Thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses will kick off weekend conventions in Long Beach

Residents may have noticed a few more Jehovah’s Witnesses knocking on their door recently. That’s because a door-to-door campaign is underway to invite multilingual people to the church’s aual convention — kicking off this weekend and ruing 14 weekends this summer in Long Beach.

Every year, 150,000 to 180,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses hold their conventions in Long Beach, generating an estimated $64.5 million in economic impact, according to a 2013 estimate from the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau.

This year’s theme is “Remain Loyal to Jehovah.”

“Loyalty is a big factor in our lives,” spokesman Jorge Alvarado said. “And we teach how to display that.”

The free, three-day weekends begin Friday-Sunday this weekend, and the final weekend is Sept. 9-11. All will be at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center’s arena.

The aual convention is slated to attract about 10,000 people per weekend from all walks of life, Alvarado said. And no admission is charged, but voluntary donations are taken to offset expenses.

The event has been in Long Beach for almost two decades, as it’s a relatively central location for much of Southe Califoia, he said.

“People from all over are going to be in attendance,” Alvarado said.

Free parking is available at the convention center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd. For more information, visit www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/conventions. To find a convention, click on the “find a location near you” button and select a language, date and place.

Emily Thoton is a staff writer with Gazette Newspapers. She can be reached at [email protected].