Around Town: Annual OC Japan Fair will bring taste of culture, tradition to O.C. fairgrounds
The OC Fair & Event Center will be a one-stop shop this weekend for anime enthusiasts, e-sports fans and those looking to experience a plethora of Japanese cultural exhibitions and live performances.
With more than 90 booths, the 10th annual OC Japan Fair will offer an array of opportunities to experience and learn about Japanese heritage, traditions and culture.
The event begins at 5 p.m. Friday and will run until 11 p.m. It continues Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. All events will take place at the fairgrounds, 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa.
For more information, visit oc-japanfair.com.
Seasonal celebration scheduled at the Susi Q
Boos and ghouls — and boys and girls — of all ages are invited to a Halloween-themed event at the Laguna Beach Community & Susi Q Center Friday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
The seasonal celebration will include crafts, pumpkin decorating, games and dinner.
Attendees can register in advance by visiting bit.ly/2Vwo5ke. The center is at 380 3rd St.
Oasis center to host health and resource fair
The Oasis Senior Center in Corona del Mar is hosting a Health and Resource Fair Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m.
The fair includes a free breakfast, a lecture on how to use electronic health devices and other demonstrations. Admission is free.
The center is at 801 Narcissus Ave. For more information, call (949) 644-3244.
Fall Fitness Festival springing into Surf City
The Huntington Beach Family YMCA will stage a family-friendly Fall Fitness Festival from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at its facility, 8875 Adams Ave.
The festival will feature entertainment, guest speakers, fitness competitions, food trucks, kids costume contests, face painting, inflatable games and more.
For more information and a complete schedule, visit ymcaoc.org/hb.
Beer, barbecue event will raise funds at Newport Dunes
Beach, Brews & BBQ — an annual fundraiser for the Orange County chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation — returns for its fifth go-round Saturday.
The event will run from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina, 1131 Back Bay Drive in Newport Beach, and feature beer and barbecue tastings, as well as live entertainment and auctions.
Tickets start at $50 and are available at events.cff.org/bbbbq2019.
Halloween Harvest Festival coming to Bella Terra
A Halloween Harvest Festival will take root at the Bella Terra shopping center in Huntington Beach Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The festival will include carnival games, a DJ, face painting and crafts. Children are encouraged to attend in costume.
Bella Terra is at 7777 Edinger Ave.
Art walk, dance battle coming to Lions Park
Local artists will show their work and performers will work it Saturday during the Costa Mesa Art Walk and Dance Battle at Lions Park, 570 W. 18th St.
The family-oriented event is scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m. and will include displays of works by local artists, as well as live music and a dance competition.
H.B. police hosting open house event
The annual Huntington Beach Police Department open house is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Admission is free. The department is at 2000 Main St.
Miss Huntington Beach competition takes the stage this weekend
Miss Huntington Beach — an annual pageant and scholarship competition — returns Saturday.
The event starts at 3 p.m. at the Huntington Beach Central Library, 7111 Talbert Ave.
Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children and students. For more information, visit misshb.us.
Scarecrow Festival returns to Fairview Park
The city of Costa Mesa will scare up some fun this weekend during the annual Scarecrow Festival at Fairview Park, 2500 Placentia Ave.
The event — open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday — will feature decorated scarecrows, train rides, face painting, arts and crafts and a pumpkin patch. Admission is free.
For more information, visit costamesaca.gov/scarecrow.
SoCal Veg Fest opens this weekend
Lovers of Beyond Meat burgers, quinoa bowls and tofu scrambles unite: The SoCal VegFest, an event designed especially for vegans, will sprout this weekend at the OC Fair & Event Center.
The event will feature guest speakers, music, lifestyle vendors and, of course, plenty of vegan food options.
VegFest will take place Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the fairgrounds, 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa.
General admission is $10. Online presale tickets are available for $5. Veterans, military service members and those 12 years old and younger or 65 years and older may enter for free.
A VIP weekend package is available for $50 and includes free food and drink samples and more. For more information, visit socalvegfest.org.
‘Gypsy’ coming to H.B. art academy
The Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts will present its latest musical production, “Gypsy,” on Saturday, Sunday and Oct. 24 through 27.
All performances are at the Huntington Beach High School auditorium, 1905 Main St. For tickets and more information, visit hbapa.org/see.
H.B. pet bakery hosting canine-centered Halloween event
Top Dog Barkery in Huntington Beach is hosting a Halloween party and dog costume contest Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m.
Prizes and dog treats will be provided.
Top Dog is at 21010 Pacific Coast Hwy., Suite A-160.
Laguna Playhouse to present spine-tingling production
The Laguna Playhouse will stage a performance of “Sister’s Halloween Catechism: The Holy Ghost and Other Terrifying Tales” at 7:30 p.m. Monday.
The playhouse is at 606 Laguna Canyon Road. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit lagunaplayhouse.com.
Home Tour fundraiser returning to CdM
The 46th annual CdM Home Tour, a PTA fundraiser benefiting Corona del Mar High and Middle schools, is Tuesday.
The tour will include breakfast, lunch and visits to local homes to show off their designs and vendors.
Tickets are $100. For more information, visit cdmhometour.com.
Costa Mesa’s First United Methodist to host author
First United Methodist Church of Costa Mesa will welcome Latasha Morrison — founder of Be the Bridge, an organization dedicated to bridging racial divides — for a discussion Tuesday.
The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the church, 420 W. 19th St. Morrison will talk about and sign copies of her book, “Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation.”
Newport Library speaker series features artist, authors
Artist Elizabeth Turk will be a featured guest at the Newport Beach Central Library starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Admission is free and no reservations are required.
Turk recently completed “The Shoreline Project” in Laguna Beach, which involved 1,000 people performing at the Pacific Ocean.
The library, at 1000 Avocado Ave., also will host Allison Davis Maxon and Sharon Kaplan Roszia — authors of “Seven Core Issues in Adoption and Permanency,” — on Oct. 24. Their work focuses on the tools needed for people who adopt children.
That event starts at 7 p.m. Admission is free with a reservation, which can be made by calling (949) 717-3892.
Sexual harassment prevention class offered in Laguna
The Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach will host a sexual harassment prevention training class for employees and supervisors of local businesses on Tuesday from 7:30 to 10 a.m.
Registration is $30 for employees and $50 for supervisors, with a discount available for Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce members.
For more information, call (949) 494-1018 or email Ashley@lagunabeachchamber.org. The club is at 1085 Laguna Canyon Road.
Used book sale scheduled at OCC
Orange Coast College’s Friends of the Library group will sell used books on Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Most books will be available for $1 during the sale in the campus library, 2701 Fairview Road in Costa Mesa.
UCI debate will feature two NYT columnists
UC Irvine’s Office of Inclusive Excellence will host a debate on anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism Wednesday featuring two op-ed columnists at the New York Times, Michelle Goldberg and Bret Stephens, according to a news release.
The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at UCI’s Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering, 100 Academy Way. Admission and parking are free.
UCI will present economic forecast at the Balboa Bay Club
UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business will present its 2020 Economic Forecast on Wednesday in Newport Beach.
The event begins at 11:15 a.m. at the Balboa Bay Resort, 1221 W. Coast Hwy. Topics will include real estate, housing, the future of the healthcare system and how it all will affect the 2020 presidential election.
Registration is $65 for members of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce and $75 for nonmembers.
For more information and to register, visit newportbeach.com or call (949) 729-4404.
United Way presentation will explore roots of homelessness
An Orange County United Way class will explore the roots of homelessness on Wednesday.
The event, from 6 to 8 p.m., will be led by Becks Heyhoe — director of the United to End Homelessness campaign — and take place at the Newport Beach Public Library’s Friends Room, 1000 Avocado Ave.
U.N. award winner coming to the Barclay
Perla Batalla, recipient of the United Nations’ Earth Charter Award, will perform Wednesday at the Irvine Barclay Theatre.
The “Concert for Compassion” begins with an award ceremony at 6:30 p.m. The concert itself starts at 8 p.m.
Tickets start at $22 and are available at thebarclay.org. Proceeds will benefit UCI’s School of Social Ecology and the Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation.
H.B. Art Center hosts documentary screening
The Huntington Beach Art Center will screen the film “Kusama: Infinity,” about top-selling artist Yayoi Kusama, on Oct. 24.
The screening will start at 6:30 p.m. RSVPs are requested and can be made by calling (714) 374-1650. The Art Center is at 538 Main St.
Speaker will discuss mental health and children at H.B. church
Micaela Thordarson will discuss mental health and children during an upcoming event at Sts. Simon & Jude Catholic School in Huntington Beach.
The Oct. 24 presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the school’s Colman Hall, 20400 Magnolia St.
Newport store hosting Halloween parade
Lido Marina Village and Charlie & Me will host a Spooktacular Halloween Parade in Newport Beach on Oct. 30.
The event starts at 11 a.m. at 3505 Via Oporto and will include food, custom monogramming, live music and prizes.
Laguna Beach looking for children’s artwork to display at City Hall
The city of Laguna Beach is looking for entries for its 2019 Children’s Holiday Palette Exhibition.
Selected original paintings or drawings that celebrate the holiday season will be displayed at City Hall throughout December.
Eligible winners must be children ages 5 to 17 who attend a school or art program in Laguna.
For additional entry information, visit lagunabeachcity.net or call Michael McGregor at (949) 497-0722. Designs are due by Nov. 15 at 5 p.m.
Laguna woman a finalist for Cox award
Jinger Wallace, co-founder of the Laguna Bluebelt Coalition, has been named a finalist for the 2019 Cox Conserves Heroes Award. Wallace helped establish Laguna Beach’s green spaces and marine protected areas.
Wallace will receive $10,000 to donate to an environmental nonprofit of her choice.
For more information about the Cox Conserves program, visit CoxConservesHeroes.com.
OCC presents new collage exhibit
An exhibition of large-scale collages by Richard Kraft is on display at Orange Coast College’s Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion through Dec. 5.
Admission to the exhibition, titled “Flag, Sail, Wing: New Collages by Richard Kraft,” is free. The project was curated by Tyler Stallings. Kraft is a faculty member in OCC’s photography department. OCC is at 2701 Fairview Road in Costa Mesa.
H.B. city attorney receives recognition
Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates was recognized Thursday during Golden West College’s Courtyard of Honor Ceremony.
Gates, a lifelong Huntington Beach resident who was elected to his position with the city in 2014, attended Golden West for two years until 2002 and completed an associate degree before transferring to Pepperdine University, where he studied business administration.
Gates is one of five honorees who will be recognized with a bronze plaque on the Alumni Pillars of Achievement.
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