll your eyes and say "so what." These posters were the best free posters I've ever seen. Printed on fine quality paper with awesome designs. Oh, and FREE. Duh. Thumbs Up: -Non boring art. -If you're lookin' to buy, there is art here you can actually afford. Well, not you, but you over there...you can afford it. -Next to just about everything cool in Downtown Santa Ana. -Free food and drink during art walk! Thumbs Down: -It may end up being my second favorite thing after I finally visit Lola Gaspar across the way.

During the OC Yelp Elite Event here in March, a fascinating piece of artwork caught my eye…read more And no, for those who were there, it was not the Hitler Head teapot. Yes, I agree. W.T.F. Anyways, the husband and I saw a really cool piece of art and inquired about it a few days after the event. The price was right but we had some difficulty actually buying it. Let's just say there was a lack of communication with the curator and it took both my husband and I multiple attempts to buy the piece...over a month later. Whatever. But I would like to add that Alyssa, the curatorial assistant, was very helpful once we were able to finally pick it up. The experience of buying the art was a headache, but I actually really like the gallery. They show very eclectic genres of art and a wide range of contemporary artists - from cult artist "Dark Vomit" (scary!) to Thomas Kinkade (even scarier!). But the stuff in between is really cool. Take an afternoon and go check it out. The Artists Village in Santa Ana is one of the cooler neighborhoods of OC and Grand Central Art Center is, by far, one of the better art centers.