Paper Fair, Costa Mesa, and local events/programs

Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa, 1948. (Photo courtesy O.C. Archives)

The Vintage Postcard & Paper Fair is returning to Pasadena this weekend. If you have any interest in collecting historic images and ephemera of Southern California, this is the way to do it! This event features dozens of dealers with gajillions of postcards, photos, brochures, and other paper collectibles. I never go to one of these things without running into at least a few local historians I know. The Paper Fair will be held Fri-Sun. See Hal Lutzky's website for details.

The Dana Point Historical Society is talking about putting together small exhibits about the City's history, to be displayed at various points around town. Sounds like a worthwhile effort. 180 years ago today, Jebediah Smith (no relation to Jedediah Springfield) became the first American to reach Mexican California overland.

The O.C. Genealogical Society will offer a variety of "how-to" seminars on Saturday at the Huntington Beach Library. Visit their website for details.

The historic Howe-Waffle House, at Sycamore and Civic Center Drive in Santa Ana will be open for tours on Saturday, Noon to 4pm. The Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society is calling this a "Special Holiday Open House," but I'm not sure which holiday. Groundhog Day? Anyway, it's worth a visit.