Everyone is Japanese - Family Event

Please join us for


"Everyone is Japanese" - Melting Pot Moms, Inc. Benefit for Japan

Time	Sunday, May 1 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location	Flintridge Clubhouse 28112 Roanoke Drive Ladera Ranch, CA
Created By	"Everyone is Japanese" Benefit Team, Angela Williams, Kyoko Corsten, Rebecca Jacobs Castillo
More Info	Let's join together to help our brothers and sisters in Japan! Save the date for this family event from Melting Pot Moms, Inc. (meltingpotmoms.org) to benefit the relief effort in Japan. Enjoy a spring evening with hors d'oeuvres on the patio and family entertainment. All donations to directly benefit the Japan relief effort and will go to the Miyagi Prefecture Association of Southern California. Featured Entertainment: Julia Lovetere - A Stand-Up comedian who performs regularly at the Comedy Store. She is born and raised in Los Angeles and has been in the entertainment industry for over 10 years. From competing for the Irene Ryans, studying improv and LA's Improv Olympic and 2nd city, she is now developing at The World Famous Comedy Store. Nihon Buyou - Traditional Japanese dance performance by Victoria Walker.http://www.wakahisakai.com/index_e.html Origami Crane craft for the kids to benefit the Students Rebuild reconstruction effort. http://studentsrebuild.org/japan/ Also Featured: An opportunity raffle An international food station Suggested $10 donation per person, children 10 & under free. Food/Beverage will be available for an additional donation. About Melting Pot Moms: Melting Pot MomsTM is a nonprofit organization bringing together families of different ethnicities and cultures, in an effort to create a diverse and nurturing environment for our children, while promoting multiculturalism in our communities.

Focus on Activities: Old Orange County Courthouse

Old Orange County Courthouse

The landmark Old Orange County Courthouse is Southern California's oldest court building, and as such has been witness to many of the events which shaped present day Orange County. From its dedication in 1901, this granite and sandstone building has been the traditional home of county government. Today the 30,000-square foot building has been restored to look much as it had at the turn of the last century. The building contains the Orange County History Center (which includes the Old Courthouse Museum, the Orange County Archives, and the library of the Pacific Coast Archaeological Society) as well as government offices. The building is on the National Register of Historic places and is a State of California Historic Landmark. TOURS: Tours of the Old Orange County Courthouse for adult and school groups are available by appointment Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Self-guided tours are also available.

To arrange a tour of the Old Orange County Courthouse, please call (714) 973-6607. Tours are free of charge.

Walk-in visitors are always welcome during our normal business hours, Monday through Friday

Old Orange County Courthouse
211 W. Santa Ana Blvd.
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714)973-6605 or (714)973-6607

Focus on Activities: Heritage hill Historical Park

Heritage Hill Historical Park


Heritage Hill Historical Park is composed of 4.1 acres, four historic buildings and associated structures for maintenance and public restrooms. The fully restored and furnished historic buildings span the early history of the Saddleback Valley and El Toro area from the Mexican Rancho era (Serrano Adobe, circa 1863), to the founding of the town of El Toro (El Toro Grammar School, 1890; St. George's Episcopal Mission, 1891), through the citrus farming days of the early twentieth century (Harvey Bennett Ranch House, 1908).

Guided tours through the buildings are provided for the public Wednesday through Sunday. The tours offer an interpretation of Saddleback area history through the artifacts, events and people associated with each building. Landscaping of the park is in keeping with the historic nature of the buildings. The grounds are also available for weddings. Park staff and associated community interest groups offer special events each year, the most popular of which is the annual Victorian Christmas held on the first Saturday of December.

Tours:

Seven free "Walk-in" tours are offered weekly for individuals and groups of seven or less. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 2:00 P.M., Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M. Volunteer docents meet visitors at the front porch of the Serrano Adobe and tour each building.

The buildings are open to public access only during tours in order to protect the historic furnishings and artifacts on display. Visitors not attending a "Walk in" tour or prearranged Group tour may look into each building though an open doorway, but may not go through the buildings.

Group tour arrangements should be made in advance for any group of more than eight persons. Please call the park at least three weeks in advance to arrange group tours. The fee for group tours is $2 per person.

A Living History program is offered to fourth grade children. The program enables students to experience a typical school day around the turn-of-the-century. A Hands-on program with an activity at each historic building is offered to third grade students. The Native American tour is available to elementary school children and features a visit to the Indian village exhibit to learn about the life of the "People of the Land Before 1769". Small Group Nature Tours are available to groups of all ages.

Please contact the park office to arrange Group tours, Living History tours, Hands On tours, Native American and Small Group Nature tours. Tuesday through Friday 8:30 - 4:30 at (949) 923-2230. 

Heritage Hill Historical Park
25151 Serrano Road
Lake Forest, CA 92630-2534
(949)923-2230 or (949)923-2232

Focus on Activities: Ramon Peralta Historic Adobe

Ramon Peralta Adobe Historic Site

It is believed that Ramon Peralta built the adobe in 1871. After he died in 1873, the adobe was vacant at times and may have been damaged by vandals and a fire. In 1881, Pablo Dominguez and his young bride, Felipa Yorba, moved into the adobe after considerable repair and remodeling to the structure. There is some evidence that so much work was required that many thought that Pablo had built the adobe. Five children were born to Pablo and Felipa in the years 1882-1889. In 1895, Pablo Dominguez died. When Felipa grew ill, the children had to be temporarily cared for by others. The family occupied the adobe off and on after 1895, but eventually moved to the north side of the river. The Dominguez family sold the adobe to E. Walter Pyne in 1908. Mr. Pyne later set about to preserve the adobe. To prevent the walls from weathering and deteriorating, he covered the exterior surface with 2 and a half inches of concrete. This measure is one reason that the adobe is still in existence while the other adobes in the area are not. About 1920, with the realignment of the Santa Ana Canyon Road, the Canyon Cafe and gas station were built adjacent to the adobe. The adobe served as housing for the family operating the cafe, and was later connected to the cafe structure. The adobe would later become a storage room for the Canyon Cafe as traffic increased on Santa Ana Canyon Road until the 1950s. In 1977, the adobe became the property of the Environment Management Agency. After many restoration proposals, the structure and the surrounding property were leased to C. Robert Langslet with the understanding that he restore and operate the adobe as an historical site open to the public.The Peralta Adobe is located on land that once was part of the Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana. While the Peralta Adobe was not the oldest adobe built in the canyon, it is the only one still standing today in the Santa Ana Canyon. The Ramon Peralta Adobe officially opened for public use on September 27, 1986. The building was re-opened on April 28, 2006 as an official museum featuring the history of the Santa Ana Canyon from 1769 to present. Historical exhibits which include artifacts excavated on site and a timeline mural are available for viewing. A furnished period room and numerous photographs tracing the history of the first settlers to the canyon are on exhibit. Peralta Adobe 6398 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road Anaheim, CA 92807 (714)973-3190 or (714)973-3191 PLEASE CALL FOR TOUR INFORMATION

Focus on Events: Rancho Days Fiesta

Sunday, May 1st
Rancho Days Fiesta
11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Come explore the rich history of Orange County's Native American tribes and the Mexican Ranchos! Visitors will experience the past through music, dance, crafts, food and first-person presentations.

Event Fee: $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for children (ages 3-12 years)

Parking Fee: Free

Heritage Hill Historical Park
25151 Serrano Road
Lake Forest, CA 92630-2534
(949)923-2230 or (949)923-2232

Focus on Events: Help keep the Bay's habitat clean for local wildlife!

Sunday, April 10th
Second Sundays at the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center
9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Join Preserve staff and other volunteers in enhancing the Bay’s habitat for local wildlife. Activities may include non-native plant removal, planting natives, watering, trash cleanup and Butterfly Garden maintenance. No experience is necessary; water, snacks and tools are provided. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Please phone (949) 923–2275, or e-mail unbic@ocparks.com to register or receive monthly e-mail notifications. Minors aged 15 and younger must have legal guardian present at all times.

Event Fee: Free
Parking Fee: Free
Age: All

Peter & Mary Muth Interpretive Center
2301 University Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949)923-2290

Focus on Events: Vietnamese International Film Festival

This is a "grown ups" event, but I wanted to make sure I shared!

http://www.vietfilmfest.com/2011/

The fifth Vietnamese International Film Festival will take place April 7-10 and April 14-17 at UC Irvine, Edwards University Town Center 6 in Irvine, the Bowers Museum and UCLA.

"Saigon Electric," a hip-hop and dance drama written and directed by Stephane Gauger, will make its Southern California premiere and open the biennial film fest at 7:30 p.m. April 7 at Edwards University. Gauger, who grew up in Orange County and graduated from Cal State Fullerton, also wrote and directed "Owl and the Sparrow," which won the audience award for best narrative feature at the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival.

"Bi, Don't Be Afraid," a contemporary romantic drama directed by Phan Dang Di, will close the fest, called "ViFF" by organizers and participants. "Bi" made its world premiere at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

This year's ViFF gathering is the biggest to date, with 67 short and feature-length films scheduled from around the world. The 2011 theme is "Reel Momentum," which reflects the growing movement of Vietnamese movie making by both established and emerging filmmakers.

"This is the best lineup we've ever had," said Ysa Le, co-director of the festival. "A lot of the films are new. Technically, they're way better than when we started in 2003. There are a lot of different stories and different genres."

The film fest, held every other year, is presented by the Vietnamese American Arts a sneak preview screening April 16 of "Touch," a story about a nail salon worker shot entirely in Orange County; and free days for seniors on April 8 and high school students on April 15 at the Bowers Museum. Question and answer sessions will follow most screenings.

General admission will be $8 per screening, $6 for students. Tickets for the opening film will be $20 and $50 (includes gala), and tickets for the closing film will be $20. All-festival passes will be $150.

For tickets and more information, visit VietFilmFest.com.