Courting courtyard customers

Candles, jewelry, home-style munchable goodies, art and music — a place where you can get it all at once is coming together at the hands of a few real estate professionals pursuing their other working dreams.

From noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at the grand opening of their Cottage Courtyards Shops on the main drag of Balboa Island, Giron Grubbs; his daughter, Kaycie Grubbs; Linda Bucci; Stacy MacAndrews Roberts; and Neil Roberts are realizing their dream of a community-oriented hangout spot where they can hawk their wares.

The business partners will host a party for the community with live entertainment from award-winning musician Alec Bridges, as well as the art of island local Kathy Esnard.

The courtyard where the shops are located are set back from the street and easily missed if someone is just passing by, but MacAndrews Roberts, who lives in San Diego County, and her partners hope to change that. Their goal is to create a welcoming space with outdoor furniture where people can sit and read or chat.

MacAndrews Roberts and her husband run CandlEssence in one of the spaces, where they make their own custom-scented candles. Bucci, who lives in Costa Mesa, displays her handmade jewelry under the name Ms. Gotrocks Jewelry. The Grubbs duo, who live in Newport Beach, have brought their business Weldon Farms from cyberspace to the Marine Avenue retail space.

On Thursday, the owners held another opening celebration, and they hope that Thursday night’s and Saturday’s events will show their emphasis and commitment to art and music while bringing in extra business.

“This is just a perfect venue for artists to show their work,” MacAndrews Roberts said Thursday. “We’ve set the bar high with Alec [Bridges] and Kathy” Esnard.

Bridges has a fond place in his heart for Balboa Island, where he lived last year and where his grandmother resides. Bridges recently won the 2007 Los Angeles Music Award for best alternative Americana album of the year for his first solo album. Previously, he toured for a couple of years with South African band Ginger South. His mellow sound stems from musical influences such as Dave Matthews Band and Jeff Buckley.

MacAndrews Roberts found Bridges through MySpace, an online social networking site, and said he immediately replied to her post calling for local musicians.

“I think it’s pretty cool,” Bridges said Thursday. “It’s a nice little outdoor courtyard…. It’s a nice, mellow little vibe.”

That kind of vibe meshes well with the Balboa Island atmosphere, MacAndrews said.

On Saturday, the cottage owners will serve up snacks, coffee and hospitality as Bridges plays an acoustic guitar and Esnard displays her work, which features many popular attractions in Newport.

The team plans on serving complimentary coffee just about every day now that it’s opened, and they expect to have an artist showcase at least once a month to promote locals.

The Cottage Courtyard Shops are at 327 Marine Ave., between Hidden Treasures and Shirley’s Heart.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Grand opening celebration of the Cottage Courtyard Shops on Balboa Island

WHERE: 327 Marine Ave.

WHEN: Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday

COST: Free