* 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

[email protected]; by fax to (714) 966-4667; or by calling (714) 966-4625. Include the time, date and location of the

event, as well as a contact phone number.

TODAY THROUGH OCT. 22

Project Playhouse, a six-week event with elaborate kid-size

playhouses on display and sold at public auction, will be held at

Fashion Island Center in Newport Beach. All the playhouses will be on

display, with village tours on the weekend and an open house Sept.

17. The auction is scheduled for Oct. 22. Information: (949) 553-9510

or o7www.projectplayhouse.org. f7

THURSDAY

A free seminar on back to school health tools, featuring Clinical

Nutritionist Steve Holmes, is scheduled from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at

Mother’s Market, 225 East 17th St., Costa Mesa. Information: (949)

631-4741.

A seminar on abdominal aortic aneurysm, presented by

cardiovascular surgeon Stephen Lindsay, is scheduled to begin at 6

p.m. at the Hoag Conference Center in Newport Beach. Information:

(800) 514-HOAG.

The commanding general of the 1st Marine Division, Major General

Richard F. Natonski, will be the featured speaker at the City of

Newport Beach Second Annual Mess Night on at the Balboa Bay Club,

1221 West Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach. The Marine Corps

traditional mess night dates back to the 1800s and the British Royal

Marines. Pre-paid reservations are required; the cost is $225 per

ticket. Information: (949) 644-3202.

A 40th Anniversary Concert in the Park -- as part of UC Irvine’s

40th anniversary celebration, the university along with the City of

Irvine will host a concert in the park with The Fabulous

Thunderbirds. The event is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. on the

Commencement Lawn at Aldrich Park, UC Irvine campus. Admission and

parking after 4 p.m. are free. Bring blankets and beach chairs.

Information: (949) 824-5252.

THURSDAY THROUGH OCT. 1

The Sugar Plum Arts and Crafts Festival is scheduled from 10 a.m.

to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in

building 10 at the Orange County Fairgrounds, 88 Fair Drive, Costa

Mesa. Information: (562) 598-0857 or o7www.sugarplumcrafts.com.

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SATURDAY

The 3rd Annual Habitat for Humanity “Building on a Dream” Gala is

scheduled from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. in the Palm Garden Ballroom at the

Four Seasons Hotel, 690 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. The gala

will raise funds to build more affordable ownership homes for

hardworking, low-income families. Information: (714) 434-6200, ext. 0

or o7www.habitatoc.org.

f7Eileen Fisher is hosting a special day of shopping from 12 to 5

p.m. -- 10% of proceeds benefit the Orange County affiliate of the

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Light refreshments will be

served. Enjoy $25 off and a gift with purchase, while supplies last.

Enter a raffle to win special prizes, including a $200 gift

certificate to the store. Eieen Fisher is located in South Coast

Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. Information: (714) 437-3111.

The Southern California Coaches Alliance, a group of women

promoting personal growth, self-empowerment and self-development,

will hold a series of workshops from 9:15 a.m. to 6 p.m.: 9:45 a.m.

-- “Selling Yourself: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Selling, with a Yoga

Twist,” by Debbie Barnett; 1 p.m. -- “All the World’s a Stage: Know

your Chart, You’ll Know Your Part”; 3:15 p.m. -- “Mind Management:

Creating, Managing, and Maintaining your Abundance Mind” by Kas

Wysocki. All workshops will be held at 471 Old Newport Road, Room

104, Newport Beach. Cost is $35 per workshop in advance, $40 at the

door. Information: (949) 307-5561 or o7www.toolboxesforwomen.com.

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Pugtoberfest -- a day of fun for pugs featuring contests, dog

services, an obedience demonstration, a silent auction and an

adoption fair -- will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at TeWinkle

Park, 970 Arlington Drive, Costa Mesa. Admission is $12 for adults

and $5 for children and seniors. Information: (949) 262-7843.

Newport Harbor High School’s 19th Annual Harbor Heritage Run, a

family-friendly community event to raise funds for the school, is

expected to have more than 1,000 runners participating in a 2K and a

5K race, as well as the Kids Klassic Races for children ages 5 to 7

and 8 to 10. There will also be a Fitness Fair and loads of live

entertainment from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at the Newport Harbor High School

Stadium, 600 Irvine Ave., Newport Beach. Information: (949) 515-6611.

SUNDAY

The “Let’s Do Launch” Beach Party, the centennial kick-off party

featuring music by The Beach Boys, is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 5

p.m. at the Newport Dunes, 1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach. There

will also be games, exhibits, dancing, food and beverages. Tickets

cost $15. Information: (949) 718-1856 or o7www.newportbeach100.com.

f7The 2nd Annual Orange County Children’s Book Festival -- an

event designed for children from pre-school through high school,

featuring dozens of authors, illustrators, exhibitors, and activities

-- is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Orange Coast College,

2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa. Admission is free. Information: (714)

432-5707.

“Naked in America,” a lecture by Bram Dijkstra, professor emeritus

at UC San Diego, is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. at the Orange County

Museum of Art, 850 San Clemente Drive, Newport Beach. Cost is $8, $6

for members and students. Information: (949) 759-1122 or

o7www.ocma.net.

f7

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

A Persian Harvest Festival, featuring ancestral dancing, Persian

customs, arts and crafts, live musical performances and exotic

Persian foods, is scheduled to be held from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. in

building #8 of the Orange County Fairgrounds, 88 Fair Drive, Costa

Mesa. Admission is $20 pre-sale and $25 at the door. Information:

(714) 708-1543 or o7www.nipoc.org. f7

o7

f7TUESDAY

The All American Boys Chorus, a local nonprofit organization, is

holding its recruitment information night at 7:15 p.m. at the Orange

County Fairgrounds, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. The event is to inform

parents and boys ages 8 to 10 who are interested in learning about

the many benefits of the choir’s vocal music program. There is no

charge for membership and no previous musical training is required.

Information: (714) 708-1670 or o7www.allamericanboyschorus. org.

f7A Super Fat Tuesday Benefit Buffet, featuring items such as

jambalaya, and Cajun salmon, will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. at JACK

Shrimp, 2400 West Coast Highway, Newport Beach. Cost is $45 per

person. All proceeds will go to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Information: (949) 252-1023.

OCT. 6

A breast self-exam workshop, presented by Sandy Finestone, patient

services coordinator at Hoag Cancer Center, is scheduled to begin at

6 p.m. at the Hoag Conference Center in Newport Beach. Information:

(800) 514-HOAG.

The Nail Lounge will host a grand opening party with food, drinks,

and free manicures. The Pink Ribbon pedicure will be showcased as

part of Breast Cancer Awareness month -- throughout the entire month,

$10 from every Pink Ribbon pedicure will go to the Denise Roberts

Breast Cancer Foundation, which works to provide free and low-cost

mammograms to African American men and women. The party will go from

6 to 9 p.m. at 369 East 17th St., Shop 26, Costa Mesa. Information:

(949) 515-5115.

OCT. 8

The Hoag Sandpipers’ 9th Annual Benefit Concert will feature pop

music group The Association -- known for 1960’s hits such as

“Cherish” and “Along Comes Mary.” The event, which raises money for

the Patty & George Hoag Cancer Center, is scheduled from 7 to 8:30

p.m., with a VIP dinner beginning at 5 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency

Outdoor Amphitheater, 1107 Jamboree Road, Newport Beach. General

admission is $55, VIP is $150. Information: (949) 764-7212.

The Costa Mesa Sanitary District and the City of Costa Mesa are

sponsoring a used tire collection event to recycle old tires into new

products. Residents can drop off old tires between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

at the City Corporation Yard, 2300 Placentia Ave., Costa Mesa.

Information: (949) 645-8400, ext 227.

The Roosters Foundation will hold its 11th Annual Monte Carlo

Night, “Gatsby on the Riviera,” scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the

Balboa Bay Club and Resort, 1221 West Coast Highway, Newport Beach.

Proceeds benefit seven Orange County children’s charities.

Information: (949) 706-7613 or o7www.roosters.org.

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