Around Town: Coast Film and Music Festival this weekend in Laguna Beach

The Coast Film and Music Festival continues this weekend at the Festival of Arts grounds in Laguna Beach.

Daytime tickets are $25 for general admission, and night tickets are $35. Attendance to both sessions is available for $50 on Saturday or Sunday.

Saturday night will feature a showing of “Facing Monsters,” followed by a question-and-answer session with professional big wave surfers Kerby and Cortney Brown.

Sunday night will be highlighted by a 50th anniversary celebration of “Five Summer Stories,” which will be narrated by director Greg MacGillivray and Sam George. The night will also feature a live musical performance by Honk during the selected scenes.

South Laguna Community Garden Park Fall Festival is Saturday

The South Laguna Community Garden Park will host a potluck festival on Saturday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the Garden Park, located at the corner of Eagle Rock Way and South Coast Highway.

Attendees are asked to bring a dish to serve at least 10 people. Billed as a “zero waste” community get-together, participants are also asked to utilize reusable utensils.

The Garden Band will also be performing.

Orange County Soccer Club to host Hamburg SV on Tuesday

Orange County Soccer Club is set to face off with Germany’s Hamburg SV in an international friendly match on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Championship Soccer Stadium.

It will mark the first time that Orange County has squared off with a European opponent. Hamburg currently sits in second place in the Bundesliga 2 standings.

“International games, especially versus a historic German Bundesliga team, are always special, and it gives our players the opportunity to showcase themselves,” Oliver Wyss, general manager of Orange County Soccer Club, said. “Hamburg, who have [been] the German Champion six times, has a very strong roster this season, and we are looking forward to playing and hosting them in Orange County.”

There will be a German beer fest, as well as a World Cup theme for the match.

Estancia High Drama Department presents ‘Little Women’

Students in Estancia High School’s award-winning drama department will kick off their 2022-23 season Thursday with Kate Hamill’s “Little Women,” adapted from Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, in evening shows that run through Saturday.

The 19th century coming of age tale follows March sisters Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy from childhood to adulthood during the Civil War era. Under Estancia High Drama Director Pauline Maranian and teacher Amber Marroquin, the adaptation strives to make a 19th-century work relevant to modern audiences.

“Little Women,” takes place Thursday through Saturday, at 7 p.m., at Estancia High School, 2323 Placentia Ave., in Costa Mesa. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for general admission and can be purchased at the door or online at estanciadrama.com.

Costa Mesa Councilwoman Marr to speak at Historical Society Nov. 20

Costa Mesa City Councilwoman Andrea Marr will speak about her career with the U.S. Navy and what she’s learned about leadership during a Nov. 20 reception at the Costa Mesa Historical Society.

After completing qualifications as a nuclear engineer, Marr served about the U.S. Nimitz, where she led a division of 20 nuclear-trained machinists for two years. She will also speak on how her professional life has benefited from the influence of Admiral Hyman Rickover, considered the father of the nuclear Navy.

A reception takes place at 2 p.m. with the program to follow at 2:30 p.m. at the Costa Mesa Historical Society, 1870 Anaheim Ave. Space is limited.

OC Public Libraries presents Fall Literacy Festival Nov. 19

Orange County public libraries, in collaboration with 5th District County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett will celebrate early and family literacy at Aliso Viejo Library Saturday, Nov. 19, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., where they will host a variety of activities for the whole family.

Attendees can meet and pose for photos with children’s book character Lyle Crocodile and enjoy crocodile-themed crafts and book-forward face painting designs. Special guest Newberry Honor and New York Times best-selling children’s author Jennifer Holm will attend a meet and greet and sign free copies of her book, “Once Upon a Messy Whisker,” while supplies last.

The library is located at 1 Journey, in Aliso Viejo. For more information visit ocpl.org.

Orange County Fair Board names Pham as chair

The OC Fair & Event Center Board of Directors has selected member Newton Pham to serve a one-year term as board chair, while board member Nick Kovacevich will serve as vice chair.

Board members voted on the appointments in an Oct. 27 meeting. Pham, a Fountain Valley resident, has served on the board since 2016. A graduate of San Diego State University, Pham is an executive vice president and head of leveraged finance at California Bank & Trust, the California division of Zions Bancocorporation.

Kovacevich is chief executive of Greenlane Holdings, Inc., a provider of ancillary cannabis products and accessories. An entrepreneur who co-founded KushCo Holdings and BigRentz, an Irvine-based technology company, the Newport Beach resident joined the board in 2020.

Pham replaces outgoing Chair Doug LaBelle, who will continue to serve on the board.

Tilly’s Life Center welcomes former OC Head Start exec as its new CEO

Tilly’s Life Center — an Irvine nonprofit whose programs empower teenagers to cope with adversity, crisis and tough decisions — recently announced the addition of Colleen Versteeg as chief executive.

Versteeg was instrumental in achieving numerous financial and program goals in her 10 years as executive director for Santa Ana childcare agency Orange County Head Start, where she oversaw a $45-million annual budget. Prior to that, she was a child development coordinator for Santa Ana Unified School District, where she oversaw early childhood state and federal grants.

“I could not be more excited about this new chapter in our organization,” TLC Founder and President Tilly Levine said in a news release. “Colleen brings so much experience in our field — she will be a perfect fit for our culture, our values and our mission.”

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