While Spring may technically start March 20th, blooming has already begun in Orange County and with that some amazing events we just couldn’t wait to share with you! Feel free to jump to a month if you’re here past the beginning of March 2019. (Jump to April | Jump to May )
Pacific Symphony: Lantern Festival – Costa Mesa
March 2, 2019 | 11 am – 5 pm
Bring the entire family for Pacific Symphony’s annual Lantern Festival, celebrating the Year of the Pig! The Lantern Festival, which can be traced back 2,000 years, takes place 15 days after the Lunar New Year—on the first full moon night in the lunar calendar—and marks the return of spring, representing the reunion of family. At the festival, you’ll have the opportunity to decorate your very own lantern, take in live music, try your hand at solving a riddle, take a Chinese folk dance lesson and more!
LOCATION:
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Festival of Whales – Dana Point
March 2 & 3 and 9 & 10, 2019 | Times Vary
The annual Dana Point Festival of Whales celebrates the return of the once-endangered California Gray Whale with a leviathan-size event. In addition to whale watching at the height of whale watching season, festival includes a kick-off parade, Sand Sculpting, Ocean Awareness Day, musical entertainment, on-the-water Concert, Whale of a Block Party, Art Shows, Pancake Breakfast, BBQs, Kids Interpretive Crafts, Classic Car Exhibits, Lectures/Seminars at multiple venues including the Ocean Institute, Historic Walking Tours, Paddling Events, Sailing/Rowing/Kayak/SUP Demos, plus much more!
LOCATION:
Dana Point Harbor
El Presidente Ball – San Juan Capistrano
March 16, 2019 | 6 pm – 10 pm
Journey back to the late 1800s of early California and let the Fiesta Association show you how “the West was fun” at this western style dinner dance.
Enjoy some great food and old-fashioned fun while dancing under the stars (weather permitting) to live country-western style music.
LOCATION:
El Adobe de Capistrano
31891 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano
Dachshund Races – Huntington Beach
March 17, 2019 | 3 pm (doors open at 2 pm)
Great Family Fun! Come see these short legged but swift ‘wiener dogs’ race to the finish line once a month at Old World Village. Arrive early and stay for lunch on their dog-friendly patio.
LOCATION:
Old World Village
7561 Center Ave., Huntington Beach
Swallows Day Parade & Mercado – San Juan Capistrano
March 23, 2019 | Parade Begins Promptly at 11 am
The Parade takes place in downtown San Juan Capistrano. This is the nation’s largest non-motorized parade. It is totally organized and presented by the San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association.
The Mercado is a Street Fair and Market Place where you can eat, drink, and shop at over 100 booths. It is THE place to be after the parade! Listen and dance to the music of The Working Cowboy Band, a traditional country music band.
LOCATION:
Downtown San Juan Capistrano
EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA – Orange
March 30 – April 20th | Times Vary | OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK (weather permitting)
Hop on over with family and friends to enjoy this fun and exciting Springtime event. Children can meet and have their photo taken with the Easter Bunny as well as participate in several activities that are located throughout the area.
Weekdays 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Weekends 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
LOCATION:
Irvine Park Railroad
1 Irvine Park Road, Orange
Annual ‘Gardenfest’ – San Clemente
April 13 | 8am – 2pm
Hosted by the San Clemente Garden Club. Admission is FREE! Families are welcome.
This year’s highlights include annual Plant Sale and Garden Flea Market, exhibits demonstrating sustainable practices for your garden, garden-related opportunities in our community, Open to the Public ‘funky container’ and ‘floral design’ contests, San Clemente Art Association’s Garden and Flower Show painting competition, Butterfly Habitat Education and Water Smart Program.
LOCATION:
San Clemente Community Center
100 N Calle Seville, San Clemente
Newport Beach Film Festival – Newport Beach
April 25 – May 2 | Times Vary
Set in beautiful Newport Beach, a few blocks away from spectacular coastline and less than an hour from Hollywood, the Festival annually host several premieres and galas for a singular festival experience. This year’s festival will be screening over 300 features and short films and welcoming over 500 filmmakers and 50,000 film fans to Orange County.
LOCATION:
Various theaters in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa & Santa Ana
Pet Expo – Costa Mesa
April 26-28 | Times Vary
A giant animal entertainment and education festival. It’s the largest pet and pet product expo in the world. Over 1,000 animals will entertain you in stage shows, competit, ons and demonstrations including dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, rodents, goats, pigs, llamas, rabbits, miniature horses and more. There will also be pet adoptions, pet products for sale, petting zoo, how-to workshops and advice from animal experts. It is presented by a nonprofit organization to promote responsible pet care. Please do not bring your pets.
LOCATION:
OC Fair & Event Center
88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa
Annual Street Painting – Arts Alive Festival – Mission Viejo
April (2019 date TBA)
Artist from all over transforms and capture amazing beauty of art using pastel chalk as the medium to blend onto asphalt as their canvases. With each artist’s techniques and their enthusiasm for the love of art, you can truly experience the metamorphosis around you.
LOCATION:
Norman P. Murray Community Center
24932 Veterans Way at La Paz Rd, Mission Viejo
Sandcastles on Main – Huntington Beach
Saturday, April (2019 date TBA)
Huntington Beach Downtown closes the middle block of Main Street and invites teams to compete in different sandcastle building categories. See who ends up crafting the best sand fortresses!
LOCATION:
Main St & Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach
Annual Muckenthaler Motorcar Festival – Fullerton
May 18-19 | Times Vary
Featuring car rally, motor movies & Concours d’Elegance and Horseless Carriage Tour. Live performances in the outdoor amphitheater by The Pleasure Tones on Saturday and Janet Klein and Her Parlor Boys on Sunday. Proceeds benefit youth arts education and outreach programs.
LOCATION:
Held at Muckenthaler Cultural Center
1201 W. Malvern Ave., Fullerton
Scottish Fest – Costa Mesa
May 25-26 | 9am – 6pm
The event features hundreds of bagpipers and drummers, Scottish and Irish food and vendors, Scottish clans, Highland dancing and traditional Scottish feats of strength like the hammer throw, putting the stone and caber toss. Part of the United Scottish Society, the festival was established in 1932 and was called a Highland Games in the tradition of Scottish heritage.
LOCATION:
OC Fair and Event Center
88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa
Discovery Cube’s Annual Rocket Launch – Huntington Beach
May (2019 date TBA) | 9am – 2pm
Located on campus at The Boeing Company in Huntington Beach, this event is full of hands-on activities for all ages and includes a competition where you’ll design, build and launch your own 2-liter bottle rocket with pressurized air and water. Rockets with the longest “hang time” will be awarded prizes! Rocket Launch is a free community event available to science, rocket and engineer enthusiasts of all ages.
LOCATION:
The Boeing Company
5301 Bolsa Avenue, Huntington Beach
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