HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

o7 The holiday season is here and there are plenty of ways to

celebrate. Here is a list of events in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach that

even the Grinch would have a hard time spoiling.

f7

* The Piecemakers’ annual Christmas Festival will be held from 9 a.m.

to 4 p.m. today and Sunday at the Piecemakers Country Store, 1720 Adams

Ave., Costa Mesa. Free. (714) 641-3112.

* The Temple Bat Yahm Sisterhood’s annual Hanukkah Bazaar will hold a

grand opening preview from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Temple Bat Yahm, 1011

Camelback St., Newport Beach. Remaining hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday

and Monday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, and 9 a.m. to noon

Thursday. Admission for the preview is $1.50, which includes champagne,

hors de oeuvres and a 10% discount on all merchandise that night (vendor

sales not included). (949) 644-1999.

* A Teddy Bear Holiday Village will be open for viewing through Dec.

24 at Sutton Place Hotel, 4500 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach. The bears

will be delivered to the Orangewood Children’s Home during the holiday

season. Free. (949) 476-2001.

* The Junior Auxiliary of the Assistance League of Newport-Mesa will

hold its 51st annual Candy Cane Ball at 6:30 p.m. today at the Center

Club, 650 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Guests can enjoy dining, dancing

to the J. Sterling Band and silent and live auctions. $150. (949)

644-2503.

* “A Christmas Carol” will run through Dec. 24. The play takes the

stage 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays

and noon and 4 p.m. Sundays at South Coast Repertory’s Mainstage, 655

Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. $17-$41. (714) 708-5569.

* The Corona del Mar Christmas Walk will be held from 11 a.m. to 4

p.m. Sunday on Pacific Coast Highway and in the Corona del Mar Plaza, 832

Avocado Ave., Corona del Mar. The event will include entertainment,

refreshments, a petting zoo and roving carolers. Free. (949) 673-4050.

* The Balboa Island Holiday Home Tour will be held from noon to 5 p.m.

Sunday. The tour includes a boutique at the Beek Center on Agate Avenue

near the Balboa Island Ferry. $15. (949) 723-4226.

* Newport Harbor High School will present “The Rescue of the Snow

Queen,” a holiday-themed play for children of all ages, at 6 and 7:30

p.m. Wednesday in the school’s Robert B. Wentz Theater, corner of Irvine

Avenue and 15th Street, Newport Beach. $2. (949) 515-6341.

* Vanguard University presents “Christmas Fantasia,” a treasury of

holiday musical classics and contemporary carols, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday

in the Newport-Mesa Christian Center, 2599 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa, on

campus. Free. (714) 556-3610, Ext. 217.

* Festival Ballet Theatre will present “The Nutcracker” at Orange

Coast College’s Robert B. Moore Theatre, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa.

Show times will be 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 9, and 2 p.m. Dec.

10. $15-$19. (714) 432-5880.

* Trilogy Playhouse will present a musical production of A.A. Milne’s

“A Winnie-The-Pooh Christmas Tail” Friday through Dec. 23. Performance

times are 7 p.m. Fridays and 3 and 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The

playhouse is located at 2930 Bristol St., Bldg. C-106, Costa Mesa.

$10-12. (714) 957-3347, Ext. 1.

* The Holiday Festival Concert will be held at 8 p.m. Friday at St.

Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 600 St. Andrews Road, Newport Beach. The

concert will feature the California Master Chorale with conductor Larry

K. Ball, as well as seasonal hand-bell classics by the California

Hand-bell Ensemble. $10-$12. (714) 564-4000.

* Christmas concerts will be held at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church,

600 St. Andrews Road, Newport Beach, at 4 and 7 p.m. Dec. 10 and 17. The

concert will feature carols by Alfred Burt, a congregation sing-along and

other Christmas selections. $8. (949) 574-2283.

* South Coast Repertory’s “La Posada Magica,” a contemporary Latino

Christmas play written by Octavio Solis with songs by Marcos Loya, opens

its seventh annual production on the Second Stage at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 10.

The show runs through Dec. 24 at 600 Town Center Drive. $18-$32.

Discounted previews will be 12:30 p.m. Dec. 8, 9 and 10 for $13-$21.

(714) 708-5555.

* The Philharmonic Society of Orange County will present “Fiesta

Navidad,” a mariachi concert celebrating the Mexican fiesta of La Posada

with music director Natividad Cano, at 8 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.

$18-$38. (949) 553-2422.

* Gustaf Anders restaurant at the South Coast Plaza Village will host

a Santa Lucia pageant from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at 3851 S. Bear St,

Costa Mesa. The pageant honors St. Lucia, who brought food to the

persecuted Christians in Sweden. (714) 668-1737.

* Newport Christian School will perform its Christmas play, “6th Grade

Scrooge,” at 7 p.m. Dec. 13. The school, a ministry of Liberty Baptist

Church, is at 1000 Bison Ave., Newport Beach. Free. (949) 760-5444.

* Rosemary Clooney’s “White Christmas Party” will come to the Orange

County Performing Arts Center at 8 p.m. Dec. 14 at Segerstrom Hall, 600

Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Clooney will be joined by a full

orchestra, including members of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra and two

choirs. $36-$76. (714) 746-7878.

* Judy Collins will sing Christmas songs at 8 p.m. Dec. 15 at Orange

Coast College’s Robert B. Moore Theatre, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa.

$27-$33. (714) 432-5880.

* The Newport Beach Community Services department will hold a “Winter

Wonderland” with 20 tons of snow from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 16 at Grant

Howald Park, at 5th and Iris avenues in Corona del Mar. An appearance by

Santa, holiday crafts and snowperson building contest are included.

Guests are encouraged to bring building tools like carrots and sticks for

their snow creations. Free. (949) 644-3151.

* The 92nd annual Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade returns 6:30

p.m. Dec. 17-23 with more than 100 boats decorated for the holidays.

There are dozens of viewing locations, including the Fun Zone on Balboa

Island. $25 for participants. Free for spectators. (949) 729-4400.

* Pacific Chorale will present “Tis the Season!” at 7 p.m. Dec. 17 in

Segerstrom Hall, at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town

Center Drive, Costa Mesa. John Alexander will conduct the Pacific

Chorale, Pacific Symphony Orchestra and Pacific Chorale Children’s Chorus

in a performance featuring favorite carols and seasonal classics. The

concert will include the world premiere of composer-in-residence Eric

Whitacre’s first commission for Pacific Chorale. $17-$54. (714) 662-2345.

* American Ballet Theatre’s production of “Cinderella” will cap the

Orange County Performing Arts Center’s 2000 Classic Dance Series with a

holiday engagement Dec. 19-23 in Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive,

Costa Mesa. Performances will be at 8 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinees on Friday

and Saturday. $12-$70. (714) 740-7878.

* Chabad of Irvine will hold a Grand Hanukkah celebration at 4 p.m.

Dec. 21 at Fashion Island in Newport Beach in the Bloomingdales

courtyard, 905 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. The celebration

includes Fashion Island’s annual Menorah-lighting. (949) 786-5000.

* Hunger Artists Theater Company teams up with the children of St.

John the Divine Episcopal Church to present “Home for Christmas” 10:30

a.m. Dec. 24. The play tells the story of two orphans who find a home in

the most unlikely of places. The performance will take place at the

church, 183 E. Bay St., Costa Mesa. Free, but donations for Court

Appointed Special Advocates are appreciated. (714) 547-9100.