The Californer - Beach Streets Open Streets and Veterans Day Celebration to Take Place November 9 in Uptown Long Beach

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Long Beach, CA – Beach Streets returns to the Uptown Long Beach area on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will feature the City's Veterans Day Celebration. These events, which are traditionally held separately, will combine this year to enhance activities, increase community engagement and highlight improvements made as part of the Artesia Great Boulevard Project, including progress made to the new bike corridor. Beach Streets embraces the active commuting lifestyle by opening the streets and transforming them into safe, open areas for people to bike, walk and explore their neighborhoods. This year, the event will not only celebrate open streets—it will offer the opportunity for residents to honor and pay a heartfelt tribute to those who have served and are currently serving in the United States Military.

"Beach Streets is a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together, enjoy our beautiful city and celebrate sustainable living," said Mayor Rex Richardson. "This year, we are especially honored to return to Uptown, where Beach Streets began, and also recognize and celebrate our veterans. I invite the community to join us as we transform our streets into a vibrant space for both connection and reflection."

Beach Streets promotes sustainable transportation, supports local businesses and allows its thousands of annual participants to get to know their neighbors in a comfortable, family-oriented environment. By bringing together different roadway users, Beach Streets also promotes commuting safety and supports the City's climate goals by encouraging zero-emission transportation options.

This year's event route will include northbound Atlantic Avenue from South Street to Artesia Boulevard, as well as the newly renovated Artesia Boulevard from Atlantic Avenue to Cherry Avenue, which includes a new bike corridor. Entertainment hubs will be located along the route at Houghton Park, on Atlantic Avenue by Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library, and on the corner of Artesia Boulevard and Cherry Avenue.

The welcome ceremony will take place at 12:30 p.m. at the main stage of the Artesia Boulevard Hub, which will serve as the main hub of Beach Streets Uptown. This hub will highlight improvements made along Artesia Boulevard and will feature live music and resource booths. The entertainment hub by Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library will also offer attendees a variety of resource booths and music.

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The Veterans Hub at Houghton Park will feature the Veterans Day Celebration where residents can pay respect to local veterans of the US Armed Forces. Included in this celebration will be a veterans resource fair, live music from Knyght Ryder and The Satin Dollz, aircraft flyovers, food trucks and beer garden, a boot camp style obstacle course and a skate zone with skate park demos and skateboarding lessons by Skate Dogs. The event will also have a dedicated kid zone featuring live performances by the Bob Baker Marionette Theater and DJ Mike, as well as the Aquarium of the Pacific's Aquarium on Wheels and other family-friendly activities. The Veterans Recognition Ceremony, taking place at 2 p.m., will feature an awards presentation for individuals and organizations who have shown exemplary dedication to serving the local veterans community. This year's honorees include:

JB Jaso, "2024 Veterans Day Celebration Grand Marshal"
Paralyzed Veterans of America California Chapter, "Outstanding Community Organization"
Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, California Chapter 33-12, "Outstanding Community Organization"
John Oppenheim, "Outstanding Volunteer"

"It is a privilege to welcome the community to this year's Beach Streets Uptown and Veterans Day Celebration," said Ninth District Councilmember Dr. Joni Ricks-Oddie. "This event not only showcases the vibrant spirit of our neighborhoods but also celebrates over $40 million investment in the Artesia Great Boulevard Project. These infrastructure improvements are enhancing mobility, pedestrian safety, and connectivity, which will support our Uptown business community and ensure that our local businesses and residents can thrive for years to come. As we build a strong future for the district, we honor the history that has brought us to these historic moments, including the service and sacrifice of our veterans."

Local businesses, business districts and community groups along the event route will host a variety of entertainment, activities, information booths and more to attract foot traffic to and promote their businesses.

Beach Streets, which is traditionally held in May, is an open streets event that began in 2015. Previous Beach Streets events have occurred in Downtown, Uptown and Bixby Knolls, Cambodia Town and Zaferia, Willmore and Wrigley, and East Long Beach near California State University, Long Beach. Open Street events are popular throughout North America, as they promote the pursuit of innovative strategies to achieve environmental, social, economic and public health goals.

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The Veterans Day Celebration is presented by the City of Long Beach with guidance from the City's Office of Veterans Support, Long Beach Veterans Commission and Long Beach Veterans Day Committee and participation from various community organizations. The Office of Veterans Support oversees and manages the City's efforts to uplift and support veterans through partnerships and connections to resources, programs and policies.

The Artesia Great Boulevard Project, which began construction in February 2023 and is expected to be completed later this year, will provide critical roadway infrastructure improvements to a three-mile stretch of Artesia Boulevard beginning on the west end at Harbor Boulevard and culminating on the east end at Downey Avenue. The project, among other major corridor improvement projects underway throughout the city, serves to prevent traffic-related fatalities, design safer streets, provide equitable active transport and promote healthy communities. As part of this project, a new bike corridor that includes Class IV bike lanes is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.

For more information about Beach Streets, visit beachstreets.com. Like us on Facebook and follow us on X and Instagram @BeachStreetsLB.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.

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