Image courtesy of Talib Kweli. 

UPDATE | Long Beach Vice Mayor Rex Richardson announced today that Brooklyn-born hip hop artist Talib Kweli will join the Village Fest lineup as headliner at Activate Uptown this Saturday, a free block party open to the entire community.

For more information and to RSVP, visit the Facebook event page here. 

PREVIOUSLY: Hip Hop Legend MURS Added to ACTIVATE UPTOWN Lineup

Image courtesy of MURS.

9/21/16 at 5:40PM | Long Beach Vice Mayor Rex Richardson announced today that MURS, who recently released his solo album Have a Nice Life and is the founder of the Paid Dues festival, which draws attention to the best in underground rap, will perform at Activate Uptown on Saturday, October 1.

The Pharcyde will play Village Fest for the second time, while freestyler MC Supernatural, reggae outfit Vibrant Heights and Long Beach-based Bootleg Orchestra will also take the main stage on the corner of Artesia Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue.  

Image courtesy of Activate Uptown.

PREVIOUSLY: Open-Streets Block Party to ACTIVATE UPTOWN in October

9/13/16 at 12:21PM | Activate Uptown, a free, open-streets block party along Artesia Boulevard between Atlantic and Orange avenues, will feature live music, activities, food, crafts, giveaways and more, on Saturday, October 1, from 10:00AM to 4:00PM, the City of Long Beach announced this week.

“I invite the community to bring family and friends and meet your neighbors at Activate Uptown,” said Mayor Robert Garcia in a statement. “Come and enjoy music, family-friendly activities, and more at the Activate Uptown festival as you bike, walk, skate or play in North Long Beach.”

Artesia Boulevard will be closed to cars and open to people walking, biking and playing in the street. Featured on Myrtle Avenue between Artesia Boulevard and Harding Street will be a re-imagined streetscape with a temporary bike boulevard and roundabout, in an effort to make traveling easier for pedestrians and bicyclists. Myrtle will be open to local traffic, according to the release.

“There’s something for everyone at Activate Uptown,” said Vice Mayor Rex Richardson in a statement. ”We are planning a variety of exhibits and attractions highlighting active transportation and the Uptown Renaissance, along with an amazing selection of headlining and local artists.”

Vice Mayor Richardson will also be hosting the second annual Village Fest, a free concert benefiting the North Long Beach Education Fund, at the corner of Artesia Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue. Performers will include 90s alternative hip-hop trailblazers The Pharcyde, Guinness World Record Longest Freestyle Artist MC Supernatural, Long Beach-based neo-soul collective Bootleg Orchestra and Los Angeles-based reggae outfit Vibrant Heights.

Other events to take place include a live mural installation, a youth basketball tournament and raffles. Those riding a bike to the occasion can valet their two-wheeled transport for free.

Activate Uptown is sponsored by the Office of Vice Mayor Rex Richardson, SCAG’s Go Human Campaign, Clean Transportation Funding – MSRC, and The California Endowment.

For more information, visit the website here or the Activate Uptown event page here.