The annual Charter Communications Long Beach Sea Festival, a three-month-long series of beach, ocean and summer-fun events celebrating the Southern California experience, is set to begin the last week of June with events all summer.

Three major weekend events officially kick off Sea Festival 2009:   the start of Transpac, the 2,225-nautical-mile yacht race from Long Beach to Hawaii (June 27–July 5), USA Volleyball International Development Qualifier Tournament and the popular Pier Daze and Pirate Festival, a living history of Pirates that includes an “attack” on the Long Beach Memorial Veterans Pier (both June 27-28).  In addition, youth sailing aboard the tall ship American Pride will take place on June 25.

Sea Festival continues through Sept. 13 with nearly 100 events that include Moonlight Movies on the Beach, Concerts in the Park, as well as a series of Fourth of July revelry that will celebrate our nation’s birthday, Long Beach-style! 

Several new events being added for 2009 include: Beach Tennis USA and the Long Beach Car Show (both July 4-5) and Discovery Channel Shark Week Outdoor Screening at the Aquarium of the Pacific (every Sunday in July), and two youth outdoor theatre events – Shakespeare by the Sea for Kids (Aug 22) and Children’s Popcorn Theater (Aug 29).

Other popular events include the Kid’s Fishing Rodeo (July 30) Crawfish Festival (Aug. 1-2), Dragon Boat Festival (Aug 1-2), Capture the Wind Festival (Aug. 8), the Great Sandcastle Contest (Aug. 15), Tiki Beach Festival (Aug. 22-23) and the Sept. 11-13 Lobster Festival, the final event of Sea Festival 2009.

In keeping with Long Beach’s reputation as  a great sports city, Sea Festival 2009 includes several volleyball events, the 61st annual Catalina Ski Race (July 11) personal water craft race (July 12), Offshore Powerboat Race (July 12), the Long Beach Sprint Nationals, featuring high-powered “circle boat” races (Aug. 8-9) and an Pacific Open Water Swim (Aug. 23),  among many others.

A complete list of all activities, with event location and information, can be found at the official Charter Communications Long Beach Sea Festival website – www.LongBeachSeaFestival.com.

The Long Beach Sea Festival is presented by Charter Communications with additional sponsorship provided by: the Port of Long Beach; Mercedes Benz of Long Beach, Odwalla, St. Mary Medical Center; TranSystems; Long Beach Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine; Supervisor Don Knabe; the Long Beach Airport; Coke; Moffatt & Nichol; Aquarium of the Pacific; Anchor Environmental; Fred Hall Fishing Show; Keesal, Young & Logan; Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau; Grunion Gazette; Long Beach Press-Telegram; Long Beach TV 8 and Professional Business Services.