Around Town: Qualifiers for KaraokeFest set in Costa Mesa
Kids who think they have moves like Jagger or what it takes to sing their way to stardom have a chance to show their stuff.
Qualifying rounds for the 2015 KaraokeFest Crème de la Kids and Crème de la Tributes contests will be held every Saturday in June at the Orange County Market Place, the weekend swap meet at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.
Five performers in each contest selected during qualifying this Saturday and June 13, 20 and 27 will win spots at KaraokeFest, which will be presented by Karaoke Scene magazine on Sept. 19 at the Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona.
Qualifying rounds for Crème de la Kids for ages 17 and under will begin at 11 a.m. each day, with registration from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Crème de la Tributes qualifying will begin at 1 p.m., with sign-ups from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Crème de la Tributes is open to any musical impersonators or tribute artists, except those who perform as Elvis Presley. They have their own singing contest, Crème de la King, also part of KaraokeFest. A qualifying round for Crème de la King will be held at 11 a.m. Aug. 23 at the Orange County Market Place. The finals will be Aug. 30 during the annual Elvis Festival at the Market Place.
All qualifying rounds require a $5 registration fee, which does not include the $2 swap meet admission (children 12 and younger are admitted free).
The Market Place is at 88 Fair Drive. For more information on KaraokeFest, visit https://www.karaokescene.com or call (714) 826-2212.
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Rockabilly, facial hair this weekend at OC Market Place
A two-day American roots music showcase featuring six rockabilly bands and contests for best mustache, beard and hairstyles is set for Saturday and Sunday at the Orange County Market Place in Costa Mesa. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday’s bands include headliner Kim Lenz and the Jaguars at 2:30 p.m., Lil Mo and the Dynaflos at 1 p.m. and Orange County-based Buddy Lee and the Dungaree Dogs at noon.
On Sunday, James Intveld will headline at 2:30 p.m., preceded by the Crown City Bombers at 1 p.m. and Seatbelt at noon.
On Saturday, guests can mingle with members of the Gentlemen’s Beard and Mustache Coalition, the Orange County chapter of Beard Team USA, a group of facial-hair enthusiasts who get together every month to socialize and show off their whiskers.
Both days will offer free haircuts in the Suavecito Hair Stream Barber Shop, free mustache kits from Traveler Beer, rockabilly-related vendors, gourmet food trucks and a photo booth.
Admission to the swap meet, which includes the rockabilly festivities, is $2 (free for military personnel and children 12 and younger).
The Orange County Market Place is at the OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive. For more information, visit https://www.ocmarketplace.com or call (949) 723-6660.
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Irvine Valley College celebrates commencement
Irvine Valley College awarded 1,320 degrees and 1,262 certificates of achievement as it held its 30th commencement ceremony May 22.
Gregory Washington, dean of the Henry Samueli School of Engineering at UC Irvine, delivered the keynote address.
The student speaker was Leslie Alvarado, a 2012 graduate of El Toro High School who plans to major in psychology and social behavior when she transfers to UCI in the fall.
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Country concert completes schedule at Pacific Amphitheatre
Tickets are on sale for the last show added to the Pacific Amphitheatre’s 24-date summer concert series in Costa Mesa.
Country stars Chris Young and Danielle Bradbery will perform at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 13.
Tickets are $34.50 to $59.50 and are available at (800) 745-3000 or Ticketmaster.com.
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Chairs auction benefits Ronald McDonald House
The American Society of Interior Designers Orange County and Modern Luxury Interiors California helped support the renovation of the Orange County Ronald McDonald House with “Chairs for Charity,” a live auction of customized chairs by local interior designers held May 21 at the Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach.
The benefit featured a chair from students at the Newport-based Interior Designers Institute that was equipped with LED lights and handmade textiles.
Proceeds from the reception and auction will support the American Society of Interior Designers’ project to renovate the interior of the Ronald McDonald House in Orange, including the kitchen and the dining, family and living rooms.
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CdM High School student a winner in talent search
Corona del Mar High School freshman Gabriel Hansen received the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth High Honors Award after participating in a talent search.
Each year, the Center for Talented Youth has a talent search for students in grades two through eight. About 33,000 students from more than 60 countries participated this year.
Hansen’s SAT exam that he took as an eighth-grader last spring as a qualifier for the search earned him the High Honors Award.
Students who received the award, fewer than 30% of those who took qualifying tests, can enroll in summer programs and online courses offered by the Center for Talented Youth.
Hansen plans to attend the unrelated Boston University Summer Challenge program to learn computer programming.
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Scout creates organic garden to help feed needy
Ethan Terry, a Life Scout from Troop 167, partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank in Irvine to create an organic garden at Tanaka Farm in a project that lasted from October to April. He enlisted 50 volunteers to grow 1,850 seeds that yielded 2,424 pounds of vegetables, equivalent to 2,000 meals for people in need.
The vegetables went to agencies served by Second Harvest, such as soup kitchens, churches, senior citizen homes and shelters.
An organic garden does not use pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or similar chemicals.
From staff reports