Around Town: Surf City USA Marathon to highlight 3-day festival

The Surf City USA Marathon and Half-Marathon return to Huntington Beach this weekend, along with a three-day Active Lifestyle Expo, live music and races for kids and others who prefer shorter distances.

Festivities open Friday with the expo in the beach parking lot at 21291 Pacific Coast Hwy. The event, billed as the largest race expo on the West Coast, will be open to the public for free from 1 to 7 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. to noon Sunday, featuring exhibitors of running technology, nutrition and fitness, as well as local businesses.

Saturday will feature the inaugural Surf City Kids Cowabunga Beach Challenge, a half-mile untimed run in the sand with obstacles including the Cargo Net Crawl, Trash Can Slalom, Hay Bale Climb, Sand Pail Carry, Balance Walk and inflatable slide. It will be followed by crafts and activities in the Kids’ Zone.

The kids race will begin in stages between 10:30 and 11:15 a.m. based on age groups ranging from 5-6 to 11-12.

On Sunday, the 26.2-mile marathon, a Boston Marathon qualifier, will begin at 6:30 a.m., followed by the half-marathon at 7:45 a.m. Both will take runners on an oceanfront course along Pacific Coast Highway.

A 5K (3.1-mile) option will be available at 7 a.m.

Free shuttles will be available from parking areas to the start/finish line.

For more information and to register for the races, visit motivrunning.com/run-surf-city.

JWA director to talk Thursday at Wake Up Newport meeting

John Wayne Airport Director Barry Rondinella will talk about airport operations and recent changes to takeoff patterns during the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce’s next Wake Up Newport forum on Thursday.

Former congressman and state legislator John Campbell had been slated to discuss divisions in Washington, D.C., but had to reschedule due to illness.

The event will run from 7:45 to 8:30 a.m. in the Friends Room at the Newport Beach Public Library, 1000 Avocado Ave. Admission is free and walk-ups are welcome, but reservations can be made at (949) 729-4411 or psmith@newportbeach.com.

Newport Beach Mayor’s Dinner set for Friday

Recently installed Newport Beach Mayor Marshall “Duffy” Duffield will give a State of the City address at the 37th annual Mayor’s Dinner on Friday.

The event, at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa, will start at 6 p.m. with a reception. Dinner is at 7 p.m.

For more information, visit speakupnewport.com/mayors-dinner.

Great Train Show this weekend at fairgrounds

Lovers of locomotives, especially the model kind, can train their attention this weekend on the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, where the Great Train Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The festival will include more than 300 tables full of trains for sale, more than 60 exhibitors from around the country, 20 operating model train displays, free door prizes, and a riding train and bounce houses for kids.

General admission is cash only and costs $11 on Saturday (good for both days) and $10 on Sunday. Children 11 and younger get in free. Parking is $8.

For more information, visit trainshow.com/costamesa or email info@trainshow.com.

Fountain Valley 5K set for Saturday

The FV Fit Body Boot Camp 5K Fun Run/Walk comes to the Fountain Valley Recreation Center & Sports Park on Saturday.

A kids 1-mile race will begin at 7:45 a.m., followed by the 5K (3.1-mile) event at 8 a.m.

Walkers with strollers and dogs are welcome, and participants can wear their favorite superhero gear for a costume contest.

The event is sponsored by the Fountain Valley Community Foundation and the city of Fountain Valley.

Registration is $30 for those 13 and older, $20 for children 12 and younger and free for kids younger than 5.

Guests’ registration fees go to the participating nonprofit of their choice.

The Recreation Center & Sports Park is at 16400 Brookhurst St.

To register or for more information, visit fvcommunityfoundation.org.

Tickets on sale for first announced shows of Pacific Amphitheatre summer concert series

Tickets are on sale for the first set of shows announced for the 2018 Toyota Summer Concert Series at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa.

The performers include Kool & the Gang and the Village People on July 18, Steve Martin, Martin Short, the Steep Canyon Rangers and Jeff Babko on July 20, Straight No Chaser and Jon McLaughlin on July 8 and Brett Eldredge and Honey Country on July 29.

More concerts likely will be announced later. For tickets and more information, visit pacamp.com.

Make-A-Wish sending Costa Mesa resident to Super Bowl

Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire is sending 19-year-old Costa Mesa resident Matthew Kaiyum to Minneapolis for the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Kaiyum — who has acute lymphoblastic leukemia — and his family will be able to attend a VIP reception, take a private stadium tour, have opportunities to meet former NFL players and, of course, take in the big game.

“Time and time again, we see these wishes help kids replace fear with confidence, sadness with joy and anxiety with strength,” Stephanie McCormick, president and chief executive of Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire, said in a statement. “Attending Super Bowl LII will be a truly life-changing experience for Matthew and his family that they will draw inspiration from long after the confetti falls at the end of the game.”

OC Fair & Event Center announces new schedule for Heroes Hall

Starting Monday, the Heroes Hall veterans museum at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays to accommodate additional maintenance work and school and private tours.

The museum has been open to the public daily since it opened last year.

Operating hours Wednesdays through Sundays will remain 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit ocfair.com/heroes-hall.

10 Ocean View district students win awards in writing and illustrating contest

Ten Ocean View School District students received awards Tuesday in the 2017-18 Friends of the Children’s Library Writing and Illustrating Contest.

All winning entries will be displayed through February at the Huntington Beach Central Library, 7111 Talbert Ave.

Community organizations present inaugural Clinic in the Park

The nonprofit Think Together partnered with other community organizations to provide free resources and services to residents in the Shalimar neighborhood of Costa Mesa as part of the inaugural Clinic in the Park on Jan. 20.

Services included nutritional information from Cal State Fullerton’s School of Nursing, bicycle helmet fittings from the Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Department and hearing exams from Providence Speech and Hearing.

O.C. Health Care Agency doc to discuss flu

Dr. Michele Cheung, deputy medical director of epidemiology for the Orange County Health Care Agency, will discuss the flu, treatment and prevention on Feb. 8 at the Good Morning Corona del Mar discussion group.

The event will run from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, 1601 Bayside Drive. Admission is free and open to the public. No RSVP is necessary.

Film and television writer to appear at Costa Mesa Historical Society

Friends of the Costa Mesa Libraries will host author Chris Enss on Feb. 22 at the Costa Mesa Historical Society, 1870 Anaheim Ave.

Enss, a television and film writer, is known for telling stories about the men and women who shaped the history and mythology of the American West, according to a news release.

The free event will start at 7 p.m. RSVP by calling (714) 545-9613.

5 Huntington Beach Union students nominated for Disney awards

Five Huntington Beach Union High School District students were nominated for the 2018 Disneyland Resort “Dreamers & Doers” award, which honors students who gave back to their communities.

Three of the students also were selected as “Shining Stars,” meaning they receive a $1,000 grant and an invitation to a celebratory luncheon in March, according to a news release.

H.B. Academy for the Performing Arts prepares for 25th anniversary

Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts will celebrate its 25th anniversary April 20 with a mural unveiling at 6:30 p.m. at the Huntington Beach Union High School District auditorium.

Guests also are invited to watch a revival of the school’s first play, “Noises Off!” at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 for adults and $16 for students, senior citizens and children. The auditorium is at 5832 Bolsa Ave.

Tickets can be purchased at hbapa.org/see a month in advance.