Annual Arts Festival Hits the Streets

Stories in the garden, hot jazz in the streets and children covered in paint marked the start last weekend of Long Beach’s annual celebration of arts and culture.

Organizers of “October is Arts Month” got a jump-start on their eighth annual festival this year with two daylong events. On Saturday, eight downtown businesses hosted a kind of music walkabout featuring rock, blues, jazz and Latin-beat sounds. Sunday’s event at the Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch and Gardens featured stories in the Secret Garden, music and dancing from various cultures and painting and crafts for children.

The Public Corporation for the Arts promises four more weeks of events, from free street festivals to a black-tie evening with legendary musician Ray Charles.

Among this weekend’s events will be the Anaheim Street International Festival, which begins Saturday with a half-mile unity walk at 10 a.m. The Anaheim Street walk, which is to bring together Latinos, Cambodians and other residents of the area, will be followed by a music and dance festival at MacArthur Park.

The next day, the Sunday in East Village street fair will feature arts, crafts and food. The event on 1st Street, between Elm and Linden avenues, begins at 11 a.m.

The visual and performing arts will also be celebrated around town, with gallery and museum shows, architectural walking tours, plays and concerts.

For more information, including a schedule of events: (310) 983-3820.