Long Beach's Westside Night Market Was the Neighborhood's Own Idea. Its Last Fall Date Is Nov. 20.
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
On Friday, Sept. 18, balloons hung around the doors of Candlestick Ravine Cafe on Santa Fe Avenue, across the street from Admiral Kidd Park. Kids from The Jewel Box Children's Theater next door had just finished a dress rehearsal, and they were trying the cafe's horchata, made Guatemalan style with toasted pepitas, cinnamon and sesame seeds. The cafe hadn't officially opened yet. That came three days later, on Monday, Sept. 21, according to the Long Beach Post.
That Friday was the first Westside Night Market. The cafe's soft launch that night shows what the market was built to do. The idea came from West Long Beach business owners, and the city designed it to send foot traffic down Santa Fe Avenue as much as into the park. The series has one scheduled date left, Friday, Nov. 20, from 5 to 8 p.m.
According to a July 21, 2026 memo from the city's Community Development Department, local business owners had recently formed the Westside Long Beach Business Alliance. A night market was one of the group's first collective requests. They wanted more visibility and support for West Long Beach businesses.
The memo lays out where the market sets up:
The Night Markets will be held every third Friday during September, October and November from 5 – 8 p.m. on both sides of Santa Fe Avenue, starting at the southeast corner of Admiral Kidd Park.
"Both sides" is the key detail. The market runs along the street where the neighborhood's storefronts and studios face the park. The memo states the goals plainly: build foot traffic, help small businesses grow, and showcase entrepreneurs already working in the area.
The series is part of Westside Promise, a 10-year city plan for investing in West Long Beach. The memo says the plan is in its third year, and that this is the first event series of its kind on the Westside. The city's Sept. 16 press release says admission is free thanks to sponsors. Funding comes from the Office of Vice Mayor Roberto Uranga, the Port of Long Beach and Long Beach Container Terminal. The organizers are the city's Community Development and Economic Development & Opportunity departments, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, and the Westside Long Beach Business Alliance.
Vice Mayor Uranga's Seventh District includes West Long Beach. In the same release, he described the market as "an invitation for residents throughout the region to explore a different part of our city, experience its spirit and sample its fantastic food."
The vendor list leans local, and some names were already well known before the first market. The city's release named these food vendors:
Farmers selling fresh produce rounded out the lineup, along with vendors serving plant-based food, Creole dishes, wings, burgers, pizza and seafood. Organizers said they plan to grow the indie marketplace of local makers over time.
The Press-Telegram's recap of the opening night confirmed those vendors. It also listed the performers. Mariachi Alma Juvenil played, Grupo Folklorico Mexica de CSULB danced, and the Cabrillo High School band and cheer/dance team performed, along with Jewel Box Children's Theater Company.
Most of those performers come from the neighborhood itself. Jewel Box performs at the market and also teaches from its studio at 2050 Santa Fe Ave., just down the street from the park entrance. The city said the company would put on a cabaret show and offer a free theater class at the market. The high school band marches in from across the street. On this block, the performers are also neighbors.
Candlestick Ravine Cafe is the best example of what the business alliance asked for. James Roddy and Claudia Alvarez-Roddy, who run it, bought their home on the Westside in 2021, the Long Beach Post reported. They started with a salsa line sold mostly at Southern California farmers markets, then moved into catering, and now have a storefront facing the park.
The name joins two ballparks. Candlestick Park stands for James' Northern California roots. Chávez Ravine stands for Claudia's Southern California upbringing. The coffee comes from Two Tone Roasters in Anaheim. Claudia's sister bakes the cinnamon rolls, muffins and cookies, and Claudia's father built the countertop by hand.
In the same Long Beach Post story, Cabrillo High principal My Ngoc Nguyen explained why the opening mattered on that stretch of Santa Fe Avenue:
"It's something we look forward to now, because besides a mini mart, the 7-Eleven and McDonald's, there really hasn't been many places to get a good coffee or breakfast. So now there's a great alternative."
The memo said the markets were meant to raise the profile of Westside businesses. This one launched into the market's first crowd. The cafe posts updates on its Instagram, so check there for hours before planning a stop around Nov. 20.
Here are the details for the third date, from the city's event page and the Long Beach Post Events listing:
The November listing doesn't name vendors or performers. The September lineup above is the best guide to the kind of night it will be, not a promise of who will show up. The city's park directory lists Admiral Kidd Park as having a playground, basketball court, soccer field, picnic area and restrooms, which is helpful if you're bringing kids.
The city scheduled three dates for the fall: Sept. 18, Oct. 16 and Nov. 20. No date after November has been posted. City materials call the series new and the first of its kind on the Westside, and the press release says organizers hope to add more artists and makers over time. Whether that happens next year isn't on the calendar yet. For now, Nov. 20 is the last scheduled night of the fall series.
The theater down the block has plans for December. Jewel Box Children's Theater lists its "Jewel Box Radio Hour" for Dec. 12, 2026, at the Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St.
If you own a home on the Westside or anywhere in Long Beach and want to see how new investment along streets like Santa Fe Avenue shows up in your home's value, Celeste Castillo offers local, bilingual guidance in English and Spanish. Get your instant home valuation and start the conversation whenever you're ready.
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