Halloween is over, and now we dive head first into the holidays, even though it’s gonna be 80 degrees this weekend. If you’re not ready to drag out your holiday lights (me! I’m not ready!) or talk about where to buy presents from local shops (coming soon!), then let’s ease into the season with some amazing things to do in Long Beach this weekend.
We’ve got a beach 5K for a good cause, a free plant swap, soup in handmade bowls, a stoner musical, soul food on the block and a country dance party where boots are optional. Here are the events in Long Beach this weekend:
Reefer Madness: The Musical
Address: Long Beach Playhouse, Studio Theater, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach, CA 90804
Date: Friday, Nov. 6 through Sunday, Nov. 8 (runs through Nov. 15)
Time: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.
Cost: Friday: $27 general, $20 seniors/military, $20 students/kids at the box office ($31/$23/$23 online). Saturday and Sunday: $32 general, $25 seniors/military, $20 students/kids at the box office ($36/$28/$23 online).
Link: lbplayhouse.org/event/reefer-madness-the-musical/
Somebody in 1936 made a dead-serious film warning that one puff of marijuana would send nice kids spiraling into jazz, sex and violence. Long Beach has a dispensary on half the corners now, so you know how that turned out. Reefer Madness: The Musical is the gloriously over-the-top spoof of that film. It’s campy, ridiculous and full of musical numbers that are way catchier than they have any right to be. This one is for grown-ups, though: think Rocky Horror energy, not family night. The Long Beach Playhouse in Zaferia has been putting on shows for decades, and the Studio Theater is small, so every seat is close to the action. Pro tip: buy at the box office and save a few bucks, and Friday is the cheapest night. Grab tickets for a date night or a friend night, and maybe stop for dinner on Anaheim first.
ÓRALE Liberation 5K Walk & Run
Address: Junipero Beach, 1 Junipero Ave., Long Beach, CA 90803
Date: Saturday, Nov. 7
Time: 8 a.m.–1 p.m. (event window)
Cost: $50 ages 13+; $30 students with ID; $10 ages 6–12; free for ages 5 and under
Link: orale.networkforgood.com/events/102008-rale-s-liberation-5k-walk-run
Start your Saturday with a 5K on the beach for a good cause. ÓRALE’s fourth annual Liberation 5K raises money for immigrant communities and the organization’s programs, and it’s set along one of the prettiest stretches of the Long Beach coastline. You can run it, jog it or walk it with a coffee in hand. The kid and student prices make it easy to bring the whole family, and little ones 5 and under are free. With temps in the 80s this weekend, the morning is the time to be outside anyway. Bring water and sunscreen, and get some steps in for your neighbors.
Fall Plant Swap at Harte Library
Address: Harte Neighborhood Library, 1595 W. Willow St., Long Beach, CA 90810
Date: Saturday, Nov. 7
Time: 10 a.m.
Cost: Free (it’s a library event, but confirm at the link)
Link: longbeach.gov/library/events/
Plant people of West Long Beach, this one’s for you. Bring your extra cuttings, seeds, plants or gently used gardening tools, and trade them for something new. You don’t even have to bring anything to take something home, which is basically the best deal in Long Beach this weekend. Experienced gardeners will be there to answer questions, so finally ask why your pothos looks sad. The house rules: no pests, no diseased plants, clean containers, and no selling. It’s free, it’s all ages, and it’s the most wholesome hour you’ll spend all week.
Empty Bowls Long Beach
Address: First Congregational Church of Long Beach, 241 Cedar Ave., Long Beach, CA 90802
Date: Saturday, Nov. 7
Time: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Cost: $35
Link: downtownlongbeach.org/event/empty-bowls-long-beach/
This is the very first Empty Bowls in Long Beach, and I want it to be such a hit that it comes back every year. Sara Pilchman Ceramics and the Volunteer Center South Bay/Harbor/Long Beach are bringing this worldwide grassroots fundraiser to downtown Long Beach. Your $35 ticket gets you soup donated by local restaurants, plus a handmade ceramic bowl made by Long Beach artists that you get to keep. Every penny goes to the Volunteer Center’s Food For Kids program, which provides more than 9,000 meals a week through partner schools, plus food pantries in Long Beach and Torrance. With so many local families feeling the squeeze on groceries right now, this is one of the easiest ways to help this weekend. You get lunch, you get art, and kids get fed.
Soul Food Sunday Dinner on the Block
Address: 6066 California Ave., Long Beach, CA 90805
Date: Sunday, Nov. 8
Time: 4 p.m. until sold out
Cost: $30 plates
Link: Check out their Instagram @kutenthekitchen
Sunday dinner is handled. KuteNTheKitchen is hosting Soul Food Sunday Dinner on the Block in North Long Beach. It’s a $30 plate with “a little bit of everything,” and from the flyer that means mac and cheese, greens, fried chicken, cornbread and more. A whole lineup of local food vendors is joining in, including Savor the Flavor Cuisine, HiyaJ’s Spicy Bowls, Poundcakes Kitchen, Flavor Pineapples, Wetbar and BenaMarie’s Catering & Desserts. Expect music, families and a real neighborhood block-party feel. It runs from 4 p.m. until the food is gone, so don’t show up late and hungry.
The Round Up: LGBTQ+ Country Dance Night with Rhonda Diamond
Address: Cowboy Country, 3323 E. South St., Long Beach, CA 90805
Date: Sunday, Nov. 8
Time: 4–9 p.m. (doors open at 3:45; lessons around 4, 5 and 6 p.m.)
Cost: $10, cash at the door
Link: https://m.facebook.com/
Yeehaw, Long Beach! The Round Up is celebrating on the dance floor this Sunday, and they’ve brought in two-time UCWDC World Champion Rhonda Diamond to teach. Lessons start around 4, 5 and 6 p.m., so you can show up at any point and learn something. DJ Dance with Cindi keeps the music going the whole time. It’s LGBTQ+ friendly, ally-welcoming and beginner-friendly. You don’t need any experience, and boots are optional. It’s $10 cash at the door, so hit the ATM before you go. Cowboy Country is a Long Beach institution, and it’s just a few minutes from Soul Food Sunday. Grab a plate, then go two-step it off. That’s a perfect Long Beach Sunday.
Get Out There, Long Beach
So that’s your weekend: a beach 5K, a plant swap, soup for a good cause, a stoner musical, soul food on the block and a two-step, all before anyone makes you untangle a single string of lights. The holidays will be here soon enough (I’ll see you at the local gift guide). This weekend, put on sunscreen, wear something you can dance in, and spend your money at Long Beach businesses and nonprofits. That’s how we keep the city we love going.
Want even more things to do in Long Beach? Check out our events calendar at lbcvibe.com/all-events/ and find your next favorite thing to do in the greatest city in SoCal. Did we miss a great event in Long Beach? Tell us in the comments or tag @lbcvibe!
FAQs Long Beach Events This Weekend
What are the best things to do in Long Beach this weekend, Nov. 6–8, 2026?
Highlights include Reefer Madness: The Musical at the Long Beach Playhouse, the ÓRALE Liberation 5K at Junipero Beach, the first-ever Empty Bowls Long Beach fundraiser downtown, Soul Food Sunday Dinner on the Block in North Long Beach, and The Round Up LGBTQ+ country dance night at Cowboy Country.
What are free things to do in Long Beach this weekend?
The Fall Plant Swap at Harte Neighborhood Library on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 10 a.m. is free and open to all ages. You don’t need to bring a plant to take one home.
What family-friendly events are happening in Long Beach this weekend?
The ÓRALE Liberation 5K Walk & Run at Junipero Beach on Saturday morning has $10 tickets for kids 6–12 and is free for ages 5 and under. The Fall Plant Swap at Harte Library and Soul Food Sunday Dinner on the Block in North Long Beach are also good for families.
What is Empty Bowls Long Beach?
Empty Bowls Long Beach is a first-time charity lunch on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at First Congregational Church, 241 Cedar Ave. A $35 ticket includes soup from local restaurants and a handmade ceramic bowl to keep, and proceeds go to the Volunteer Center’s Food For Kids program.
Where can I go country dancing in Long Beach?
Cowboy Country at 3323 E. South St. in North Long Beach hosts The Round Up, an LGBTQ+ and beginner-friendly country dance night, on Sunday, Nov. 8, from 4 to 9 p.m. Lessons start around 4, 5 and 6 p.m., and it’s $10 cash at the door.
Is Reefer Madness at the Long Beach Playhouse appropriate for kids?
No. Reefer Madness: The Musical is an adult musical comedy that spoofs a 1936 anti-marijuana film and includes simulated drug use. It runs in the Playhouse’s Studio Theater through Nov. 15.
