1. The City of Newport Beach will host a free Concerts in the Parks event from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday in Bob Henry Park at 900 Dover Drive. The Bracken Band will perform Irish music, including jigs and reels, Celtic drinking songs, romantic ballads and more. Organizers suggest bringing a picnic dinner and lawn chairs. The concert is sponsored but the City Arts Commission. For more information, call (949) 644-3211, ext. 2156 or click here.
2. Sherman Library & Gardens will host a free butterfly educational event at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the gardens at 2647 East Coast Highway. Leslie Gilson, restoration coordinator of Gibbs Monarch Butterfly Park in Huntington Beach, will discuss the process of restoring the butterfly park as part of a Weekend Gardener series. No reservations are required. For more information, call (949) 673-2261 or visit the Sherman Library & Gardens website.
3. The Newport Bay Conservancy will host its 7th Biennial Art Show & Sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Peter & Mary Muth Interpretive Center at 2301 University Drive. Participants can view hundreds of paintings, meet artists, and kids from 7 to 12 years old can take a free painting class; space is limited so sign up in advance by calling (949) 923-2275. A portion of all proceeds will raise funds for the Newport Bay Conservancy. For more information, click here. Featured paintings are by top Southern California Plein Air Painters Association (SOCALPAPA) artists, according to the Conservancy’s website.
4. Sale! The Holly Sharp Boutique at 3636 East Coast Highway is hosting a “huge red tent sale” through Monday. Find tops and bottoms for $10, and sun dresses, maxi dresses and rompers priced at $15.
5. Crystal Cove State Park will host an evening of storytelling and Native American crafting with Jacque Nunez beginning at 7 p.m. tonight. You’ll get a chance to weave a basket, make a clapper stick or play Indian games with stories following at 8 p.m. The park also will offer a two-hour interpretive backcountry hike at 8 p.m. Saturday. Organizers suggest wearing sturdy shoes, dressing in layers and bringing water for the moderate, 3-mile hike. Participants in both events should meet at the Moro day-use lot at the amphitheater. The events are free, but the park has a $15 day-use fee parking for state lots.
