Long Beach City College students are now eligible for free rides with L.A. Metro and Long Beach Transit after the school announced a new partnership with the transportation systems, the Viking News will be posting a different location every week that students can go to using the Metro Go Pass.
Early evening darkness, droves of people dressed in flamboyant garb and costumes, and vibrant techno music from local artists filled up 4th St. October’s Fourth Friday market in Long Beach is alive and well in the spirit of Halloween.
Spanning across 4th St. from Temple Ave. to Cherry Ave., brick-and-mortar stores and small tables welcomed pedestrians to peruse their wares. Stands set up along the sidewalk offered a variety of items from local vendors, with anything from clothes, bags, jewelry and baked goods for people to choose from.
4th Street, also known as Retro Row, has a long-standing history of hosting events for the community, with Fourth Fridays being a year’s long tradition.
Each month, the market is themed around a holiday or celebration, with October’s market being “Fright Night” themed. Vendors and stores were dressed up with Halloween costumes, decorations, blacklights and eye-catching displays.
Local music artists lined the street performing live for crowds. Decked out in all black, horror punk band “The Spooky” played a set outside V Burger, a vegan burger joint, crowded by a small group of punks and costumed children and families.
DJs were peppered across Retro Row, with Doctor KA and DJ Purple Lettuce spinning discs in front of Eddie’s Market and Plantitas, a local plant store, respectively.
For those wanting to swing dance across the street, there was even “The Rattle Rollers,” a Rockabilly and Rock n Roll group that specializes in music perfect for that kind of dancing.
Alexa Tornquist, owner of Jasper Candle Company, spent the evening selling homemade soy candles to patrons walking by her booth.
“This is my local community, and I get to chat with my friends while I do this,” she said. “It’s a fun thing to do.”
Tornquist sold a variety of scented candles, with a variety of creative names to boot, including “Small Talk,” “Fiction,” and “Cashmere.”
“This is how I get to meet people and put my products in front of them, it’s something I wouldn’t get to do otherwise,” Tornquist said.
Even stores outside traditional Retro Row have throngs of customers coming through just from the monthly market alone. El Barrio Cantina is one such place, only a block away from the packed crowds of 4th Street.
“There’s definitely an impact,” Cantina Manager Khristian Berrio said. “It’s like a gathering…it gives people a chance to go out and explore new businesses.”
“It’s stressful in the best way possible,” Berrio commented. “Being busy is what makes us feel alive, and I think it shows.”
October’s Fourth Friday’s market began at 6 p.m., a perfect time for a night market and spooky vibe where the entire street joins in.
November’s Fourth Friday Market will be held on Nov. 25, same time and same place.