Category Archives: Events

Pacific Symphony Presents Wavelength Festival of Music in August

I do enjoy me some mash-ups. And I’m not talking about the kind Mr. Shue assigns on ‘Glee.’ Instead, I like when two genres come together. So you can imagine my excitement about the first ever Wavelength Festival this summer – it is a concert series that will blend contemporary and Pacific Symphony musicians. Collaboration, that’s what it’s all about.

Performances Include Bonnie Raitt, The Airborne Toxic Event with Pacific Symphony, KCRW’s Jason Bentley and The Music of Pink Floyd – “The Dark Side of the Moon” played in its entirety with Pacific Symphony.

Wavelength Festival of Music is part of the Pacific Symphony’s 35th Anniversary Season initiatives, and will be held this summer at the OC Fair & Event Center at Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa on Aug. 22, 23, 24 and 25.

According to Music Director Carl St.Clair: “Pop music has a long history of linking up with classical musicians. From The Beatles to Motown to contemporary indie bands, artists have recognized the sonic power unique to an orchestra. Our goal with Wavelength is to present diverse genres of high-quality music, often in direct collaboration with musicians from the orchestra. I hope audiences will spend the entire weekend with us to open their ears to worlds previously unknown to them. I like the diversity of the offerings, which I hope will be the ongoing appeal of Wavelength over the years.”

Maestro Carl St. Clair conducts. Photo from Pacific Symphony.

I am most excited for “indie night,” Friday, Aug. 23 when my favorite band, ‘The Airborne Toxic Event’ performs with Pacific Symphony. It isn’t the first time they’ve performed with a symphony. Here’s a look at a recent performance of The Airborne Toxic Event (TATE) with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.

The Delta Spirit will open for TATE. And on Saturday, Aug. 24 KCRW’s Jason Bentley will feature a special DJ set. The final concert of the weekend on Aug. 25 presents The Music of Pink Floyd – “The Dark Side of the Moon” played in its entirety with Pacific Symphony in celebration of the album’s 40th anniversary.

“The idea for Wavelength sprang from a desire to serve Orange County and the region with a new and distinct popular music experience which demonstrates the versatility of the musicians to collaborate with a wide range of artists,” said John Forsyte, president of Pacific Symphony. “Through a long-standing relationship with Steve Beazley, former CEO of the Fair, I have come to learn about the exciting developments at the OC Fair and Pacific Amphitheatre. It’s a great venue for live music. Over a million people attend the OC Fair every summer and many attend popular music concerts at the Amphitheatre. Steve and I saw a great opportunity for Pacific Symphony’s name to get in front of a wider audience base.”

Another cool feature of the festival is that it will have two stages: the all-new Mercedes Benz CLA Mainstage in the Amphitheatre and Concourse stage. The Concourse stage will showcase various 2013 OC Music Awards-affiliated bands, local up-and-coming indie artists as well as individual Pacific Symphony musicians starting at 5:30 p.m. each evening. Main stage performances begin at 7:00pm

But wait, there’s more! Interested Wavelength attendees should buy tickets early and use their Wavelength ticket to “Bounce Forward” into the 2013 OC Fair, July 12-August 11. Wavelength ticket holders can attend one of the 23 days of the OC Fair for FREE by showing their Wavelength ticket.

Tickets for Aug. 22, 23 and 25 range in price from $25 to $95 and are on sale at 10 a.m. May 15 through Ticketmaster.com. VIP Packages are also available through Ticketmaster.com. Aug. 24 ticket prices and on-sale details will be announced in the coming days. For more information, visit wavelengthfestival.org.

Taste of Huntington Beach is on Sunday April 28th

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Two things I love: Good Books and Good Food. That is why I love supporting the Taste of Huntington Beach organized by the Friends of the Children’s Library (FOTCL). I myself have been a volunteer and one-time correspondence secretary of the FOTCL.

Since 2002, the Friends of the Children’s Library (FOTCL), in partnership with the Huntington Beach Restaurant Association (HBRA), has donated more than $300,000 from Taste proceeds to the HB Children’s Library.

This Sunday, I will be at the HB Sports Complex, with my camera and my taste buds ready to sample the wine and craft beers and the tastiest food. I look forward to seeing familiar faces and making new friends. It’s going to be a great time!

To view photos I took from the 2010 Taste of Huntington Beach, click here.

Here are some I took from last year’s Taste of Huntington Beach event.

Champagne served at the VIP Tent of the Taste of HB last year.

Some of my favorite local Huntington Beach restaurants are there every year to support the Children’s Library.

Like Duke’s Huntington Beach

Sandy’s Beach Grill

Sandy’s Beach Grill made its debut at the Taste 3 years ago!

And TomGirl Baking Company

Former Taste of HB Committee Volunteer leader has joined the TomGirl Baking Company actually. What a sweet group of gals! (pun intended)

I really love discovering new tastes and new restaurants at the Taste of Huntington Beach. Here are two of the most delicious samples I’ve had.

Tasty tacos with a twist from Red Table Restaurant

Pork Belly skewers from last year’s first timer The Corner HB.

So if you are looking for a fun springtime event, I do hope you can make it to the Taste of Huntington Beach on Sunday, April 28, from noon to 4pm at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex. Where else can you get a wide array of culinary tastes and sips with one inclusive ticket price?

Support a great cause too!

About FOTCL:

The Friends of the Children’s Library is an all volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting children’s interest in literature, reading, and the use of library resources and services. ALL the money raised is used to support a variety of educational and entertaining programs and activities for the children in our community through the Children’s Department of the Huntington Beach Public Library.

LIKE the Taste of HB on facebook.com/tasteofhuntingtonbeach

LIKE FOTCL on facebook.com/FriendsOfTheChildrensLibraryOfHuntingtonBeach

Not Your Mama’s Tupperware Party

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Drag queen Tupperware party may sound odd but that’s exactly the kind of party I hosted last weekend. I met Kay Sedia aka Oscar at another Tupperware party because that’s how these house parties work.

Kay’s appearance on the reality show “Real Housewives of Orange County” has made her famous beyond the Tupperware circuit. But she’s actually been a Tupperware consultant for 11 years!

The mini show is a hilarious stand up comedy act interspersed with jokes and catalog numbers for specific Tupperware items.

When attending be prepared to laugh and buy stuff…Kay does an excellent job of demonstrating products so that at the end of the show you are convinced this is something you Must have.

Here are some Tupperware Testimonials from guests at my party “Not Your Mama’s Tupperware Party.”

Team Kids Annual Imagine Celebration on 3/24

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I do love to support a good charity. So when the opportunity to help Team Kids came along, I was all over it. The mission of Team Kids is to inspire and empower young people to become resilient and responsible citizens with a passion for community service. The Irvine-based non profit organization encourages innovative community collaborations. It’s helping kids help others in their communities.

On March 24th, Team Kids will present its 7th Annual Imagine Celebration at Il Fornaio Restaurant. Attendees will enjoy a delicious Italian buffet, entertainment, and a gathering of families, and leaders from education, government, and the police and fire departments. The Team Kids Spirit Award will be presented to Oakley CEO Colin Baden and to Edwards Lifesciences CEO Mike Mussallem for their leadership and support of the Team Kids Mission. The Team Kids Youth Council will be hosting hands-on service projects for young guests! The celebration also marks 50th Birthday of the TEAM KIDS BUS! You can get tickets for the event at TeamKids.org

Celebrating Movies at Oscar Themed Party at Kimera

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I can count the number of times I went to a movie theater to watch a movie last year. Four. One was a girls’ night out (guess which movie?) and the other 3 times were all children’s films at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE WATCHING movies. But these days, taking the time out to actually “go to the movies,” is a bit challenging. So it comes as no surprise that I haven’t seen a single Oscar-nominated film.

I’m not totally out of the loop though, I will be attending the 5th Annual Red Carpet Oscar Viewing Party at Kimera Restaurant in Irvine. I went last year and it was fun. As far as red carpet party ideas go, Kimera knows its stuff. There was an actual red carpet and even a step and repeat banner where you could pose and have your picture taken. But what I really liked were the cocktails inspired by the nominated movies, and of course, the food was delicious.

Here are the details about the Party this year – you can still buy tickets!

“The Fifth Annual Red Carpet Gala Oscar party at Kimera will be held on February 24, from 4-10pm. The event starts with a lounge reception from 4-6pm followed by an elegant buffet dinner. There will be a silent auction and raffle ticket sales to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association.

Entertainment will include red carpet interviews, Dance “Short Performances” and prizes for best-dressed and other categories awarded by a panel of fashion experts.

$85 per person (tax and gratuity not included), VIP booths available starting at $100 per person. Space is limited, reservations required. Reservations at (949) 261 1222 and rsvp@kimerarestaurant.com.”

And on another note, Sunday’s event at Kimera will be extra special as it will be the restaurant’s last night at the location. The OC Business Journal reports that it has something to do with Google’s expansion at the Impac Center. I have many fond memories of Kimera and the awesome staff. Last year, I hosted my cousin J.A. Tan‘s Art Exhibit there. You can see the awesome photos from “Autism Night at Kimera” by photographer Albert Evangelista. Of course, I will always remember my bonding time with Team Kimera during the Alzheimer’s Walk at The District in Tustin. Three cheers for Kimera, give them some love on facebook.com/kimerarestaurant.

I Helped Build a Playground in One Day

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Last week, I was one of about 200 volunteers from The Smile Generation, who traveled to Phoenix, AZ to build a playground in one day, for a domestic abuse shelter. Working with KaBOOM! and Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC) , the build was well organized. KaBOOM! is a “national non-profit dedicated to saving play for America’s Children.” CPLC is a “community development corporation in Arizona that offers extensive services in both urban and rural areas.”

Here are some statistics, according to http://domesticviolencestatistics.org

Every 9 seconds in the US a woman is assaulted or beaten.
Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women—more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined.
Studies suggest that up to 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually.

It’s hard to imagine the violence that the children in the shelter have witnessed and experienced. They all looked so carefree and happy-go-lucky as children should be but some had haunted looks in their eyes. A playground would be a great place that would allow them to be who they are – simply kids.

The playground was designed by the kids and we were there to build it for them. In addition, there was also a free dental clinic for the residents. Last year, during another playground build in San Bernardino County, CA, I mostly helped out at the clinic. At that time, I was struck at the awesome work of our volunteer dentists – I saw nervous kids going to the dentist for the first time, and leaving with a smile. I witnessed adults shaking with joy and relief after having their teeth fixed.

In Phoenix, we were instructed not to tweet or check-in at our location, in order to protect the residents of the shelter. So you can imagine, this was a bit of a challenge for me, being as plugged in to social media as I am. Knowing the sensitivity of the location and the residents’ situations, I was happy to comply. To be honest, between moving mounds of dirt (my assigned duty) and mulch, there was hardly any time to live blog anyway.

One of the good things about working on volunteer projects like this, is the opportunity to bond with fellow workers. In this case, we all worked for the same company and we knew each other by email address and job function only. On that day though, we were working towards a common goal. At the build we were all the same — just people no – hierarchy or job titles, no departments to separate us.

The playground was completed at 4:30 pm. By then, we had worked almost 8 hours. A group of volunteers from Colorado had to leave before the ribbon cutting ceremony. Then there was the lot of us who had to make our way back to Orange County, CA. We were all exhausted and dirty, but seeing the smiles on the children’s faces made it all worthwhile.

Here is a video I created from last year’s playground build:

Happy Anniversary SoCo Farmers’ Market!

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It’s really cool when you see an idea blossom into an event. Even better, when the event becomes a tradition. Let’s hear it for the latest edition of the Chopped-style (a la the FoodNetwork TV show) Farm to Food Truck Challenge. It seems like only yesterday when the whole gourmet food truck thing was deemed a fad, and the SoCo Farmers’ Market had just opened. But it’s been two years and how the market and the event have grown. Looks like gourmet food trucks are here to stay. Chefs are the new rockstars, in case you didn’t notice. And the Farmers’ Market is the place to go.

That is why I am happy to share with you details about this Saturday’s Farm to Food Truck Challenge. Saturday, November 17th, 2012 9am-2pm at the SoCo Farmers’ Market in Costa Mesa.

According to Farmers’Market manager and foodie extraordinaire Anais Tangie: “Due to having postpone the event, we had to downsize (the event) a bit, to a total of 10 trucks, with three confirmed Challengers. We can’t wait to host you at the SoCo Farmers Market for our two year birthday celebration!”

Here’s the
SCHEDULE
Setting up starts at 7:30am, first wave of volunteers
Arriving at 8:00am, second wave of volunteers
Opening at 9:00am, CMHS and High School Inc. arrives
Arriving at 11:00, Judges, VIPS
Tasting begins at 12:00pm
Judging begins at 1:00-1:30
Announcing winner at 1:30-2:00

INGREDIENTS
The five mandatory farmers market ingredients are:
Butternut squash- Bautista Creek Local Produce or Pedros Farms
Walnuts- Bautista Creek Local Produce
Pomegranate- Nicholas Family Farms or Atkins Farms
Kale- Menos Farms or Gaytan Farms
Mushrooms- Kanes Family Farm

DISHES
Five Challengers will create five competition dishes using SoCo Farmers Market ingredients and Savory Spice salts and spices.

TICKETS
Purchase a $30 Tasting Tickets to eat one of each of the Challengers competition dishes via PayPal. Only 100 Tasting Tickets sold. Here’s the link to copy, paste and share https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=SPPRGZ8H583DS.

LINE UP
Taco Maria (competition)
Seabirds*** (competition)
A Bite Truck*** (competition)
Barcelona On the Go
Calbi
Lobsta Truck
Rancho a Go Go
Front Porch Pops
Piaggio On Wheels
(Two pending Confirmation)

For more information on the SoCo Farmers’ Market, visit www.socofm.com and LIKE them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/socofm

After Sandy: Every Little Bit Helps

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Six days after Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey and New York, people from all walks of life from big corporations to anonymous individuals and celebrities are rallying around to help the victims. Here is a round up of tweets with links to legitimate organizations who are lending a hand.

Walking and Running to Raise Funds and Find Cures

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We walk to find a cure for cancer.

We walk to end Alzheimer’s Disease.

We walk, run, and bike in different “thons” for charity but I wonder if we’re making any real difference.

These organized charity events successfully raise millions of dollars for research, but more than money, I realize that we are making a difference. We are creating awareness. We are creating a community of caring people.. We are showing support for those affected by these diseases. We are providing hope.

Marcie Taylor

On Social Media, Food & Travel, Art & Culture, People & Places

Category Archives: Events

Pacific Symphony Presents Wavelength Festival of Music in August

Taste of Huntington Beach is on Sunday April 28th

Not Your Mama’s Tupperware Party

Team Kids Annual Imagine Celebration on 3/24

Celebrating Movies at Oscar Themed Party at Kimera

I Helped Build a Playground in One Day

Happy Anniversary SoCo Farmers’ Market!

After Sandy: Every Little Bit Helps

Walking and Running to Raise Funds and Find Cures