CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

CdM This Weekend: Five Great Things For Your To-Do List

1. The Magic Shoe 5K race will take place at 8:30 a.m. at Corona del Mar High School. The race is a fundraiser for the Corona del Mar Middle School track program as well as for the Magic Shoe Foundation, which collects and refurbishes, then distributes, gently used athletic shoes for local kids in need. The race will start on Eastbluff Drive in front of Corona del mar High School. Registration is $28 in advance, $30 on race day and $15 for current students and alumni. The event also features a kids’ run, a 100-yard “High Heel Dash,” a shoe drive and expo, along with live music by Pinch Me! For information or to register online, click here.

2. Got e-waste? The City of Newport Beach and Goodwill of Orange County are holding a free e-waste collection from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the City Corporation yard at 592 Superior Ave. If you have non-working computers, laptops, phones, fax machines, monitors, scanners, radios, televisions or other electronic gear that you want to get rid of, this event is your chance to clean house. Call (949) 644-3055 for more information.

3. Roger’s Gardens is planning a busy weekend, beginning at 6 p.m. tonight when they will announce the winners of the 2010 California Friendly Garden Contest. Meet the contestants, hear a presentation on California-friendly landscaping, have a glass of wine and light refreshments and be the first to hear the contest winners as they are announced. Then at 9 a.m. Saturday, you can attend a class called “B.B.Q. Grilling with Herbs, Vegetables and Pizza,” presented by Cristin Fusano. Fusano will discuss how to grow herbs and how to use them, and she’ll discuss and share samples of her signature gluten-free pizza. Then from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday, you can attend an art talk and demo with Gil Dellinger, a signature member of The Plein Air Painters of America & The Pastel Society of America. Dellinger will give a talk called “With a Passion for Beauty of Nature Around Us and the Hope That it Gives Us” followed by a reception. Roger’s Gardens is located at 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road; call (949) 640-5800 for more information.

4. Speaking of Plein Air Art….Crystal Cove State Park is featuring a free plein air artist demonstration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The all-ages event coincides with an exhibition of reproductions from the Irvine Art Museum plein air collection in Cottage #46. The exhibition will be open from 7 a.m. to sunset and will include the chance to try drawing your own masterpiece.

5. The Back Bay Science Center is offering a hands-on, Science Mystery Lab from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. The lab, which is aimed for students in grades 7 to 12, lets participants observe, analyze and compare evidence from various experiments in order to solve an ecological mystery. Students will learn about pH, chromatography and DNA analysis. Space is limited; call (949) 644-3038 for information or to make a reservation. The Back Bay Science Center is located at 600 Shellmaker Road, which is off Back Bay Drive.