Image courtesy of Long Beach Fresh. 

The third annual Long Beach County Fair will take place during the monthly First Fridays event on April 1, thanks to the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association (BKBIA) and Long Beach Fresh. It’s a free showcase of the local food producers and organizations that make up our growing collection of urban agriculture outfits from local and neighboring communities.

“Both the Long Beach County Fair and the local food community have grown tremendously over the last three years,” said Ryan Smolar, project co-coordinator for Long Beach Fresh. “This year’s event is the number one place to be if you’re looking to connect to our city’s local food champions, from growers to chefs and educators.”

At EXPO Art Center, First Friday goers can check out educational displays and demonstrations, as well as interact with the city’s Seeders, Feeders and Eaters, three terms Long Beach Fresh uses to describe the points of Long Beach’s local food economy.

The Seeders include the growers working tirelessly to provide produce for their patrons, even those as unassuming as Little Owl Preschool, set to showcase its bi-weekly farmer’s market for parents and students. Local growers are also invited to show off their Long Beach-grown fruits and vegetables for a chance to compete for blue ribbon honors.

Proper’s Pickles, Long Beach Creamery and Black Ring Coffee are just a few of the independent sellers that makeup the Feeders of Long Beach, including newer arrivals such as The Pie Bar, whose owner Laurie Gray implements local and organic ingredients into her popular dessert recipes. Feeders also include those who dive into the preparatory part of the profession, with revered Chef Paul Buchanan of organic catering outfit Primal Alchemy to be in attendance.

The “Eaters” encompass those organizations passionate about making healthy food accessible for everyone. OC Food Access Coalition, Food Finders, the Hughes Green Team and North Long Beach-based healthy food champions SugarWatch will have information and ideas to share freely.

The Long Beach County Fair takes place in conjunction with First Fridays in April. If you’re a Long Beach gardener wanting to compete for blue ribbon honors, to be awarded by chefs Joe Corso from Long Beach Organic, Augustin Romo of Equeko and Restauration owner Dana Roberson, entry details can be found here.  

To RSVP for the fair, visit the Facebook event page here. 

The EXPO Arts Center is located at 4321 Atlantic Avenue.