Around Town: Huntington Harbour Boat Parade returns to the water for 55th year

The Huntington Harbour Philharmonic Committee presents the 55th annual Huntington Harbour Boat Parade on Saturday and Sunday.

The parade starts at 5:15 p.m. and lasts until around 9 p.m. The route begins in the water west of Carousel Lane.

This year’s theme is “Musical Kicks on Route 66.” Eva Kilgore is grand marshal.

After the parade, the committee will present the Cruise of Lights, which takes passengers on narrated boat tours through Huntington Harbour to see the decorated homes.

Tours run Dec. 15-18 and 21-23. Tickets start at $19.

Proceeds benefit music education by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County.

For more information, visit hhboatparade.org and cruiseoflights.org.

Newport meeting Friday to address John Wayne Airport departure paths

Newport Beach Councilman Jeff Herdman and City Manager Dave Kiff will present an informal public meeting from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Friday to discuss issues related to John Wayne Airport’s departure paths.

The meeting, the second in a series, will be held in the City Council chamber at the Newport Beach Civic Center, 100 Civic Center Drive.

Issues will include noise monitoring and the Federal Aviation Administration’s NextGen air traffic efforts.

Sherman Library hosts Nights of 1,000 Lights

The Nights of 1,000 Lights holiday celebration returns this week to Sherman Library & Gardens in Corona del Mar with a new display including an expanded light tunnel.

The fourth annual show will be open to the public from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 2647 E. Coast Hwy.

Santa Claus will be available for pictures in the adobe, the central garden will feature a 20-foot Christmas tree, and a red sparkle ceiling will decorate the fern grotto. The tea garden will have a Caribbean Christmas theme with pink poinsettias and flamingos and holiday music with a Calypso influence.

Complimentary coffee, hot chocolate and cookies will be served, along with a make-your-own s’mores station. There also will be a no-host wine and beer bar, a tamale vendor and holiday shopping in the Garden Shop.

Cafe Jardin will offer a prix fixe holiday dinner menu for $50 per person. For dinner reservations, call (949) 673-0033.

Admission to Nights of 1,000 Lights is $15 ($10 for Sherman Library members). Children younger than 5 get in free.

For tickets or more information, visit slgardens.org.

OC Fair & Event Center hosts dog show this weekend

The Shoreline Dog Fanciers Assn. will present its Holiday Classic all-breed dog show from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.

Admission is free; parking is $8 (enter at Gate 4).

The Fair & Event Center is at 88 Fair Drive.

Dog-friendly event to benefit rescue group

Ways and Means Oyster House in Huntington Beach will host a fundraiser Saturday to benefit Barks of Love, a dog rescue group.

The event, from 3 to 5 p.m., will feature various dog-friendly activities.

Tickets are $20 per person. Ways and Means is at 21022 Pacific Coast Hwy. in the Pacific City shopping center.

‘Santa Paws’ comes to Surf City

Downtown Huntington Beach’s 5th and PCH marketplace will host “Santa Paws,” a dog-friendly event from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Proceeds will benefit dog rescue groups.

The free event will include Santa and Mrs. Claus, canine-friendly activities, free food and children’s coloring books.

Wreath-making class Saturday at Centennial Farm

Guests at a class on Saturday at the OC Fair & Event Center’s Centennial Farm can learn to make a fresh winter wreath.

The class, for participants 16 and older, will be taught by Nancy Claxton, who has volunteered as a UCCE Orange County master gardener and at Centennial Farm and Sherman Library & Gardens.

The class will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The cost is $20, which covers materials and handouts.

For more information, visit bit.ly/2lgongY, call (714) 708-1619 or email cfgardenclass@ocfair.com.

Lido Marina Village presents holiday festivities

Lido Marina Village in Newport Beach will host Little Lido Holly Days festivities from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Santa and Mrs. Claus are scheduled to turn out, and children and families can design their own boat for the Little Lido Boat Parade in the boat fountain, see a Grinch performance by the Clifton Dance Project and partake of face painting, glitter tattoos and balloon animals.

Admission is free. Lido Marina Village is at 3434 Via Lido.

Menorah lighting Tuesday at Fashion Island

Fashion Island in Newport Beach and the Chabad Center for Jewish Life will light a large public menorah at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, the first night of Hanukkah, in the mall’s Atrium Garden Court.

The guest of honor will be Jacob Eisenbach, a 93-year-old author, lecturer and Holocaust survivor.

The event also will include holiday musical performances, treats and crafts. Participants are encouraged to bring a gift for a toy drive for needy children.

The Atrium Garden Court is near Barnes & Noble.

Memorial scheduled for longtime Costa Mesa employee

A memorial is scheduled Dec. 17 for longtime Costa Mesa city employee Brad Long, who died last month from complications related to a blood disorder.

The service is open to the public and will begin at 2 p.m. in the gymnasium at Costa Mesa High School, 2650 Fairview Road.

Long worked as a videographer and video production specialist for the city for more than 23 years.

Penguin Cafe chips in to assist Laguna Food Pantry

Customers of Laguna Beach’s Penguin Cafe have many ways to help the Laguna Food Pantry during December.

Diners who take nonperishable items to the cafe at 981 S. Coast Hwy. will receive 10% off their bill. Suggested items include tuna, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, jelly, pasta, pasta sauce, rice, beans and cereal.

In addition, the cafe will donate 30% of sales Dec. 16 to the pantry, which feeds more than 1,200 families each month.

And customers who order one of the cafe’s pies by noon Dec. 14 for pickup the next day will have a portion of the sale price donated to the pantry.

“We love that the Laguna Food Pantry provides free groceries to anyone who needs them, and we wanted to contribute to that,” Sabrina McMurray, who co-owns the cafe with her husband, Michael, said in a statement. “We will be benefiting other nonprofits in town, but the pantry is the first organization that came to mind when we decided to do a series of ‘Penguin Gives Back’ donations to organizations that help strengthen the community.”

The cafe is open for breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. daily.

The food pantry, at 20652 Laguna Canyon Road, is open from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Mondays through Fridays.

O.C. fairgrounds wins industry awards

The OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa recently won three agricultural awards at the 127th annual International Assn. of Fairs and Expositions conference in Las Vegas.

The fairgrounds’ Centennial Farm won first place for its gardening classes.

Artist Kiel Johnson’s paper garden, featured during the 2017 summer fair, won a third-place award, as did an exhibit explaining the uses of biochar.

Mortuary gives local residents awards

Two local residents were recently honored with the Oliver Halsell Care Award from Fairhaven Memorial Park and Mortuary in Santa Ana.

Michelle Wulfestieg of Newport Beach, executive director of the Southern California Hospice Foundation, received the award, as did Gina Kay of Corona del Mar, founder of In Home Care Solutions and Health Care Academy.

The award pays tribute to “Orange County individuals whose kindness and dedication to serving others is inspirational,” according to a news release.

Laguna’s California Cool Art Auction set for Feb. 10

The Laguna Art Museum will hold its 36th annual California Cool Art Auction on Feb. 10.

Proceeds will support the museum’s efforts to collect and preserve California art, present exhibitions and enhance art education programs.

The auction will run from 6 to 10 p.m. at 307 Cliff Drive.

Tickets are $125 for museum members at the “friend” level and higher, and $150 for all others. The price includes admission, parking, hors d’oeuvres and drinks.

For more information, visit lagunaartmuseum.org.

UPDATES:

4:15 p.m. Dec. 8: This article was updated with the Fashion Island menorah item.

This article was originally published at 7:20 p.m. Dec. 7.