Around Town: Newport firefighters wrap up duties helping to battle Mendocino blazes

Newport Beach firefighters who have been part of the battle against the massive Mendocino Complex fires are coming home.

Twenty-one Newport firefighters, part of the multi-agency Metro Cities Strike Team 1422A, were in Northern California over the past month working on structure protection, establishing and maintaining control lines, media relations and recovery efforts. They served in 14-day deployments coordinated through the California Mutual Aid System in response to the worst wildland fire in California history.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the twin fires of the Mendocino Complex had burned more than 410,000 acres in Mendocino, Lake, Colusa and Glenn counties and was 74% contained.

In addition to Newport Beach, Metro Cities Strike Team 1422A includes firefighters from Anaheim, Brea, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach and Orange.

OC Night Market to bring attractions to OC Fair & Event Center

The OC Night Market will bring food, crafts, art, games and music to the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa this weekend.

The event will run from 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 4 to 11 p.m. Sunday at 88 Fair Drive.

General admission is $5; parking is $8.

For more information, visit ocfair.com/events-calendar/oc-night-market.

Gem Faire to feature jewelry from 200 exhibitors

Jewelry from about 200 exhibitors will be on display Friday through Sunday in Costa Mesa.

The Gem Faire will run from noon to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the OC Fair & Event Center.

General admission is $7; parking is $8.

For more information, visit ocfair.com/events-calendar/gem-faire.

Party will honor Laguna Beach Art Assn.’s 100th year

To commemorate the Laguna Beach Art Assn.’s 100th anniversary, a celebration will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Laguna Art Museum, 307 Cliff Drive.

The free event is open to the public and will include docent-led tours of the museum, family activities and birthday cake.

For the schedule, visit lagunaartmuseum.org.

Painting en plein air Saturday at Heisler Park

The Laguna Plein Air Painters Assn. will celebrate the Laguna Beach Art Assn.’s centennial by taking over Heisler Park from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. All artists are invited to come out and paint.

Registration is requested but not required. To reserve a spot, visit lpapa.org and click on “Events.”

Laguna art workshop to kick off Festival of Mosaics

The first of several tile glazing workshops will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Laguna Art Museum to kick off the Festival of Mosaics.

The free workshop, coordinated by Mike Tauber, is part of a community art project sponsored by the museum and LOCA Arts Education. Participants will learn how to glaze their own tiles for a project that will be permanently located at Glenneyre Avenue near Neighborhood Congregational Church.

To register, visit ncclaguna.org.

Newport Bay Conservancy to celebrate 50th anniversary

The Newport Bay Conservancy will celebrate its 50th anniversary Saturday with a Gourmet on the Bay event.

The party, featuring feature gourmet food, will run from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center, 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach.

Tickets are $75.

For more information, visit newportbay.org.

Surfer Brett Simpson to host Bolsa Chica Water Days event

A Bolsa Chica Water Days surf demo will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at SeaLegs at the Beach in Huntington Beach.

Professional surfer Brett Simpson will host the free event, which will enable guests to try the latest surfboards and other surf products.

SeaLegs at the Beach is at Bolsa Chica State Beach, 17851 Pacific Coast Hwy. For more information, visit bit.ly/2MHK2Lk.

Theater pros to teach dance class at Segerstrom plaza

A free dance class taught by members of the touring production of the Broadway musical “On Your Feet!” will run from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ outdoor Argyros Plaza in Costa Mesa.

“On Your Feet!” is playing at the center through Sept. 2.

For more information, visit bit.ly/2MqVfRl.

Newport Beach Historical Society barbecue to honor Junior Lifeguards program

The Newport Beach Historical Society will hold a community barbecue Saturday to celebrate the history of the city’s Junior Lifeguards program.

The event will run from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Oasis Senior Center, 801 Narcissus Ave., Corona del Mar.

The gathering will be catered by TK Burgers. Tickets are $10 to $15 (free for children 6 and younger) and are available at nbhs.eventbrite.com.

Reggae on the Beach returning to Newport Beach

Reggae on the Beach is returning Saturday to the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort.

Israel Vibration will be the featured act at the event, which will run from 7 to 10 p.m. at 1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach.

Advance general admission tickets are $25 and VIP tickets are $60.

For more information, visit bit.ly/2Mv8j84.

Newport event will feature former fashion model diagnosed with MS

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s local chapter will present a “Bubbles & Brunch to End MS” event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Fashion Island Hotel, 690 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach.

The program will feature keynote speaker Camerone McCulloch, a former fashion model who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Tickets are $100.

For more information, visit bubblesandbrunch.org.

Laguna Beach seeks to gauge need for creative spaces

A citywide survey is being conducted in Laguna Beach as the city asks local artists and others about the need for affordable and open spaces for artists to work.

The survey is being conducted by the nonprofit ArtSpace. To take the survey, visit artspace.org/CreativeSpaceLaguna.

Laguna Beach to host meeting about Aliso Creek estuary

The city of Laguna Beach will hold a meeting Aug. 30 to discuss ideas on restoring the Aliso Creek estuary.

The meeting will start at 7 p.m. at the city’s community center at 380 Third St. Ed Almanza, project coordinator with the Laguna Ocean Foundation, will make a presentation.

For more information, call (949) 497-0390.

Laguna city manager’s office gets a new addition

The Laguna Beach city manager’s office will welcome a familiar face Sept. 10 as Jeremy Frimond starts as senior administrative analyst after working for the city since 2003.

Frimond will replace former senior administrative analyst Ryan Hallet after being appointed by City Manager John Pietig. He will earn about $96,000 annually.

Frimond, who was born and raised in Laguna Beach, was a seasonal ocean lifeguard for the Marine Safety Department from 2005 to 2013. He currently works as a marine safety officer, overseeing management of marine protected areas in the city.“He knows the community very well, and that’s important to us,” said Christa Johnson, assistant city manager. “We’ve had hundreds of applicants; he had a lot of competition for the position.”