* 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

Santa arrives at the Orange County Market Place at part of the Day

After Thanksgiving Market Place. Admission will be free to all

shoppers today, as well as on Monday, Dec. 23 -- the day of the

Holiday Market Place. Santa will stick around for photos this weekend

and on weekends throughout December. The Market Place at the Orange

County Fairgrounds is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and on

weekends.

SATURDAY

The Crossroads of the West Gun Show will be held from 9 a.m. to 5

p.m. today, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in buildings 10, 12, 14 and

the Parade of Products at the Orange County Fair & Exposition Center

in Costa Mesa. The center is at 88 Fair Drive. $$9 for adults, $8 for

seniors, free for children 12 and under accompanied by an adult. For

more information call (714) 708-3247 or visit www.ocfair.com.

SUNDAY

A Swedish Christmas Fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at

the Costa Mesa Community Center. The fair, which is sponsored by the

Orange County Chapter of the Swedish Women’s Educational Assn., will

have numerous market stands, Swedish art and handmade crafts for

sale, traditional Swedish Christmas food and baked goods, folk

dancers and much more. The center is at 1845 Park Ave. $5 for adults,

free for children age 12 and under. For more information, visit

www.chapters-swea.org/-

orangecounty/julmarknad.

DEC. 2

First- to eighth-grade students are welcome to stop by the Balboa

Branch Library through Dec. 24 to make holiday crafts. From today

through Dec. 14, holiday cards will be made, and from Dec. 16 to Dec.

24, holiday ornaments will be created. There is no charge, and

registration is unnecessary. The library is at 100 E. Balboa Blvd.

It’s open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday and Wednesday; and from 9 a.m.

to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday. (949) 717-3800.

DEC. 4

The Orange County Sierra Singles Club will host a snow sports

training program from 6:45 to 9:45 p.m. at the Costa Mesa

Neighborhood Community Center. The program will focus on how to be

safe and prepare for winter sports such as backcountry skiing,

snowshoeing, hiking and snowboarding. $10. The center is at 1845 Park

Ave. $10. For information, call (714) 963-6345.

DEC. 6

Orange Coast College will hold its 26th annual Holiday Art Pottery

Sale from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today through Sunday in the ceramics

department room 113 of the new Arts Center building. The sale will

focus on functional as well as decorative pottery featuring hundreds

of items by OCC ceramics students. OCC is at 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. Fifteen percent of the proceeds will go toward the

purchase of equipment for the OCC’s Mudslinger Club while the

remaining 85% will go to the ceramics students themselves. For more

information, call (714) 432-5843.

DEC. 8

The third annual Holiday Classic Car Show and Pedal Car

Invitational featuring a toy drive to benefit Project Cuddle will be

held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Automotive Road of Dreams area of

the Orange County Market Place. Cars decked out for the holidays will

be judged in several categories. Car show participants bringing an

unwrapped toy or clothing item will receive free show registration.

Also held at the Orange County Market Place on the Orange County

Fairgrounds will be Christmas Karaoke. It will be in the Artisans’

and Crafters’ Corner. (949) 723-6663 or www.ocmarketplace.com.

The Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce’s 24th annual Christmas

Walk Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Corona del Mar

Plaza. Stores at the plaza and along Coast Highway between Avocado

Avenue and Poppy Street will be open for food sampling, entertainment

and, of course, shopping. Festivities will include story time with

Mrs. Claus; crafts for children; an elf with balloons for youngsters;

ornament decorating; holiday cookie decorating; and a treasure hunt.

Holiday carolers will sing all day and the Corona del Mar High School

Madrigal Singers will perform from 2 to 4 p.m. Dog owners can also

get their pets’ picture taken with Santa between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The plaza is at MacArthur Boulevard and Coast Highway in Newport

Beach. (949) 790-9713 or www.ShopTheIrvine-

Company.com.

DEC. 23

The Holiday Market Place (also known as the Orange County Market

Place) at the Orange County Fairgrounds will offer free admission

today. Santa will be around for photos. The Market Place at the

Orange County Fairgrounds is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

ONGOING

The Newport Beach Newcomers Club holds a general meeting on the

third Wednesday of every month. During the November meeting, members

will plan a holiday shopping trip to the Cabazon Outlets. The

organization is open to all Newport Beach residents who have lived in

the area fewer than five years. For more information, call (949)

645-9922, or visit newcomers-newportbeach.org.

Interfaith couples with one Jewish partner are invited to

participate in a discussion group at the Jewish Family Service of

Orange County office. The group is geared toward dealing with issues

between interfaith couples, such as raising children, observing

holidays, symbols in the home and relationships with extended

families. The cost is $45 per couple for three sessions.

Preregistration is required. Call to schedule date and time. The

office is at 250 E. Baker St., Suite G, Costa Mesa. (714) 445-4950.

Women 50 and older may be part of a discussion group coordinated

by Jewish Family Services to address issues such as anxiety,

depression, relationships, loneliness and family that meets from 10

to 11:30 a.m. Mondays at the agency offices, 250 E. Baker St., Suite

G, Costa Mesa. Preregistration required. (714) 445-4950.

Friends of the Newport Beach Public Library Used Book Store are

asking for patrons to donate books to replenish the dwindling stock.

Books may be left at any of the three branch libraries at Balboa,

Mariners, or Corona del Mar, or in the book closet next to the

Friends Book Store at 1000 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach. All hardcover

and paperback donations, with the exception of magazines and law

books, will be accepted and are tax deductible. (949) 759-9667.

The Braille Institute offers free computer classes to people with

fading vision who have difficulty seeing the computer screen. The

Oasis Center at 800 Marguerite Ave., Corona del Mar, offers six

sessions. Call to sign up for classes. (714) 821-5000.

A spiritual care class meets at 7:15 p.m. Wednesdays at 3400

Irvine Ave., Suite 114, Newport Beach. Call to reserve a seat. (949)

263-1462.

The Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce hosts networking luncheon

meetings Wednesdays from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Costa Mesa

Country Club. The cost is $13. The club is at 1701 Golf Course Drive,

Costa Mesa. (714) 885-9090.

A brain tumor support group meets the first and third Thursdays

each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Hoag Cancer Center at Hoag

Hospital, 1 Hoag Drive, Newport Beach. Free. Registration not

required. The group is designed to help patients and their families

understand and cope with the illness. (949) 574-6232.

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church hosts a mental illness support

group from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sundays in Dierenfield Hall C at 600 St.

Andrews Road, Newport Beach. (949) 574-2236.

The Jewish Family Service of Orange County sponsors a discussion

group focusing on concerns and responsibilities of adult children and

their parents from 6 to 7 p.m. two Tuesdays a month at the Jewish

Family Service office at 250 E. Baker St., Suite G, Costa Mesa. $10

per person, per session. Preregistration required. (714) 445-4950.

The Jewish Family Service of Orange County has a weekly parenting

support group to help parents learn strategies for successful

parenting and helping them deal with the feelings and behavior of

their children. The group meets from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays at

Jewish Family Service, 250 E. Baker St., Suite G, Costa Mesa. The

group will cover managing anger, anxiety and peer pressure children

experience. Preregistration required. (714) 445-4950.

The Costa Mesa Senior Center has ballroom dancing with live music

from the Costa Mesa Music Makers from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. every Tuesday night at 695 W. 19th St., Costa Mesa. $4. (949) 548-3884.

Jewish Family Service of Orange County sponsors an ongoing healing

support group for the chronically ill. The purpose is to provide

participants with emotional and spiritual support to manage illness

and its consequences. The group meets at 7 p.m. Thursdays at Jewish

Family Service, 250 E. Baker St., Costa Mesa. Attendance is free, but

registration is required. (714) 445-4950.

Scrabble Club No. 350 meets from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursdays at Borders

Books, Music & Cafe at South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bear St. in Costa

Mesa. $3. New players are welcome. (949) 206-9822.

The Coin and Stamp Club meets from 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays at the

Oasis Senior Center. New members interested in trading, buying and

selling stamps and coins are being sought to join these informal

meetings. There are no fees required. (949) 644-3244.

Jewish Family Service offers ongoing bereavement support groups

for adults at all stages of loss. The groups share experiences, hear

how others deal with grief, receive support and learn ways to cope

with sadness and loss. One group meets at 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Beth

Jacob in Irvine. The second group meets at 10 a.m. Tuesdays at

Temple Judea in Laguna Hills. The third group meets at 1 p.m.

Thursdays at the Ezra Center in Anaheim. Free, but advance

registration is required. (714) 445-4950.

Jewish Family Service of Orange County provides a support and

discussion group to assist participants in their recovery from

childhood or teenage sexual abuse. The group meets from 8 to 9:30

p.m. Tuesdays at 250 E. Baker St., Costa Mesa. Advance registration

is required. (714) 445-4950.

A yoga and dance class is held from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays at

the Center for Spiritual Discovery, 2850 Mesa Verde Drive East, Suite

111, Costa Mesa. (714) 754-7399.

The Rev. Connie Ryckman leads a discussion group using the book

“Conversations with God” from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesdays at the Center

for Spiritual Discovery, 2850 Mesa Verde Drive East, Suite 111, Costa

Mesa. Bring a lunch. (714) 754-7399.

Marshall’s Tae Kwon Do in Costa Mesa offers free self-defense

classes to airline pilots and flight attendants. Classes are taught

by three-time U.S. National Champion Tom Marshall. Marshall’s is at

333 E. 17th St., Suite 13, Costa Mesa. (949) 574-0122.

A Dealing with Divorce support group is offered by Jewish Family

Service of Orange County. The group is led by an experienced

counselor and meets at 6 p.m. Tuesdays at the Jewish Federation

Campus, 250 E. Baker St., Suite G, Costa Mesa. (714) 445-4950.

The Sea Scouts’ ship Del Mar 711 of Orange County offers a program

for boys and young men ages 14 to 18 interested in sailing,

seamanship, piloting, navigation and cruising. Meetings are from 6 to

9 p.m. Wednesdays at the Sea Scouts Sea Base, 1931 W. Coast Highway,

Newport Beach. (949) 642-6301 or (949) 551-8591.

The Costa Mesa Senior Citizen Square and Round Dance Club seeks

experienced dancers to join its group from 9 to 11 a.m. Thursdays at

the Costa Mesa Senior Center, 19th Street and Pomona Avenue, Costa

Mesa. (714) 545-5669.

Arthritis Foundation instructor Hillary Stone leads an exercise

class at 11 a.m. Thursdays at the Jewish Senior Center, 250 E. Baker

St., Costa Mesa. (714) 513-5641.

The Newport Beach Newcomers Club meets at 10 a.m. the third

Wednesday of each month, except July and December, at varied

locations. The group, a social organization for people who have lived

in Newport Beach for fewer than five years, meets for events,

activities and field trips. (949) 645-9922.

The Thursday Morning Women’s Club, a 40-year-old friendship club,

is seeking new members. The club, which includes golf, bridge,

walking and gourmet sections, meets at 11 a.m. on the second Thursday

of every month at the Radisson Hotel in Newport Beach. The luncheon

is $23 and includes entertainment. The hotel is at 4545 MacArthur

Blvd. (714) 842-5863.

The Newport Beach Walking Club meets at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday

through Saturday, and at 7 p.m. Sunday. Walkers should meet at the

intersection of Hospital Road and Superior Avenue. Free. (949)

650-1332.

The American Legion meets at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of every

month. The meetings, which deal with veteran issues and community

service, will be held at the Costa Mesa Air National Guard. The

national guard is at 2651 Newport Blvd. Free. Mary Holler, (714)

546-2777; Bill Mimiaga, (949) 650-0894.

Nightly meetings are offered in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach for

anyone who wants to overcome nicotine addiction. Schedule or (714)

774-9106 or (800) 642-0666.

The Newport Sports Museum, a nonprofit organization, operates a

free museum at 100 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. The museum,

which has one of the world’s largest collections of sports

memorabilia, is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 3

p.m. on Saturday. (949) 721-9333 or www.newportsports-

museum.org.

The Estancia High School Parent Teacher Student Assn. hosts a

monthly paper drive every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon in the

school’s northwest parking lot, on the corner of Estancia North and

Placentia. Newspapers that are bound, loose or bagged are accepted;

however, cardboard, bound material such as phone books or thick

magazines are not. Bins are available for drop off every day of the

month for people who prefer to go at other times. All funds raised go

to the association. Free. The school is at 2323 Placentia Ave., Costa

Mesa. (949) 515-6500.

Oasis Senior Center offers a daily telephone contact program for

seniors who have a limited local support system. They also offer

ongoing computer classes that teach the basics of Word, Quicken,

Print Shop and Internet usage. (949) 644-3244.

The Costa Mesa Communicators Toastmasters Club meets from noon to

1 p.m. Wednesdays at the Orange County Department of Education, 200

Kalmus Drive, Costa Mesa. Meetings are open to anyone who wants to

improve his or her public speaking skills. (714) 444-8783.

The Newport Beach Distinguished Toastmasters Club 1300 meets from

7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays in Sgt. Pepperoni’s meeting room, 2300 Bristol

St., Newport Beach. Call to make reservations. (949) 646-1274.

Mesa Messengers Toastmasters Club 691 in Costa Mesa meets at 7

p.m. Tuesdays at Mesa Verde United Methodist Church, 1701 W. Baker

St., Costa Mesa. (714) 540-4446.

Blue Flame Toastmasters Club 2717 meets at 7 a.m. Wednesdays at

the Village Farmer, South Coast Plaza Village, 1651 Sunflower Ave.,

Costa Mesa. The meeting is free for first-time visitors. (949)

855-4308.

Harborlite Toastmasters Club meets at 7 a.m. Thursdays at Coco’s

Bakery Restaurant, 3446 E. Coast Hwy., Corona del Mar. (949)

293-4630.