This Saturday Night: Richard Marx to Entertain Festival of Arts Visitors at the Acura Celebrity Event, One Lucky Ticketholder Will Win a Brand New Acura ZDX

LAGUNA BEACH, CA--(Marketwire - Aug 23, 2011) - This Saturday night, August 27th, admired singer and songwriter Richard Marx will host the most momentous night of the summer art season: the Acura Celebrity Event at the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts. All summer long, Festival of Arts visitors have been purchasing raffle tickets for a chance to win a brand new Acura ZDX (valued over $50,000), and on Saturday night the winning ticket will be announced.

The evening will be one to remember, beginning at 5 pm when attending celebrities will walk the red carpet at the Festival of Arts entrance, including Camryn Manheim (GHOST WHISPERER), Jo Frost (SUPER NANNY), Robert David Hall (CSI), Greg Grunberg (HEROES), Vanessa Branch (THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movies), Joseph Mascolo (DAYS OF OUR LIVES), Dorian Harewood (BOOMTOWN), Richard Karn (HOME IMPROVEMENT), Brenda Strong (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES), Marion Ross and many others.

At 7pm, in the intimate ambiance of the Festival of Arts, guests will be treated to a rare performance by Richard Marx. From 1987 to 1990, Marx became the first male solo artist in history to have his first seven singles reach the top five on Billboard's singles chart, including the #1 hits "Hold On to the Nights," "Satisfied" and the worldwide classic, "Right Here Waiting." Thirty million album sales later, Marx continues to be one of the most prolific songwriters and producers of his generation. At 8pm on Saturday evening, he will pull the winning ticket for the Acura ZDX, up until which time tickets will continue to be sold ($5 for one ticket, $20 for five tickets -- the winning ticketholder need not be present to win). The funds raised will benefit the Festival of Arts programming and Building Fund for improvements and renovations. Following the pulling of the ticket, Mr. Marx will make his first-ever visit to the Festival of Arts to take in a performance of the critically acclaimed Pageant of the Masters production of "Only Make Believe."

"It's the most anticipated night of the season," said Sharbie Higuchi, director of marketing and PR for the Festival of Arts. "Acura has been incredibly generous and they deserve a great amount of recognition for their dedication to the arts. We also appreciate KOST Radio 103.5, which has shown tremendous support for the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters. We can't wait to welcome Mr. Marx, our other celebrity friends and most of all, the Festival of Arts fans who will have a fabulous time at the Acura Celebrity Event!"

The Acura Celebrity Event is free with Festival of Arts admission ($7 for adults, $4 for seniors and students). Pageant ticket holders may also attend the event. Acura, KOST Radio 103.5 and Columbia Crest sponsor this event.

The Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters are sponsored in part by Acura, Fidelity Investments, KOST Radio 103.5, the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Vizio, Cox Communications and the Orange County Register. The Festival of Arts is a non-profit organization that produces The Festival of Arts -- California's Premier Fine Art Show and the Pageant of the Masters -- Where Art Comes to Life. For general information, call 949-494-1145 or visit the website at www.LagunaFestivalofArts.org. The event is located at 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, California. Proceeds support the arts and art education in and about Laguna Beach.

Editor's Note: Interviews with artisans and performers featured in this year's The Festival of Arts as well as images of artwork including slides, photographs and digital/CDs are available upon request.