BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS

-- Compiled by Angelique Flores

Sunset Beach will hold its 33rd annual Sunset Beach Art Festival this

weekend.

The open-air beach festival will feature original arts and crafts

displayed and sold by more than 150 artisans from the Southland. The

Firehouse Gallery, inside the Sunset Beach Fire Department Station #3,

also will be open.

The festival is sponsored by Las Damas, a local women’s nonprofit service

organization, in cooperation with the Sunset Beach Community Assn.

Profits from the festival will benefit local schools and charities as

well as provide scholarships.

Folk, rock and oldies bands will perform. Local restaurants will offer

food all day long. There will be continuous opportunities to win a

variety of prizes donated by the exhibitors.

Tickets also will be sold for a chance at winning the Sunset Beach Quilt,

handmade by the members of Las Damas.

Children can enjoy face painting, photo opportunities on the fire engine

and craft tables to create Mother’s Day gifts.

The festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on

the greenbelt in Sunset Beach, at 12th Street and Pacific Coast Highway.

Admission is free.

For more information, call (562) 592-2797.

Summer horsemanship

series begins Saturday

Two-time GTE high jump winner Carol Dean-Porter will kick off the

Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center’s Summer Horsemanship Series

from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The trainer will present Horsemanship 101,

a session aimed at helping newcomers avoid common mistakes in caring for

horses and safe riding habits.

Dean-Porter’s presentation is the first of five informative talks in the

series. The next talk will be June 17 with Melvin Reynolds speaking on

“The Hoof: Care, Conformation, Corrective Shoeing and Trimming

Techniques.

Tickets are $15 per night or $60 for all five sessions. For tickets, call

848-9695; for more information, call 949-644-2165 or visit the Web site

at www.hcpec.com.