Summer is just around the corner, as is the season to place marinated meats over a fiery grill. Thankfully, two Southern California festivals are taking place to celebrate Los Angeles and Riverside County’s diverse barbecue scenes, starting with the Long Beach Barbecue Festival on May 25 and the Brew n’ Que Festival from May 31 through June 1 in Riverside County.

Axiom Kitchen will set up at the tail end of Shoreline Aquatic Park from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. to host its second annual event showcasing 25 pitmasters including Big Brian’s Meats, the 38-year-old operator Robert Earl’s BBQ, and the Mexican-Cuban specialist El Guero y La Flaca. In addition to 40 retail vendors, the festival will also feature whiskey tastings, a beer garden, a full bar, and an amateur chili cook-off contest. VIP tickets are still available.

Out in Norco, the Brew n’ Que Festival kicks off with panel chats from the CEO of the Kansas City Barbecue Society, Slap Yo Daddy sauce creator Harry Soo, and Black Smoke author Adrian Miller on day one. On June 1, attendees can try barbecue from local operators, North Carolina’s Bourbon & Blues Barbecue, and Good Googly Goo BBQ from Maryland. They’ve even secured live entertainment. Tickets to the festival range from $20 to $125.

Carmel Coffee craze is an understatement

Time Out LA waited in Carmel Coffee’s hour-plus line to try Silver Lake’s, or, rather, all of Los Angeles’s buzziest cafe, which opened in May. Those brave enough to stand in line were rewarded with drinks like milk teas, matcha lattes, and its popular multi-grain misugaru.

Another group of SoCal Starbucks workers join the union

Starbucks employees in Santa Clarita voted to join the worker union on May 17. The store at Newhall and Carl Court is the 35th California Starbucks location to join Starbucks Workers United. Over the last three years, Starbucks workers have organized extensively throughout the country amid allegations of anti-union actions from the coffee giant. In Southern California, the chain shuttered six Los Angeles stores in 2022, citing issues related to worker safety. The National Labor Relations Board subsequently filed a complaint against Starbucks, taking action to order the company to reopen multiple LA stores in 2023.

Grand Central Market in 1963

This time capsule of Grand Central Market from Forgotten Madness LA’s Instagram account is a healthy dose of nostalgia for Los Angeles residents and beyond.

New hours and offerings at Xuntos

Santa Monica’s Xuntos is open on Mondays and just launched a happy hour with Pintxos by chef Sandra Cordero. It also has a new bar program where gin and tonics, brandies, and Spanish natural wines are available, including Galician after-dinner drinks called chupitos.

Pescatarians, Burgers 99 wants you

DJ collective All Summa partnered with Badmaash’s Burgers 99 to create their first fish burger called the Ricks. It’s $13 with a wild-caught salmon patty, avocado spread, capers, cheddar, lettuce, and tomatoes on a toasted bun.

California State Senator Maria Elena Durazo speaks on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall on Oct. 22, 2020 where elected leaders held a conference urging voters to reject Proposition 22 in the then-upcoming election.

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

VENTURA, Calif.-The California Strawberry Festival wrapped up a weekend of mouth-watering fun and fundraising at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura.

The 38th festival serves as fundraiser for school groups and non profits.

Buena High School Music Association raised money by making and selling funnel cakes.

Other school booster clubs sold coffee and snacks.

The event also raises thousands of dollars for the Dr. Kato Memorial Scholarship Fund that is named after the late festival founder and former mayor of Oxnard.

The money has helped the children of farm workers attend college.

Some of Kato’s relatives came from Long Beach to enjoy the festival.

“It is a dream come true for him, “said his sister Loraine Kato Lieppman, ” This is what he started over 30 years ago, I am just happy to see it his son Dean Kato is in charge of this, and we are just pleased to be able to share it with them.”

Festival goers also enjoyed chocolate covered strawberries , kabobs and funnel cakes.

Adults enjoyed strawberry margaritas and strawberry beer.

Growers were also on hand selling the area’s number one cash crop by the tray and basket.

“This is a huge strawberry, you can eat it with sour cream, with sugar, dip it in chocolate, with a smoothie ,you can do the best smoothies with the big strawberries,” said Magaly Hernandez of Faria Farms.

Grower Glen Hasegawa of Faria Farms in Oxnard said cross breeding makes them large and sweet.

He said they are not genetically modified.

“Now they are kind of at their peak flavor,so, it is a good time great time to eat ’em.” said Hasegawa.

He prefers to eat them right out of the tray.

Festivalgoers also enjoyed rides, Steve’s Fun Balloons and the work of caricature artists.

Shoppers also had a chance to buy strawberry inspired arts and crafts.

The festival that began in Kato’s backyard moved to the Channel Islands Harbor in the 1980s and then to Strawberry Meadows at Oxnard College.

Last year, it moved to the fairgrounds.

Organizers did their best to cut down on traffic jams by offering free shuttles.

For more information about the annual festival visit https://www.catrawberryfestival.org