Amidst the sweltering heat of a 90 degree afternoon, Long Beach residents enjoyed the ability to roam a closed-off portion of Pine Avenue to roller skate, chat with friends, and enjoy booming music on Thursday, Sept. 5.
“We’re doing this as part of a two-week trial for the closing of Pine. We’ve done the Roller Disco before, it’s easy to set up and usually a big hit,” Downtown Long Beach Alliance Member Justin Nevarez said.
“Events like these are good for the whole Long Beach area, it’s good for the community,” Long Beach City College graduate Mia Alcendor said, who also roller skates to “release stress”.
During COVID-19, Pine Avenue in Downtown Long Beach was fully closed to cars, something “business owners want back,” Nevarez said.
The Long Beach LGBT Chamber of Commerce also held a tent with food for their members.
“We work with Long Beach business owners and advocate for [them],” president of the Long Beach LGBT Chamber of Commerce Brian Burroughs said.
“We normally do two events a month, one lunch mixer and one evening mixer with cocktails and dinner. [These events] get people together,” Burroughs said.
Lorez Barber skates down Pine Avenue using the roller skates that were available for rent by The Basics of Happy. (Alex Toledo)
The roller skating event was lively, accompanied by a DJ and a bright green booth where those attending could rent roller skates.
Several attendees skated up and down Pine Avenue, dancing to the music as they went.
“There’s definitely more people this week,”rental booth worker Paris Taylor said.
The rental booth belonged to The Basics of Happy, which “rents rollerskates out for different community events, non-profit organizations, and company team-building days,” Taylor said.
The Basics of Happy booth was a hotspot for attendees such as Mia Alcenor and others to set up their skates.
Coordinators like Nevarez and Burroughs are working hard to see more community engagement in Downtown Long Beach.
“The whole point of these events and having Pine closed is to get people to Downtown [and] get visibility,” Nevarez said.