Around Town: OCC book festival nets appearance from Lakers legend and author Kobe Bryant

Retired Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and reality television star Elena Gant will be among the featured authors at the 16th annual Orange County Children’s Book Festival on Sunday.

The festival, which runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., will bring 90 authors, 12 studio illustrators and 60 literacy-centered exhibitors to Orange Coast College, 2701 Fairview Road in Costa Mesa, according to a news release.

Parking and admission are free. For more information, visit kidsbookfestival.com.

First Friday Roadshow motors back to O.C. fairgrounds

The First Friday Roadshow, a community car show, will return to the OC Market Place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday.

The roadshow also includes a dog adoption event, music, giveaways, food and drinks. Admission is free.

The Market Place is at the OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa.

Fountain Valley to host wine and food festival

The Experience Fountain Valley Food & Wine event will be held Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. at Freedom Hall in Mile Square Regional Park, 16801 Euclid St.

Tickets are $55 at the door. Money raised will benefit the city Fire Department, Fountain Valley Restaurant Assn., Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce and Fountain Valley Community Foundation. For more information, call (714) 593-4412 or visit bit.ly/2IlUUv4.

Guild Club reopening under new model

The Guild Club at Costa Mesa’s South Coast Collection is reopening Friday.

The restaurant — at 3321 Hyland Ave., Suite G — started under a paid membership model but will now offer reservation dining for the general public.

The reopening also includes a new cocktail menu. For more information, visit theguildclub.com.

Costa Mesa firefighters host open house

The Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Department will host an open house at Fire Station 4, 2300 Placentia Ave., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Attendees can meet firefighters and watch firefighting demonstrations. Parking and admission are free.

Annual gala to aid epilepsy research

The third annual Orange County Care and Cure Gala is Saturday.

The event, which benefits epilepsy research, starts at 6 p.m. at the Waterfront Beach Resort — 21100 Pacific Coast Hwy. in Huntington Beach. For more information, visit occareandcure.org.

OCC musicians to perform classical works

Orange Coast College’s orchestra and choral ensembles will perform Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the on-campus Robert B. Moore Theatre.

The program will include works by Schubert, Sibelius, Elgar and Mendelssohn.

Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for the general public, and can be purchased at the door or online at occtickets.com.

OCMA to honor artist Larry Bell

The Orange County Museum of Art will honor artist Larry Bell Saturday at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa.

“We are thrilled to honor Larry Bell, a pioneering artist who has influenced a generation of artists not only in California, but internationally,” said OCMA Director and Chief Executive Todd Smith in a statement. “We are privileged to have nine of Larry’s key works in our collection, and to have featured his works in exhibitions that date from 1964 to our current exhibition.”

For more information, call (714) 780-2181 or email info@ocma.net. The Concert Hall is at 600 Town Center Drive.

Plein air painting event returns to Laguna Beach

The 21st annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational runs from Saturday to Oct. 13.

Festivities include workshops throughout the invitational, a children’s painting event on Monday, discussions with experts and a gala on Oct. 12.

For a complete list of events, or to buy gala tickets, visit lpapa.org/2019-invitational-events.

Newport fire station to host Fire Service Day

The Newport Beach Fire Department will host its annual Fire Service Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at Fire Station No. 7, 20401 Acacia St.

The event will include station tours and demonstrations. Admission is free.

For more information, call (949) 644-3355.

Newport church to bless Fido and Fluffy during annual event

Newport Beach’s St. James Episcopal Church, at 3209 Via Lido, will hold its annual Blessing of the Animals starting at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Parishioners are invited to bring their pets or photos of their pets to receive a blessing. All pets are welcome. Following the service, there will be popcorn, balloons and face painting for children in the church courtyard.

The church also will accept donations for the Friends of Newport Beach Animal Shelter.

For more information, visit stjamesnewport.org/events.

Laguna Beach Pride to honor former mayors, allies

Laguna Beach Pride 365 and the Mozambique restaurant will host past and current City Council members, including former mayor Robert Gentry and Councilwoman Toni Iseman, for a special dinner at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

The event will recognize those “who have made Laguna Beach the special, accepting and diverse community it is today,” according to a news release.

Gentry, who was on the council from 1982 to 1994, was one of the first openly gay mayors in the U.S.

Tickets to the event are $45. Reservations are available and can be made by visiting lagunabeachpride.org/events-1/dinner-with-friends.

Laguna Canyon Conservancy will celebrate 30 years with two events

The Laguna Canyon Conservancy is celebrating its 30th anniversary with an event Monday starting at 6 p.m. at Seven 7 Seven, 777 Laguna Canyon Road.

It will include remarks about the group’s past efforts to save the canyon. Another event is scheduled at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach, 286 St. Ann’s Drive, to discuss the current state of affairs.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit lagunacanyonconservancy.org.

‘Fleurs de Villes’ exhibit coming to South Coast Plaza

Sixteen mannequins dressed in flowery creations by some of the area’s top floral designers will be on display beside a flower market at South Coast Plaza from Wednesday until Oct. 13.

The aromatic exhibit “Fleurs de Villes,” which means “flowers of cities” in French, will feature several themed garments, including interpretations of the cities of Berlin, Copenhagen, Dubai, Madrid, Milan, Tokyo and Shanghai.

For more information, visit bit.ly/31M5aEm. South Coast Plaza is at 3333 Bristol St. in Costa Mesa.

Gala with ‘Harry Potter’ theme to benefit literacy group

The Literacy Project will celebrate its 10th anniversary with an Oct. 11 gala at the Balboa Bay Resort, 1221 W. Coast Hwy. in Newport Beach.

The festivities, which will be themed after the “Harry Potter” franchise, will include an auction and magician Kevin Viner.

For more information, visit literacyprojectfoundation.org/10-year-anniversary.

Montage resort to host nonprofit fundraiser

The Montage Laguna Beach resort will host a gala on Oct. 11 honoring Larry Green, chief executive of Santa Ana-based System Pavers.

Actor Jay Mohr will serve as host for the 14th annual Tradition of Hope Gala. Proceeds will benefit Augie’s Quest, a nonprofit that helps people with Lou Gehrig’s disease.

O.C. chefs to cook for SOS dinner

The 29th annual Share Our Selves Celebrity Chef Dinner is scheduled for Oct. 11 at the Pasea Hotel & Spa, 21080 Pacific Coast Hwy. in Huntington Beach.

The event will feature Orange County chefs raising funds to support the organization’s food pantry and other services, which include case management, emergency financial assistance, behavioral health and seasonal programs.

For more information, visit shareourselves.org/events.

Fairgrounds hosting pumpkin patch through October

The OC Fair & Event Center is hosting a pumpkin patch through Oct. 31.

Operating hours are weekdays from 1 to 9 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Parking is $9. For more information, visit ocfair.com/event/seasonal-adventures-pumpkin-patch. The Fair & Event Center is at 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa.

Birders asked to participate in surveys

From October through March, the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve will host monthly migratory bird surveys that are open to public participation.

Participants will track the abundance and diversity of migratory birds that visit the bay. No prior experience is necessary to participate.

Participation and parking are free. For more information, call (949) 923-2277 or register at letsgooutside.org. The preserve is at 2301 University Drive.

Assistance League donates to Ocean View teachers

The Assistance League of Huntington Beach has awarded more than $47,000 in classroom grants to more than 100 Ocean View School District teachers as part of its annual Links to Learning program, according to a news release.

The money will go toward everything from books and robotics to gardening and composting supplies, the release stated.

Hoag begins cancer research study

Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach is starting a research study to identify and characterize potential early disease markers for cancer diagnostics, cancer progression and treatment resistance, according to a news release.

In partnership with Exosome Sciences, a subsidiary of Aethlon Medical Inc., scientists will study nanoparticles called exosomes in cancer patients and individuals at high genetic risk for cancer.

Fundraiser nets $600k for Laguna arts

The Laguna Art Museum raised more than $600,000 during its Sept. 21 gala.

More than 270 people attended the event, which included performances, dancing and dining.

Organizers planning Patriots Day Parade

Organizers are currently in the midst of planning the next Patriots Day Parade in Laguna Beach, which is scheduled for March 7.

The 2019 edition was rained out, organizers said, so the 2020 one will feature the same honorees — including Grand Marshal Barbara Diamond and Citizen of the Year Sande St. John. The theme, again, is “Everyday Heroes.”

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