Long Beach Weekend Guide (Sept. 17–20): 33rd Long Beach Q Film Festival Opens at Aquarium, New Westside Night Market, Khmer Town Food Fair, Library Rain-Stick Workshop and Silent-Disco HIIT

Table of Contents

1. Key Highlights:
2. Introduction
3. 33rd Long Beach Q Film Festival: Gala Opening at The Honda Pacific Visions Theater
4. From a Bed Sheet to a 33-Year Run: The Origin and Growth of the Q Film Festival
5. Night Markets as Neighborhood Development Tools: Westside Night Market and the Westside Promise
6. Khmer Town Night Market: Food, Family and Long Beach’s Cambodian Community
7. Crafting and Cultural Education: Make Your Own Rain Stick at Bach Neighborhood Library
8. Silent-Disco HIIT at Ballast Point: What to Expect When Fitness Meets Beer
9. Weekend Logistics and Practical Guidance
10. Why These Events Matter: Cultural Representation and Local Economy
11. How to Make the Most of the Weekend: Strategy and Tips
12. Broader Context: Festivals as Cultural Infrastructure
13. Voices from the Weekend: What Community Participation Looks Like
14. Looking Ahead: What Continued Support Could Mean
15. FAQ

Key Highlights:

• The 33rd Long Beach Q Film Festival opens Thursday, Sept. 17 with a gala screening at The Honda Pacific Visions Theater at the Aquarium of the Pacific; the festival runs Sept. 17–20 and features more than 50 films, including selections from Cannes, Sundance and Tribeca.
• New and returning community events across West Long Beach—Westside Night Market (third Fridays in Sept., Oct., Nov.) and the Khmer Town Night Market—bring food, makers and cultural programming that connect long-established local communities with small-business opportunities.
• Family-friendly cultural programming continues with the Long Beach Public Library’s Vida Latina rain-stick craft at Bach Neighborhood Library, while fitness and socializing collide at Ballast Point’s silent-disco HIIT with a complimentary beer.

Introduction

Four days of events across Long Beach—from a high-profile queer film festival opening at one of the city’s landmark cultural institutions to block-party night markets, a library craft honoring Indigenous Latin American traditions, and an unusual fitness-and-beer offering—demonstrate how arts, food and community festivals shape the city’s rhythm each fall. The calendar from Sept. 17 through 20 mixes large-scale presentation with neighborhood-level commerce and cultural celebration, offering multiple ways for residents and visitors to engage with the city’s creative life.

The Long Beach Q Film Festival’s opening-night gala at the Aquarium of the Pacific links the civic and the cultural: a documentary about Billie Jean King anchors a program curated by the festival’s founder, Robert Cano, who remembers the festival’s origin with a friend’s projector and a bedsheet. That origin story sits beside newer civic investments like the Westside Promise plan and long-standing community anchors, such as Long Beach’s Khmer community, whose night market draws families, chefs and vendors to Freeman Avenue. Meanwhile, public institutions like the Long Beach Public Library stage educational and cultural programs that intersect with Hispanic Heritage Month. Taken together, the weekend reflects the layered ways local culture is produced—by institutions, grassroots organizers, artists and entrepreneurs.

33rd Long Beach Q Film Festival: Gala Opening at The Honda Pacific Visions Theater

The 33rd annual Long Beach Q Film Festival begins on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. with a gala screening of Give Me The Ball!, a documentary about Billie Jean King. The opening-night event takes place at The Honda Pacific Visions Theater within the Aquarium of the Pacific, an atmospheric venue that brings together film, marine-themed architecture and an audience capacity suitable for a gala-style launch.

Robert Cano, founder and programmer of the festival, highlighted how selections were culled from screenings at major international festivals including Cannes, Sundance and Tribeca. That curatorial approach signals the festival’s dual mission: to screen high-quality, broadly visible works and to connect Long Beach audiences with films that might otherwise only be seen on the festival circuit. The presence of films sourced from Cannes and Sundance raises the festival’s profile and often attracts filmmakers, critics and community members who follow festival programming.

Give Me The Ball!—a documentary centered on Billie Jean King—frames the opening night through the lens of sports, social change and personal history. Billie Jean King’s career as a tennis champion and an advocate for gender equality makes her a compelling subject for a film festival that foregrounds queer perspectives and histories. Opening nights for queer film festivals traditionally combine celebration with political and cultural recognition; choosing a documentary about a nationally recognized figure amplifies that intention.

Why the Aquarium? Programming at cultural sites like the Aquarium of the Pacific creates a distinct setting for film exhibition. The Pacific Visions Theater integrates visual spectacle and civic space. Audiences attending the gala experience more than a screening; they are attending a public event that includes red-carpet elements, pre- or post-screening gatherings and a sense of occasion that elevates the festival’s visibility. For first-time attendees, that contrast—between the intimacy of many festival screenings and the scale of a gala at the Aquarium—underscores the festival’s growth.

Practical notes for attendees:

• The festival takes place from Sept. 17–20. Full schedules and ticket purchases are available through the festival’s Eventive page.
• Opening night starts at 6:30 p.m. Arrive early for parking, seat selection and possible pre-screening activities.
• The Aquarium of the Pacific has public parking and is transit-accessible; expect higher demand for parking during the gala.

From a Bed Sheet to a 33-Year Run: The Origin and Growth of the Q Film Festival

The Long Beach Q Film Festival’s origin story has straightforward, grassroots charm: a friend’s projector and a clean sheet. Robert Cano recalls the festival’s early shows at Cal State Long Beach, where an opening-night audience far exceeded the theater’s intended capacity. That anecdote captures the festival’s trajectory from a small, community-driven event to a multi-day festival that programs more than 50 films from around the world.

That growth reflects two intersecting trends in regional film festival development. First, community festivals that begin as volunteer-run programs often evolve as programming expertise, audience demand and municipal support accumulate. Second, queer film festivals have historically operated as both cultural hubs and safe spaces: they present films that center queer lives and provide forums for community conversations, panels and artist meet-and-greets. Over three decades, the Long Beach Q Film Festival has become an institutional fixture that both serves and showcases the region’s LGBTQ+ communities.

Programming choices also shape a festival’s identity. Cano’s selection of films seen at Cannes, Sundance and Tribeca demonstrates a curatorial ambition to align local programming with international standards. Festival programmers balance visibility—seeking high-profile films that draw audiences—with the mission to amplify marginalized voices. For filmmakers, regional festivals like Long Beach’s offer distribution pathways: a positive reception can spark interest from distributors or other festivals, and local visibility strengthens a film’s profile in its community of origin.

The festival’s history also offers lessons in sustainability. Volunteer energy, partnerships with local institutions (like universities and cultural venues), and a steady commitment to curation have kept the festival active for 33 years. For organizers elsewhere, the festival’s story suggests a replicable pattern: begin with strong community ties, maintain consistent programming standards, and adapt with new venues and partnerships as audience capacity grows.

Night Markets as Neighborhood Development Tools: Westside Night Market and the Westside Promise

Long Beach is expanding the neighborhood night-market concept with a new Westside Night Market scheduled for the third Friday of September, October and November. The markets align with the city’s Westside Promise investment plan, a targeted strategy designed to bolster and reinvest in West Long Beach neighborhoods.

Night markets operate at the intersection of commerce, culture and civic investment. They create low-cost opportunities for small entrepreneurs to test products, build brand awareness and directly reach customers. For communities that have experienced disinvestment, markets act as microeconomic engines: food vendors sell out, artisans make direct sales, and residents find gathering places that are accessible and neighborhood-rooted.

The Westside Night Market’s rotating schedule—third Fridays through the fall—builds predictability into civic programming. Regularity helps vendors plan production and gives residents a recurring social event. City planners and organizers often prefer recurring markets because they produce cumulative benefits: vendors who start at a weekly or monthly market can establish steady customer bases and may graduate to brick-and-mortar operations.

Expectations for attendees:

• Food and drink options will include local vendors and small-business operators based in West Long Beach. The market is also a public engagement opportunity: staff from the Long Beach Post will be present to meet residents and collect feedback via a survey.
• Markets are family-friendly environments, best visited during evening hours when cooler temperatures make outdoor dining pleasant.
• Bringing cash remains useful for transactions—though most vendors accept cards, smaller stalls may prefer cash.

For vendors and entrepreneurs:

• Markets provide exposure without the overhead of long-term retail leases.
• Successful stalls focus on a concise menu, speed of service and consistent pricing.
• Market organizers often provide setup details (table requirements, electricity availability, and load-in windows) weeks in advance.

Khmer Town Night Market: Food, Family and Long Beach’s Cambodian Community

Long Beach has one of the largest Cambodian communities outside of Cambodia, and the Khmer Town Night Market, hosted by the United Cambodian Community of Long Beach, showcases that community’s culinary and cultural vibrancy. The market will be held in the Freeman Avenue parking lot at F&M Bank on Saturday, Sept. 19, running from noon to 8 p.m.

The market’s vendor lineup highlights the ways community entrepreneurs adapt and innovate in diaspora contexts. Battambong BBQ blends Texas-style barbecue with Cambodian flavors—an example of culinary fusion that builds bridges between regional American food traditions and Southeast Asian cooking techniques. Sotheavy Khmer Food and sweets vendors like Xao Joint and Boba Bestie complete a menu that ranges from savory comfort to contemporary dessert trends.

Community-run markets often do more than sell food; they become gathering sites for families, places for local nonprofits to recruit volunteers, and venues for cultural preservation. Those markets create visibility for vendors who operate pop-ups or take part-time gigs, offering them steadier revenue while preserving community culinary practices for younger generations.

Practical considerations for attending:

• The market’s noon start time makes it accessible to families and older adults who prefer daytime events.
• Expect a mix of prepared foods and packaged items suitable for take-home.
• Bringing a reusable container or bag helps reduce single-use waste and supports sustainable vendor practices.

Long Beach’s Khmer Town Night Market reflects a broader municipal trend: recognizing and integrating immigrant and refugee community institutions into neighborhood planning. When civic programs support cultural markets, they help preserve place-based traditions while creating pathways for economic mobility.

Crafting and Cultural Education: Make Your Own Rain Stick at Bach Neighborhood Library

The Bach Neighborhood Library’s Vida Latina series marks Hispanic Heritage Month with a family-friendly workshop that teaches participants how to make their own rain sticks. The program combines hands-on craftmaking with a short lesson about the Indigenous history and cultural significance of the instrument across Latin America.

Rain sticks are percussion instruments traditionally associated with various Indigenous groups in Latin America; they mimic the sound of falling rain and have been used in ceremonies and as a musical accompaniment. The library workshop emphasizes context as well as construction: participants learn about the instrument’s cultural origins while assembling a simple, tactile object. Craft-based programming like this advances multiple public-library goals: lifelong learning, cultural literacy and community building.

A typical rain-stick workshop structure:

• Short introduction: a facilitator explains the instrument’s origins, its role in different Indigenous communities, and the science behind how it produces sound.
• Materials and demonstration: basic materials—cardboard tubes, nails or small pegs, rice or beans, caps for the tube ends, and decorative materials—are presented. Facilitators show the sequence for inserting pegs and sealing the tube.
• Guided assembly: participants create their rain sticks, adding personal decorations, then test the instruments and share what they learned.

Benefits for families and learners:

• Hands-on cultural education fosters intergenerational conversation about heritage and tradition.
• Craftwork supports fine-motor skills for children and offers adults a low-barrier creative project.
• The library setting reinforces that civic institutions can be sites of cultural exchange, not only repositories of books.

Participants planning to attend should check the library’s event page for age recommendations, registration requirements and any material restrictions. Programs that honor Hispanic Heritage Month often attract diverse audiences; register early if the workshop has limited capacity.

Silent-Disco HIIT at Ballast Point: What to Expect When Fitness Meets Beer

Ballast Point’s Long Beach tasting room will host a one-hour, silent-disco-style high-intensity interval training (HIIT) class on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 9 a.m. Participants receive wireless headphones through which they listen to a curated workout playlist. The event includes a complimentary drink from Ballast Point, a popular local brewery on Marina Drive.

Silent-disco workouts translate a normally music-driven studio experience into an individually mediated one by using wireless headphones. Benefits include:

• Noise control: headphones keep ambient noise in check, which is useful for outdoor locations or for venues concerned about neighborhood sound regulations.
• Personalized volume: attendees control their own listening levels.
• Novelty and social energy: silent-disco formats create a sense of communal participation even when participants aren’t listening to the same audible music.

HIIT’s structure—periods of short, intense exercise followed by recovery—fits well into a one-hour class. Pairing a workout with a brewery taproom is increasingly common: breweries and distilleries often host fitness events to broaden their daytime foot traffic, create social programming and build community connection beyond the evening drinking crowd.

What to bring and what to expect:

• Bring your own mat and a water bottle. The class price is $42.40 and includes headphones for the session plus a complimentary drink.
• Expect a curated playlist synchronized with workout intervals; instructors typically cue movements via the headphones or visually.
• Arrive early to sign waivers, pick up headphones and set up a personal space.
• Check for class intensity—HIIT can be demanding. Many studios or event hosts provide modifications for varying fitness levels, but participants should review any pre-event descriptions.

Examples from other cities show this model’s appeal. Breweries in Los Angeles, San Diego and other metro areas host yoga, strength classes and community runs paired with drink specials or a free post-workout beverage. Those events broaden a brewery’s customer base and allow fitness instructors to reach new audiences in informal settings.

Weekend Logistics and Practical Guidance

A concentrated weekend like this benefits from pragmatic planning. Below are logistical considerations that help attendees maximize the experience and prepare for contingencies.

Tickets and reservations:

• Q Film Festival: Showtimes and tickets are listed on the festival’s Eventive page. Purchasing in advance is recommended for popular screenings and gala events.
• Ballast Point HIIT: Tickets are sold through the Ballast Point events portal. The price includes headphones and a complimentary drink.
• Night markets and library workshops: Many markets are free to attend. Workshops may require prior registration through the library’s events page.

Transportation and parking:

• The Aquarium of the Pacific offers on-site parking but expect high demand for opening-night events; ride-share and public transit reduce parking stress.
• Freeman Avenue (Khmer Town) and West Long Beach markets are accessible by car and local bus routes; markets often have temporary street closures, so check traffic advisories.
• Ballast Point on Marina Drive sits near waterfront parking and public transit lines; early arrival minimizes walking distance.

Accessibility and accommodations:

• Major institutions like the Aquarium and the Long Beach Public Library provide ADA-accessible facilities; check venue pages for specific accommodations, including captioning for film festivals or wheelchair seating availability.
• Market terrain varies; bring comfortable shoes and be mindful that older adults may prefer daytime markets.

Weather considerations:

• Fall in Southern California usually offers mild weather, but outdoor events can be affected by wind or unexpected rain. Markets sometimes proceed with tents or temporary shelters; for film screenings at indoor venues like the Aquarium, indoor programming continues unaffected.

Family considerations:

• The Bach Neighborhood Library workshop is explicitly family-friendly. Markets are generally suitable for families, though late-night hours may be less ideal for young children. Festival screenings vary by rating and subject matter; check film descriptions for content advisories.

Safety and health:

• Check the event’s official pages for any current health or safety requirements. Masking policies, for example, depend on venue rules and local public-health guidance.

Why These Events Matter: Cultural Representation and Local Economy

Events like the Long Beach Q Film Festival and neighborhood night markets play complementary roles in civic life. Film festivals showcase narratives and artists, advancing cultural representation and critical dialogue. Night markets and community fairs stimulate neighborhood economies and provide low-barrier entrepreneurship pathways for food vendors and makers.

Cultural representation:

• Queer film festivals center LGBTQ+ storytelling, which mainstream distribution channels often overlook. Screening documentaries and narrative features that document queer lives both preserves history and fosters community recognition.
• Library cultural programming—like Vida Latina—connects audiences to Indigenous and diasporic heritage, creating space for education and reflection.

Economic impact:

• Markets and festivals draw foot traffic that benefits local retailers and restaurants. For example, a night market with several hundred attendees creates direct revenue for vendors and indirect revenue for nearby storefronts.
• Small vendors often operate with narrow margins; markets provide immediate cash flow, product testing and customer feedback that can translate into sustained business growth.

Social cohesion:

• Public events serve as civic glue: neighbors meet, local artists and entrepreneurs gain visibility, and institutions open their doors to diverse audiences. These gatherings establish recurring rhythms that define neighborhood identity over time.

Long Beach’s multi-sited weekend—mixing institution-led events and grassroots markets—demonstrates distributed cultural production. That distribution matters: it reduces reliance on a single cultural corridor and spreads economic opportunity across neighborhoods.

How to Make the Most of the Weekend: Strategy and Tips

Long weekends with multiple concurrent events reward planning. Use the following strategies to see more while keeping the experience relaxed rather than rushed.

Prioritize:

• Decide which events are time-sensitive (film screenings with fixed start times, the gala) versus flexible (markets and the library workshop if multiple sessions are offered). Buy tickets for fixed events early.

Layer activities:

• Pair morning and evening options: a daytime Khmer Town market visit before an afternoon festival screening leaves room for the Ballast Point HIIT the next morning.
• For families, prioritize daytime craft workshops and markets; schedule adult-oriented gala or evening screenings separately.

Budget:

• Markets and library events are usually low-cost or free, making them useful budget-fillers. Allocate funds for film tickets, gala passes and fitness classes, which often carry higher fees.

Bring essentials:

• Portable charger, refillable water bottle, comfortable shoes, and a light layer for coastal breeze. If attending markets, bring reusable bags for purchases.

Engage with vendors and organizers:

• Markets and festivals thrive on feedback and repeat attendance. Ask vendors about sourcing and preparation; sign up for mailing lists, follow social accounts and engage with volunteer opportunities if you want a deeper civic role.

Document the experience:

• Take photos responsibly: ask vendors or performers before photographing small businesses or individuals. Documenting events helps amplify their visibility on social media and can assist organizers in promoting future programming.

Volunteer or support:

• Volunteer roles at festivals and markets are often available and offer behind-the-scenes access. For vendors, consider purchasing gift certificates or booking future appointments to provide longer-term revenue support.

Broader Context: Festivals as Cultural Infrastructure

Creative events do more than entertain. They act as cultural infrastructure that supports artists, fosters civic dialogue and attracts visitors. Festivals and markets can anchor cultural districts and encourage investment. When cities support recurring events, they cultivate a public life that reinforces community belonging and local economies.

The Q Film Festival’s presence at venues like the Aquarium and its track record of programming films from Cannes, Sundance and Tribeca demonstrates the potential for regional festivals to bridge local audiences with global cultural currents. Night markets and library workshops show how municipal and nonprofit actors can create accessible entry points into culture for residents of different incomes and ages.

Local policymakers and arts funders can use these events to measure and justify continued investments in cultural programming. Metrics such as vendor revenue, festival attendance, and community feedback help funders assess impact. For cultural workers and organizers, sustainability often hinges on consistent partnerships with institutions, reliable volunteer bases and diversified funding, including sponsorship, ticket sales and municipal support.

Voices from the Weekend: What Community Participation Looks Like

On opening night, audiences pack a theater not only for the film but also for shared ritual: a pre-screening buzz, the communal hush as the lights dim, and the social exchange after the credits roll. At neighborhood markets, customers pause to taste a vendor’s signature dish, ask about a family recipe, or buy a handcrafted item directly from an artisan. At the library, a child turns a paper tube into music and asks about where the instrument comes from. At Ballast Point, people trade workout tips over a post-class beer, laughing about the music that pulsed through their headphones.

These moments are the measurable fabric of civic life. Festivals and markets produce intangible returns—not easily captured by spreadsheets—like pride, mutual recognition, and civic belonging. For many residents, such events reinforce why they live and invest in a place. For newcomers, events provide orientation: they learn which neighborhoods host markets, which institutions run inclusive programming, and where people gather.

Looking Ahead: What Continued Support Could Mean

Sustaining this kind of weekend programming requires coordination. Festival organizers need venue partnerships and funding. Market coordinators require city permits, logistical support and vendor outreach. Public libraries need programming budgets. Breweries and other small businesses benefit from cross-promotional relationships with fitness and cultural events.

Long-term support can take many forms:

• Municipal grants targeted at festival operations and neighborhood markets.
• Technical assistance for vendors—help with permits, food-safety training and digital payment systems.
• Marketing partnerships that widen audiences and promote cross-event attendance.
• Capacity-building opportunities for community-based organizers, including training in event management and fundraising.

When multiple stakeholders—city government, nonprofit organizations, businesses and community members—coordinate, programming can scale without losing neighborhood specificity.

FAQ

Q: When does the Long Beach Q Film Festival take place and where is the opening night? A: The festival runs Sept. 17–20. Opening night is Thursday, Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at The Honda Pacific Visions Theater at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Tickets and schedules are available on the festival’s Eventive page.

Q: What film opens the festival? A: Give Me The Ball!, a documentary about Billie Jean King, is the opening-night film.

Q: How many films are included in the festival? A: The festival’s program includes more than 50 films from around the world, with selections from festivals such as Cannes, Sundance and Tribeca.

Q: What is the Westside Night Market, and when does it happen? A: The Westside Night Market is a new neighborhood night market scheduled for the third Friday of September, October and November as part of the city’s Westside Promise investment plan. It features local food, makers and small businesses based in West Long Beach.

Q: Where and when is the Khmer Town Night Market? A: The Khmer Town Night Market will be held Saturday, Sept. 19 in the Freeman Avenue parking lot at F&M Bank. The market runs from noon to 8 p.m.

Q: Who is featured at the Khmer Town market? A: The United Cambodian Community of Long Beach hosts the market. Vendors include food operations such as Battambong BBQ and Sotheavy Khmer Food, as well as sweets vendors like Xao Joint and Boba Bestie.

Q: What is the Vida Latina rain-stick workshop? A: Part of the Long Beach Public Library’s Vida Latina series for Hispanic Heritage Month, the Bach Neighborhood Library will host a make-your-own rain-stick craft. The program includes a discussion of the instrument’s Indigenous history and cultural significance across Latin America.

Q: What should attendees bring to the rain-stick workshop? A: Check the library’s event page for registration information. If materials are not provided, typical rain-stick construction uses a cardboard tube, small nails or pegs, filler material (rice or beans), and caps for the ends. The workshop likely provides materials and guidance; register in advance if space is limited.

Q: How does the silent-disco HIIT at Ballast Point work? A: Participants receive wireless headphones that stream a curated playlist synchronized to a one-hour HIIT workout. The session begins at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20 at Ballast Point’s Long Beach location. The ticket price—$42.40—includes headphones and a complimentary drink. Bring a mat and water bottle.

Q: Are events family-friendly? A: Many events are family-friendly: daytime markets and library workshops are especially suitable for all ages. Film festival screenings vary by content and rating; check individual film descriptions for age advisories. Evening events may be less suitable for young children.

Q: Where can I buy tickets? A: Festival tickets are sold through the Long Beach Q Film Festival Eventive page. Ballast Point event tickets are listed on Ballast Point’s events portal. Market attendance is generally free; the library event page confirms registration.

Q: What about accessibility and accommodations? A: Venues like the Aquarium of the Pacific and public libraries provide ADA-accessible features. For specific accommodations—wheelchair seating in theaters, assisted-listening devices, or captioning—contact the event organizer or venue ahead of time.

Q: How can vendors participate in the night markets? A: Vendor participation procedures vary by market. For the Westside Night Market, contact the city’s Westside Promise coordinators or the market organizer for vendor applications. For the Khmer Town Night Market, reach out to the United Cambodian Community of Long Beach through their community channels or the market’s Instagram page.

Q: How can I stay informed about last-minute updates or weather changes? A: Check official event pages and social-media accounts for the festival, markets, library and Ballast Point. Event organizers typically post updates about weather-related changes, start-time adjustments and ticket availability.

Q: Who organizes the Long Beach Q Film Festival? A: The festival was founded and is programmed by Robert Cano. For program details and contact information, consult the festival’s official pages.

Q: Are pets allowed at the markets or festival events? A: Policies vary by venue. Outdoor markets may be pet-friendly, but food vendors and vendor rules often prohibit animals in food-preparation areas. Indoor venues like the Aquarium and theaters typically limit animals to service animals only. Confirm with individual event organizers.

Q: Can I volunteer at the festival or markets? A: Many festivals and market organizers use volunteers. Visit the festival’s volunteer page or contact market organizers directly for volunteer opportunities and application details.

Q: Who should I contact for press or media inquiries? A: Use the festival’s official contact channels listed on its Eventive page or the Aquarium of the Pacific’s media contacts for the gala. For market or library media inquiries, reach out to the United Cambodian Community, the Long Beach Public Library, or the Westside Night Market organizers as appropriate.

Q: Is there a schedule published for the festival and markets? A: The festival schedule, including film times and locations, is available on the Eventive page linked by the festival. Night markets publish vendor lists and event times on their respective event pages and social media.

Q: Are refunds available for purchased tickets? A: Refund policies depend on the seller—Eventive and Ballast Point each have their own policies. Review the ticket-purchase terms at checkout and consult the vendor’s refund or cancellation guidelines if plans change.

Q: How can I provide feedback to organizers after the event? A: Festival organizers and market coordinators welcome feedback; use contact forms, social media, or organizer emails. The Long Beach Post is collecting public feedback through a survey at the Westside Night Market as noted in event listings.

Q: Where can I find more Long Beach events? A: Local event calendars such as lbpostevents.com list community events; organizations’ social-media channels and municipal community pages also post event listings.

Enjoy the weekend’s mix of films, flavors and community gatherings. Whether you’re standing in the Pacific Visions Theater for a gala screening, sampling Southeast Asian barbecue in Khmer Town, crafting in a library, scouting handmade goods at a night market, or wearing headphones for a waterfront HIIT class, the weekend offers multiple pathways into Long Beach’s civic life.