Around Town: OCC Planetarium brings back Skylark lectures beginning Sept. 29

The Orange Coast College Planetarium will reintroduce its Skylark lecture series on Friday, Sept. 29 with a presentation by Christopher Huie, an aerospace engineer and senior manager on Virgin Galactic’s Flight Sciences engineering team.

A reception will begin at 6 p.m. with the lecture to begin at 7 p.m., followed by a question and answer session.

The series will be free to attend, but seats in the Dome Theater are limited. Tickets can be acquired through occtickets.universitytickets.com. Parking will be available in Lot E on Fairview Road and Merrimac Way.

Speak Up Newport hosts panel on education

Speak Up Newport will hold a panel entitled “What are our kids learning in schools these days?” on Wednesday, Oct. 11. The discussion will touch base on district governance, curriculum, relevance, what is currently happening in schools and what the future looks like for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

District trustees Michelle Barto, Carol Crane and Krista Weigand will be speaking, as will Assistant Supt. Kurt Suhr and community resource officer Andrew Shen. Reception will begin at 5:15 p.m. with the program to begin at 6 p.m.

The live event will be at the Newport Beach Civic Center Community Room. Attending the webinar does require registration. For more information or to register, visit speakupnewport.com/learning-schools-2023.

SPON to hold annual meeting, brunch on Sept. 30

Still Protecting our Newport (SPON) will hold its 46th annual meeting and brunch at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30, at the OASIS Senior Center.

Former Newport Beach Mayor Nancy Gardner will be the morning’s keynote speaker. Gardner serves on the city’s General Plan Update Advisory Committee.

The event is free and is open to members and nonmembers. Complimentary brunch and beverages will be served. To make a reservation to attend email info@spon‐newportbeach.org or text to Membership Committee at 949-683-6130.

The OASIS Senior Center is located at 801 Narcissus Ave., Corona del Mar.

Taste of Laguna Food and Music Festival silent auction begins

The silent auction for the Taste of Laguna Food and Music Festival is now live virtually. Certificates can be sent by mail, and larger items will be handled on a case-by-case basis. For more information or to purchase tickets or participate in the silent auction, readers can visit lagunabeachchamber.org/events/details/taste-of-laguna-2023-food-music-festival-71085.

Early bird tickets on sale for Coast Film & Music Festival

Organizers announced Wednesday they will be selling early bird tickets and passes for the fifth annual Coast Film and Music Festival in Laguna Beach. The festival is scheduled to run Nov. 8 through 12 this year.

Reduced pricing is available until Sept. 30 and can be purchased at coastfilmfestival.com.

Early bird prices for four-day VIP passes that allow access to all ticketed events and the opening night event at Hobie Surf Shop will be $275. A four-day general event for all ticketed events, short of that event, is $135. Single-day tickets start at $35.

Laguna Beach Patriots Day Parade announces theme ‘Laguna Heritage’

The 57th annual Laguna Beach Patriots’ Day Parade announced the theme it has chosen for the 2024 event, “Laguna Heritage.”

The parade will be held on March 2. Honorees will be nominated and selected at organizers’ upcoming meeting on Oct. 24. Prior to that, the public are encouraged to submit suggestions for the grand marshal, citizen of the year, artist of the year and athlete of the year.

To donate, volunteer, enter or advertise in the program for the parade, reach out to Sandi Werthe at shworthy@cox.net.

NBFD hosts Fire Service Day

The Newport Beach Fire Department will be hosting Fire Service Day at the Santa Ana Heights fire station at 20401 Acacia St. on Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Included as part of the event are fire station tours, live rescue demonstrations, auto-extrication, live structure fires, bounce houses, face painting and others. A complimentary lunch and refreshments are also included.

Banff Film Festival returns to OCC

The Orange Coast College Friends of the Library will host a Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour screening on Wednesday, Sept. 27. The event will begin at 7 p.m. and feature a selection of films that show outdoor adventures and portraits. The festival is a flagship program of the Banff Center in Canada.

Advanced tickets can be purchased for $15 online or $18 at the door. Current OCC students can purchase tickets for $8 with ID. Readers can buy tickets at occtickets.universitytickets.com.

Nominations open for O.C. Veterans of the Year awards

The public is invited by Supervisor Katrina Foley to submit nominations for her 2023 Orange County Veterans of the Year awards.

This year’s theme is “The Call to Serve: Recognizing the Roles Musicians & Buglers Play in the Military” aims to honor veterans, reservists and active-duty service-members who have contributed to the U.S. military through music.

Nominees should reside in or have significantly contributed to the Fifth District and are eligible if they have served in the U.S. military on active duty or reserves for any length of time, in any location. The deadline to submit a nomination is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27. Visit bit.ly/2023KFVOTY.

12th annual Getzlaf Golf Shootout raises over $500,000

CureDuchenne, a nonprofit focused on finding and funding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, partnered with NHL All-Star and retired Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf Sept. 8 and 9 for the 12th annual Getzlaf Golf Shootout at Monarch Beach Golf Links.

The event raised more than $500,000 for the cause.

Over the past 12 years, the Getzlaf family has raised more than $5.8 million at the Getzlaf Golf Shootout to fund early-stage research and bring new therapies for the genetic disease.

“We are truly humbled by the generosity we receive year after year and the impact we’re able to make on the Duchenne community,” said Ryan Getzlaf. “We are closer than ever before to a cure for this devastating disease and the support of the community means more now than ever before. Together, we will find a cure.”

Costa Mesa Historical Society holds vintage sale, trading post Saturday

Collectors and history buffs are invited to a vintage sale Saturday benefiting the nonprofit Costa Mesa Historical Society on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the society’s museum at 1870 Anaheim Ave., Costa Mesa.

In addition to antiques and curiosities, the sale will feature fine china and crystal, kitchenware, gadgets, Princess House items and Japanese geisha dolls and pottery, along with framed artwork and collectible Hummel figurines.

A “Guess the Gadget” game will be held and a prize awarded. Those with antiques and unusual items that have interesting histories may share and tell about them from 11 a.m. to noon. Later, from noon to 1 p.m., visitors may trade items with other attendees at a trading post.

Those wishing to share or trade should call ahead at (949) 631-5908. Free parking is available behind the museum.