Despite festival’s last-minute cancellation, Long Beach Pride Parade goes off without a hitch

The Long Beach Pride Parade and a last-minute community event at Bixby Park went off without a hitch on Sunday, May 17, despite the unexpected cancellation of the associated two-day festival.
The festival, which is organized and funded by the nonprofit Long Beach Pride, was canceled on Friday evening, May 15, shortly before the weekend’s events were set to kick off with Teen Pride that night. The festival was scheduled to take place both Saturday and Sunday.
Though Long Beach Pride did not provi...

Long Beach Pride Festival cancelled amid safety permit issue; parade to carry on as usual

The Long Beach Pride Festival — a staple event that’s celebrated the LGBTQ+ community for the past four decades — has been cancelled, according to the event’s organizers and the city, with the latter citing an apparent permitting issue.
Long Beach Pride, the nonprofit that organizes the festival each year, said in a Friday statement that the festival had been cancelled and urging the city of Long Beach to “engage in good faith” to find a way to make the event happen this year. The Long Beach Pri...

Here’s how you can celebrate the World Cup in Long Beach for free

Soccer fans across the world are gearing up for the 2026 World Cup, which is slated to get underway June 11.
And it’s the same in Long Beach, where the city is preparing to host a slew of watch parties and other fan events to help residents enjoy the soccer tournament locally as part of its L.A. Galaxy Soccer Celebration.
The city initially announced its intentions to host multiple events throughout the World Cup, which will run through July 19, in collaboration with the L.A. Galaxy and the Down...

Long Beach Coast, city’s professional baseball team, gearing up for start of inaugural season

The Long Beach Coast, the city’s new professional baseball team, is just days away from the start of its inaugural season and the team is getting ready to celebrate.
The Coast will have its inaugural game against the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds at Bryant Field in Marysville on Tuesday, May 19. Since the venue is a bit of a long drive for Long Beach locals, the team is planning to host a watch party at Trademark Brewing that day starting at 6 p.m.
Trademark Brewing, according to a recent announcement f...

Learn how to stay safe in the water at upcoming Long Beach workshop

If you’re planning to spend any time in the water — whether outdoors or inside — as the weather continues to warm up, Long Beach has a workshop for you.
The city’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Marine, alongside the Fire Department, will host Water Safety Day in May, offering life-saving skills and basic safety tips for recreating in the water.
“As summer approaches, Water Safety Day is an opportunity to equip our community with life-saving skills, build confidence in and around the water...

Lupe Fiasco, Kings of Chaos rock Grand Prix of Long Beach during evening concerts

While the first two days of the Grand Prix of Long Beach are all about motorsports and building hype leading into the final day’s titular IndyCar Series race — the nights belong to music-lovers.
Rapper and singer Lupe Fiasco got the party started on Friday night, April 17, with a show that had a West Coast hip-hop vibe.
Hundreds of excited fans converged on the Terrance Theater Plaza to watch Lupe Fiasco cap off the first day of Grand Prix festivities. DJ Smokey helped get the crowd ready, playi...

Day 2 of the Grand Prix of Long Beach underway, with IMSA race Saturday’s highlight

Editor’s note: This story will be updated throughout the day. Check back for updates.
The second day of the Grand Prix of Long Beach, highlighted by the International Motor Sports Association SportsCar Grand Prix and the traditional Saturday night concert, is underway.
And the thousands of fans who are expected to fill the concourse on Saturday, April 18, are in for a busy day.
Friday, which typically has smaller crowds than Saturday and Sunday, was easygoing, albeit a bit busy, with only one r...

2026 Grand Prix of Long Beach: First day draws crowds from across the region — and other states

The 2026 Grand Prix of Long Beach is officially off to the races, with Day 1 of the weekend racing spectacle kicking into high speed on Friday, April 17.
Southern California’s 200-mph beach party kicked off its first day around 7:30 a.m., beginning a three-day motorsports spectacle featuring everything from historic muscle cars to the titular NTT IndyCar race, which will take place on Sunday.
The city’s biggest annual event is expected to draw close to 200,000 people during its run. Day 1 starte...

2026 Grand Prix of Long Beach: Here’s your go-to guide for the race and everything else

The 51st Grand Prix of Long Beach has nearly arrived and as usual, the Southern California News Group is here to help you make the most of the weekendlong event.
With so much to see and do at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, which will take place Friday to Sunday, April 17-19, it’s easy to succumb to decision fatigue and end up not taking full advantage of what Southern California’s 200-mph beach party has to offer.
But with this handy-dandy go-to guide, we’ll make sure you’re equipped with all the...

2026 Grand Prix of Long Beach: The big race is getting a makeover

This year’s Grand Prix of Long Beach may look a little different.
That’s because the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, with help from the event’s new owner, Penske Entertainment, is taking steps to remodel and touch-up various aspects of the massive event concourse, ranging from replacing old grandstands to planting new flowers and everything in between.
But the many upgrades the Grand Prix’s organizers have in mind won’t happen all at once, according to association CEO and President Jim Lia...

2026 Grand Prix of Long Beach returns for 51st year next weekend

Long Beach is getting ready for one of the region’s biggest events, the Grand Prix of Long Beach, which is set to return next weekend for its 51st year.
The three-day racing extravaganza, which draws nearly 200,000 people to Long Beach’s downtown and waterfront each year, is set to return from Friday to Sunday, April 17-19, offering tons of action for racing superfans and casual viewers alike. This year, however, will miss the presence of longtime Grand Prix leader Jim Michaelian, who died in Ma...

Photos: Annual Easter egg hunt rolls out in Long Beach’s Belmont Heights area

Residents from around Long Beach’s Belmont Heights area gathered at the Red Car Greenbelt on Saturday to kick off Easter celebrations one day early.
The Belmont Heights Community Association’s annual Easter egg hunt returned this year, sending excited participants on the hunt for 12 golden eggs — and thousands of others spread around the park.
Aside from the egg hunt, the event also featured an appearance from Belmont the Bunny for special Easter photos.

Residents from around Long Beach’s Belmo...

Long Beach cuts ties with homeless services provider amid ongoing city audit

Long Beach has contracted with a new organization to oversee and manage homeless services at city-run shelters, according to a Wednesday, April 1, announcement, ending its relationship with nonprofit First to Serve amid an ongoing investigation by the City Auditor’s office.
Long Beach has contracted with First to Serve, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization founded in 1996, to manage and operate its homeless shelters since 2022. But, because of “contract compliance issues” identified by the...

Pam Bondi, despite firing, will still need to answer to Congress about Epstein files, House Democrats say

Even though Pam Bondi is no longer serving as the U.S. attorney general, congressional Democrats say she will still need to answer to lawmakers about her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation and more.
Democratic Reps. Robert Garcia and Dave Min both called for Bondi to comply with a House Oversight Committee subpoena on Thursday, following news of her departure from the Trump administration.
Garcia, from Long Beach, serves as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Commi...
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