Light the Night Community Festival
Saturday, October 31, 2026
Celebrating 30 Years of Community, Culture, and Connection
Location: Center of Hope CDC | Inglewood, California

For 30 years, Light the Night has served as a signature community celebration bringing families, neighbors, and community partners together for an evening centered on community, culture, connection, and joy. In 2026, Center of Hope CDC will commemorate this important milestone with the Light the Night Community Festival: Celebrating 30 Years of Community, Culture, and Connection—a landmark celebration that honors the event’s history while looking toward the future of the community it serves.

What began as a community-centered gathering has grown into one of Center of Hope’s largest annual events, providing an opportunity for thousands of residents and families to come together in a welcoming environment. This year’s celebration is expected to welcome approximately 2,000 attendees, making Light the Night a significant community engagement event for Inglewood and the surrounding South Los Angeles area.

The 30th anniversary celebration will bring together the elements that have helped make Light the Night a beloved community tradition: family, music, entertainment, food, culture, fellowship, and meaningful connection. More than simply an annual event, Light the Night reflects Center of Hope CDC’s longstanding commitment to creating spaces where community members can gather, celebrate one another, and experience a sense of belonging.

This year also marks an important new chapter for Light the Night as Center of Hope CDC continues to strengthen the event as a vehicle for community investment and organizational sustainability. As a program of the Human Services Division, Light the Night supports the broader work of Center of Hope CDC and helps generate resources for programs and initiatives that respond to community needs, including youth development, fatherhood initiatives, the Garden Project, community cultural brokers, and other social-impact efforts.

The 30th anniversary provides an opportunity not only to celebrate how far the community has come, but also to recognize the relationships, partnerships, volunteers, families, and community members who have helped sustain Light the Night across three decades. Light the Night 2026 is both a celebration of history and an investment in the future—a night to remember, a community to celebrate, and a legacy to carry forward.

Attend the Event

Be Our Guest at Light the Night!

Celebrate 30 years of hope, community, and connection! Enjoy games, food, local vendors, and family fun as we light up the night together.

Admission is FREE! Register today and join the celebration!

Become a Sponsor

Light the Night is more than an event—it is a 30-year community tradition.

Join Center of Hope CDC in celebrating three decades of bringing families and neighbors together while investing in the future of our community. Sponsorship provides an opportunity for businesses, organizations, and community partners to increase their visibility while helping make this landmark celebration possible.

Sponsorship opportunities are available at several levels. Click the button below for details. For questions, email Terrina Scott, Event Coordinator at COHSpecialEvents@go2hope.com

become a vendor

Want to showcase your business, products, or services at Light the Night?

Vendor opportunities are available for businesses and entrepreneurs looking to connect with thousands of community members during this annual celebration.

Be part of Light the Night’s 30th Anniversary celebration! With an anticipated 2,000 attendees, this is an exciting opportunity to showcase your organization, business, food and connect with families throughout Inglewood and the surrounding communities. Access forms for vendor registration below.

BE3 Webinar: From Side Hustle to a Real Business

Your side hustle makes money. Is it built to grow? Discover what it takes to turn your hustle into a real business.

Thursday, October 15 | 7:00 PM PT
90 minutes | Virtual | FREE

From Side Hustle to a Real Business

Your side hustle is making money. But is it built to become something more?

There is a difference between generating income and building a business that can operate, grow, and create sustainable value. For many entrepreneurs, the challenge isn't whether people will buy what they offer—they've already proven that. The next question is whether the structure behind the hustle can support where they want to go.

A side hustle sells your spare time. A real business builds a system.

Join Center of Hope Community Development Corporation's BE3 Program for From Side Hustle to a Real Business, a free 90-minute webinar designed for entrepreneurs who are ready to take a closer look at what they're building—and what it will take to move forward.

During this conversation, we'll explore the transition from earning money through a skill, service, or product to developing the financial, operational, and strategic foundation of a sustainable business.

You'll leave with:

• Clarity about what you're building — Do you want an income-producing side venture, or are you working toward a business designed to grow?

• A better understanding of the numbers — What should you know about revenue, costs, capacity, and the financial realities of moving beyond the side hustle?

• A concrete next step — Identify a practical 90-day priority that can move your venture closer to where you want it to go.

The webinar will be moderated by Alan Frelix, Director of the BE³ Program and Managing Partner of Nexturn Management Group, and feature Cedric Penix, bringing expertise in finance and accounting, and Eden Warner, executive coach and former CFO of Fandango.

Together, they'll bring perspectives from business strategy, finance, operations, and executive leadership to a practical conversation about what separates making money from building a business.

About BE³

BE³ is a small business initiative of Center of Hope Community Development Corporation designed to help entrepreneurs move from idea → structure → growth.

Through business education, mentorship, incubation opportunities, and community-based marketplaces, BE³ works to help entrepreneurs strengthen the systems, knowledge, and relationships needed to build sustainable enterprises.

Whether you're building after work, operating on weekends, selling online, serving clients, or already generating consistent revenue, this conversation can help you determine what comes next.

Center of Hope Community development coporation

Hope Small Business fair vendor Form

a be3 small business initiative / “This is Us” / Sunday, september 13, 2026

Hope Small Business Fair
Sunday, September 13, 2026
Event Hours: 9:00AM – 1:00PM | Vendor Setup Opens at 7:00AM
Location: 9550 Crenshaw Blvd, Inglewood, CA 90305 | Center of Hope Courtyard

Vendor Deadline: September 8, 2026

This year, Center of Hope CDC is excited to welcome local entrepreneurs to the Hope Small Business Fair, an initiative of the BE3 Program’s Business Incubation Division and part of Center of Hope’s This Is Us Series. With this year’s theme of “Agency,” the Small Business Fair provides a practical opportunity to put that theme into action—encouraging individuals to recognize their ability to create, build, and contribute to their community.

The Hope Small Business Fair reflects Center of Hope CDC’s commitment to helping entrepreneurs cultivate their business ideas, strengthen their businesses, and pursue their vision for economic growth. The event is more than a vending opportunity—it is an opportunity to build relationships, increase visibility, connect with resources, and participate in a broader entrepreneurial community.

Over the past five years, Center of Hope CDC has hosted successful small business events that have brought together more than 700 attendees, 60 small businesses, 20 corporate partners, and four educational workshops. Through these events, the CDC has worked to create opportunities for entrepreneurs to gain visibility, build relationships, learn, and contribute to the economic vitality of our community. The Hope Small Business Fair is designed with the Center of Hope community at its heart, while encouraging participating vendors to welcome and invite members of their own networks to join us.

Vendor Registration

Vendor participation is $100.

The vendor fee includes:

• One 6-foot vendor table

• Two chairs

• Vendor table/space selection

• Promotion through Center of Hope social media platforms and mass email communications

Registration Deadline: September 8, 2026

We encourage vendors to register and submit payment as early as possible. Vendor spaces are not reserved until payment is received in full. Late registrations may be accepted through Thursday, September 10, 2026, only if space remains available.

Vendor Information

Vendor tables will be located outdoors in the Center of Hope Courtyard.

• Vendors may bring their own 10' × 10' tent.

• Vendors are responsible for providing their own tablecloth.

• No electricity is available.

• Vendors are responsible for removing their own trash and leaving their assigned area clean.

• The event will be held rain or shine.

• Vendor fees are non-refundable.

Please complete this registration form online. The payment link is provided at the end of the form. We cannot hold vendor spaces or accept partial payments.

Questions or Special Accommodations

Center of Hope CDC will make every effort to provide vendors with the information they need to prepare for the Expo. For questions regarding vendor registration, participation requirements, or event logistics, please contact info.cdc@go2hope.com.

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