* Send AROUND TOWN items to...

* Send AROUND TOWN items to the Daily Pilot, 330 W. Bay St.,

Costa Mesa, CA 92627; by fax to (949) 646-4170; or by calling (949)

574-4298. Include the time, date and location of the event, as well

as a contact phone number. A complete listing is available at

www.dailypilot.com.

TODAY

The UC Irvine Arboretum will

hold its annual Fall Orchid Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today

and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. The arboretum is just south of the

corner of Campus Drive and Jamboree Road on the UCI North Campus. The

cost is $2 per person, free for children younger than 12 and members

of the Friends of the UCI Arboretum. For more information, call (949)

824-5833.

The Masquerade Ball for the Arts will be held from 8 p.m. to 1

a.m. at the Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach. The event,

in its fifth consecutive year, is a popular and hip Halloween party

for young professionals throughout Orange County and benefits the

museum. The museum is at 850 San Clemente Drive. $55 presale for

groups of 10 or more, $65 advanced purchase, $80 at the door. (949)

759-1122, ext. 560.

Thaifoon, Taste of Asia at Fashion Island will host a late-night

cocktail opening reception from 9 to 11 p.m. The event will benefit

The Sophisticates, a support group of the Assessment and Treatment

Services Center of Orange County, and will include live

entertainment. The restaurant is at 857 Newport Center Drive, Newport

Beach. $10 at the door. (949) 644-0133.

SUNDAY

A program exploring the games Native American children of the Back

Bay might have played will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon at The

Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center. The program is best suited

for children ages 5 and older. Space is limited. The center is at

2301 University Drive, Newport Beach. $3 per person. To register,

call (714) 973-6829.

An Introduction to Zen Workshop will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. at

the Zen Center in Costa Mesa. The workshop will have demonstrations

on the basics of seated meditation, various options for postures

(cushion or chairs), techniques for working with breathing and

observation of thought. The center is at 120 E. 18th St. $50. (949)

722-7818.

MONDAY

The Orange County Sierra

Singles Club will host a newcomer meeting at 7 p.m. at the Costa

Mesa Neighborhood Community Center. The meeting will include

displays, exhibits, demonstrations and refreshments. The center is at

1845 Park Ave. Free. For more information, call (714) 963-6345.

The Alzheimer’s Assn. of Orange County will hold a support group

meeting for caregivers from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Our Lady Queen of

Angels in Newport Beach. The church is at 2046 Mar Vista Drive. Free.

For reservations, contact Jim Casey at (949) 640-1750.

Maggiano’s Little Italy

restaurant in Costa Mesa will debut its “Rat Pack Mondays” event

from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. The event will include live music by jazz

singer Chris Williams and his five-piece band, dancing, complimentary

tray-passed hors d’oeuvres, a late-night menu and drink specials. The

restaurant is at 3333 Bristol Road. For more information, call (714)

546-9550 or visit www.maggianos.com.

TUESDAY

UC Irvine will hold its 18th

annual Rainbow Festival and Conference today through Nov. 7. The

conference will celebrate cultural and ethnic diversity and will

consist of panel discussion, workshops and presentations by author

and poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, social historian and author Mike Davis

and international studies scholar Vijay Prashad. For more information

and a complete schedule of events, call the Cross-Cultural Center at

(949) 824-7215 or visit www.ccc.uci.edu.