We had the honor of meeting Chad, aka The Cambodian Cowboy, when he agreed to be a part of our annual fundraiser.  We contacted him and heard a bit of his story and immediately knew he was a gem.  Through the phone he exuded kindness.  He has been a vendor now for the past two years at our Long Beach Homebrew Fest and we are so grateful for his energy and his passion of cooking.  We love that he fuses his Cambodian flavors with BBQ.  If you have not tried his food, get on it! We are grateful he is now a part of our community.

WLLB: What neighborhood in Long Beach do you live in?
CP: Since coming as a refugee, I lived in so many different parts of this great city. Currently, I live with my family in Sunrise.

WLLB: Where is your business located?  
CP: We pop-up around town and cater.  Currently you can find us  on Thursdays (3pm-7pm) at the Bixby Knolls Farmer’s Market, Fridays (12pm-9pm) at Ten Mile Brewing and Sunday (12pm-6pm) at Trademark Brewing.  (Follow him on instagram to see his schedule and mouth watering food).

WLLB: How did you get started?
CP:  I got into smoking BBQ out of being laid off during Covid. My wife had just given birth to our youngest son in 2020, got laid off, the Pandemic, and I wanted to do something that I really love—which was smoking BBQ and being a Chef.

WLLB: Why do you love what you do? 
CP: I have control of what I want to do to make a living, being empowered to be a small business owner, and making delicious smoked bbq for everyone to enjoy.

WLLB: Why do you love your small business?
CP: I love the flexibility of being a small business owner. Being able to use my creativity to make my brand better and a chance to shine by being out here constantly smoking BBQ week in and week out. The more you’re out here, the better you will be doing what you love and sharpening your skill sets!!

WLLB: Describe a memorable moment when your business positively impacted the local community. 
CP: It was WILD! After being featured on by Brian Addison on Eater LA we went viral!  I had my 5 minutes of fame on CBS Morning News nationwide—which made me a household name as The Cambodian Cowboy!! With the notoriety of being in the spotlight, it helps shine a bigger spotlight on the amazing food that comes out of Long Beach. Being able to represent such a rich and diverse area of our great country. Also, to put Cambodian Americans on the map with more positivity with our food. Most often than not—we are overshadowed by Vietnamese food and Thai food.
Lastly, being able to represent the hardworking people in Long Beach that are start ups and being small business owners. Being able to converse and speaking engagements to start and sustain a business in the local community. 

We invite you and your neighbors to gather around one long table to share a meal & conversation for the common good of our city.

When is Long Table Long Beach?
May 18-19th in the morning to the night. Anytime on Saturday or Sunday.

Where is Long Table Long Beach?
The best place to host a Long Table Long Beach is in the street, sidewalk, in a courtyard or in a common area.

What does a Host receive:
•A minimum of $250 to assist with your event
•A custom Long Table Long Beach flyer for your block
•A We Love Long Beach gift
•A step by step Long Table Long Beach guide to assist with your prep, set up, and post gathering connections.
•Name Tags

What are some creative and fun meal themes for Long Table LB?
Around the World Potluck, Taco/Nachos Bar, Pasta Bar, Burgers + Dogs, Lasagna Party, Soup/Stew Party, Meat/Vegan Chili Party, Gourmet Pizza Party, Breakfast for Dinner Party, Brunch Party, Southern BBQ Party, Hawaiian Food Party, Mediterranean Party, Pho Party, Adobo Party, Indian Curry Party, Potato Bar, Happy Hour Party,  Tasting (wine, beer, apps) Party, 

Long Table Long Beach is not…
•An opportunity for hosts and guests to promote you or a loved one’s business or charity.
•An opportunity to promote or pitch your religion or spirituality.
•An opportunity to promote or canvas around political issues, or for candidates.

FAQ

What if I live in an apartment? If your apartment has a court yard or common area, we suggest using those spaces or  even down the middle of your hallway.  Of course if  your complex is on a street that is easy to block off for a block party, that works too.

How do I get a Block Party Permit? Right now is a great time to apply for a Block Party Permit because they are currently FREE to apply.  The one fee is for barricades.  You can read more here for steps.  If you need assistance or have questions, let us know.  We would be happy to assist.

How do I invite neighbors?  We’ll provide each host with a custom flyer. Feel free to gather some neighbors and go door-to-door together to spread the word on your block. If you have kids, they can be a great help in handing out invitations.

What if I live on a busy street?  We recommend that you team up with a neighbor or neighbors on another block near you and co-host with them. We recognize it can be difficult to host a Long Table LB gathering on some busy streets.

What role can a neighborhood association play?  A neighborhood association can be vital in spreading the word about Long Table Long Beach gatherings to neighbors. They can also support neighbors by assisting with flyer distribution or any preparation needed for the event.

What if I don’t live in Long Beach, CA but would like to host a Long Table gathering on my street?  We Love LB has introduced a new initiative called The Joy of Community, dedicated to supporting neighbors worldwide in building community on a block and neighborhood level for the benefit of all. We’d love to connect with you and provide resources as you begin connecting with your neighbors.

Please reach out to us at info@welovelb.org to get in touch. We’re always happy to schedule a chat.

In 1913 over 12,000 children were arrested in New York City for playing. Many kids devoted themselves to healthful natural play, despite the fact that they were playing in what one 1913 newspaper called the most dangerous and degrading playground in the world, the streets of New York City. At the time, NYC streets were filled with cars, horse drawn carts, push carts, and street cars. Because a child’s main option was to play in or near the street, hundreds of children on a monthly basis were killed, maimed, and injured due to the terrible street conditions. The main issue that was not being addressed by the local government was that these kids lived in New York City, with an estimated 700,000 children citywide, and there were very few if any safe and welcoming places for children to play freely.

Back then, like today, kids loved to play classic games like jacks, follow the leader, and hopscotch, but the game played more than any other game was baseball. In one census taken from 120,000 children in 1913 over 1,500 girls were playing baseball alongside the boys.

New Yorkers knew that something needed to change. The arrests and the deaths of children were not the best optics for New York politics. In 1914 the  newspaper, “The Evening World” led by journalist Sophie Irene Loeb began to advocate weekly through the newspaper for safer and more friendly play spaces for children. She used her newspaper column, which was gaining influence, to by reach out and to gain support of wealthy New York City mothers, the Police Commissioner Arthur Woods, and finally by getting the green light from the 95th Mayor (1914-1917) New York City Mayor John Purroy Mitchel.

“The possibilities of this play movement cannot be underestimated. It opens up so many avenues by which the little children from all walks of life will prove to be an asset rather than a liability to our community.” -Sophie Irene Loeb

The other play advocacy group leading the way in New York City was The People’s Institute, spearheaded by John Collier and Edward R. Barrows. It was these men on April 27, 1913 in a New York Times article, who began to reimagine the role of play with children in New York City. They proposed the idea of “Play Streets for children” as a safe and healthy alternative to the horrific situation on the streets.

“Close off certain streets for certain hours. It need not always be the same street. The children will follow the shifting of streets which may be necessary in a given neighborhood.” -John Collier

On July 25,1914, two years after Collier’s vision casting, the first Play Street was piloted led by the authority and leadership of Police Commissioner Arthur Woods. The first Play Street took place on Eldridge Street in the Lower East Side, between Rivington and Delancey. The Play Street was focussed on the play of little girls in the dense low-income neighborhood. The city shut down the street and brought out two street pianos to play from 3:00-6:30pm. The New York Time’s July article says that the drivers and the push cart owners were happy to go around the Play Street. There was only one push cart owner who was not thrilled, and gave the police overseeing the event some attitude. (Note: In 1914, there was still some pushback from neighbors who did not want to be inconvenienced.)

The main attraction of the afternoon was a Rumanian folk dance by 14 year old Mollie Liebowitz of 86 Hester Street, which everyone at the Play Street loved. There were also dance instructors who taught the children some folk dance moves, and it was said that the little girls danced their hearts out til the end, and even protested when their time was up at 6:30pm. Sadly, the neighborhood boys did not want anything to do with the dancing, and so they planned to have a section that was devoted to play hockey at the next Play Street. The first Play Street was a huge success, and the New York times ended their article with, “So this afternoon the piano will play again on Eldridge Street.

By October 31, 1914 there were 21 active Play Streets that Police Commissioner Woods helped launch, and they began to multiply by the hundreds only a few years later. When Woods would walk by a Play Street in progress the children would stop playing and cheer for him. The mothers in the neighborhood started to create Mom’s groups. According to the New York Times mother’s told Woods that the Play Streets was one of the best things the city administration ever did to improve conditions for the moral and physical welfare of the boys and girls of New York City. The parents were so happy about the Play Streets, they created a fund to help pay a team of play teachers and play leaders.

“I expect to increase the number of Play Streets, so that in time practically all children of congested districts will be provided a place to enjoy themselves and safely play.” says Police Commissioner Arthur Woods.

We think it is important to know the rich history of the Play Streets movement. We are grateful for all of the New York City play advocates who believed in every child’s right to play safely and freely where they live among their neighbors. We stand on your shoulders, and will continue to encourage, support, and even fight for every child’s and every adult’s right to play. We believe play is here to stay!