Holiday happenings

The Huntington Beach Adult School’s annual Winter Cultural Festival

will be held from 10 a.m. to noon today at the school, 16666 Tunstall

Lane. English as a Second Language students who immigrated from at least

25 countries will display their talents and share their stories, dance,

music, various cultural activities and traditional food. Students will

also perform “A Christmas Carol.”

Students organized this event under the direction of the English as a

Second Language instructors. Information: (714) 847-2873.

Cruise of Lights boat tour continues

Benefiting the children’s music programs of the Philharmonic Society

of Orange County, the 38th annual Huntington Harbour Cruise of Lights

will run through Saturday.

The Cruise of Lights is a narrated boat tour through the waters of

Huntington Harbour and features waterfront homes festively decorated with

animation, music and lights. Boats tour nightly at 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 and

8:30 p.m. Tickets are $6 for children age 2 to 12, and $9 for adults

during the week, and $10 on weekends. Tuesday will be family night.

Reservations are recommended. Information: (714) 840-7542.

Free parking in Downtown for holidays

Huntington Beach will again cover the Downtown parking meters with a

holiday message and provide free parking in the business zone through

Jan. 2. The free parking area includes the first two blocks of Main

Street and the arteries of Walnut and Olive avenues. The recreational

zone on Pacific Coast Highway is excluded.

Safeco offers free long-distance calls

For its 20th year, Safeco Insurance Co. in Fountain Valley will hold

its free Holiday Hotline from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday so seniors 55 and

older may call family and friends long distance. More than 200 seniors

are expected to attend. Safeco is at 17570 Brookhurst St. Information:

(714) 963-0900.

Hotel collecting toys for charity

The Comfort Suites hotel in Huntington Beach is collecting stuffed

animals and other playthings for the Toys For Tots charity.

Donors are encouraged to leave toys for needy children in a collection

box outside the hotel at 16301 Beach Blvd. Donations will be accepted

through Saturday. Information: (714) 841-1812.

‘The Nutcracker’ playing at Golden West

A holiday show is being presented this month at Golden West College’s

Mainstage Theatre, 15744 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach.

“The Nutcracker” ballet will run for 12 performances through Sunday.

Admission is $12.50 for adults and $10.50 for children younger than 12.

Tickets are on sale at the box office by calling (714) 895-8150.

Surf Museum holds holiday donation drive

The Huntington Beach Surf Museum has put its Donation Christmas Tree

on display. For a $1 donation, people may fill out a musical note of

thanks to hang on the tree. Each donation will include a raffle ticket

for one of the surf music CDs to be given away in January. Donations may

be filled out during museum hours -- noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through

Monday. Information: (714) 960-3483.

Holiday D’Lights on display at center

Surf City residents looking for a holiday spectacle may cruise to the

McDonnell Centre Business Park for the Holiday D’Lights, a drive-through

attraction of animated light displays.

The event is free for all residents and features a mile-long span of

more than 25 light displays, including the space shuttle delivering

presents into space and Santa Claus playing basketball.

The lighted attraction, part of the city’s Turn of the Century

celebration, is presented from 6 to 10 p.m. through Dec. 31.

Every Friday through Sunday, the Holiday D’Lights Village is open so

families can visit Santa Claus, shop, eat, listen to live music and other

activities.

On Saturday, the All-American Boys Chorus will hold a concert from

6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Although the event is free, donations will be accepted

for nonprofit organizations Huntington Beach Education, Academy for the

Performing Arts and the Huntington Youth Shelter, which are helping to

put on the event.

The Holiday D’Lights entrance is at Astronautics Road, off of Rancho

Road in Huntington Beach. Information: (714) 969-3492.

Food drive underway through year’s end

Caring and sharing is what the holidays are all about. The Second

Harvest Food Bank of Orange County is inviting the community to join the

Care and Share Holiday Food Drive, which is being held through Dec. 31.

Donations of food or money are accepted by calling (714) 771-1343.

The Food Bank Operation Gobble Turkey Drive is also underway, which

provides hot meals to those who would otherwise go without it. The

following local businesses are part of dozens of companies that have

donated to the drive. They are Heritage Montessori School in Fountain

Valley, and Heritage School, McDonnell Douglas Federal Credit Union,

National Cash Advance, and Sharp and Grahm Chiropractic in Huntington

Beach.