This is a pretty cool event. It's also nice to see that they are making good use of the Belmont…read morePier rather than being used as a hang out for the local homeless population. As for the festival, they have several booths along the pier selling little pirate knick knacks. At the end of the pier they have a pirate band and a beer truck that sells Rogue Ale and other domestic beers. There is a full bar at the end of the pier. They also had food stands and sold food from the dilapidated building at the end. There seems to be a following for this stuff. There were lots of people dressed up in full pirate regalia with their eye patches, hots and swords. It's fun to watch. They also do a mock pirate battle with some of the local sailboats. The only downside would have to the food. At least the food we had. I had a salmon burger that didn't have much flavor and my wife had a turkey leg that didn't seem like it was cooked all the way. But they also have baked potatoes and it looked like that fish and chips were the most popular. So overall, it's something fun to do for a couple of hours to people watch and drink some ale.

What a great event! I love the pirate community they have going- that really adds a nice touch…read more Lots of shopping- if you're looking for pirate wear, this is a great time to shop for corsets, gowns, and fancy pirate hats. Lots for men too, including some unique weaponry. Very kid friendly- lots for them to see and do! There is a kiddie area with lots of jump houses Etc. Mermaids and even Peter Pan characters are adorable. I would definitely suggest bringing plenty of sunscreen and make sure ye pirate shoes are comfortable, matey! Arrive early for parking unless you want to wait in a loooong caravan and hope for a spot. We are around 10 and it was getting tight. By the time we left (around 3:30) there were no parking places and the line of hovering cars was endless. The pirate battle on the beach is so fun! Again, get a spot close to the pier gate (north side beach) so you can see well. Also don't be quick to leave the moment the battle is over- if you hang for a bit, they will start firing cannons and a few things like that. Loved all if this!!! I'm posting a pic of the event schedule (they hand them out in the am's on the pier) but I believe the battle was around 2 pm. Belly dancing is at 7 pm . Live bands go on throughout the event and food is ready around 11 am.

Midsummer Scream was, well, a scream in so many ways! 2026 was their 10th year and they went all…read moreout to celebrate (as did us)! Wifey and I splurged on Gold Bat Passes this year and if you think it doesn't make a difference - it really does! With the convention getting bigger and bigger each year, Gold Bat is the way to go so you can see everything and not get FOMO. It comes with admittance for the entire weekend, priority entrance for Friday night, entrance an hour early on Saturday and Sunday, entrance to the Saturday night after-party, and priority entrance for panels and mazes. We booked a room at the hotel next door for the weekend so we got to come/go to drop off goodies when our hands got full. Speaking of which, there are so many vendors in all corners of the convention center that sell anything/everything Halloween and horror related. You're going to want to bring a bag, but if you don't they also pass out plenty of free tote bags (we got 6 just walking around!). Celebrities are aplenty taking photos and autographing stuff for fans. They can get a bit pricey, but if you're a fan it's hard not to convince yourself to splurge. It's the 30th year anniversary of Scream, so they had plenty of actors (and Marco Beltrami) appear. We took a picture with Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard (both of which couldn't have been nicer). Lots of Ghostface fans in costumes and masks! There are food vendors inside as well, but they're so pricey that you might as well go outside and walk to a nearby restaurant (unless you're super hangry and need an emergency fix). For drinks we had to go with our reliable Horror Vibes Coffee and then topped it off with sweet treats from Deadly Sweet (they consistently had one of the longest lines each day but their cookies are to die for!). The Hall of Shadows is their dark hall filled with haunted attractions/mazes by home haunters and professionals alike. Some experiences are shorter than others, but it hits the spot until proper spooky season in October (though every season is spooky season if you got the horror within you). There's a lot of fog machines so watch your step! This is really one of the better Gold Bat perks - instead of waiting in the General Admission line, you get your own shorter line and basically walk right to the front. We walked right on in for the majority of the mazes! There's an after-party on Saturday night that we were interested in, so we checked it out since we didn't have to pay extra for it. It was in the main ballroom with photo ops on the sides and tables/chairs surrounding the huge dance floor. The energy was kind of buns though - it took a long while for the dancing to fully swing into motion. Lots of lurkers staring from the sides and standing on the dance floor so heavy middle school vibes. Naturally a lot of fans had been there all day so the stank was overwhelming! The after-party also comes with a separate karaoke room and a screening room for a horror movie. If you're a horror/Halloween lover and haven't been to Midsummer Scream - for shame! It's so much fun with so many photo ops around, so much memorabilia/merch, so many free/discounted tickets for other events like Haunted Hayride, and so many fans united in spookiness. If you're thinking about going, follow them on social media and scoop up the Gold Bats as soon as they're available because they'll sell out quick. We can't wait to come back and make this a yearly tradition! We're already 2 years down and we found out that this is the last year Midsummer Scream will be in Long Beach. They have officially grown so much that in 2027 they're moving to Anaheim! We were there for the end of an era, and we'll be there for the beginning of the next!

I have always wanted to go to this convention/expo since I am a spooky girl. As a birthday gift, my…read morefiancé gifted me a pass for both of us this past Saturday. Unfortunately, when we arrived, the line was so long that it took us at least an hour and a half to enter the actual event. It was well worth the wait, and surprisingly, it went by fast, although we got sunburnt. I highly recommend investing in the VIP pass to avoid the long lines because this keeps getting busier each year. The convention itself is pretty cool, especially if you are a fan of everything spooky. You can find unique merch from small businesses such as Backstitch Bruja, Spooksieboo, DIY Light Guy, Bob Gurr, and Black Mast. Plus, there are many event attendees dressed as your favorite monster or whatever your little dark heart desires. Saw many cool costumes, and I was able to capture some in my photos. Convention parking is throughout the convention area in adjacent lots, and I paid $30 to park and walked over to the convention. I suggest trying to get an Uber if you do not want to deal with the traffic getting into a lot. You will be paying around the same amount or possibly more during peak times. There are also food trucks throughout the expo and snacks to enjoy while shopping, browsing, and having fun. In the Hall of Shadows, there are many mazes and photo ops to enjoy. Not too spooky, but you can get a feel of how Universal Horror Nights or Knott's Scary Farm is. So much fun! There are lots of panels, celebrity signings, Casa de Calaveras, and a Black Cat Lounge, but some lines were long, so I didn't get to experience them except for the Casa de Calaveras, which was pretty cool. Can't wait for next year's event, and I will for sure be purchasing the VIP pass to be able to experience more and get more out of my pass. Such a fun and spooky day!

My son and I came in here for game 7 of the Dodgers hoping to enjoy a Father and Son experience…read more I've come here ever so often for wings and a beer. It's a busy night given game 7 but they put us at a crummy table from outside and no paper towels/sauce set up. I ask for it 2 times and to be seated elsewhere bc it's not ideal. They move us then have us move back because they messed up us and have no idea what's going on. I ask again for the proper table set up a 3rd time. It takes 15-20 mins to get a beer while my son gets his drink at least. If you can't handle a busy night of sports you shouldn't work at Hooters. Probably the dumbest group of waitresses I've ever seen. They can't even get their original hooters style wings order right and brought out Daytona 2 different times. Took 2 different waitresses and a manager to figure out how to put the most popular ordered wing order in the history of Hooters in with the kitchen. It is literally the only thing I've ever ordered coming here and I work close by and been enough times. I said you know what please just give me the bill because I was over how dumb this group running the restaurant was. Some sort of special kind of stupid. I have never felt so shitty coming here. Screw this place. Maybe bad luck but made my son and I feel like shit and a waste of an evening to watch the Dodgers try to win the World Series. Don't come here they suck. Thanks.

I had zero expectations for this festival since I saw a whole bunch of bad reviews (expensive,…read morecrowded, lack of seafood, lack of $5 samples), but I still wanted to check it out with some friends. Yes, it was overpriced ($20 for admission and then you pay for each item, which ranged from $10 for 5 beignets to $40 for a lobster tail with garlic noodles. Each drink ticket was $10). Yes, it was unbelievably crowded (approximately 1 hour per line). Yes, there wasn't as much seafood stalls as you would expect in a seafood festival, and I only saw one stall with a $5 sample. However, it was still nice to walk around. They have stalls with some samples and items to buy (beef jerky, jewelry, etc). If you have friends, you can take turns waiting in line and exploring the festival. The food quality was surprisingly good. Most of the lobster items we had were tender. Here are my thoughts: Lobster tail with garlic noodles: 4/5 - $40. Taste wise, the garlic noodles were so savory. The lobster tail was tender. My only complaints were that it was cold, and the lobster tail was tiny. Beignets: 4/5 - $10. so hot and fresh! We got the ones with chocolate and strawberry. Would have loved more chocolate drizzle Louisiana fried fish: 4.5/5 - $15 (they ran out of fries, so the price was $5 less). So hot and crispy. Great amount of fish for the price Mac attack shrimp bowl: 3/5 - $15. Comes with three fried shrimp on top of Mac and cheese. The shrimp was tasty, but the Mac and cheese needed more cheese Lobster grilled cheese: 4.5/5 - $20. Super delicious with a good amount of lobster. Some parts needed more cheese I only had one bite of my boyfriend's Connecticut lobster roll so I cannot make a good judgement. Overall, I thought it was a fun festival to check out if you're ok with blowing off quite a bit of money and don't mind waiting 1+ hour for each food item. Parking is also not easy. We parked in the Pike Outlet ($15 for about 6 hours)

I've gone many years, now missed many years. It's always been great, great food, great vendors,…read moregreat security great entertainment and dope environment. Location great and drug is worth the attendance.

The good: weather was beautiful, and seeing my Puerto Rican people with the flags awesome!…read moreThe Bad: I've been coming to this event for the past 10yrs. This is the first time I felt the music Bands was really off!! Too much CUMBIA music and Not Salsa! The stage performers kept asking g where's are all the Colombian?? and other South American. I said maybe at their event?! It's the Puerto Rican Festival. Instead of asking the people of Puerto Rico the cities of Puerto Rico! Where from? The music didn't go well for me!! I do have to say one woman on stage was PR and she was the only one that played real Salsa! Left earlier than any year that I been going. Hope next year Salsa music and Salsa bands!!!

I could not wait to drive down to San Pedro to see the World's Largest Rubber Duck!…read more There was a Tall Ships Festival a couple weeks before and I kept seeing friends post selfies on Facebook. I was dying to get one my own and it is displayed as my Facebook and Yelp profile right now. I also have the World's Largest Duck as my cover photo. My husband sings the Rubber Ducky song every morning to my dog. He would not be thrilled if he knew I wrote about this, but he never reads my reviews or goes on Yelp so my secret is safe. This is how it goes: Tucker buddy you're the one. You make walk time lots of fun. I really love the World's Largest Rubber Duck. Please don't tell my husband or dog. They might get jealous.

Garbage. Droce 2hrs to see the duck and it was taken down 4hrs before it was suppose to come down…read moredue to high winds. Nothing on their facebook page about it coming down early and when I tried to call their google voice number on their website that didnt work eithe. They want to spread happiness but they are just spreading anger and frustration

I have made this place into an annual tradition with daughter ! We always love the themes of every…read more My daughter is now 14 Going on 15 this year and she can't wait to hear the announcement for this year CHILL. I don't like that parking is $25 they should make it free since we are already paying for an entrance and paying for the additional amenities but given we do live in LA it's not something out of the norm to pay especially since the place is located in LBC. Maybe a suggestion for the future CHILLS they can possible make sample food cards like $30 for card and you get to pick amongst the food items there.

Great experience my tour guide was excellent I recommend at least once in a lifetime if. Not .moreread more

I made it for Taste of Downtown 2024 and I'm glad I did…read more I will have to say that we had fewer vendors this year than last (2023), which was disappointing, but everything else was the same - from how you could purchase tickets (in-person at the entrances OR online via Eventbrite). Just liek last year, the Taste tickets can be utilised for any of the series in the calendar year, but they do not transfer over to the following year. This year was a bit better organised because of the much closer all the vendors were, although one of the vendors ended up not showing up that year unfortunately. We didn't know until we showed up the first day and realised that the vendor was not present. As usual, parking is free for 2 hours at the nearby parking structure by Ross. And, like last year, I give the entire event a 4/5 stars primarily of the fewer vendors and the lack of notice of vendors dropping out. I also knocked a star off because cars were still passing by on Pine between 3rd and 2nd, and wish that that had been blocked off for pedestrian safety and accessibility because vehicles aren't really stopping at the pedestrian walk signs on Pine, despite LBPD being there - not that they are of any help anyway (something never changes with them, as you can tell).

The taste of downtown was another a great setting in the heart of the promenade. The majority of…read morethe booth are right off the promenade across from the Ordinaire. There were some restaurants that had booths on Pine Avenue. Bo Beau had a rocking Brussels spouts for only $3 it was enough to share with 2 people. Padres had tostadas that were piled high with Ceviche or Barbacoa. Ordinaire had a great short rib sandwich for $4. The $3 nachos from Beachwood Brewery were great! The 4th Horseman had vegan pizza and pesto pasta for $2. Algegria Cocina Latina had a great tamale coated in a creamy chowder for $2. Parking is free for 2 hour at 51 E.3rd Street. What a fun night can wait till the next one.

Can't wait to see more Cambodian fare-type booths, particularly hoping for fresh fish, produce and…read morethe like. Mostly various ethnic foods ready made at this time. The generator is crazy loud. Too close to the booths. Music needs work. I like the ethnic music, but it needs to be louder than Metallica? What happened there? Also, just a few random booths, but I guess I was hoping for Cambodia food, produce, and such here, rather than miscellaneous vendors selling cheap hair bobs, hats, t-shirts, and similar items. It's the second week. Here's hoping that it becomes a bit more integrated, has tables, and a theme!