Halloween in Huntington Beach

Are you ready for Halloween?    If you haven’t made your decision yet, here are a couple of things you can check out.

Have you heard of the Rotary Clubs Huntington Haunt Experience at the Newland House?   This runs Wed, Thurs, Fri & Sat night and is no ordinary haunted house, but an interactive experience where you literally become a part of the story, which can be best described as part haunted house, part theatre, and part interactive ‘moving’ play where the audience becomes involved in the twisted tale! And where else in Hauntington Beach would this chilling wedding take place than at the historic Newland House and Barn, spread among two ‘scare’ acres of haunted thrills and chills. Prior to the experience and awaiting your turn you can try to relax your bones at the Haunted Carnival with artisans displaying their wares, a Victorian physic, henna painting and a Costume Contest all while enjoying live entertainment, food, wine and craft beers.  Tickets: huntingtonhaunt.org/purchase-tickets.

 

On Friday and Saturday night from dusk til 10pm, there is the haunted maze at 9631 Sailfish Dr.  Put on by the Horsky family – it is not for the faint of heart, in fact, they recommend adults only.  Prepared to be scared as this house is transformed into a scary maze.  Freights await around every corner from homemade yet professional looking animatronics to things of a more freakish nature, like Horsky's handmade skin quilt.

On Halloween, bring the entire family down for the annual Halloween Fest.  It runs from 3:30 to 7:30 on Main Street & The Strand.  There will be an assortment of events for locals to engage in and join the lively entertainment including a kids costume contest at 4:30 and a canine costume contest at 6:00pm. There will also be free entertainment and rides, music, photo booth, petting zoo and more as well as special guest appearances, no tickets needed!

If you don’t want to head to downtown, you can take the kids to Bella Terra for trick or treating from 6 to 8pm.  Or if you are farther north, Sunset Beach is having their annual Halloween Party (on the 31^st from 5 to 10pm) at the Sunset Beach Community Association, 16861 12^th St. It is created for children and adults, the event will feature superhero-themed decorations, games, and activities.  The event takes place from dusk to 10 pm. With a haunted house, animatronics, and actors in full costume, this event is FREE and open to the public!

And finally, the following weekend the long awaited opening of Pacific City is here!  You will get your first peek at the property on Saturday, November 7 from 11am-7pm and Sunday, November 8 from 11am-5pm. This will be the first weekend Pacific City is open to the public, so don’t miss your chance to be among the first to see the property and experience Pacific City’s first tenants’ opening preview! First guests to arrive will receive free tote bags with special merchant offers and giveaway samples. DJ’s will spin tunes, and complimentary “tastes” from participating Pacific City restaurants will be offered. Don’t miss the fun, freebies and festivities! Pacific City is located at 21022 Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach.

Enjoy and see you around HB.

August in Huntington Beach

Hi Huntington Beachers!   Yes, I am very overdue for a “blast”…

Did ya’ll survive the Open?  Much calmer than in year’s past, huh… Now we see the summer quickly passing by.  Where is the year going!

So, are you looking for some stuff to do this weekend?
Starting tonight through Sunday is the American Family Housing annual Ribs, Pigs & Watermelons Summer Festival at the Beach.  All the scoop:  www.rpwbbq.com.

Do you have dogs?  The new Paws Chateau (a Luxury pet resort offering resort-like amenities and recreational activities for dogs) is having their  Grand Opening Celebration this Saturday from 10-2.  There will be: SCVVC Low Cost Vaccine & Microchipping Clinic, Pawdicures, Pet Adoptions, HB Local pet market, Hot Dogs on the Grill, Ice Cold Beverages , Tasty Treats for Our Furry Friends and Their Humans.  Plus a special presentation by the Huntington Beach Police K9 Unit @ 11:30.  They are located at 7680 Talbert Ave.

Have you been to the new Certified Farmers Market at the Old World Village (7561 Center Ave).  It is open now every Saturday from 9am - 2pm. Rain or Shine.  They believe that it is important to provide ORGANIC locally grown produce, grass fed meats, milk home delivered, eggs, cheese, honey, olive oils, artisan breads and baked good, organic and health related products, and so much more to the community.  All of the farmers are certified California farmers and their  gourmet food vendors are local residents who prepare their hand crafted goods with only the freshest ingredients.  They have also hand selected local arts and crafts vendors like hand made soaps and pottery or  hand crafted jewelry; non-profits can attend each week to educate the community on different topics; local business owners have the opportunity to show their health and home related services or products.  Please give them a visit - You will love this farmers market.www.OWFarmersmarket.com.

Other stuff going on this weekend includes the Adventure Playground in Central Park, Beach Clean ups, HB Concert Band Summer Series (also in Central Park), and much more…..see them all on TheLocalHB.com calendar!!

See you around HB.

Happy May Huntington Beach

Hope everyone is enjoying your spring so far.   Are you ready for Mother’s Day?  How about starting it off a day early and treat your mom to an all you can eat pancake & sausage breakfast for only $5.   On Saturday from 7am to 11am, the HB Host Lions Club will be cooking their annual Pancake Breakfast in Lake Park (12^th & Lake St, downtown).   There will be a Pancake Eating Contest, Pancake Relays, Pancake Art Demo & Contest and Photos with Miss Huntington Beach & Court.  Also displays by City Parks & Rec, HB Police and Fire Departments and much more!  Pop on over and enjoy this popular event!

For a bit of education, next Wed, May 13 from 11:30am to 1:30pm our Chamber of Commerce will be offering  another free business workshop hosted by Microsoft:  “The Right Technology for Small Business”.  This seminar will review the technology that will help you reduce your technology costs by 40%. They will review real life scenarios that plague most small business owners. Office 365 and its mobility features will be reviewed and demonstrated. They will also talk about what type of Internet and Voice connections are available and what VoIP actually is. Please join at the Chamber office and learn how to run an efficient business.  (they even provide lunch).   I’ve been to several of them so far and have learned something useful each time.  RSVP your spot:  714-536-8888.

Coming up the following weekend, May 15-17 is the annual Duck-a-Thon at the pier.  This event always attracts a lot of  people as everyone gets a kick out of watching hundreds of rubber duckies get dumped off the pier and “fight” their way to shore.  The details for all three days of activities can be found on my calendar:  http://thelocalhb.com/calendar.html.

Not only do the Lions Club serve up pancakes, but on May 27 you can join them while the Waterfront Hilton serves them up (and guests) wine at their Wine Tasting fundraiser to support local community charities.  It is 6-8pm and for $25 you will sample wines from the Shade’s California Collection.  Hors d’oeuvres will be available along with a fine selection of small bites that can be purchased at nominal prices. There will be opportunity drawings and valet parking will only be $3 for the event.   You can pay at the door, but please rsvp your attendance to 714-328-8661 or hblionsclub@gmail.com.   The Hilton always does such a nice job at these wine tastings.  You don’t want to miss this chance to have a fun evening and support charity while doing so!

And finally for this pass, we are pleased to report our vip tickets for Wags-n-Wine sold out in less than two weeks once it was announced ticket sales were open!  We only have a couple vendor spaces left as well.  I know once again this event is going to be awesome.  Come on, where can you go to enjoy top notch food and wine/beer AND have your four legged companion with you!!  June 14 is the date you want to mark on your calendar.  The general admission is a great deal, so don’t fret.  Go to the website, www.wagsnwine.com and check out the vendors who have signed up so far and photos from past events.

And here is wishing you all a happy May.

An event at the Huntington Beach Central Library

The public is invited to an afternoon reception at the HB Public Library (7111 Talbert Ave) on Tuesday, January 27 from 2:30 PM to 5 PM – featuring 19 authors and illustrators of children's books. These authors and illustrators will have spent the day at local schools, sharing your love of reading, writing and the creative writing experience with our students.

You can meet and greet these authors and illustrators at the Library, and they can sign and personalize books for all the special children in your life. Books are the perfect gift for children – no need to worry about size or color, no assembly required and batteries not needed! AND these personalized books will be treasured by students long after other toys break or are given away.
Barnes & Noble will be at the library reception to sell the authors' books.

That afternoon, the Friends of the Children's Library and the Sand Scribes Children's Writing Group will host awards ceremonies for 42 local students who are winners of our Writing and Illustrating Contest "Spin Us a Story" and their winning entries will be on display in the library lobby through the month of February. We hope to see you at the library Tuesday afternoon!

Happy New Year Huntington Beach

Here we are well in to the first of 2015.  I hope everyone had a great holiday season and is ready for a prosperous year.  I know I started the year off with a bang and business is booming.

I'm not one for the term New Years resolutions, as a friend of mine claims, you are setting yourself up for failure when you make standard resolutions just because it is the first of the year.  Proper goals, however, are another story. Since fitness and getting in shape or losing weight continue to be on the top of most people'slist,  a local trainer here in town has a challenge for you.  Beau Beavers of Hit It or Quit It Fitness wants to help.  Beau, a former college decathlete has dedicated his life to fitness.  He knows most people sign up for a gym at the first of the year and last about a month failing for various reasons.  Now that we are ending that first month, if you want to reach the success you set out to achieve, check out what Beau is offering locals - download his bio and offer HERE.
















Another popular goal for folks is to make improvements in their business.  Often folks don't know how to go about doing this.  May I suggest checking out Vaughn Sigmon with The Alternative Board.   He has over 35 years experience successfully leading, growing, and managing businesses.  Talk to him and see if he can help you and your business:  714-421-6498 or vcsigmon@tabhuntingtonbeach.com.

Enough of business, how about some fun!!
Fuzion is hosting a customer appreciation day this Saturday, the 24th, all day.  Swing by  (7227 Edinger) any time from opening to closing and everyone will receive a free $10 game card good for all the arcade games and LaZer tag.  Plus 25% off all their food (not already discounted).  Check them out at www.fuzionhb.com.

Future mark your calendar events:
March 29, 4pm to 7pm – Huntington Beach Lions Club All You Can Eat Crabfest: www.HBLionsCrabfest.com
April 25 , 9am to 9pm – Huntington Beach Relay for Life:  www.RelayforLifeHB.com
April 26, noon to 4pm – Taste of Huntington Beach:   www.TasteHB.com
May 2, 1pm to 6pm – TRC Derby Day:  www.trchb.org
May 15-17 – Duck-a-Thon:  www.duckathon.org
June 14, noon to 5pm – Wags-n-Wine Food/Wine Tasting:  www.wagsnwine.com

Those are just a few events coming up so you can mark your calendar for these not to miss events.

Mr. Surf City USA competition heating up

Have you heard about the upcoming Mr. Surf City USA contest coming up in October?  This is a light-hearted event that pokes a little fun at traditional beauty pageants and raises funds for seven non-profits in the community.  Money is raised by sponsorship and buying votes for your contestant of choice.   The event is October 24 at Fuzion.  For all the details, learn about the contestants, and buy tickets/votes, please go to www.MrSurfCityUSA.com and pass on the word!!    Because I'm involved with the Waggin' Trails Rescue Foundation, we of course, are sponsoring one of the contestants – Andy Glade.   If you are one of our dog loving fans and want to support Andy, his page on the Waggin' Trails site is:  www.waggintrails.org/mrsurfcity.html.  Please help us raise some money by buying votes to help save the lives of those who don't have a voice of their own – our special non-conditional love givers called dogs!!!  We really appreciate the support.

What to do in Huntingotn Beach this summer

Here are 15 things about or to do in Huntington Beach that you might not have known about.  Check it out HERE.   And for a full calendar list daily things to do in Huntington Beach, don't forget about TheLocalHB calendar.  

Do you find you have out of town guests coming to town and no where to house them?  Did you know TheLocalHB offers discounts on local hotels/motels?   You didn't?   Well, look at all there is to offer on our reservation page.  

On that same reservation page, starting Aug 7, you can find discounts (for the first time ever) for Knotts Scary Farm!!  Make sure to check it out.  Just search under the Attractions section.

Enjoy your summer.

Happy Mothers Day Huntington Beach locals

I want to wish all the moms out there a very happy Mother's Day!  Do you have plans yet for the mom in your life?  If not, why not give the new Fuzion a try.  They have a pretty nice menu lined up for Sunday.  You can enjoy all your breakfast favorites plus some brunch specialties created by their Executive Chef!  There will be fruit flavored champagne and fun cocktails and a special gift for mom.  They are located at 7227 Edinger (between Goldenwest & Gothard).  Brunch runs from 10am to 3pm and reservations can be made at 714-377-7671.  And don't forget, Fuzion is now the new home of RBN Networking group.  They will be there next Tues (www.rbninfo.com to reserve your spot).

If you have young ones and are looking for a summer program for them, Coastline Christian School is offering free enrollment until May 15 when you mention TheLocalHB. They have lots of fun events planned including:  Bounce house, Petting zoo, Hawaiian day, Lizard wizard, Mobile tide pool, Train party and other special visitors throughout the summer!  AGES 2-8 Accepted. They are located at 2721 Delaware Street and can be reached at 714-536-1740.

With summer approaching, thoughts of travel also come to mind.  If you are planning any trips, check out my friends at Travelcom. They are offering $100 off summer vacation packages for 5 nights or more and $200 off honeymoons. You can book online with them at www.travelcom.biz or visit their exclusive Hawaiian travel site at www.HawaiiVacation4u.com. Of course you are more than welcome to pick up the phone and give them a call, 714-841-4540, tell them I sent you.  :-)

Moving from travel to beer – our very own Beach City Brewery is having their grand opening this Saturday starting at noon. They are located at 7631 Woodwind Dr. (near Beach & Talbert).   There outdoor area will be set up to enjoy their beers with food trucks available all day and night. Their tasting room will be open to the public for the first time. They will be serving 6 different styles of beers, with 1 on nitrogen, and will be having a special cask-off between our head brewer and assistant brewer! You be the judge!  This event will be free to enter, but 21+ only.  Catch up on the details on their facebook:  www.facebook.com/BeachCityBrewery.

Want to help me raise a little money for my team of the American Cancer Society Relay for Life?  I'm doing a simple online fundraiser.  If you use cosmetics at all, go to this link: FUNDRAISER.  My "Younique" friend put this together for me.  The products are great and this is a good fit for Relay because their products are all natural and free from cancer causing chemicals!  It is worth giving them a try.  Everyone is loving the stuff, especially the 3D Fiber Lashes.

And one more FOR A GOOD CAUSE…. Mark your calendars for Monday, May 19.  Dine at Red Table any time that day and they will donate a portion of sales (all sales that day) to our Waggin' Trails Rescue Foundation – we are the ones that put on the Wags N Wine event in June.  Red Table is so generous doing this for us.  You don't need a flyer or anything, just show up and eat!!  Enjoy!!

Surfboards on Parade in Huntington Beach

If you are looking for an alternative to an Irish bar today, why not check out the new Fuzion at 7777 Edinger Ave.   They  just had their grand opening last weekend.  The restaurant has some awesome chefs and the food is quite good!  They also have a great selection of craft beers from tap to bottle, from the big names to under-the-radar breweries. Locally and from around the world, the beer selection at Fuzion is tough to match and the same goes for their wine list.  They have meeting space to fit all your needs whether it is business or fun, and don't forget the arcade, mini-bowling and lazer tag.  And don't forget Fuzion is also home to the popular Surf City Comedy Club.  Check out all the fun at the new HB fun spot!

Have you seen the first two surfboards that are part of the Surfboards on Parade? As a fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Huntington Beach, a surfboard art exhibit is popping up all over town.  Huntington Beach Rotary is raising money to eradicate skin cancer and so far the two surfboards that have been unveiled are pretty cool.  The first was at Dukes, so pop in and take a peek.  This past Tuesday, we were at the Waterfront Hilton for the unveiling of the board by shaper Robert August & artist John Van Hamersveld.  Mark your calendar for next Tuesday the 18^th, 10:30am at the Hyatt for next board by shaper Tim Bessell & artist Andy Warhol.  Do rsvp if you want to attend:  surfcity2@verizon.net.  You can find out more details on upcoming Surfboard on Parade events here: www.surfboardsonparade.org.


Do you have  your tickets yet for the Lions all-you-can-eat Crabfest?   The Crabfest is coming up March 30^th, 4pm at Old World.  This event sells out every year and no tickets will be available at the door.  Go to www.hblionscrabfest.com to get your tickets now.  Unlimited salad, clam chowder and crab will be flowing!  And there was just an announcement that the clam chowder this year will be provided by Kings Fish House. Can you say yum?!  Not only is it tummy stuffing event, there are also raffles, silent auction, entertainment and more.  A very fun time.  Don't miss out!  

A wet end of February in Huntington Beach

Ready to get nice and wet with the storm?  I'm looking outside at a nice sunset with lots of blue sky, so it will be interesting to see what is really in store.

As February comes to an end, I was checking to see what events we have coming up. I see we have lots of drink & food opportunities in the next few months.  For those of you who like to plan early.  Here are some you  can mark on your calendars:
Huntington Beach Lions Crabfest – March 30 – www.hblionscrabfest.com
Taste of Huntington Beach – April 27 – www.tastehb.com
Derby Day – May 3 – www.trchb.org/eventsnews.html
Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Please – May 4 – www.winecheeseandchocolateplease.com
Duck-a-Thon – May 16 , 17, 18 – www.duckathon.org
Relay for Life – June 7,8 – www.relayforlife.org/huntingtonbeachca
Wags N Wine – June 22 – www.wagsnwine.com

Okay, that is more than enough events for the moment.  The Relay for Life being the only non-drinking one!  But if you’ve ever lost anyone to cancer, you will definitely want to come out to this event.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit a new (well newish) business here in town.  Carrozza Surfboards run and owned by Bob Davis & Chris Carrozza.   What a cool business.   They are creating custom surfboards and definitely doing it right.  They have a great philosophy towards customer service – Take care of the client.  When they give a due date for a board, they stick to it.  They give back to the community by sponsoring young upcoming surf kids providing guidance and following a right track in life. They help those that might not otherwise ever get a chance to experience the joy of surfing.  They are very active with the Surfrider Foundation and involved in the community in other ways as well.  They are looking to have their boards offered in local shops in town.  If you have contacts, keep them in mind (www.carrozzasurboards.com).  I asked them to tell me a little more of their story, this is what they had to say: 
"We are 2 guys that randomly met and began surfing together and decided to start a surfboard company based on Chris's 10 + years of shaping experience in Maui, and Bobs many many years of sales and marketing experience. We sat down with a pen and paper and wrote down everything that we imagined we could do with this company and everything we wanted the company to become. Today, almost 2 years into this journey we are steadily growing and getting great feedback from the local community about our boards. We are stoked to be part of the HB community and look forward to meeting new people, making more boards for our local friends and giving back to the community that has helped us in so many ways”
Pay them a visit, keep them in mind when you need that new surfboard.  Visit their shaping room by appointment at 7501 Slater Ave, Unit S" here in Huntington Beach.  And check out their website to see their boards and more.

Happy 2014 Huntington Beach

Can you believe we are already more than half way through January!!  ugh!  And you know what that means...Valentine's is less than a month away!   Why not surprise your valentine with tickets to the Taste of Huntington Beach!!   You and your valentine will enjoy culinary treats from Huntington Beach's finest restaurants, paired with premium wines from California and local craft beers.  There is more – entertainment by Party Jones, silent auction, raffle and fabulous vendors. All this for one price of $55/person for General Admission and $75/person for our wonderful VIPs.  Hurry, sale ends February 28, 2014.  Buy your tickets now to use as a great Valentines gift.   Tickets are available at  www.tastehb.com and in person at Central Library of HB.  The date is April 27, 2014 – noon to 4pm at the Sports Complex.

Are you ready for our new Sprouts to open?  Goldenwest & Warner in the old Ralphs locations.  They are having their grand opening tomorrow (Wed) morning, 7am.  I imagine it is going to be crazy!    Also I noticed in town, unfortunately Scraps (Warner & Beach) has closed it doors. Also the FirePit down on Warner & PCH is no longer there, replaced by another Mediterranean restaurant, the Golden Olive.  Just some fyi.  :-)

If you are a Chamber of Commerce member, don't forget the Annual Gala is coming up Feb 21.  That is always a super fun event.  I already have my table reserved.   And get in some networking with chamber members tomorrow the 22nd for our B2B Networking Lunch.  This month we will be at the Assistance League on Slater just east of Beach, networking starts at 11am.  Come out and join us.   Additional networking can be done today with RBN at SeaCliff Country Club 11am.  Get more info on that at www.rbninfo.com.  Hopefully see you there (sorry about the late notice on this one, but I've been swamped with 3 new website design jobs!!).

Two networking events not to miss this week in Huntington Beach

Last minute reminder..  Don't forget tomorrow (Tuesday the 19th at 11am) is the RBN Networking Lunch at Seacliff Country Club (6501 Palm Ave).  RBN is offering a special for this meeting:  everyone will be the member price of $25 and can have a display table free (if they want one - first come first serve).  All the info can be found at www.rbninfo.com.  See you there.

The following day, the 20th, is our Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce networking lunch and holiday boutique.  Come do your shopping with local businesses.  If you are a chamber member and would like to display/sell your wares, no additional cost above the $20 to attend lunch.  If you are not a chamber member, but would like to come sell some stuff, it is the $20 for lunch and an additional $20 to have a table. Can't beat the deal.  The lunch will be held at the newly redecorated Ringside Restaurant (19092 Beach Blvd).  Recently they were featured on Bar Rescue on the Food Network. Worth checking out the results.  The details and contact info for that is HERE.  Tables are limited, so get your rsvp in now.  Some of the products you will find so far are:   Mary Kay,  dog clothes, Cookie Lee Jewelry, Ms. Kettle Kettlecorn, Apiori Beauty, gifts from a distance, Farm Fresh to You, Bianca's Costumes (great for the upcoming annual gala by the way), and more!!

Hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season and I see you this week at either or both RBN and Chamber.

Happy (early) Thanksgiving!

Here is an early reminder - a must for your calendar:
Waggin' Trails Rescue Foundation will be ringing in the holidays with a wine tasting event at the beautiful Waterfront Hilton Beach Resort in Huntington Beach on December 4 from 6:30pm - 9:ooopm..  This fun event is held during this magical time each year to save the lives of many animals now in shelters throughout California who would not have a chance at life without the support of people throughout the community.   The Waterfront Hilton will be transformed into a wonderland with beautiful holiday decorations.  Waggin' Trails Rescue Foundation is inviting everyone to celebrate the season with the knowledge that you are saving the life of an animal while enjoying a warm and cozy evening of fun and entertainment. For only $25, you will have the opportunity to taste outstanding wines from the Napa & Sonoma Valley (open pouring stations).  The chef of the Waterfront Hilton has a very tasty and REASONABLY priced menu prepared for your enjoyment to complement the wines that will be served.  And once again we are proud to feature Jim Nichols and his amazing music to entertain everyone throughout the evening.   Please go to www.WagginTrails.org to purchase your ticket or call  714-328-8661 for more information.  And please help us spread the word for this event.  It is very fun and 100% of the proceeds goes to saving the lives of dogs on "death row" and transports them to non-impacted shelters far north where folks are waiting to adopt!!

But before Dec 4 shows up, we've got some other upcoming you may be interested in.  Next week we have the monthly RBN Networking Lunch at Seacliff Country Club.  Tuesday the 19th at 11am.  They are offering a special for this meeting.  All first time guests can attend for the member price of $25 and have a display table free (if they want one).  All the info can be found at www.rbninfo.com.  See you there.

The following day, Wed the 20th, come join the HB Chamber of Commerce for their networking lunch at Old World Festival Hall.  They will be serving up a traditional Thanksgiving meal for our us. Start that filling up on turkey early!  11:30am.  All the details can be found HERE.   And then to round out the day, you can join the chamber that same evening at their Network at Night mixer at Zimzala in the Shorebreak on the Strand.  530pm - 7:30pm.  $20 to attend which includes unlimited appetizer tastes and wine/beer.  Can't beat that deal.  Visit with friends, make new ones, meet other local business poeple!  Network, network!

Finally (for this email), the next lunch for the Chamber will be on Dec 18 and will be a holiday boutique.  Come do your shopping with local businesses.  If you are a chamber member and would like to display/sell your wares, no additional cost above the $20 to attend lunch.  If you are not a chambe rmember, but would like to come sell some stuff, it is the $20 for lunch and an additional $20 to have a table.  That is an awesome deal.  The lunch will be held at the newly redecorated Ringside Restaurant on Beach Blvd.  Recently they were featured on Bar Rescue on the Food Network. Worth checking out the results.  The details and contact info for that is HERE.  Tables are limited, so get your rsvp in now