Jackie's South Bay Weekend Guide for March 19, 2015

Spring is about to SPRING! It officially begins Friday, March 20 at 3:45 p.m. PDT and there are several terrific events taking place this weekend to kick off the season!

Torrance CitiCABLE will host a live stream of the fourth annual Torrance National Tournament from March 19 through March 21. The event features 28 high school softball teams from the South Bay, as well as throughout California and Nevada. The live stream will air on Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20 from 4 p.m. until approximately 10 p.m. and Sunday, March 21 from 2 p.m. to approximately 8 p.m. Information about teams and schedules can be found athttp://HomeOfTheTNT.Wix.Com/Torrance-National-Tournament. Click this link for the live stream: https://New.LiveStream.com/CitiCABLE/TNT.

The Western Museum of Flight and the Commemorative Air Force is offering flights in a World War II era, two-seat aircraft, the T-6 Texan on Saturday, March 21. The Warbird Adventure will feature three different flights from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Around the Patch – a 10 minute flight for $165
• Ace – a 40 minute flight for $400
• Double Ace – a 40 minute aerobatics and scenic flight for $475.

Veteran Reno Air Race Pilot Chris LeFave will be at the controls. For additional information and to arrange your flight, contact Cindy Macha at 714-300-5524 or by email at cm@wmof.com. For additional information, visit the website athttp://www.wmof.com/index.html. The Western Museum of Flight is located at Louis Zamperini Field at 3315 Airport Drive in Torrance.

Journey of Faith hosts the Easter Family Fun Fest on Saturday, March 21 from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. The event features a zipline, superslide, video game truck, remote control stock car races, bounce houses, obstacle course, an Easter egg hunt, face painting and more! Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees will have a choice of Hot Dog on a Stick or In-N-Out Burger. There will also be cotton candy and snow cones to satisfy your sweet tooth. Tickets are available for purchase online for $8 and if it hasn’t sold out, $10 at the door. For additional information and to purchase tickets, call 310.372.4641 or visit the website athttp://www.journeyoffaith.com/homepage-banners/easter-family-fun-fest. Journey of Faith is located at 1243 Artesia Boulevard in Manhattan Beach.

South Bay Galleria will host its annual Easter Extravaganza with an exciting breakfast event to welcome the Easter Bunny to the South Bay on Saturday, March 21. This special event will feature a free, delicious breakfast, crafts, and live entertainment for the first 300 children (ages 2-10) in attendance. The event will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the South Bay Galleria Food Court located on Level 3. Parents can RSVP for their children to guarantee them a free breakfast by registering online at http://www.Southbaygalleria.com. This fun-filled event will kick off the Easter Bunny photo season, with photos available from Saturday, March 21 through Saturday, April 4. Easter Bunny photo sessions will be available Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Food Court. Photo packages will start at $14.95, and each child who visits the Easter Bunny will receive a free gift. For additional information, call (310) 371-7546 or visit the website athttp://www.southbaygalleria.com/event/easter-extravaganza/2145451996. South Bay Galleria is located at 1815 Hawthorne Boulevard in Redondo Beach.

The El Segundo Public Library presents the new season of the popular Concerts in the Library series which runs from January through May. This free series is open to the public and features classical and jazz programs, as well as music from different ethnic traditions. The concerts take place in the Friends of the Library Room on the third Saturday of each month at 2 p.m. and will include light refreshments provided by the Friends of the Library. This Saturday, March 21 features the Sedalia Ragtime Orchestra Ensemble. The El Segundo Public Library is located at 111 West Mariposa Avenue in El Segundo. For a complete list of shows and other information, call 310-524-2728 or visit the website at http://www.elsegundo.org/library/.

The Richstone Family Center presents the annual Affair of the Heart event, My Big Fat Greek Gala on Saturday, March 21 at Audi Pacific in Torrance. This year’s event will have a Greek flair featuring gourmet catering by Petro’s Restaurant with an exquisite array of Greek dishes and fine wines. The fun gets underway at 6:30 p.m. and guests can take part in live and silent auctions and enjoy wine tastings courtesy of Bristol Farms. Each year the gala attracts more than 300 local residents, friends and family members who are committed to giving back to an organization which has served the community for over 40 years. During the Gala, three exemplary supporters of Richstone, Lynn and Larry Wolf and Carole Wagner Vallianos, who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to protecting the welfare of children in the community, will be honored. Tickets are $200 per person or $2,500 for a table of 10. Proceeds from the event, including the evening’s silent and live auction, are critical in enabling Richstone to provide much needed services to vulnerable at-risk and abused children and families in our communities. For additional information and ticket purchase, visit the website athttp://www.richstonefamily.org/. Audi Pacific is located at 20460 Hawthorne Boulevard in Torrance.

I just heard this show is sold out……Palos Verdes Performing Arts presents An Evening with Kenny Loggins on Saturday, March 21. Kenny Loggins, the superstar singer and songwriter of such hits as “This Is It,” “Footloose” and “Whenever I call You Friend” will perform live in the intimate setting of the 450-seat Norris Theatre at 8 p.m. Loggins’ remarkable four-decade-plus career has brought him from the top of the charts to the toast of the Grammys. He’s had smash hits on Hollywood’s favorite soundtracks, rocked worldwide stages, and found his way into children’s hearts while bringing his soulful, beautiful voice to platinum albums in a stunning variety of genres. Ticket prices range from $175 to $350. For additional information and ticket purchase call (310) 544-0403or visit the website at http://www.norriscenter.com/2014-2015Season.html#KennyLoggins. The Norris Theatre is located at 27570 Norris Center Drive in Rolling Hills Estates.

El Segundo Museum of Art presents Family Day and a special reading with best-selling children’s author Cornelia Funke on Sunday, March 22. Join the multiple award-winning writer of children’s and young adult fiction, Cornelia Funke, for a personal event. Cornelia will read from her celebrated novel Dragon Rider and answer questions about her craft from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Family Day activities will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (with a break in between for the reading). Meet up with friends or bring your family for a day of fun! Explore Experience 15: SPARK with family and friends, take part in a magical scavenger hunt and create shadow puppets inspired by the illustrations of author Cornelia Funke. There will be art making materials for all ages and ability levels. As always, admission is FREE! For additional information, visit the ESMoA website athttp://www.ESMoA.org or call 424-277-1020. ESMoA is located at 208 Main Street in El Segundo.

There’s been some nutty stuff going down in the neighborhood lately and when one of our own suffers, we all do. There’s been an outpouring of support from family, friends and fans of Chez Melange wanting to know how they can help. This is how…. Michael Franks and Robert Bell welcome the community to Celebrate the Chez – 32 Years and Counting on Sunday, March 22 for a special night of food, wine and music. The evening will also feature some seriously unique, live and silent auctions items. Have you ever fantasized about being a guest chef? Dreamed of being a bartender for a night? Always wondered how to butcher a pig? Well, now’s your chance! Tickets are $100 per person and reservations are limited, so don’t wait. In addition, fans of Chez can now become part of the new Legacy Wall. For more information, visit the website athttp://chezmelange.com/ or call 310-540-1222.Chez Melange is located at 1611 South Catalina Avenue in Redondo Beach.

Join the vintage treasure hunt every fourth Sunday at the Torrance Antique Street Faire from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in historic downtown Torrance. This Sunday, March 22, over 200 sellers will be set up along the tree-lined streets with antiques, collectibles, vintage clothes, furniture, jewelry, toys, tools, home decor and more…all on sale at bargain prices. The monthly event features live entertainment by Russell Somers & Whitney Steele! Dave Brownlee and the Torrance Roadshow Appraisals will be on hand to value your treasures. As always, admission and parking are FREE. For additional information, visit the website at http://www.torranceantiquefaire.com/ or call 310-328-6107.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce is hosting a unique opportunity to hear thought leaders on marketing share their insights. The business community at large is invited to attend Roadmap to Business Success: Conversations with Experts – Marketing Revolution on Wednesday, March 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Palos Verdes Golf Club. Panelists include Agnelo Fernandes, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Terranea Resort, on branding and marketing strategy; Mitch Harmatz, Founder/Owner of Plaza Automotive Center, on marketing local businesses; and Scott Pansky, Co-Founder of Allison+Partners, on cause-related marketing. The forum will be moderated by Dave Behar, Founder & CEO of ION Network. The series of seminars, including future panels on Technology and Business Finance, is presented by Wright1 Consulting, Inc. and the Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. Don’t miss this exceptional opportunity to access the experts! Seating is limited for this no-cost event with complimentary dinner provided, but RSVPs are mandatory. For additional information and registration, call 310-377-8111 or visit the website athttp://www.palosverdeschamber.com/default.aspx. The Palos Verdes Golf Club is located at 3301 Via Campesina in Palos Verdes Estates.

These are just a few of the events taking place, so be sure to check the calendar links and ‘Things to Do’ page on my website http://www.southbaybyjackie.com for details on these and other events happening throughout the South Bay.

This morning on The South Bay Show – South Bay Spotlight, our guests were Laura Leventhal, Program Coordinator for the Special Olympics World Games; William Yarroll, chair for Host Town El Segundo; Judy Peetz, co-chair for Host Town Manhattan Beach; Jody Leventhal, Chair for Host town Hermosa; and David Dill, Director of Local Program Development and Coaches Education for Special Olympics Southern California. This morning, we’re going to find out what it takes and what it means, to be a Host City for this incredible event. Don’t worry, if you missed the program, you can listen to it here:http://southbaybyjackie.com/march-19-2015-special-olympic-beach-cities-host-towns/. Tune in every Thursday at 8 a.m. to keep up with what’s going down in the South Bay!

Tomorrow morning on The South Bay Show – Manhattan Beach 360, our guest will be Noelle Parks of Noelle Interiors and Farnaz & Steve Reneker of Hermosa Design. Listen to the program live at 8 a.m. here: http://southbaybyjackie.com/march-20-2015/. Tune in every Friday morning at 8 a.m. for the latest Chamber news!

Have a fabulous South Bay Spring weekend!

Jackie

http://www.southbaybyjackie.com