Around Town: Walk to End Alzheimer’s is Saturday in Huntington Beach

The Huntington Beach Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take participants on about a 2-mile route along Bolsa Chica State Beach on Saturday as a fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Assn.’s efforts to promote research of Alzheimer’s disease and care for patients.

Registration will begin at 8 a.m. at the beach, 17851 Pacific Coast Hwy. An opening ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m., with the walk starting at 10.

The event will include a vendor area with a “doggie dugout,” an Alzheimer’s tribute area, a kids’ zone, coffee and entertainment along the walk route.

As of Thursday afternoon, 1,054 participants had already raised more than $147,000, exceeding the walk’s $140,000 goal, according to the event’s website.

For more information, call Emily Hilker at (949) 205-6539 or email ocwalks@alz.org.

Laguna skimboarding contest to benefit marine mammal center

A skimboarding contest Saturday in Laguna Beach will benefit the Pacific Marine Mammal Center.

Sam Stinnett, who won the World Championships of Skimboarding professional men’s division three times, is organizing the second annual SeaDog Skim Challenge, a one-day event at Aliso Beach Park that is open to amateur and professional skimboarders.

Money generated from contest entry fees will be donated to the marine mammal rescue center in Laguna Beach.

In addition to the skimboarding, there will be a raffle and a silent auction. Prizes include surfboards, skateboards and shopping sprees.

The skimboard contest begins at 8 a.m. at Aliso Beach, 31131 S. Coast Hwy.

To sign up and/or donate, or for more information, visit theseadogskimchallenge.com.

Colorful 5K set for Huntington State Beach

The Color Run, a 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) untimed event in which participants are doused in different colors of powder at each kilometer, will come to Huntington State Beach on Saturday.

The new Foam Zone will let runners race through colored foam, and they can paint on the Dream Wall and snap photos with giant unicorns.

The event begins at 8 a.m. at 21601 Pacific Coast Hwy.

Admission is $49.99 for members of a team of four or more, $54.99 for individual runners and $14.99 for children 5 and younger.

For more information, visit bit.ly/2z2wvob.

Huntington event offers surfing for kids with special needs

Katin surfwear company and nonprofit organization A Walk On Water will team up to present a surf therapy event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Huntington Beach.

The event, between lifeguard towers 21 and 22, is intended to provide a free day of surfing to children with special needs.

A Walk On Water presents several such events throughout the year.

For more information, visit awalkonwater.org.

Bike ride Saturday will help fight breast cancer

The Two Wheels One Planet bicycle store in Costa Mesa will present the seventh annual Breast Cancer Awareness Ride beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Riders can travel a 10- or 25-mile marked route, and refreshments will be served before and after the ride.

The cost is $32.46 per participant at bit.ly/2hQTu1e.

Two Wheels One Planet is at 420 E. 17th St.

For more information, call (949) 646-7706.

Newport Beach fire station to host open house

The Newport Beach Fire Department will host a free Fire Service Day open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at Fire Station 7 at 20401 SW. Acacia St.

Visitors can take a tour of the station, and personnel will perform live demonstrations of a rescue, a simulated structure fire and an automobile extraction. Equipment will be on display, and volunteers from the city’s Community Emergency Response Team will answer questions about disaster preparedness.

There also will be interactive children’s activities and a bounce house. A free barbecue lunch will be provided by the Newport Beach Fire Assn.

The department also will be selling “Pinktober” T-shirts for $20 each to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s efforts to fight breast cancer.

Sugar Plum Arts & Crafts Festival coming to fairgrounds

The Sugar Plum Arts & Crafts Festival is set for Oct. 12-14 at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa.

The event, which offers handcrafted items, antiques and collectibles, will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 12 and 13 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 14 at the fairgrounds’ Huntington Beach building and courtyard at 88 Fair Drive.

Admission is free; parking is $8.

For more information, visit sugarplumfestivals.com, call (562) 598-0857 or email plumcrazy@sugarplumcrafts.com.

Ping pong tournament returning to Huntington Beach

The second annual Pacific City Ping Pong Challenge for Charity will be held Oct. 14 in Huntington Beach.

The tournament will run from noon to 4 p.m. on the second level of the Pacific City shopping center at 21010 Pacific Coast Hwy.

The event, billed as the largest oceanfront ping pong tournament in the country, will let participants battle it out for prizes, including gift cards to Pacific City businesses.

Entry costs $20. Event proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society.

To register, visit bit.ly/2gelW9B.