Music from a variety of genres plays on every corner making you stop and bob your head for a bit. Art galleries display stories unfolding, piquing your mind. The aroma of spices from food makes you levitate towards a restaurant. The monthly First Fridays is back again to fulfill your artistic needs.
First Fridays takes place every first Friday of the month in Bixby Knolls. The purpose of the event is to serve the community doses of music, art, food and fun. This month, First Fridays is celebrating its fifth anniversary and adding a mix of holiday spirit.
Shops and restaurants along Atlantic Avenue will open their doors for the public to experience the unique flavors that they each have to offer. Hundreds of people descend upon the street hoping to find something to feed their appetite for art, music and food.
One of the biggest venues of the night will be the Expo Arts Center. Art enthusiasts will love this place as different types of art will be on display. The Expo will also host its third annual Dia de los Muertos showcase. They will display art celebrating the Day of the Dead. A DJ will also spin tracks at the venue to give the place a musical ambiance.
Bella Cosa Boutique sells handmade items like glassware and ceramics. It is also the homebase for First Fridays information.
“We are celebrating our second anniversary,” said Diane Drake, Bella Cosa Boutique employee. “We’re also going to have a Christmas open house in the store. Also there will be a table set outside our doors with brochures and flyers for more information on other shops participating in First Fridays.”
Long Beach Clothing on Atlantic Avenue will also participate in First Fridays, and will provide a DJ in its store for customers. Shoppers can browse the store and see the unveiling of Long Beach Clothing’s new shirt design as they listen to fist-pumping tracks from the DJ.
Kids can also hop on the fun that night. Councilmember James Johnson will host a library reading at the Dana Branch Library at 5:30 p.m. with special guest readers like Long Beach Fire Chief Alan Patalano and Assistant Chief Mike DuRee.
Jammin’ Music will hold a student showcase at 6:30 p.m. However, right afterward, kids and adults can get their Donkey Kong beat on as the floor opens up to the public for an open jam and drum circle. Participants can smash the drums nonsensically and groove to their own beat.
For those who choose to ride their bikes to First Fridays, The Workshop will give bike maintenance for free.
If your inner foodie is clawing its way out of you, you may enjoy the restaurants participating in First Fridays. Restaurants that will not only be serving food, but will also provide you with some entertainment.
Nino’s Italian Restaurant will hold a disco night for all the disco enthusiasts out there. Patrons can dress up like John Travolta in “Saturday Night Fever” and get their boogie on as the DJ plays some booty-shaking tracks. The person with the best disco-fever costume will receive gift certificates to use at the restaurant.
If walking is not your cup of tea, take the Big Red Bus up and down Atlantic Avenue to rest your tired feet. These buses will take you to different areas that are participating in First Fridays making them do all the work for you.
After all the fun is done and you want to get your drink on, visit bars like EJ Malloys or The Factory. These places will hold the afterparty for adults who want to relax a bit before heading home.
November’s First Fridays event will take place on the evening of Nov. 4 in Bixby Knolls. For more information, visit firstfridayslongbeach.com.
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