The Pets are Blessed

The ninth Interfaith Blessing of the Animals will take place at noon today at Marine Stadium. Besides the celebration of religious tolerance and the loving connection between humans and animals, there will be pet adoption booths, several dog contests and the National Mutt Show dog walk down the red carpet. The pet blessing is free but contests require $10 entry fees.

All Authors All the Time at Apostrophe

There's a marathon going on at Apostrophe Books. Yesterday, local authorsJennifer Volland, Cara Mullio, Holly Wojahn, Kibry Fopma, Paul Paolilli, Dan Brewer, Tyler Dilst, Jo Anne Kurman, Harry Salzgaver, Caleb Ownes, and Rob Gokee pulled out their pens to autograph their books for avid bibliophiles. Today, the roster includes Wendy Hornsby, Liisa Kyle, Kathy Porter, Darlene Quinn, Bibi Angola, and Wesla Kerr will do the honors. Meet some authors and get some personalized Christmas gifts before the holiday rush!

SoundWalk Tonight!

Even though it's in its seventh year, Soundwalk always seems to slip up on me. Tonight, October 2 in the East Village over thirty different installations will be up and running beginning at 5 pm. Ranging from silly to cerebral, there will be live performances as well as recorded and interactive sound. Pardon the pun, but the event really sets art on its ear.

Time to go GLOBAL

GLOBAL is the Long Beach Arts community's acronym for its comprehensive guide to arts events in Long Beach during National Arts and Humanities Month. The website breaks down the events by neighbor or category (like dance or family friendly). It also has a free category, which is my favorite. Information about Soundwalk, free museum days, plus lots of gallery shows and open mikes will keep you busy all month without spending a dime.

Ask a Mexican . . . In Person

The El Dorado Neighborhood Library of Long Beach Public Library has invited Gustavo Arellano, the entertaining writer of Ask a Mexican to speak on October 5 at 6 pm in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Mr. Arellano appears regularly on radio talks shows besides writing for the OC Weekly and the Los Angeles Times. The event is free.