NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Oct. 1, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The Junior League of Orange County, California, Inc., (JLOCC) has announced that The Christmas Company, its popular annual fundraiser, will celebrate its opening night with An Evening of Food & Wine ($75), 6 - 10 p.m., Friday, November 16. The event will be held at Orange County Fair & Exposition Center located at Fair Drive and the 55 Freeway in Costa Mesa.
Wine tastings courtesy of Gallo Family Vineyards, Napa Valley Vineyard, Ghost Pines, Gascon and Frei Brothers Reserve will be accompanied by small-plate dining contributed by restaurants such as Bluewater Grill, Five Crowns, The Cannery, Villa Nova, and more. Tickets to the Evening of Food and Wine can be purchased online at www.jlocc.org or by calling (949) 263-3785.
Admission to the wine tasting will also include access to shopping among more than 100 unique and one-of-a-kind retailers from Orange County and around the country gathered for the four-day shopping extravaganza which takes place Friday-Monday, November 16-19. Themed "The Spirit of Christmas," the event attracts as many as 20,000 attendees annually.
Opening day, Friday, November 16, will start with a Preferred Shopping Breakfast ($30) offered 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. From 10 a.m.-10 p.m., general admission is priced at $10 per person. General admission tickets can be purchased at the door. Tickets for the breakfast can be purchased by calling (949) 263-3785 or at www.jlocc.org .
On Saturday, November 17, Early Bird Shopping ($20) is scheduled for 8-10 a.m. General Admission ($10) shopping will be held 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The American Girl Fashion Shows ($27) will be held on Saturday (1 p.m. and 4 p.m.) and Sunday (10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m.).
This year marks the 32nd anniversary of The Christmas Company, which has raised more than $6.5 million for the benefit of JLOCC's charitable projects including the Orange County Bar Foundation, Orange County Children's Therapeutic Arts Center, Casa Teresa Inc., Girls Inc., Orangewood Children's Foundation's Bridges to Higher Learning, Impact Orange County, and Bear Hugs. The organization also awards thousands of dollars in grants and scholarships each year. As a solely educational and charitable organization, the JLOCC's trained volunteers actively support the community through collaboration with organizations that promote and support the health, safety and education of women and children.
About the Junior League of Orange County, California, Inc.
The Junior League of Orange County, California, Inc., is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and the leadership of trained volunteers. JLOCC has contributed to Orange County by helping found organizations such as Orangewood Children's Home and the Volunteer Center of Orange County, among others. JLOCC's purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. A 501(c)(3) organization, the JLOCC reaches out to women of all races, religions, and national origins. Originally founded in 1956 as the Newport Harbor Service League, the JLOCC is a member organization of the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. To learn more about the JLOCC, call (949) 261-0823 or visit www.jlocc.org.