Balboa husbands still the bachelors in musical spirit

In 1984, then-local high school students Randy Wallen, Jeff Gould and Eric Vandeveld founded The Balboa Bachelors, a group that grew to include five trombonists and a drummer.

Over the years, some of the bachelors have become husbands and fathers, but the name stuck, and Wallen said so did their commitment to “pass along their gift of music.”

Their performances center on Newport’s Christmas Boat Parade, but they make appearances during the holidays at Hoag Cancer Center and Someone Cares Soup Kitchen.

The group will perform from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday on the 300 block of Amethyst Avenue during the Balboa Island Walking Holiday Home Tour.

The tour, sponsored by the Balboa Island Improvement Assn., will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at Even Sisters, Island Home, Let’s Go Shopping, Martha’s Bookstore, Persimmon Tree and The Sandpiper. Call (949) 723-0563.

— Sue Thoensen