First Fridays Long Beach

This was our first First Friday in Bixby Knolls and it was really fun! There were 10 musicians set up on Atlantic Ave, all very talented. Our favorite is Mooney Starr, a guitarist we met on 2nd St who told us about First Fridays. He played a song by Cesaria Evora which I loved and now I'm doing a deep dive on all Fado music.Lots of Arts and Crafts from local artists plus tasty baked goods. Absolutely delicious carrot cake from It's Bakin' Time with Christina. The best we've ever had - she takes orders for whole cakes too. [email protected] tabling: Friends of the Long Beach Public Library who are trying to prevent book banning. Important historical displays like Forgotten Images https://forgottenimages.org/ highlighting African American history.We had so many wonderful conversations and had a great time.

Today is the 1st Friday Sept 2nd 20222 Years after covid, world opening up to normal. Mask optional, no social distance..we are happy we enjoy the outdoor that is cooling away from the heat of 93 degree during the day.Tonight is not bad actually, i got my steps in 5k steps walking along Atlantic Blvd, walking by a few political booths, hear the music from different genres, see people dancing, family enjoying time together, businesses getting sales from visitors. Enter the art gallery center, independent artists displaying their works, kids showing their art skills at a table...fun time!More outside, the Alley, night vendors of arts hats, like a night market. See a red bus? Hop on it! Don't be shy. Only once a month on a first Friday from 5pm-9pm.

A great way to experience the community and local businesses while getting some fresh air and a little bit of exercise on Friday evenings. The Big Red Bus transports those who don't want to walk too much, but the area is very walkable. Shops and restaurants open late and have specials to introduce themselves to new customers. Farmers markets and booths line some of the street, with produce and crafts for sale. Musicians are on the street and in the shops, improv at the tea house, and characters dressed up wandering the street make for entertainment all over.First Fridays and Fun Fridays!

First Fridays started out good but quickly became a high school hangout. I quit coming to First Fridays because of the massive crowds of obnoxious high school kids trolling the event. Since COVID, they have been doing a trolley parade through Bixby Knolls. I actually enjoy the parade more than I ever enjoyed the original First Fridays event. The parade is advertised through Facebook, and I wish they would advertise it some other way since not all of us are on Facebook!

Haven't been to First Fridays in two years. Had a great time tonight. A lot of great local musicians, artist and food trucks. The street music was great, the crowds a little young. Saw a lot of high schoolers...but still really enjoyed myself. There was about 4 food trucks and 5 food stands, but not to worry, there's a ton of restaurants and eateries for you to choose from!

After a 2 month hiatus due to construction on Atlantic Ave, First Friday's made a huge comeback last night! Since First Fridays is in our neighborhood, we have attended this event a few times, but last night was by far the most impressive (and most attended) that we have gone to. As we strolled down Atlantic Ave exploring the participating businesses (most serving as makeshift art galleries) there was a wonderful sense of community and some great entertainment. Live music was pumping out of many of the venues, and most were offering appetizers, snacks, and drinks. In addition to art & music, we also saw face painting (lots of good things to do for kids), a handwriting analyst (she was awesome), a avant garde hair show, and a massage therapist. Come out to First Fridays for a great evening & to support local businesses. There's a little something for everyone & a nice way to meet some new folks.

I like the vibe of the event. Plenty of people out on the streets, with live music in at least 20 different locations as you're strolling along. I'll have to try dinner at one of the places on the sidewalk just to get the full experience.I was expecting to see more arts and crafts, but was met with mostly dated, inferior, and low-quality goods in the shops. There were a couple places with more modern hipster art, but that's not really my flavor.Parking is in the residential areas, wherever you find it.

This was my first event, my first First Friday, I'll try not to be frumpy, furry or freaky, just frank. As with any local community event, it takes the support of everyone for any success and that's especially true when attempts are made to improve the stasis marking an area in economic ennui, as in Bixby Knolls. Having lived in the area for over ten years, I cross my fingers whenever any new establishment opens, hoping for success to improve the general prosperity of merchants in this "bedroom community". I'll always visit at least once and pray their business model works and attracts the needed clientele to continue to progress.For my first First Friday, I took a couple friends to the Factory (http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-factory-long-beach#hrid:Sd4WPwtDcpF96-L7yqeRwA) and then we walked the streets stepping into almost every establishment with open doors, paying our respects and noting any special attributes or reason for return. My hair, still chemo-short but growing, was recently colored yet I made a note to return to Salon Medusa (salonmedusa-lb.com) to see what they can do for me after my locks grow some. I was amazed at the collection of pipes and old artwork in the Giltcomplex Antiques store (www.giltcomplexantiques.com). I never knew as much about Long Beach until walking through the displays at the Historical Society (www.hslb.org), I even found out my mom, a "Rosie the Riveter" herself, had a special memorial for her and the many other women who went to "war" in support of our nation in WWII. And then we found ourselves surrounded by local artists and their works in the Expo Furniture building, awash in canvas, paint and models. We enjoyed the free food and drink, friendly merchants and other supporters enjoying First Friday. I wish the event well and hope that many others take advantage of this unique opportunity to see what the local shops and merchants have to offer. It's worth it.

I had no idea what to expect from this event. I saw it advertised on Facebook and decided to give it a shot.The crux of the event is walking up and down Atlantic and trying to avoid people running into you.There are a few tents selling the same stuff you see at the swap mee/farmer's market. The restaurants were packed with families. Parking sucked. I think we ended up in the CVS lot. The only bright spot was the art exhibition at the Expo. I'm assuming they are all local artists. Some were very talented and original, and some look like my crazy neighbor's attempt to emulate Wyland's beach motifs.I did enjoy visiting the Historical Society. Didn't even know that it existed in that location.I don't think we'll be returning. Too many people. Not enough to entertain me.

Boyfriend and I finally made our way to the First Fridays for this month: A great time to spend your Friday if you just want to walk around and look at some cool stuff :D Bring cash just in case you want to buy something. We got there a little earlier, around 6, so it wasn't that packed. Parked in the neighborhood, and started strolling down Atlantic Avenue. We finished the event by 8 and it was packed already.Events for kids: Skating ranks, face painting, music and dances, coloring and even feeding some goats. While we were walking down the street, we saw people dressed up in vintage costumes- we even saw Elvis Presley look-a-like. Jazz bands, cool car shows and restaurants are very welcoming.Free books. Free water bottles. Free food tasting (little farmer's market) I ended up buying cool bracelets for about $5 each. They sell vintage necklaces and tons of bohemian items. I loved Expo the most! Great paintings, cool art works and friendly staff. Inside Expo, there's little stores that sells dope shirts. 2 tees for $25 I believe, if you buy one is $15, so you save $5 (:Oh, there's a big red bus for lazy people! Overall, a great experience to walk around Atlantic Avenue. Tons of hipsters and bops around Jamba Juice. Next month, I will be here again with my parents since it's my mom's birthday that day!