Latin Jazz & Blues Festival 

June 9, 2018, 11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Houghton Park
6301 E. Harding Street (at Myrtle)
Long Beach CA 90805
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2018 Entertainment

The Ohio Players | DW3 | La Verdad | Elaine Gibbs & Nu Soul | Biscuits & Grave

ATTRACTION: Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach is one of the nation's premier ocean aquariums. Don't stand in line and wait! Get your tickets here!

Past coverage by Chris MacDonald

The Annual Latin Jazz and Blues Festival helped neighbors get to know one another yesterday in North Long Beach. World Class Musicians like Poncho Sanchez, The Susie Hansen Latin Jazz Band, DW3 and Boxcar7 filled Houghton Park with hundreds of joyful, dancing people and some of the best music around.

"It's absolutely a blessing getting such fine music and a chance to meet our neighbors in a safe setting," said Lupe Martinez, who was dancing the salsa. "And with Free Admission!"

"We call it Jazz and Unity for a Healthy Community," said District 9 Long Beach City Councilman Steven Neal, who founded the event. "It's designed to bring people out of their homes, get them to know each other and appreciate their neighborhood diversity."

Neal, who's running for Assembly in the 64th District, said, "We use art and culture to show North Long Beach's beautiful, friendly and viable area, especially this wonderful park at Atlantic Blvd. and Harding Ave. The Latin Jazz and Blues especially appeals to our residents."

Joining in the celebration, sponsored by the Long Beach Police Officers Association, Long Beach Firefighters Local 372, The Port of Long Beach, Long Beach Parks & Recreation, The Coalition for a Healthy North Long Beach, RMD Group, Neal's "Inside District 9" and others, were art, jewelry, real estate, food and information vendors, such as School Farmstand.

The LB Community Action Partnership's Spring Street Farm Project enables people to inexpensively purchase locally grown produce when they pick up their kids every Tuesday (2-4) at Grant Elementary School or from Farmstands at Spring and Elm, Tuesdays and Fridays (8-6). The LB Human Trafficking Taskforce also answered questions and had brochures on widespread modern-day slavery, where victims are subjected to force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. (For more information, go to www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking or call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, 1-888-373-7888.)

Also on hand were representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI, who answered questions and gave out literature on Human Trafficking, Identity Theft, Home Computer Safety Tips (www.onguardonline.gov), Hate Crimes and the FBI's Human Rights Program. The Long Beach Police Department was represented and cards were distributed showing Officer Victor Ortiz with his K-9 "Trex," who patrol in the North Division and work with the SWAT team.

Houghton Park is the perfect setting for the annual festival and has a baseball diamond, skateboard park and the Long Beach Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, beneath a real Army helicopter. 

Events are not guaranteed. It is your responsibility to confirm before going.