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8th Annual Gourmet by the Bay Returns to Newport Beach

08.07.26

Newport Bay Conservancy will host its 8th Annual Gourmet by the Bay dinner and auction on Saturday, Aug. 15, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Muth Interpretive Center in Newport Beach.

The evening kicks off with wine, beer, a featured cocktail and live music, all set against sweeping views of the Upper Newport Bay. Do or Dine Catering will handle dinner, Tap Truck Orange County will pour the drinks, and Bristol Farms will provide appetizers and desserts. Guests can also browse the event's silent auction while mingling with fellow supporters of the bay.

Newport Bay Conservancy is a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and preserving the bay and its watershed. Proceeds from Gourmet by the Bay, drawn from ticket sales, sponsorships and donations, go directly toward that mission.

The organization runs educational programs for students and the public and conducts research in the bay's protected tidelands and uplands. Its science-based approach helps sustain central Orange County's watershed so residents and visitors can continue to enjoy the bay's natural beauty and habitat. Newport Bay Conservancy is currently in what it calls its "restoration era," working with several partners on the third and final phase of a multimillion-dollar restoration of Big Canyon, the largest remaining natural canyon on the bay's east side.

Sponsorship and Registration

This year's event is sponsored in part by Tap Truck Orange County, Do or Dine Catering and Bristol Farms Newport Beach, in partnership with Orange County Parks. Newport Bay Conservancy is also offering specially curated experiences as part of the silent auction.

Registration is available at events.humanitix.com/gbtb2026.

More details about Newport Bay Conservancy are available at newportbay.org.

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Library Foundation Brings the Voice Behind Williams’ Music to Witte Hall

08.07.26

The Library Foundation of Newport Beach is bringing a rare treat to Witte Hall this month: an evening with the person who spent years researching the life of John Williams, the composer behind some of the most recognizable film scores ever written.

Arts journalist and educator Tim Greiving will speak Thursday, Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. as part of Newport Beach Art Week. Greiving is the author of the first full biography of Williams, whose Oscar nomination count remains unmatched in Motion Picture Academy history.

Williams' scores have shaped generations of moviegoing, including "Star Wars," "Indiana Jones," "Jaws," "E.T.," "Jurassic Park," "Schindler's List" and the "Harry Potter" series. He served as principal conductor of the Boston Pops from 1980 to 1993 and has conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra and Vienna Philharmonic, among others. He has also written classical concertos and orchestral works performed in concert halls worldwide.

Greiving is based in Los Angeles and knows this world well. He has written program notes for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Royal Albert Hall and the Walt Disney Company, and liner notes for more than 100 soundtrack albums. He also contributes to the Motion Picture Academy's Visual History Program and teaches film music history at the USC Thornton School of Music.

The talk will include film clips of key musical moments from Williams' career, shown on Witte Hall's high-definition video wall.

Tickets are available through the Library Foundation website.

Witte Hall, 998 Avocado Avenue in Newport Beach.

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