Jackie's South Bay Weekend Guide

Earth Day is April 22 with events being held worldwide to increase awareness and appreciation of the Earth's natural environment. There are a number of events scheduled throughout the South Bay in the coming days designed to encourage and enhance a greener lifestyle. Sure, we’ve all been recycling aluminum cans and plastic water bottles and installing drought tolerant gardens, but going green has come a long, long way and there’s so much more we can do to conserve resources and yes, save money! It’s time to get on the green bus, people!

Support local merchants and get a jump start on the weekend at the Downtown Torrance Market Place! Every Thursday, Old Town Torrance takes to the streets with gifts, arts and crafts, jewelry, art, clothing, food and produce, antiques and more. The weekly event features live music, tastings and product demonstrations from more than 30 vendors and runs from 3-8 p.m. Torrance expert Dave Brownlee of Antique Appraisals will place a value on your treasures for $3 per item. Downtown restaurants and shops will stay open late with sidewalk sales and Market Place specials. Free parking is available in the public parking lot on Cravens Avenue and the public parking structure with entrances on Sartori and Cabrillo Avenues. Free valet parking is also available at The Depot Restaurant located at 1250 Cabrillo Ave. The Downtown Torrance Market Place is located at Sartori and El Prado in Torrance. For more information, visit the Facebook page.

Manhattan Beach luxury boutique Shade Hotel hosts a monthly Wine Academy on the third Thursday of each month—that’s tonight, Thursday, April 18. Wine loving friends can gather to socialize, taste and learn from experts about new wines in a relaxed, fun, atmosphere and Shade’s rooftop SkyDeck classroom offers stellar sunset views of the South Bay in lieu of a chalkboard! This popular event is open to the public and runs from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and offers wine lovers an opportunity to enjoy an intimate, casual, wine-centric social gathering. Well-priced at $25 per person in advance, $35 at the door, the Wine Academy features expert, interactive presentations of exceptional wines, boutique and/or limited production wines, along with tantalizing wine-paired hors d’oeuvres prepared by Executive Chef Chris Garasic. It’s a great opportunity to expand your wine knowledge! For more information or to make reservations, call 310-546-4995 or visit the website. Shade Hotel is located at 1221 N. Valley Drive in Manhattan Beach.

The North Redondo Beach Business Association presents the annual SpringFest Carnival & Community Festival beginning Thursday, April 18 and running through Sunday, April 21. The event features arts & crafts, kid’s zone, food court and gourmet food trucks and of course, carnival rides and games. The carnival takes place at Aviation Park, a 14-acre recreation facility located at the corner of Aviation and Manhattan Beach Boulevards near the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.

Hours are:

• Thursday & Friday: 5 to 11 p.m. 
• Saturday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Sunday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

To purchase advance ride tickets and for more information, visit  springfestredondo.org or call 310-943-9007.

King Harbor, in association with the City of Redondo Beach and the Redondo Beach Art Group, presents the 2013 Earth Day Chalk Art Challenge on Saturday, April 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Artists, families and people of all ages will have the opportunity to create Earth Day inspired chalk art drawings on the Splash Wall between Samba and Polly’s on the Pier. This event is free and open to the public and recycled tote bags, chalk and other supplies will be provided for the first 100 participants. The Redondo Beach Marina is located at 181 N. Harbor Drive in Redondo Beach. For more information on the event, contact Sonia Ramos at 310-374-3481 or Victoria Corradi at 310-508-6161.

The city of Redondo Beach Public Works Department and The SEA Lab present the annual Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Families are invited to participate in several activities designed to educate the public on the importance of conservation efforts.

• Trade in your plastic bags for reusable tote bags
• Take part in a beach clean-up from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Attend a composting workshop at 11 am.
• Enjoy games, prizes and more! 

Guests are encouraged to leave the car at home—walk, ride a bike or take public transportation and receive a free gift. This free event is open to the public and will take place rain or shine. Free parking is available at the Redondo Beach Marina near Ruby’s Diner with a copy of the flyer which is available on my website. The Redondo Beach Marina is located at 181 N. Harbor Drive in Redondo Beach. The SEA Lab is located at 1021 N. Harbor Drive in Redondo Beach. For event details, visit the website at redondo.org.

Discover how you can live a ‘greener’ lifestyle at Sage Expo! Sage Expo—Sustainable and Green Environments—will be held on Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21 at the Armory in Manhattan Beach. The Expo promises to be educational, inspirational and will offer a wide spectrum of goods and services intended to promote a greener lifestyle. The two day Sage Expo is designed to provide the South Bay with a one-stop shopping marketplace of greener goods and services at a facility with both indoor and outdoor booth space. Here, local consumers will readily find the resources they need in one place to help them build greener homes, yards and lifestyles. Consumers can walk or bike to the marketplace situated near Rosecrans on Bell Avenue. Street and public parking lots are available nearby. This event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days and is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the website at sageexpo.net.

The second annual CA 101 2013 Art Exhibit is a juried art exhibition being presented by Friends of Redondo Beach Arts, Redondo Beach Art Group and AES Redondo Beach. Artists hailing from California’s Oregon border to the Mexican border are invited to share and exchange their creative impressions of life today in California. Artist are encouraged to submit their work to the CA 101 2013 Art Exhibit which will be displayed for two consecutive weekends—June 7-9 and again on June 14-16—at the historic AES Power Plant in Redondo Beach. The deadline for entries is Thursday, April 25. Entrants will be notified by Tuesday, April 30. The opening reception for the event will be held on Friday, June 7 from 5 to 9 p.m. A non-refundable entry fee of $25 will cover up to six submissions per artist. Original artwork in all media completed in the last two years will be considered. Checks should be made payable to FRBA and mailed with the entry form to:

Nina Zak Laddon
Attn: CA 101
546 S. Helberta Ave.
Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Mail-in Submissions: Send CD submissions to the above address. Email Submissions: Send JPEG submissions to: pchca101@hotmail.com. For more information, visit the website. If you have additional questions, contact Sandra Liljenwall, Director of Exhibitions, at 310-617-2840 or by email at liljenwall21@gmail.com.

It’s never too early to begin planning for your financial future and you’ll want experienced professionals with a proven track record and flawless reputation on your team. Brigante, Cameron, Watters & Strong, Certified Public Accountants and Consultants, is the largest full-service accounting firm in the South Bay. BCWS is dedicated to providing professional services of the highest quality and is offering a special promotion for our audience. Mention The South Bay Show or South Bay by Jackie and receive a 10 percent discount on tax services (new clients only). Give them a call at 310-542-0011 or visit the website at www.bcws.com. April 15 may have come and gone but there’s always next year!

As always, check the calendar links and ‘Things to Do’ page on my website, southbaybyjackie.com, for details on these and other events throughout the South Bay.

On The South Bay Show this morning, we learned all about the Sage Expo happening this weekend. We spoke with founders Angie Silverman and Mark Lipps, and Daniel Salzman of Evergreen Design Build, Inc., one of the leading green-building firms in Southern California. Don’t worry, if you missed it, you can listen to it online.

Have a great South Bay weekend!

Jackie

southbaybyjackie.com