To celebrate Women’s History Month, Bixby Knolls’ First Fridays returned on March 1, which provided a space for the community to come together to share a night of live music, art, food and shopping.
This Long Beach art walk is hosted on the first Friday of every month from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in Bixby Knolls on Atlantic Avenue. The Big Red Bus was in service throughout the night and offered free rides to provide attendees with transportation between all the festivities.
The event is a hot spot for small businesses with vendors set up along the sidewalks, bands performing in vibrant breweries and groups of friends coming together for delicious food.
Brian Iglesias and Amy Cifuentes were first-time attendees, but both agreed it was a joyous experience.
“It’s lively. There’s a lot of people around enjoying everything,” Cifuentes said.
Iglesias and Cifuentes enjoyed stopping by Ambitious Ales brewery and recommend it to anyone looking for a local beer and a good food truck selection. Like Iglesias and Cifuentes, many people were drawn to the breweries as crowds filled the patios the entire night.
For Iglesias, the best part of the event was all the live music surrounding the neighborhood. Solo musicians, bands and DJs were always within hearing distance playing a range of genres for people to groove to.
Marie Noriega, a Long Beach performer, sang live at the art walk for the first time since pre-pandemic. She celebrated Women’s History Month by performing songs by historical female musicians such as Etta James and Aretha Franklin.
“I come for the music and I love seeing everyone come together,” Noriega said.
This may have been Noriega’s first time back at First Fridays as a performer, but said it won’t be her last.
Some businesses in the art walk stay open late and engage with customers; some local storefronts will also share their space with small businesses selling their goods.
Semillitas, an early education program and children’s bookstore stay open late for families and authors to come together, share stories and learn.
Maggie Solorzano-Muñeton, the owner of Semillitas, believes it is important to provide artists with the space to share their work and uplift their voices.
“You take a piece of them, but you are also supporting a dream,” Solorzano-Muñeton said.
Vendors sell various handmade items such as clothing, jewelry and all-natural medicinal elixirs.
Nectar Azul is one of the small businesses that was stationed in front of Semillitas selling handcrafted earrings. Martha Hernandez, owner of Nectar Azul, takes inspiration from her culture, nature and current events to make intricate designs.
To match the theme of this month’s art walk, she created earrings inspired by Women’s History Month. Hernandez enjoys selling at First Fridays because it is her community and she likes being around people she is familiar with.
First Fridays at Bixby Knolls is a reoccurring event in Long Beach and will be back next month with a new theme.