HUNTINGTON BEACH : Events Set for City’s 2nd Annual Pierfest

This weekend’s Pierfest, the second annual citywide celebration of the reopening of the municipal pier, will feature entertainment on land, on the sand and in the sea, event organizers said.

There will be volleyball tournaments on the beach courts, a swim around the pier, a Huck Finn Fishing Derby for children, dory races, an arts and crafts fair, a carnival and live music.

A crowd of about 300,000 attended the first Pierfest in July, 1992, to celebrate the reopening of the pier, which had been closed since 1988 because of severe storm damage.

The Surf City Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises money for pier construction, is sponsoring the event.

For the first time, a fair featuring handmade arts and crafts will be held downtown near the pier.

The Huck Finn Fishing Derby for children ages 6 to 14 is scheduled Saturday.

Registration starts at 9:15 a.m., and competition starts at 10:30 a.m.

There will be prizes for the largest fish and for the best-dressed Huck Finn and Becky Thatcher.

The Downtown Business Assn. will host a carnival with rides and games for all.

The carnival hours are Friday, 4 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The Cause for Concern, Urban Sprawl and Dreamworld bands are scheduled to perform free concerts.

“Every city has a celebration, and this one (Pierfest) will be ours,” said Diane Baker, president of the city’s Conference and Visitors Bureau.

For more information, call the Conference and Visitors Bureau at (714) 969-3492.