Around Town: Duck-a-Thon returns to Huntington Beach

Thousands of rubber ducks will race in Huntington Beach this weekend in the 25th annual Duck-a-Thon.

The three-day event starts with food and wine tasting from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at the pier, where Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway meet.

The main race will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at the pier. The owners of the first 60 ducks to reach the shore will get a prize.

A race for local businesses starts at 1 p.m. Sunday, with the winner receiving the Golden Duck Traveling Trophy.

A vendor festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Huntington Beach Pier Plaza. A Kid Zone will offer bounce houses, rubber duck decorating, games and prizes.

Ducks are available for purchase for $10 to $30 for individuals and $100 to $125 for businesses.

Proceeds from the event benefit AltaMed’s Huntington Beach Community Clinic.

For more information, visit duckathon2017.kintera.org.

Costa Mesa budget meeting set for Thursday

A community meeting will be held Thursday to discuss Costa Mesa’s preliminary $155-million budget for the next fiscal year.

The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. in Conference Room 1A on the first floor of City Hall, 77 Fair Drive.

The initial spending plan for 2017-18 can be viewed at costamesaca.gov.

‘Art It Up’ youth event is Thursday in Costa Mesa

“Art It Up,” organized by the city of Costa Mesa’s Parks and Community Services Department, is scheduled for Thursday at the Downtown Recreation Center, 1860 Anaheim Ave.

The free event is intended for participants in seventh through 12th grades. It runs from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

For more information, call (714) 327-4562.

Tour de OC bike races are Saturday in Costa Mesa

Tour de OC, a bicycling fundraising event, is coming to Costa Mesa on Saturday.

The event benefits Royal Family Kids, which provides a summer camp for abused and neglected children.

Tour de OC offers 25-, 50- and 100-mile races. The start and finish is at Vanguard University. Costa Mesa Councilman Allan Mansoor is serving as an ambassador this year.

For more information and to register, visit tourdeoc.org.

‘Truck Adventures for Kids’ coming to OC Fair & Event Center

Children of all ages will be able to get an up-close, hands-on look at more than 100 trucks Saturday during “Truck Adventures for Kids” at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Lot D at the center, 88 Fair Drive.

Tickets are $15 each, but children younger than 2 can attend for free. Proceeds will benefit Make-A-Wish Orange County and the Inland Empire.

Fairview Park group to host celebratory event

The Fairview Park Preservation Alliance will hold a party from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Costa Mesa park.

“Fairview Park Forever” will celebrate the passage last year of Measure AA, an initiative that requires a public vote for several types of changes that could be proposed at the park. The event will include a biologist-led tour at 9 a.m. and train rides courtesy of Orange County Model Engineers.

For more information, contact Wendy Leece at (949) 241-7211 or [email protected].

Newport Beach to hold Public Safety Day

Newport Beach police and firefighters will host Public Safety Day from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, featuring station tours, SWAT and police dog demonstrations, a firefighter challenge, food, face painting and displays from lifeguards, paramedics, the Community Emergency Response Team, mounted police officers and more.

The event will be at the Police Department headquarters and Fire Station No. 3 at 870 Santa Barbara Drive.

Newport library to host book appraisals

You can find out if your books are collectibles Saturday at the Newport Beach Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave.

The second annual Book Appraisal Clinic will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Friends Room. Greg Jung, a rare-book specialist from San Francisco’s PBA Galleries, will appraise books and other works.

Appointments are required and can be made by emailing [email protected]. There is a four-item limit.

Appraisals are free for Friends of the Library members and $10 for non-members.

Newport Civic Center hosts outdoor dance performance

The Newport Beach Civic Center Green will be the site of an outdoor performance at 2 p.m. Saturday by Orange County contemporary dance company Backhausdance.

The performance will include two repertory works and a new dance created specifically for the Civic Center venue in front of the Central Library at 1000 Avocado Ave., according to a news release. The event is suitable for all ages, the release says.

Admission and parking are free.

23rd Balboa Island Artwalk showcases local art Sunday

The Balboa Island Artwalk, an annual showcase for local artists that marks the start of the island’s summer season, returns for its 23rd year from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday along the South Bay Front Promenade. Admission is free.

The show will feature 100 artists exhibiting paintings, jewelry, blown glass, sculptures and photography. There also will be live music from Gary Gould, Grant Peacock, the Retros, Jim Roberts, Don Ross & Rose and the Rick Sherman Duo.

Limited-edition Artwalk posters and T-shirts will be available for purchase.

For more information, visit balboaislandartwalk.info.

OC Pregnancy & Beyond event set at SOCO

Granola Babies will present the seventh annual OC Pregnancy & Beyond event from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday at South Coast Collection and The OC Mix in Costa Mesa.

Guests can meet mother and baby service experts in Orange County and participate in activities including music, games, face painting, a photo booth and more. The first 100 visitors will get a free gift bag, and Granola Babies will give away prizes throughout the day.

Granola Babies is at 3315 Hyland Ave. at SOCO. For more information about the event, visit ocpregnancyandbeyond.com.

OC Fair & Event Center to host veterans storytelling

Military veterans will share stories of their service during a public event Tuesday night at the Heroes Hall veterans museum at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.

The “Voices — Veterans Storytelling Project” will run from 8 to 10 p.m. at the museum, 88 Fair Drive.

Tickets are free, but seats must be reserved. To register, visit veteranstorytelling.eventbrite.com.

Hear about immigration journey from Wahoo’s founder and family

Wahoo’s Fish Taco founder Wing Lam and his parents, Lee Cheong Kwong and Lee So Ching, will share their family’s journey from China to Orange County during a free lecture Tuesday night at the Newport Beach Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave.

The event will run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Friends Room. A reception will start at 6 p.m. on the patio.

The talk is presented by the Balboa Island Museum with help from a grant from the Newport Beach Arts Commission.

Wahoo’s, based in Santa Ana, was founded in Costa Mesa.

Marina owner celebrates anniversary with ‘60 Acts of Kindness’

The owner of Newport Dunes Marina in Newport Beach and Sunset Aquatic Marina in Huntington Beach is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a “60 Acts of Kindness” campaign.

People have until the end of the year to submit a one-page summary of a particular need they would like the company, Culver City-based Goldrich Kest, to fill.

“Goldrich Kest was built on recognizing and fulfilling the needs of a wide spectrum of people, and philanthropy has been a bedrock of our 60-year history,” company President Carole Glodney said in a statement. “We are excited to launch 60 Acts of Kindness and look forward to continuing our mission of helping those in the communities we serve.”

Submissions can be emailed to [email protected].

Costa Mesa TV channel receives awards

Costa Mesa Television Channel 3 was honored recently at the 21st annual STAR Awards presented by the Southern California and Nevada chapter of the National Assn. of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.

CMTV was recognized for its production on a Costa Mesa firefighters wildfire training video, according to a news release. The channel also received an excellence award for government programming under a $400,000 operating budget and awards for a city services video and news story video.

Surf City honored for solar-friendly ways

The city of Huntington Beach is getting a gold designation from SolSmart, a federally funded program by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The award recognizes the city for its solar energy practices, according to a news release.

UCI professor wins Alzheimer’s research grant

A UC Irvine assistant professor of molecular biology and biochemistry has won a $150,000 grant to be awarded over three years.

Matthew Inlay’s money from the Orange County chapter of the Alzheimer’s Assn. will help fund research of treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.