Long Beach, California

If you remember back in the day, Pine Avenue in Downtown Long Beach used to host a themed New Year’s Eve Party that drew some big crowds. Several blocks of the street were closed down to make room for the rowdiness. Sometimes little old Long Beach even procured remotely famous entertainment—Little Richard was the headliner the last I rang in the New Year on Pine.

So far in this century, Pine Avenue has figuratively gone silent on New Year’s; while the restaurants and clubs provided their own celebrations, no coordinated party appeared.

Well folks, the Pine Avenue Party is back and, drumroll please, it’s FREE. (Why they aren’t marketing it as the Troubled Wallet Relief Party, or Pine’s Official Oldschool Rave, I’m not sure.) Just show up and enjoy free live music, fireworks, an LED light show and a countdown to midnight. How cool is that? Scheduled entertainers are:

• DJ Abe at 8pm
• Dusty Rhodes and the River Band at 9pm
• Delta Nove at 10:30pm
• DJ Abe at 12:15am

Visit the Pine Avenue Party page here for more information.

Restaurants and bars throughout Downtown Long Beach will be open in case you get hungry and/or thirsty. Several have additional entertainment planned for the evening, such as Shannon on Pine’s midnight bikini contest and Sgt. Pepper’s prime rib/free drink special. For more information about the establishments in Downtown Long Beach, click here.

Don’t wait until 5pm on Christmas Eve to do your holiday shopping. Target may be your favorite store, but you don’t want to be there on Christmas Eve. Trust me. If you have no imagination for gift-buying, try these local retailers for unique and fun gifts:

Lei of Love. Give the gift of the tropics this year with help from Lei of Love. This Seal Beach retailer carries fun Hawaiian-themed gifts and flowers. Located at 220 Main Street in Seal Beach or online at www.leioflove.com .

Bogart’s Coffee House. Bogart’s will make a custom gift basket for as little as $9.99. Just tell them your budget and they’ll compile a custom combination of coffee, holiday mugs, chocolate covered espresso beans, loose leaf teas, biscotti, chocolates, chai, cocoa and more. Bogart’s is on the corner of Main Street and Ocean in Seal Beach, or online at www.bogartscoffee.com .

Nutri-tech. Surely someone special in your life could benefit from better health. Nutri-tech carries a complete line of health supplements, and the staff is ready to answer all of your questions. Oh, and if that someone special also needs a darker tan, Nutri-tech can help with that also! You’ll find Nutri-tech in CityPlace at 100 E 4th Street, Long Beach or at www.fullertan.com .

Pirate’s Cove. Shop for pirate-themed memorabilia including clothes, shirts, hats, bandanas and, of course, the old skull and crossbones at Pirates Cove. The store is located in Shoreline Village at 419 Shoreline Village Drive, or online at www.piratescoveonline.com .

Buffalo Exchange. Get that special someone a “new” look at Buffalo Exchange. Buffalo Exchange buys quality items from consumer for resale, giving the store one of the most diverse collections of accessory and apparel in all of Long Beach. Visit Buffalo Exchange at 4608 East 2nd Street or online at www.buffaloexchange.com .

Clearly, my list isn’t complete. Long Beach and Seal Beach both are peppered with independent shops that cater to buyers who want something a little different. Anybody care to share their favorite stops?

The locals know him as Artist Norm, but you might recognize him as the guy who will your paint portrait on the boardwalk at Shoreline Village. Artist Norm can transform a photograph into a timeless oil painting or charcoal drawing (now there’s a holiday gift idea); he’s also an accomplished photographer and produces his own original artwork.

Artist Norm currently has a collection of original pastels on display in the Lobby Level Gallery of Long Beach’s Main Library. The collection, entitled Long Beach Scenes, represents the sights and scenes of Long Beach. The pieces have a relaxed tone to them, playing up the beach-casual aspect of the city.

Long Beach Scenes will be on display through December 31, 2008. The Main Library is located at 101 Pacific Avenue in Downtown Long Beach. To learn more about Artist Norm, visit his website at ArtistNorm.net or ShorelineVillage.com .

Thanksgiving may be over, but the festivities have just begun. Pull out that Santa hat, call up your friends, and pencil in these Greater Long Beach holiday celebrations:

Belmont Shore Christmas Parade—26th Anniversary
December 6, 2008, 6-9pm
This year’s theme is “A Winter Water Wonderland” in celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the Aquarium of the Pacific. The parade begins at the corner of 2nd Street and Claremont, but arrive early. More than 50,000 people will pack the sidewalks of 2nd Street to watch the marching bands and floats bring on the holiday cheer. For more information about the Belmont Shore Christmas Parade, click here.

Naples Christmas Boat Parade—Long Beach
December 13, 2008, 6pm
The small boats begin their tour at 6pm from the 2nd Street Bridge; larger boats will launch at 6:30pm near the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club. You can watch the big boats go by from the bridges that separate Naples from the mainland, or you can find a spot along the canals to see the small boats. You might want to arrive early and explore the holiday lights on the homes in Naples; they’re usually pretty spectacular. For more information about the Naples Boat Parade, click here .

Seal Beach Holiday Parade—28th Anniversary
December 5, 2008, 7pm
The Seal Beach Holiday Parade is expecting the participation of many community groups, local businesses and known personalities…including Mr. California, Santa Claus and Grand Marshall Bill Ayres. The parade is held on Seal Beach’s Main Street , south of Pacific Coast Highway. For more information about the parade, visit the Seal Beach Chamber website.