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Grateful in the LBC: Your Thanksgiving Guide + Local Events!
Grateful in the LBC: Your Thanksgiving Guide + Local Events!
From turkey trots to tree lightings, here’s your hand-picked list of Thanksgiving happenings in Long Beach. Family fun, holiday markets, and ways to give back — all in one festive roundup.
Robert Brennan
Nov 25, 2025
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A cherished tradition of giving returns to feed, support, and uplift the downtown Long Beach community
Feast and care in the heart of the city
As Thanksgiving approached, one of Long Beach’s most heartfelt annual traditions returned to the heart of downtown. Christian Outreach in Action (COA), a longstanding nonprofit committed to aiding the city’s most vulnerable, hosted its annual Thanksgiving Feast and Blessing Bag distribution on Saturday, November 29, 2025. The event was held at their location on 3rd Street, where the familiar scent of warm holiday meals drifted through the air, welcoming anyone in need of nourishment or community.
Volunteers, donors, and community members came together to serve hundreds of Thanksgiving meals with dignity and warmth. The feast included traditional holiday favorites, and the courtyard transformed into a shared space of kindness, conversation, and inclusion. Attendees were not asked for ID or proof of need — only a willingness to be cared for.
Blessing Bags: Practical support for daily dignity
Following the feast, COA distributed their annual “Blessing Bags” — large care packages filled with personal hygiene products, snacks, socks, bottled water, and ready-to-eat meals. These bags are carefully curated to serve the needs of individuals who may not have access to refrigeration, kitchens, or stable housing. The initiative allows guests to walk away with more than a full stomach — they leave with practical, ongoing support.
COA’s director noted that for many guests, this bag may be the most consistent source of supplies they receive all season. Volunteers take special care to include notes of encouragement and thoughtful touches, reinforcing the dignity and humanity of every recipient.
Community-powered, year after year
This tradition has continued for over a decade, drawing support from local families, churches, and civic groups. Many volunteers return year after year, bringing children or friends along to participate. For them, Thanksgiving isn’t just about turkey, it’s about showing up for neighbors with love and consistency.
“We want everyone to feel seen, fed, and remembered,” said one longtime volunteer. “No one should be forgotten on Thanksgiving.”
A model for giving, rooted in Long Beach
At a time when economic challenges continue to ripple through the region, events like these are more essential than ever. Christian Outreach in Action offers a model not just for charity, but for solidarity. The message is simple: food, care, and belonging are for everyone. And in Long Beach, thanks to COA, they are.
Event Details
Thanksgiving Feast & Blessing Bag Giveaway
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Long Beach Turkey Trot Run/Walk & Kids ½-Mile Wingding: One of Long Beach’s favorite Thanksgiving morning traditions! Choose between a 5K or 10K beachside run/walk, or cheer on your little ones in the kids’ ½-mile Wingding. Hosted by Justin Rudd’s Community Action Team and supporting local causes.
Date: November 27, 2025 · Time: 7:30 AM (Kids' Wingding ~8:40 AM) · Location: Granada Boat Launch Ramp, 1 Granada Ave., Long Beach, CA 90803
908 Holiday Fair A festive marketplace perfect for holiday shopping with local vendors, live music, and seasonal treats.
Date: November 29–30, 2025 · Location: 2100 N Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90815.
Uptown Village Market Holiday A one‑day curated holiday market showcasing local artisans, makers, and specialty goods in Long Beach.
Date: December 5, 2025 · Location: Expo Arts Center, 4321 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach, CA.
Long Beach Night Market: a Green & Grumpy Holiday A fun, family‑friendly holiday night market with vendors, festive treats, music, and a dash of playful attitude.
Date: December 19, 2025 · 5:00 PM‑9:00 PM · Location: 456 Elm Ave, Long Beach, CA.
4th Street Holiday Market A holiday market along 4th Street with vendor booths, crafts, and festive shopping in the Retro Row neighborhood.
Date: December 13, 2025 · 11:00 AM‑4:00 PM · Location: 4th Street & St. Louis Ave, Long Beach, CA.
Santa Photos at the Hangar Bring the family for holiday photos with Santa at the Hangar, with fun festive atmosphere.
Date: December 6, 2025 · 11:00 AM‑5:00 PM · Location: LBX Hangar, 4069 N Lakewood Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90808.
2ND & PCH Annual Tree Lighting & Santa Arrival Event The annual holiday tree lighting and Santa arrival celebration at Belmont Shore’s waterfront.
Date: November 25, 2025 · Time: 5:00 PM (approx) · Location: 2nd St & Pacific Coast Hwy (Belmont Shore & Naples), Long Beach, CA. |
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When Open Sesame Grill opened in Long Beach back in 1999, Lebanese food wasn’t something you saw on every corner. But founder Ali Kobeissi wasn’t chasing a trend—he was sharing what he grew up with. Raised in Lebanon and shaped by summers in his uncle’s spice factory, Kobeissi brought those flavors with him: grilled meats, warm spices, house-made sauces, and no shortcuts.
Now more than two decades later, Open Sesame is still here, still in the same spot, still making garlic sauce from scratch and turning out the kind of food people come back for. The dining room is small, the crowd is loyal, and the vibe hasn’t changed much. That’s the story.
With Competition Growing Open Sesame Has Kept Its Base
Plenty of new restaurants have come and gone since 1999, and more than a few now serve falafel, hummus, or a kabob plate. Places like Ammatoli downtown have added polish to the category, while Magic Lamp Grill and The Green Olive offer quicker versions nearby. But Open Sesame never chased the fast casual crowd or the upscale makeover. It stayed where it started, somewhere in between.
This is a place where regulars know what they’re getting: a full plate, seasoned right, with the kind of flavor that doesn’t need an explanation. Even as the city around it has changed, the food has stayed grounded, bold, consistent, and proudly made in house every day.
You Don’t Have to Be Lebanese to Love This Food
Open Sesame isn’t trying to be a cultural crash course. It’s not niche or exclusive. The menu is simple and accessible, whether you grew up with dishes like lentil soup and baba ghanoush or not. First-timers usually find something familiar, grilled chicken, warm rice, fresh bread—and something they didn’t know they were missing.
This is the kind of place where garlic sauce turns casual customers into loyal ones. It speaks to locals of all backgrounds. Some come in weekly. Others only when they’re craving something comforting and flavorful. Either way, nobody leaves hungry.
Garlic Sauce, Lamb Kabobs, and a Menu That Doesn’t Miss
There’s no shortage of favorites here, but the real win is how balanced every plate feels. The grilled chicken Tawook is tender, the lamb kabobs come out smoky and well spiced, and the baba ghanoush has just the right bite. Even the lentil soup feels like something from a home kitchen.
Everything hits the table with rice, salad, and fresh pita, and nothing ever tastes like it came from a prep line. You can try something new or stick to the same thing every visit. Either way, it holds up.
Two Locations, One Story — And Still Cooking Every Day
Ali Kobeissi didn’t just open a restaurant. He brought a way of cooking and a way of thinking about food that stayed consistent even as the city changed. He grew up around flavor, spices, stews, slow cooking, and put that into everything Open Sesame serves. No shortcuts, no overthinking, just food done right.
The second location in Los Angeles expanded the brand, but Long Beach is still home base. The kitchen still turns out garlic sauce from scratch. The grill still works overtime. The tables still fill up on weekends. For a place that’s been here this long, that kind of consistency is rare, and that’s why people keep coming back.
Open Sesame Grill – Lebanese / Mediterranean
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