Events

View our full calendar of events and classes here.

Sherman Library & Gardens offers an inspired line-up of classes and events every month for you to enjoy! With offerings ranging from wellness workshops and children’s activities, to floral design classes, lectures in the library, and plant shows, there is something for everyone to experience.

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Lecture: W.S. Collins: Balboa Island Visionary, Con Man or Both?

November 19 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

The farsighted land speculator is best known for buying the entire Newport Beach townsite in 1902 and next creating Balboa Island out of a tiny, mosquito-ridden mudflat. But Collins also had a darker side that’s been rarely explored: shady deals, broken promises, five wives, and endless controversies. Though only spending little more than a decade in Newport Beach, W.S. Collins may be the most interesting person in city history.

 

Bill Lobdell is a local historian who produces a popular podcast called “Newport Beach in the Rearview Mirror,” along with “History in a Newport Minute” videos that have gotten more than 1.5 million views. Bill’s love for Newport Beach history began during his decade-long stint as the award-winning editor of the Daily Pilot. He also worked as an award-winning investigative reporter and editor for the Los Angeles Times for many years. Bill lives in Corona del Mar.

Sherman Library & Gardens Evening Lecture Series are Presented by South Coast Plaza.