Long Beach, California

Culture

Art

The Long Beach Museum of Art is owned by the City of Long Beach, and operated by the Long Beach Museum of Art Foundation, a non-profit organization. Long Beach also features the Museum of Latin American Art, founded in 1996 by Dr. Robert Gumbiner, and is the only museum in the western United States that exclusively features Latin American art.

Related Topics:
Long Beach Museum of Art - Long Beach Museum of Art Foundation - Museum of Latin American Art - 1996 - Dr. Robert Gumbiner - Latin America

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The second Saturday of every month local artists and artisans in the city congregate in the East Village Arts District downtown Long Beach to sell their wares and perform.

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Music

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The Long Beach Symphony Orchestra plays numerous classical and pop music concerts throughout the year. The symphony plays at the Terrace Theater in the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center.

Related Topics:
Long Beach Symphony Orchestra - Classical - Pop - Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center

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KJAZZ 88.1 FM (KKJZ) broadcasts from California State University, Long Beach. The station features jazz and blues music exclusively and can also be listened to over the Internet.

Related Topics:
KJAZZ - California State University, Long Beach - Jazz - Blues - Internet

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Long Beach is the host to a number of long-running music festivals. They include the Bob Marley Reggae Festival (February), the Cajun & Zydeco Festival (May), the Aloha Concert Jam (Hawaiian music, June), the Long Beach Jazz Festival (August), and the Long Beach Blues Festival (September, since 1980).

Related Topics:
Bob Marley Reggae Festival - Long Beach Jazz Festival - Long Beach Blues Festival

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Both Sublime and the Long Beach Dub Allstars (formed by the members of Sublime after their lead singer Brad Nowell died of a heroin overdose) are from Long Beach.

Related Topics:
Sublime - Long Beach Dub Allstars - Brad Nowell

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New-wave punk band Le Shok hailed from Long Beach.

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Rappers Snoop Dogg and Zack de la Rocha were born in Long Beach. The city is also home to the VIP Records store which has been featured in music videos by Snoop Dogg and other rap music artists.

Related Topics:
Snoop Dogg - Zack de la Rocha - Rap music

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Melissa Etheridge got her start performing at Que Sera Sera, a lesbian bar in Long Beach.

Related Topics:
Melissa Etheridge - Lesbian

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The Vault 350, an influential nightclub, is also located on Pine Avenue in Downtown Long Beach.

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Sports

The Long Beach Grand Prix in April is the single largest event in Long Beach. It started in 1975 as a Formula 5000 race on the streets of downtown, and became a Formula One the following year. Since 1984 it has been a Champ Car event. During the same week as the Grand Prix, there are also Trans-Am, and Toyota Atlantic races, plus an Historic Grand Prix features pre-1990 cars, and the Toyota Pro/Celebrity race.

Related Topics:
Long Beach Grand Prix - 1975 - Formula 5000 - Formula One - 1984 - Champ Car - Trans-Am - Toyota Atlantic

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Long Beach is home to the Long Beach Ice Dogs minor-league (ECHL) hockey team. The Ice Dogs play their home games at the Long Beach Sports Arena. The city is also home to a minor league baseball team called the Long Beach Armada who play in the independent Golden Baseball League. The minor league basketball team nicknamed the Long Beach Jam play in the American Basketball Association (ABA).

Related Topics:
Long Beach Ice Dogs - ECHL - Hockey - Long Beach Sports Arena - Long Beach Armada - Golden Baseball League - Long Beach Jam - American Basketball Association

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The Southern California Summer Pro League is a showcase for current and prospective NBA basketball players, including recent draft picks, current NBA players working on their skills and conditioning, and international professionals hoping to become NBA players. The league plays at the Pyramid (a pyramid-shaped gym) on the Long Beach State campus during July.

Related Topics:
Summer Pro League - NBA

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Since its inception in August 1964, the Congressional Cup has grown into one of the major international sailing events. Now held in April, it is the only grade 1 match race regatta held in the United States. The one-on-one race format is the same as the America's Cup, and many of the winners of the Congressional Cup have gone on to win the America's Cup as well.

Related Topics:
1964 - America's Cup

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In July, there is the annual Catalina Ski Race, which starts from Long Beach Harbor and goes to Catalina Island and back to complete a 100 km (62 mile) circuit. This race has been held annually since 1948 and features skiers from around the world.

Related Topics:
Catalina Island - 1948

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During the two Olympics held in Los Angeles, Long Beach has hosted a number of the competitions, including rowing events in the Marine Stadium, sailing events off the coast of Long Beach, volleyball in the Long Beach Sports Arena, and archery at El Dorado Regional Park. For the 1984 Summer Olympics, Long Beach hosted yachting, volleyball, fencing and archery competitions. For the 1932 Summer Olympics, Long Beach hosted the rowing competition. The Belmont Plaza Pool hosted U.S. Olympic swimming trials in 1968, 1976, and 2004.

Related Topics:
Olympics - Los Angeles - 1984 Summer Olympics - 1932 Summer Olympics

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Blair Field in Long Beach, besides hosting numerous American Legion baseball, Connie Mack baseball, high school, junior college, college, minor league and major league spring training exhibition baseball games, has also been host of six MTV Rock & Jock softball games, and has been the filming location for numerous film, TV and commercial productions.

Related Topics:
American Legion baseball - Connie Mack baseball - Baseball - MTV

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Long Beach is the childhood home of tennis legend Billie Jean King and eight-time National League batting champion and longtime San Diego Padres outfielder Tony Gwynn.

Related Topics:
Billie Jean King - San Diego Padres - Tony Gwynn

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2004 Summer Olympics gold medal winning beach volleyball player Misty May-Treanor graduated from California State University, Long Beach (where she won a national championship and several other awards), and currently resides in Long Beach.

Related Topics:
2004 Summer Olympics - Beach volleyball - Misty May-Treanor - California State University, Long Beach

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Parks and recreation

The Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine received a Gold Medal award from the National Parks and Recreation Society in 2002, 2003, and 2004, recognizing the Department's "outstanding management practices and programs." The Department manages 92 parks covering over 3,100 acres (13 km²) throughout the city, including the 815 acre (3.3 km²) El Dorado Regional Park, which features fishing lakes, an archery range, youth campground, bike trails, and picnic areas. The Department also operates four public swimming pools, and four launch ramps for boaters to access the Pacific Ocean.

Related Topics:
National Parks and Recreation Society - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - Pacific Ocean

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The Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden is located on the campus of California State University, Long Beach.

Related Topics:
Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden - California State University, Long Beach

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Other cultural events

The Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Parade & Festival has been held in May or June since 1984. It is the second largest event in Long Beach, attracting over 125,000 participants over the two day celebration. It is the third largest Gay Pride Parade in the United States.

Related Topics:
1984 - Gay Pride Parade

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In October, Long Beach State hosts the CSULB Wide Screen Film Festival, at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center. The festival started in 1995 as a showcase for movies filmed in the widescreen format, but has since been transformed into an artist-in-residence event. A major film artist (such as the former CSULB student Steven Spielberg) screens and discusses their own work as well as the ten films that most influenced their cinematic vision.

Related Topics:
1995 - Movies - Widescreen - Steven Spielberg

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