Berth 55

WE LOVE YOU, DAD!

Long Beach celebrates Juneteenth bigly, and this year is no exception. Though the official holiday is June 19th, the party will take place this year on Saturday, June 20th (tomorrow!), at MLK Park (1950 Lemon Ave.) from 9 AM to 5 PM. This family-friendly fandango will feature live music, soul food and BBQ, and a wide assortment of fun activities, including arts and crafts, games, and face painting.

Though slavery was abolished in January of 1865, slaves in rural Texas had not been informed. Juneteenth commemorates the day when Union soldiers, discovering these still-indentured people, explained to them that they were free.

Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021, and Long Beach has observed and commemorated it in LB style for the past five years. How ‘bout joining in the fun? From the festival at MLK to all of the reflective programs taking place around the city, we can commemorate emancipation while honoring and embracing African-American art, food, and culture.

Kimberly Esslinger, you are a champion! Only YOU take home the B55 monthly giveaway for June.

Yeah, baby, that means that $30 of FREE Berth 55 EATS is awaiting your feasting pleasure. Just show the guys behind the deli counter your name on page two of the June issue of What's Cookin' (check your inbox, Kim) and start ordering.

Of course, some of you are not Kimberly. You didn’t win. BUT—it could happen. Some month in the not-too-distant future, it could be you! All you need to do is drop us a line at berth55seafood.com. Literally. That’s all you have to do. Our winners are picked from that list, BECAUSE WE WANT YOU ON THE MAILING LIST. Monthly winners are announced on the 1st of every month.

Justin Rudd, a true Long Beach hero and the city’s unofficial patron saint of community engagement, is celebrating his birthday on June 6th! Know what he wants this year? He wants you to gather up some of your gently used clothes and shoes and donate ‘em.

June 1st through 7th marks the 13th Annual Clothing & Shoe Drive for the Homeless. You can drop them in the chute to the left of the double doors at Christian Outreach in Action, located at 515 E 3rd Street, OR walk them into the office of the Bay Shore Church at 5100 E. The Toledo before 2 PM any day during that week.

For the past twelve years, this drive has collected and distributed truckloads of goods to various homeless service agencies in the LB. Let’s keep up the good work.