Pier party

June Casagrande

If these were your piers, you’d celebrate too. And if you live in

Newport Beach, technically, these are your piers. So “Salute to Summer”

is all about you.

The three-day event will celebrate the reopening of the Balboa Pier,

as well as the Newport Pier, the completion of the first phase of

renovation of the entire Balboa Village and, as if that weren’t enough to

celebrate, it’s also Ruby’s Diner’s 20th anniversary.

“This whole thing kind of snowballed into what looks like a really

big, fun event,” said Marilee Jackson, spokeswoman for the city of

Newport Beach.

The idea started when Ruby’s Diner approached the city to arrange a

ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate its anniversary.

“At that point, we got to thinking not only is the pier reopening, but

the phase of work there coming to a completion, all told, represents $10

million in renovation,” Jackson said. “Now, we feel, is a good time for

celebration.”

Festivities will begin on the first day of summer, Friday, June 21,

with a morning ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially reopen Balboa Pier

and to mark Ruby’s anniversary. City-sponsored events will continue until

4 p.m., with face-painting, music, and recreational and educational

activities. Then the merchants take over, and that’s when the party gets

even bigger.

“Now that the pier is finished, which is really exciting, we wanted

something really special to draw people down here to see the new look and

feel,” said Gay Wassall-Kelly, head of the peninsula’s merchants

association and a lead planner of “Salute to Summer.” “We got to

thinking, how can we continue this through the weekend?”

The answer is: with a huge sidewalk sale, Shakespeare vignettes

performed in the park, a casino night, a PT Cruisers display and

strolling musicians -- and these are just some of the events being

planned to provide nonstop fun to last through Sunday evening.

“Everyone is so happy and excited about the changes here,”

Wassall-Kelly said. “It’s just more inviting.”

Balboa Pier, along with the Newport Pier, underwent their biggest

renovation ever during the winter months. At the same time that this $2.7

million worth of work was underway to beautify and strengthen the piers,

city crews were working throughout Balboa Village, widening sidewalks,

improving the Balboa Pier parking lot and beautifying pier plaza.

More work is in the cards, but for now, city officials and local

merchants agree, it’s time to stop and celebrate.

FYI

WHAT: “Salute to Summer,” a three-day celebration in Balboa Village

WHEN: June 21-23

WHERE: Along Balboa Boulevard and throughout the village, with events

in Peninsula Park, at the pier and along the sidewalks

PHONE: (949) 644-3031