PRESS RELEASE

Above: Young attendees participate in a recreational activity at a previous event hosted by the City of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine.

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine is hosting a Neighborhood Spring Kickoff event, taking place at Martin Luther King Jr Park (1950 Lemon Ave.)on Saturday, March 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This free event is part of the City’s Neighbor-to-Neighbor Program and will focus on fostering connection and building communities that come together to engage locally.

“Our Neighbor-to-Neighbor Program brings our community together to build strong connections, strengthen social ties and address local needs,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “With this event, we are kicking spring off by empowering our residents to engage locally—providing opportunities for them to foster that connection and make a difference in their neighborhoods.”

The family-friendly Neighborhood Spring Kickoff event will feature a variety of fun activities and entertainment for community members. Attendees will have opportunities to participate in arts and crafts, such as flowerpot painting and kite decorating, as well as flower planting activities, a kite flying competition, candy guessing challenges and inflatable baseball, basketball, soccer and football games. Additionally, the event will feature obstacle courses, opportunity drawings with themed prize baskets including movie night, self-care, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and other fun activities.

The City’s Neighbor-to-Neighbor program is a California Volunteers network and led by the City’s Office of Climate Action and Sustainability. These events are designed to empower Californians to take meaningful action in their community and help strengthen communities by bringing neighbors together to engage locally.  To learn more about how to participate in the Neighbor-To-Neighbor program, including a calendar of upcoming events, visit the program website.

The City launched its Neighbor-to-Neighbor program in September 2024. The program is funded by a $500,000 grant from the State of California through California Volunteers, Office of the Governor. The fund’s focus is to expand California’s existing volunteer infrastructure and bolster the statewide Neighbor-to-Neighbor network to recruit, train, equip and organize neighbors to address community needs. The City was one of nine partner agencies selected through a statewide competitive process. To learn more about how to participate in the Neighbor-To-Neighbor program, including a calendar of upcoming events, visit the program website. 

For more information about the Neighborhood Spring Kick off event, call 562.570.1768. 

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, the award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. More information about the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine is available at longbeach.gov/park and on Facebook, X and Instagram.