The annual Westside Festival is free and takes place on Sat., Sept. 13, from noon to 4 p.m. at Admiral Kidd Park in Long Beach. (Dorian Bonner)
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By Suzanne Potter
Sep 11, 2025
A festival set for Saturday in Long Beach will showcase the city’s efforts to improve the quality of life in the Westside neighborhood, surrounded by heavy industry and the port.
The Westside Fest will have music and food, but also speakers and booths to highlight the progress made so far in the city’s Westside Promise initiative, which started two years ago.
Paul Barragan Monge, deputy mayor for policy and intergovernmental affairs in the office of Mayor Rex Richardson, said the fight to improve air quality and slow climate change is more important than ever, especially in frontline communities.
“In the context of a federal administration that has really retreated in terms of its commitment to environmental justice,” he said, “the onus is really on local government and local communities to take leadership in advancing public health-focused environmental policy.”
Long Beach is working with the port, nearby cities and others to move the port toward zero-emission technologies. It also is working to decommission an aging freeway and reduce the vehicle exhaust polluting nearby streets.
Sean Bernhoft, chief of staff for Vice Mayor Roberto Uranga, said improving the urban tree canopy is another goal.
“Through the Westside Promise, the city made a commitment to improving urban forestry through tree plantings across the city,” he said, “including $100,000 from Long Beach container terminal and $100,000 in this year’s budget.”
Nikki Amick, development project manager in the Community Development Department at the city’s Housing and Neighborhood Services Bureau, said Long Beach wants to empower people to make a difference.
“The Love Your Block program is one way that the city is helping engage residents around climate action,” she said. “So, it will issue mini-grants for community-led projects focused on transportation efficiency and clean air.”
A health assessment by the City of Long Beach in 2019 found the Westside community suffers higher rates of asthma and cardiovascular disease and life expectancy is cut by up to eight years, compared with the county average.