* Send AROUND TOWN items to the...

* Send AROUND TOWN items to the Daily Pilot, 1375 Sunflower Ave.,

Costa Mesa, CA 92626; by e-mail to jeff.benson@latimes.com; by fax to

(714) 966-4679; or by calling (714) 966-4617. Include the time, date

and location of the event, as well as a contact phone number.

TODAY

The annual Holiday Snow Hill will feature 60 tons of snow for

children to play in and a visit by Santa Claus, who is scheduled to

arrive via helicopter. The 9 a.m. to noon event will be at the

Balearic Community Center, 1975 Balearic Drive, Costa Mesa.

Information: (714) 754-5158.

The Day of the Horse will be an arena groundbreaking ceremony

hosted by the Back Bay Equestrians of Newport Beach. The event will

begin at 10 a.m., with riding demonstrations between 11 a.m. and

noon. The ceremonies will be near Delhi Channel; parking will be at

Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center, 2301 University Drive,

Newport Beach. Information: (949) 474-5599.

A walking tour of the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve will be

feature a chance to observe many birds, such as egrets, great blue

herons and hawks. The two-hour tours will begin between 9 and 10:15

a.m. at the corner of East Bluff Drive and Back Bay Road, Newport

Beach. Information: (949) 640-6746 or (949) 923-2269.

“Stage Door,” a comedy about 16 young actresses living in 1940s

New York City, will be performed by Estancia High School students.

The 7:30 p.m. show will be at Barbara Van Holt Theatre, Estancia High

School, 2323 Placentia Ave., Costa Mesa. Tickets will cost $8 in

advance and $10 at the door. Information: (949) 515-6537.

The “Holiday PIGnic,” sponsored by Orange County Cavy Haven Guinea

Pig Rescue, will include Guinea pig races and photo sessions. The 2

to 6 p.m. event will be at the Newport Riviera Pavilion, 350 Riviera

Drive. Information: (714) 242-7548 or https://www.cavyhaven.org.

Jim Gamble’s Holiday Puppet Show will return to Newport Beach with

three free shows. The first two shows of “Twas the Night BEARfore

Christmas” will be presented at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. at the Newport

Beach Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave, Newport Beach. The final

performance will be at 3:30 p.m. at the Mariners Branch Library, 2005

Dover Drive, Newport Beach. Information: (949) 717-3830 or

https://www.newportbeach

library.org.

“An Old Fashioned Christmas Melodrama and Ice Cream Social” will

be a family event with music, vaudeville acts, a sing-along and a

holiday melodrama. The 2 and 7 p.m. shows will be performed by the

Orange Coast College Repertory Theatre Company at the Drama Lab

Theatre, Orange Coast College, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa.

Tickets will cost $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Information:

(714) 432-5880.

The 15th annual Gem Faire will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at

the Orange County Fair and Exposition Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa

Mesa. Information: (503) 252-8300.