Around Town: Newport Dunes presents 3 days of music this weekend

The Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort in Newport Beach is laying its claim as “music central” this Labor Day weekend with a series of events, starting Friday with ’80s on the Bay.

The all-ages festival runs from 6:30 to 10 p.m. and will include Idol X, a Billy Idol tribute band, plus dancing, a full bar, food trucks and famed Los Angeles DJ Richard Blade playing 1980s hits. Guests are invited to attend in ’80s attire.

Tickets start at $20 and are available at NewportDunes.com/event/80s-on-the-bay/. Parking is $10 per car.

The music continues Saturday with Boots on the Beach, featuring country performers Redwood Black, Westward Sons and Troubadour Experience, a George Strait tribute band. The all-ages event runs from 5 to 10 p.m.

Tickets are $20 in advance, with VIP packages at $60. For more information, visit newportdunes.com/event/boots-on-the-beach-at-newport-dunes.

The series concludes Sunday with tribute acts Led Zepagain and Petty and the Heartshakers.

The all-ages event runs from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Advance tickets start at $25.

Tickets for all three events are available at ticketweb.com. Onsite camping, beach cottages and RV spots are available.

Newport Dunes is at 1131 Back Bay Drive.

Chargers owner honored by Festival of Children Foundation

Los Angeles Chargers owner Dean Spanos and his wife, Susie, will be honored Wednesday night with the first Carousel Spirit Award from the Festival of Children Foundation for their support for causes that benefit children and families.

The award will be presented during a party advancing Saturday’s opening of the 17th annual Festival of Children at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. The Chargers and the Festival of Children Foundation are headquartered in Costa Mesa.

“While Dean and Susie Spanos are new to Orange County, they have embraced without hesitation the opportunity to support our community and our community’s children,” Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, the foundation’s founder and executive director, said in a statement.

“Our family has always believed it’s our responsibility to make a real difference in the lives of children, not only today but in the future,” Dean Spanos said in a statement. “Susie and I are proud to work with community leaders such as Sandy Segerstrom Daniels and her organization, Festival of Children Foundation, to improve the lives of kids. ... We are both honored to receive this award from such a tireless advocate for our region’s youth.”

The three-week Festival of Children will showcase more than 70 children’s charities and more than 100 activities and performances. For more information, visit festivalofchildren.org.

Roger’s Gardens opens Halloween Boutique on Friday

Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar will open its annual Halloween Boutique at 9 a.m. Friday with a magical twist.

With a theme that sounds a lot like the tale of a certain bespectacled boy wizard, guests can wander the corridors of a magical school where witches and wizards learn their craft. Visitors also can drop in on the Greenhouse Conservatory, where rare and unusual plants are cultivated.

Each room will be filled with decor in the spirit of Halloween.

Roger’s Gardens is at 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The Halloween Boutique runs through mid-October.

Civil War reenactment in Surf City this weekend

The 24th annual Civil War Days, a “living history” event, is coming to Huntington Beach’s Central Park on Saturday and Sunday.

Hundreds of volunteers will bring stories of the Civil War to life in reenactments sponsored by the Huntington Beach Historical Society.

Civil War Days will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. Admission is free.

Central Park is at 7111 Talbert Ave. For more information, call (714) 425-2634.

Cars to cruise Orange County fairgrounds

The Great Labor Day Cruise, a car event featuring a 1.25-mile cruising route and more than 1,200 classics, street rods and muscle cars, will be held Saturday and Sunday at the OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa.

General admission is $15 for one day and $25 for both. Children 12 and younger are admitted free. Parking is $8.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit thelabordaycruise.org or call (702) 534-0294.

Bolsa Chica State Beach to host free Christian music show

Calvary Chapel of the Harbour will present the Labour of Love Music Fest on Saturday at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Huntington Beach.

The free family-friendly event will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and feature Matthew West, Jordan Feliz, Hollyn, Manafest and Anchored 247.

Labour of Love also will include raffles, food, rides and shopping. Huntington Beach City Councilwoman Jill Hardy will sing the national anthem.

Free parking and a shuttle will be provided from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Boeing property at 2201 Seal Beach Blvd., Seal Beach. For more information, call (562) 592-1800.

Laguna Beach Live summer jazz series winds down Sept. 5

The Laguna Beach Live All-Stars, an ensemble of musicians who have performed in the Laguna Beach Live jazz series over the years, will close out this year’s Jazz Wednesdays summer series from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 5 at Seven-degrees, 891 Laguna Canyon Road.

The All-Stars are Bijon Watson on trumpet, Josh Nelson on piano, Alex Frank on bass, Will Brahm on guitar, Tom Luer on saxophone and Jamey Tate on drums.

Doors will open at 5 p.m. for dinner and social hour. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.

For tickets and more information, visit lagunabeachlive.org.

Costa Mesa nonprofit to hold annual benefit walk

Project Independence, a Costa Mesa-based nonprofit that provides assistance to people with developmental disabilities, will hold its ninth annual Walk for Independence from 8 a.m. to noon Sept. 8 at TeWinkle Park, 970 Arlington Drive, Costa Mesa.

For more information or to register to participate, visit proindependence.org/walk-for-independence.

Golf tournament to honor late South Coast Plaza executive

The Santa Ana Country Club will host the Werner Escher Community Golf Classic “Taste at the Tees” on Oct. 8 in honor of Escher, a longtime South Coast Plaza executive who died last year.

Sponsors include the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce, city of Costa Mesa, Los Angeles Chargers and OC Fair & Event Center.

For more information or to register or sponsor, visit charityvalet.com/cmchambergolf.