All day: Festivals

Summer brings heat waves to some cities, armies of bugs to others. In Laguna Beach this is the season when the arts invade in full force. The Art-A-Fair Festival, the first of the city’s four summer arts festivals, opened this week. The 130 artists who sell their work at the festival were chosen from a national juried competition. Friday, the Sawdust Art Festival gets going, where 180 artists not only sell their work but also demonstrate how they make it.

* Art-A-Fair Festival, 777 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. $5. Ends Sept. 2. (949) 494-4514.

* Sawdust Arts Festival, 935 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. $2 to $6.50. Daily, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Sept. 2. (949) 494-3030.

8 pm: Theater

Making its West Coast premiere, “Charlie Victor Romeo,” a powerful dramatic work created by Bob Berger, Patrick Daniels and Irving Gregory of Collective: Unconscious, is derived entirely from real “Black Box” transcripts of major airplane crashes.

* “Charlie Victor Romeo,” UCLA, Macgowan Little Theater, Westwood, Wednesdays through Sundays, 8 p.m. Dark July 4. Ends July 15. $35. (310) 825-2101.

All day: Movies

Writer-director John Singleton, who made his name in 1991 with the remarkable debut “Boyz N the Hood,” returns to urban Los Angeles as the setting for his latest film, “Baby Boy.” Singleton has found limited success with his films since “Boyz,” but anticipation is high for this new feature, which stars Tyrese Gibsonas a 20-year-old who--despite fathering two children--can’t quite grow up. The film also stars A.J. Johnson as Gibson’s mother, Ving Rhames as her new boyfriend, Omar Gooding as a friend and Snoop Dogg as an adversary.

* “Baby Boy” is in general release. It is rated R for strong sexuality, language, violence and some drug use.

8 pm: Pop Music

You haven’t really lived a full nightlife in L.A. until you’ve heard Dan Finnerty & the Dan Band belting out “I Am Woman.” Or “Gloria.” Or “You Oughta Know.” Finnerty, who toured Europe in “Hair” and the U.S. with “Stomp,” has found his own personal voice. The band just happens to like singing women’s songs.

* Dan Finnerty & the Dan Band at Largo, 432 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A., 8 p.m. (323) 852-1073.

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Freebies

* Shakespeare by the Sea presents “As You Like It” at Point Fermin Park, 807Paseo del Mar, San Pedro, today through Saturday, and July 7, 12, 20, 26, 28 and Aug. 3 at 8 p.m. Outdoors. Bring low-profile lawn chairs and blankets for seating. Tours other venues Aug. 5 and 26. Call for schedule. (310) 217-7596.

* A concert by Michelle Shocked opens the annual Twilight Dance Series at the Santa Monica Pier at 7:30 p.m. (310) 458-8900.