Things to do in Long Beach this weekend — including a free, sprawling festival and a kitty fundraiser

The following list is a curated roundup of weekend events in Long Beach published every Wednesday on the Hi-lo and Long Beach Post. Have an event to share? Email robert@lbpost.com with “Things to Do” in the subject line.

Shopping and supporting local businesses is the highlight of Long Beach’s weekend round-up. The eighth annual Happy Sundays Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday with events at various locations throughout the city. The Cal Heights district hosts the Kitty Fundraiser and Local Business Passport event to promote shopping at local businesses. Sandwiched around those events will be a classical musical performance at Grace First Presbyterian Church and a historical drama about the first Black Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. On Tuesday, the South Coast Orchid Society presents a program on conserving orchids in the wild.”

Bach and Telemann (Friday, Aug. 23)

Kontrapunktus, the Baroque musical performance group, presents Bach and Telemann: Collegium Musicum at Grace First Presbyterian Church from 8 to 10 p.m.

The Collegium Musicum orchestra performed under the composers Georg Philipp Telemann and Johann Sebastian Bach in the Baroque era, playing music for the townsfolk of Leipzig.

This performance brings that experience to the Grace First Presbyterian Church at 3955 N. Studebaker Road. For more information and tickets, click here .

8th Annual Happy Sunday Fest (Saturday, Aug. 24)

The eighth annual Happy Sundays Summer Music and Comedy Festival comes to the Zaferia District on Saturday and Sunday.

Happy Sundays promotes local businesses and communities by offering free entry to all its music, comedy and space events. This year, the event will feature space talks at the Art Theatre of Long Beach, giving local aerospace companies the opportunity to show off their neat inventions to the public. The Tattoo Heritage Project will provide a panel and live tattooing. Long Beach Symphony is also providing an “instrument petting zoo” to give hands-on experience with classical instruments.

For a list of times and locations of events, visit happysundaysfest.com .

Kitty Fundraiser (Saturday, Aug. 24)

The Cal Heights Business District is hosting a Kitty Fundraiser and Local Business Passport event at Roxanne’s from 2 to 5 p.m.

Participants can pick up an event passport at any participating business, visit local shops, and collect stamps. Completed passports can be dropped off at Roxanne’s on Saturday by 3:30 p.m. to be entered into a grand prize drawing. Guests are invited to cuddle with rescued kittens at the designated cuddle tent.

The event aims to drive foot traffic to participating local businesses, offering a collaborative effort to boost the local economy. While the event is family friendly, Roxanne’s will be offering a special Peaches ‘n’ Whiskers Cocktail and nachos, with a portion of sales benefiting the Little Lion Foundation. Participating businesses include Goods on Orange, Pink Romantic Home, Little Blue Hummingbird Flowers, Verdes Kitchen + Drinks, and Dead Rockers.

Roxanne’s is at 1115 E. Wardlow Road.

South Coast Orchid Society (Monday, Aug. 26)

South Coast Orchid Society of Long Beach hosts a program by Ron Kaufmann about conserving orchids in the wild at Whaley Park Community Center from 7 to 9 p.m. Kaufmann is a director of the Orchid Conservation Alliance, which traces its origin to a group of orchid species enthusiasts from the San Diego County Orchid Society who wanted to find an effective way to help preserve endangered orchid habitats.

Whaley Park Community Center is at 5620 E. Atherton St. More information is available here .

SPONSORED BY INTERNATIONAL CITY THEATRE

The Double V (Aug. 23 to Sept. 8)

Opening this weekend at International City Theatre (ICT) is a compelling theatrical event you won’t want to miss. Carole Eglash-Kosoff’s The Double V, directed by the talented Michael A. Shepperd.

This powerful play delves into the remarkable true story of the nation’s first black civil rights movement, during the early years of World War II. After trying to enlist in the army, Jimmy Thompson becomes distraught by the way he has been treated. He writes a letter to the then largest African American newspaper in the United States, The Pittsburgh Courier, which goes on to champion the Double V campaign – V for victory in the war and a V for victory in racial equality at home. The Double V offers an eye-opening exploration of history that continues to resonate today.

The show will feature the talents of Nic Few, Jennifer Shelton, K.J Powell, Idrees Degas, Nicolette Ellis, John E. Phillips, and Lee James. The show has a three-week run of August 23 through September 8 with a special artists talkback on Sunday, Sept. 1. Tickets range from $37 to $55 with performances on Thursday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

ICT is Long Beach’s resident professional theatre company with over 500 professional awards, performing at the Beverly O’Neill Theater. For tickets or more information, call the box office at 562-436-4610 or go online at ictlongbeach.org

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