Activities for Socializing in Long Beach

Don’t you wish you could go where everybody knows your name? Here are some of the recurring events and activities happening around Long Beach where you can meet new people, make friends, and build community.

FOODIE FUN

If you’ve always wanted to make your own pasta or create a menu in a new-to-you cuisine, sign up for cooking classes with Locali Seasoned at Partake Collective (456 Elm Ave). During their collaborative cooking classes, you’ll learn from an expert chef, then share what you’ve made in a big group dinner party. Recent offerings have included classes on authentic Nigerian food, sushi-making, and how to cook the perfect steak. Visit the Locali Seasoned website to learn about upcoming classes.

GET ACTIVE

Take advantage of our good weather and get out and active in Long Beach. For some fun on two wheels, join the monthly Moonlight Mash bike ride that occurs every full moon. Follow @moonlightmashlongbeach on Instagram to see the dates and fun themes for costumes and bike decoration. If you’re a woman who enjoys walking and talking, the Long Beach Walking Club might be a good fit for you. Visit their Instagram page (@longbeachwalkingclub) for event dates and get to know your fellow walkers and various Long Beach neighborhoods on foot.

GO FOR GAMING

Our local breweries offer much more than just a great spot to taste craft beers. Beachwood Brewing, with locations in Bixby Knolls (3630 Atlantic Ave) and Downtown Long Beach (247 Long Beach Blvd), offers regular comedy nights, live music, and more. Amp up your arcade skills and join the Pinball Wizards IFPA pinball league that meets biweekly in the Bixby Knolls taproom. At Ficklewood Ciderworks (720 E Broadway) you can join their monthly book or crafting club, pinball league, or Mario Kart tournament, and even take mahjong lessons, all while sipping on their excellent dry hard ciders.

ACTIVITIES IN BIXBY KNOLLS

The Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association, best known for their monthly First Fridays events, also organizes several clubs, including a Literary Society that meets to discuss a contemporary novel on the second Wednesday of each month at Dream Come True Tea & Party Room (4350 Atlantic Ave) at 7PM. The Knights of the Round (Turn)Table select an album each month for their listening party at Beachwood Brewing (3630 Atlantic Ave). For families with kids, join the monthly Kidical Mass Bike Ride that leaves at 11AM from Pixie Toys (3914 Atlantic Ave). Enjoy a night of salsa dancing at Taboon Mediterranean (539 E Bixby Rd). This monthly event starts with a brief dance instruction, then concludes with open dancing.

RELAX IN THE GARDEN

The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden (Earl Warren Dr) on the campus of California State University, Long Beach, is one of the city’s most beautiful places to take a stroll. It’s also a wonderful place to enjoy activities like Zen Yoga offered each Wednesday and Friday at 12 noon, or try a healing sound bath with Reiki Master Alana Weinberg. The garden’s Art Days held monthly on every third Thursday offer the chance to create artwork with various media, like Japanese calligraphy and paper marbling.

About the Author

Claire Atkinson

Claire Atkinson is a Southern California native who has lived in Long Beach for 20 years. She spends her free time visiting local parks, farmers markets, and museums, and loves learning about Long Beach history and culture.