Around Town: George Thorogood, Live and Bush among headliners of upcoming Pacific Amphitheatre concerts

Several musical acts will headline at the OC Fair & Event Center’s Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa over the next week as part of the Toyota Summer Concert Series.

George Thorogood and the Destroyers will perform from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Friday. Tickets range from $27.50 to $65.

Live and Bush will play from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Tickets range from $45 to $85.

America, Poco and Firefall will perform from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday. Tickets range from $20 to $55.

El Fantasma will perform with Virlan Garcia and Los Austeros de Durango from 6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday. Tickets range from $45 to $85.

Collective Soul, Gin Blossoms and the Black Moods will play from 6 to 10 p.m. Aug. 15. Tickets range from $32.50 to $67.50.

Demolition derbies tear it up at O.C. Fair this weekend

Various demolition derby events will be held starting Friday at the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa.

The Motorhome Madness Demolition Derby will run at 8 p.m. Friday. Damsels of Destruction will run from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday and the Orange Crush Demolition Derby will run from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday. Tickets for each event range from $17.50 to $30.

For more information, visit ocfair.com/events-calendar-view.

Music of Buddy Holly and Earth, Wind & Fire to fill Laguna Playhouse

The Rave-Ons, a Buddy Holly tribute band, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach.

Elements, an Earth, Wind & Fire cover band, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 15 and 16, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 17 and 1 p.m. Aug. 18 at the playhouse.

Back in Time, a Huey Lewis and the News tribute band, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22 and 23, 2 and 7 p.m. Aug. 24 and 1 p.m. Aug. 25.

The shows are part of the theater’s Sounds of Summer series.

For more information, visit lagunaplayhouse.com.

Dogs to sign ‘pawtographs’ at Huntington Beach event

Orange County dogs that appear in the book “Dogs Vs. Ice Cream” will sign autographs (apply their paw prints) on Saturday at Top Dog Barkery, 21010 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach.

The event, from 2 to 4 p.m., also will feature free ice cream for people and their dogs, as well as a raffle.

The program will celebrate the book, which was authored by Los Angeles photographer Diana Lundin.

Newport Beach event to feature discussion on differences among dogs, wolves and coyotes

The Newport Bay Conservancy and OC Parks will present a free discussion Saturday in Newport Beach about the biological, behavioral and social differences among wolves, coyotes and dogs.

The event will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Peter and Mary Interpretive Center, 2301 University Drive.

For more information, visit bit.ly/2YNX77S.

EPIC obstacle course Saturday in Huntington Beach

The EPIC obstacle course will bring a nearly 2-mile long course to Huntington Beach on Saturday.

The event will run from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Huntington Beach Central Park Sports Complex, 18000 Goldenwest St.

There will be beginner, intermediate and advanced courses that include climbing over walls, crawling under nets and lifting heavy objects.

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

Workshop in Newport Beach will teach nature writing

To celebrate the 165th anniversary of the release of Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden,” the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve will present a workshop Saturday on the ins and outs of nature writing.

The free event will run from 9 a.m. to noon at the Peter and Mary Interpretive Center, 2301 University Drive, Newport Beach.

Participants also will learn basic nature observation techniques and explore creative writing.

For more information, visit letsgooutside.org/naturewriting.

Pupchella dog festival comes to Huntington Beach

The Pupchella dog festival will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Paséa Hotel & Spa, 21080 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach.

The inaugural event will feature a brunch, fashion show and festival.

For more information and tickets, visit bit.ly/2XekKdK.

Lobsterfest returns to Newport Beach on Sunday

The 11th annual Lobsterfest will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Newport Beach Civic Center, 100 Civic Center Drive.

The event will feature seafood and live entertainment. Funds will go toward various local charities, including the Orange County chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

General admission is $75; kids’ meals are $25. For tickets and more information, visit lobsterfestatnewportbeach.com.

Final PCH cleanup event of year slated for Huntington Beach

Visit Huntington Beach’s final Pacific Coast Highway cleanup event of the year, will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. Monday at Magnolia Street and Pacific Coast Highway.

Cleanups have been held monthly since May.

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

Costa Mesa to discuss small cell facilities

The Costa Mesa City Council will hold an open house about small cell facilities Tuesday.

City staff and the city’s expert on small cell facilities will be available to answer questions about local regulations and limitations on the infrastructure as cellphone carriers approach the city for permission to build the next generation of wireless telecommunications networks. Representatives of phone carriers also will be available.

The meeting starts at 5 p.m. at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive.

Bike and pedestrian safety workshop set in Huntington

The Orange County Transportation Authority will hold a bike and pedestrian safety workshop at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Huntington Beach City Hall, 2000 Main St., as part of its “Be Safe Be Seen” campaign.

The free class will include a new bicycle helmet and set of lights.

For more information, visit octa.net/bike.

OCC offers citizenship preparation classes

The adult education program at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa is offering free citizenship preparation classes to help people get ready for the U.S. citizenship test.

Classes in the fall semester will be held Tuesday and Thursday mornings beginning Aug. 27 and will focus on the written portion of the test. Students will learn about U.S. history, geography and government.

Evening classes in the spring semester will focus on the oral part of the test. Students will learn about the naturalization process and civic rights and responsibilities.

The citizenship classes are open to everyone and do not require a Social Security number or California residency documentation to sign up, the college said. Students who complete both courses are eligible for a certificate of competency.

All classes are noncredit and tuition-free. Students are responsible for buying textbooks.

OCC also will offer free English Language Learning courses aimed at helping people improve their listening, speaking, reading, writing and grammar skills. Classes will be for beginning to advanced levels and will be available mornings, afternoons and evenings. Fall classes begin Aug. 26.

For more information, visit orangecoastcollege.edu/adulteducation, call (714) 432-6897 or email adulteducation@occ.cccd.edu.

Smelly ‘corpse flower’ almost ready to bloom at OCC

A “corpse flower,” known for its odor, which many people liken to rotting flesh, is expected to bloom next week at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, according to the horticulture department.

The Amorphophallus titanum plant, named Little Eva, will be on display on the patio of OCC’s planetarium from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Aug. 16. Depending on when the flower blooms, the college also may allow visitors later in the day. Updated announcements will be available on OCC’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Once the flower blooms, the odor will last 24 to 48 hours.

Admission and parking are free, though a $5 donation is suggested to support student scholarships.

OCC originally received three corpse flowers from the Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino in 2006. Two flowers have bloomed, in 2014 and 2017. Both drew hundreds of spectators.

“It’s amazing how many people want to smell it,” horticulture lab coordinator Joe Stead said in a statement.

Orange Coast College is at 2701 Fairview Road. Parking is in Lot E at Fairview and Merrimac Way.

Corona del Mar community meeting to focus on utilities

The Corona del Mar Residents Assn. board will host its monthly meeting at 7:30 a.m. Aug. 15 at the Oasis Senior Center, 801 Narcissus Ave.

Guest speaker Mike Sinacori will discuss the process for placing utilities underground in the community.

For more information, visit cdmra.org or call (949) 478-2454.

OC Parks concert set for Fountain Valley

The Sweet & Tender Hooligans will perform from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 15 at Mile Square Regional Park, 16801 Euclid St., Fountain Valley, as part of the OC Parks Summer Concert Series.

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

UC Irvine receives record $441 million in research funding

UC Irvine announced that it received a school record $441 million in grants and contracts for research for the 2018-19 fiscal year.

Funds were used for research into improving students’ reading and writing skills and how to manage California’s natural terrains in the face of climate change.

UCI Health garnered $155 million in research funding — 23% more than it received the previous year.

“This research funding milestone signifies progress toward our campus strategic plan goals while accelerating UCI’s ascent among its Assn. of American Universities peers, having a meaningful impact on regional economic development and making strides to improve society through globally prominent research,” said Enrique Lavernia, UCI provost and executive vice chancellor.

Festival Ballet Theatre to present gala in Costa Mesa

Orange County’s Festival Ballet Theatre will hold its 12th annual Gala of the Stars at 7 p.m. Aug. 16 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.

Members of the ballet company will perform and discuss their craft.

Tickets for the event cost $55 to $95.

For more information, visit scfta.org.

Workshop to focus on fighting scams that target seniors

State Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach) and the California Contractors State License Board will present a free Senior Scam Stopper workshop from 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 16 at the Senior Center at Huntington Beach Central Park, 18041 Goldenwest St.

“When I learned that criminals steal $37 billion a year from America’s elderly, I was shocked,” Petrie-Norris said in a statement. “We must do more to protect ourselves and our loved ones from online and telemarketing offenders who prey on seniors, families and caregivers.”

The workshop will provide information about various types of scams and how to protect against them.

To learn more or to RSVP, call (949) 251-0074.

Laguna Food Pantry selling donated items from recently shuttered Laguna Drug Store

The Laguna Beach Food Pantry is selling donated items to raise funds for its programs supporting local people in need.

The products being sold were donated by the Laguna Drug Store, which went out of business recently.

For more information, visit lagunafoodpantry.org.

O.C. Community Foundation gives $146,000 to 30 local nonprofits

The Newport Beach-based Orange County Community Foundation recently announced it has given $146,000 to 30 local nonprofit organizations dedicated to arts and culture programs and education.

“In partnership with our generous donors, we are proud to support these organizations as they foster a diverse array of arts and cultural programs in Orange County,” said Shelley Hoss, president of the foundation. “From performing arts and music to historic cultural landmarks, these programs are enriching the lives of our youth and strengthening our entire community.”

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.