Around Town: America’s Family Pet Expo comes to OC Fair & Event Center

America’s Family Pet Expo, the largest such event in the country, will be held Friday through Sunday at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.

Exhibits will include breeders, retailers, rescue organizations and pet experts. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.

Admission is $11 to $18; children 5 and younger and active and retired military personnel with ID get in free. Parking is $9.

Visitors can bring their own dogs for $10.

The Fair & Event Center is at 88 Fair Drive. For more information, visit bit.ly/2UAvUU9.

Back to the Beach music festival returns to Huntington Beach

Travis Barker’s Back to the Beach music festival will return Saturday and Sunday at Huntington State Beach, with bands including Blink-182, the Used and Goldfinger.

Tickets, starting at $40, can be purchased at bit.ly/2IW1Xvy.

Saturday’s schedule:

12:45 p.m.: The Used

1:30 p.m.: The English Bat

2:20 p.m. Save Ferris

3:15 p.m.: The Aquabats

4:10 p.m.: Streetlight Manifesto

5:10 p.m.: Reel Big Fish

6:15 p.m.: Goldfinger

7:35 p.m.: Blink-182

Sunday’s schedule:

1 p.m.: Lowlives

1:40 p.m.: Teenage Wrist

2:30 p.m.: Story of the Year

3:25 p.m.: Less Than Jake

4:20 p.m.: The Wonder Years

5:15 p.m.: Anthony Green

6:20 p.m.: The Story So Far

7:40 p.m.: The Used

Blues festival Saturday in Huntington Beach

The New Blues Festival will start at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex, 18100 Goldenwest St.

Performers include Eric Sardinas, New Blues Revolution, Guitar Shorty, James Harman, the Verdoros featuring Brian Coakley of Cadillac Tramps and Harlis Sweetwater, Rhythm Shakers, the Broughams, the Deb Taren Band, Whiskey & the Wolves, Union Hobos, the Michael Mills Band and Teddy Lee Hooker.

Tickets, starting at $40, can be purchased at bit.ly/2Zz011Y.

Laguna Beach lawn bowling tournament set for Friday

The Laguna Beach Aquatics Foundation will present a lawn bowling tournament from 2 to 6 p.m. Friday at the Laguna Beach Lawn Bowling Club, 455 Cliff Drive.

Teams of four will compete after a short coaching session. There also will be a silent auction and a meal.

For more information, visit bit.ly/2L0vYgp.

Track meet scheduled for Newport Harbor High School

A youth track meet will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Davidson Field at Newport Harbor High School, 600 Irvine Ave., Newport Beach.

The event, featuring running, throwing and jumping competitions, is co-sponsored by the Newport Beach Recreation & Senior Services Department and the Newport-Balboa Rotary Club.

For more information, visit bit.ly/2VuUES0.

UCI names new vice chancellor for student affairs

Willie Banks Jr. has been named vice chancellor for student affairs at UC Irvine, effective July 15.

He comes to UCI from Indiana State University, where he has served as vice president for student affairs the past four years.

“Dr. Banks’ broad experience in the areas of campus life and student affairs makes him the right person to lead our student life and leadership programs and advance our efforts to enhance the undergraduate experience for all our students,” UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman said in a statement Thursday.

Banks will head up financial operations, auxiliary services and business enterprises, including student government, the bookstore, housing and hospitality, as well as commencement; scholarship and special programs, academic integrity, student conduct, student diversity organizations, Greek life and student health, wellness and counseling services.

“It’s an honor to join the exceptional faculty, staff and students of UCI,” Banks said in a statement. “I look forward to supporting the university’s strategies to integrate student life with academic experiences and, in particular, to ensure that UCI’s educational opportunities are an engine for social mobility, impact and innovation. Further, I am passionate about embracing the whole student, making certain that each has the best possible experience both academically and with student life.”

Banks replaces Edgar Dormitorio, who has been interim vice chancellor for student affairs since 2018.

Newport Beach temple to celebrate end of Passover

Women from Temple Bat Yahm in Newport Beach will sponsor a post-Passover celebration at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The event, a Sephardic holiday called Mimouna, will have meats, sweets and breads, belly dancing and henna tattoos.

The temple is at 1011 Camelback St. For more information, visit tby.org.

Compost giveaway and clothing donation event set in Costa Mesa

A compost giveaway and clothing donation event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Orange Coast College Recycling Center on Adams Avenue, between Harbor Boulevard and Fairview Road.

The free event allows each household to get rid of two bags of compost.

For more information, visit bit.ly/2Vs5kB0.

Kelpfest to celebrate Laguna Beach’s coast

The Laguna Ocean Foundation’s annual Kelpfest, celebrating the city’s coastal environment, will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the south end of Main Beach, 107 S. Coast Hwy.

Various environmental organizations will provide activities and exhibits, including Orange County Coastkeeper, Laguna Bluebelt, Pacific Marine Mammal Center, One World One Ocean and Laguna Canyon Foundation.

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

Kowabunga Van Klan returning to Huntington Beach

Classic Volkswagen buses will be on display from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday for the annual Kowabunga Van Klan event at the Huntington Beach Pier at Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway.

The event is in support of the International Surfing Museum.

For more information, visit bit.ly/2IT67UO.

Taste of Huntington Beach features 47 restaurants Sunday

The annual Taste of Huntington Beach, featuring samplings from 47 local restaurants, will return from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex, 18100 Goldenwest St.

Tickets, starting at $65, can be purchased at tastehb.com/Tickets.

Laguna wine tasting event to raise money for scholarships

Grapes for Grads, an annual wine tasting event and scholarship fundraiser presented by the Rotary Club of Laguna Beach, will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Festival of Arts grounds, 650 Laguna Canyon Road.

The event will feature wine, food, live music, a prize drawing and art demonstrations and will raise money for scholarships for students who attend Laguna College of Art + Design and graduates of Laguna Beach High School who are headed to college.

Admission is $50 in advance and $60 at the door.

For tickets and more information, visit grapesforgrads.com/laguna.

Churches to hold beach cleanup at Balboa Island

Christ Church by the Sea and Newport Center United Methodist Church are partnering with the Balboa Island Improvement Assn. for a Balboa Island beach cleanup at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Participants can pick up gloves and bags at the Carroll Beek Community Center, 115 Agate Ave., Newport Beach.

Paul Mitchell fashion show in Costa Mesa to benefit charities

A fashion show presented by the Paul Mitchell School of Costa Mesa will feature unique hairdos from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, 3321 Hyland Ave.

The organization will give funds from the “Haus of Hair” event to nine charities.

General admission is $25. For more information, visit bit.ly/2XE5GSo.

Film about Holocaust survivor to be screened at Newport Beach library

The Newport Beach Public Library and Corona del Mar Community Church will present a free screening of the film “Big Sonia” at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the central library, 1000 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach.

The documentary is about Sonia Warshawski, one of the last remaining Holocaust survivors.

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

‘Retrofest XV: We Are Family’ bringing classic rock and pop music to H.B.

The Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts will present a celebration of classic rock and pop music May 2-4 at the Huntington Beach High School Theatre, 1905 Main St.

There will be four performances of “Retrofest XV: We Are Family” — 7:30 p.m. May 2-3 and 2 and 7:30 p.m. May 4.

For tickets and more information, visit hbapa.org/see.

Laguna art college to showcase work of senior students

The Laguna College of Art + Design will present an exhibit May 2-31 highlighting art from seniors in its bachelor’s program in drawing and painting.

The LCAD Gallery is at 374 Ocean Ave.

For more information, visit bit.ly/2UX6ipx.

Newport Beach chamber to honor students at scholarship awards

Newport Harbor High School, Corona del Mar High School and Sage Hill School students will be honored May 2 for their academic performance at the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce’s 58th annual Scholarship Awards Dinner.

The program will run from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Newport Beach Hotel, 4500 MacArthur Blvd.

Tickets are $55. For more information, visit bit.ly/2vs2soZ.

OCC to showcase students’ artwork at exhibit

Orange Coast College’s “Mass Appeal 2019” student art exhibition will be held May 2-16 at the Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa.

A free public reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. May 2.

The exhibit will be juried by Cal State Fullerton art professor Rebecca Campbell.

For more information, visit orangecoastcollege.edu/DoyleArts.

Garden tour coming to Laguna Beach

The Laguna Beach Garden Club will present its annual Gate & Garden Tour from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 3, featuring gardens in a gated community and adjacent neighborhood.

The docent-led walking tour will begin and end at Arabella Laguna Historic Cottages, 506 N. Coast Hwy. The event also will offer painters, a raffle and margaritas and Mexican food.

For more information, visit bit.ly/2Pwwh0S.

UC Irvine to open skin biology and diseases center

UC Irvine announced that it will open a skin biology and diseases resource center, one of six in the country.

“The research in this center will focus on regulatory mechanisms in skin biology, including in epidermal stem cells, epidermal differentiation, pigment cells and skin vascular biology,” said Dr. Bogi Andersen, a professor of medicine and biological chemistry in the UC Irvine School of Medicine. “Our goal is to discover fundamental mechanisms that may ultimately become important in improving the understanding and treatment of skin diseases.”

The National Institute of Arthritis & Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases provided $4 million toward the center.

For more information, visit som.uci.edu.

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