What’s Happening in Arts & Culture in Orange County in 2024
- Culture OC Staff
- Jan 17, 2024
- 19 min read
Updated: Apr 26, 2024
World premieres, the reopening of a growing museum, and cultural events galore are on the schedule for the Orange County arts and culture calendar during winter/spring 2024.
The new year is already looking promising for artists, cultural warriors and arts and culture enthusiasts in Orange County. Plenty of festivals and cultural events are planned, the Hilbert Museum of California Art will see a grand reopening in February, and world and national premieres are scheduled in theater, dance and music.
Here’s a look at what’s on tap in visual arts, dance, theater, classical and other music, food and drink, and culture in 2024, brought to you by Culture OC’s talented team of arts and culture writers. While this is not meant to be a comprehensive list, it should give you an idea of what’s worth marking down in your calendar, and what’s worth spending your hard-earned money on.
Click on the arrow next to the topic below to discover our staff picks.
Visual arts
2024 is already shaping up to be a promising year for the visual arts in Orange County.
The Hilbert Museum of California Art will reopen in February, Asian comics will get their spotlight at the Bowers Museum, and Laguna Art Museum has two exhibitions planned: “Modern Alchemy: from Feb. 17-July 29, and “On the Edge: Los Angeles Art from the Joan and Jack Quinn Family Collection” from March 23-Sept. 2.
Here’s a look at five of the most anticipated moments in early 2024 and the spring season in the visual arts in Orange County. – Richard Chang
Reopening of the Hilbert Museum of California Art
When: Opening day: Feb. 23. Ongoing, hours will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays
Where: Hilbert Museum, 167 N. Atchison St., Orange
Cost: Free; reservations recommended
Contact: (714) 516-5880 or hilbertmuseum.org
One of the biggest occasions of the fledgling new year will be the reopening of the Hilbert Museum of California Art. Scheduled to open to the public on Feb. 23, the Hilbert – located across the train station in Old Towne Orange – will expand from 7,500 square feet to 22,000 square feet, nearly tripling its space. Eight exhibitions are slated to open, including “Millard Sheets,” curated by Jean Stern; “A Matter of Style: Modernism in California Scene Art: 1930-1970s,” curated by Gordon McClelland; “Eye Dazzlers: Marvels of Navajo Weaving,” curated by museum director Mary Platt; and “Emigdio Vasquez: Works from the Fred Ortiz Collection.” The Hilbert will have a new entrance, and will continue to be free, although reservations are recommended.
‘Asian Comics: Evolution of an Artform’
When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, March 9-Sept. 8
Where: Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana
Cost: $25-$28, $10 for children under 12 and Santa Ana residents on Sundays
Contact: (714) 567-3600; bowers.org
The Bowers Museum is showcasing an ambitious and wide-ranging collection of original Asian comics artwork, from Japanese woodblock prints to Hindu scroll paintings to contemporary digital works. Japanese manga will take center stage, but the exhibition will also include lesser known genres and artists. The curator is Paul Gravett from the Barbican Centre in London. More than 500 artworks will be on view, providing insight into how these comics have permeated other forms of media and pop culture, including cinema, animation, fashion, music and video games.
‘Joan Brown’ at OCMA
When: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Jan. 26-June 2
Where: OCMA, 3333 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa
Cost: Free
Contact: (714) 780-2130 or ocma.art
The Orange County Museum of Art is presenting the most in-depth examination of the Bay Area artist Joan Brown’s oeuvre in 20 years. When the new OCMA building opened in 2022, the inaugural “13 Women” exhibition included “The Journey #5” by Brown, and visitors have responded enthusiastically. This collection, organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, will feature more than 40 works, including paintings and sculptures. Brown, who died in India in 1990 at 52 years young, was the only woman in the second generation of the Bay Area Figurative Movement.
‘Through the Dreamhouse’ at BREA Gallery
When: Noon-5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Jan. 27-March 22
Where: Brea Gallery, 1 Civic Center Circle, Brea
Cost: $3 general admission, $2 seniors, military and students, free for Brea residents and children under 12
Contact: (714) 990-7731 or breagallery.com
This group exhibition will delve into the symbolism and power of domestic spaces, using both traditional and unconventional media to examine the intimate and introspective characteristics of a household. Artists will include Tanya Brodsky, Reed van Brunschot, Patty Carroll, Josephine Close, Maria Antonia Eguiarte, Emily Babette Gross, Mary Kudlak, Lynn Dau, Joetta Maue, Ekaterina Popova, Amanda Rowan, Bria Tyler and Tessie Salcido Whitmore. A free reception is scheduled for opening night, 5-7 p.m. Jan. 27, and it will feature the artists, music and light refreshments. See the dream home as you never saw it before.
‘Urban Expression’ at OCCCA
When: Noon-5 p.m. Fridays-Sundays; weekdays by appointment. Feb. 3-March 23
Where: 117 N. Sycamore St., Santa Ana
Cost: Free; works are for sale
Contact: (714) 667-1517 or occca.org
Juror Kelly “Risk” Graval, who has been affiliated with the Los Angeles art community for over 30 years, selected 26 artists and 53 works for “Urban Expression.” Seven of the artists are from Orange County. Gravel is a founder of the West Coast Graffiti movement. Artists will include Orell Anderson, Aaron Bernard, Gianne de Genevraye, Nikola Katsikis, Jason Leith, Kathe Madrigal, Debra Manville, Robin Repp and Randy Wheele.
During the exhibition, there will be an art talk, "The Vampire Who Said He Was You" by Annabella Pritchard on Feb.11 and an art workshop on pastel drawing by de Genevraye on Feb. 17. Both are free but space will be limited, so an RSVP will be required at info.occca@gmail.com.
An opening reception is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 3 from 6-10 p.m. There will be live music, and food will be served.
Dance
I am eagerly awaiting the kaleidoscope of dance performances coming to Orange County this year – the programming is a true testament to the growing and thriving appreciation for dance, and not just for the familiar classics, but embracing innovative and bold selections.
There’s plenty to see in Orange County including American Ballet Theatre’s anticipated premiere of “Woolf Works,” but patrons willing to make the drive to Los Angeles will find some notable events. Pina Bausch’s “The Rite of Spring,” one of the 20th century’s most significant works in dance, will make history at The Music Center with a specially assembled group of more than 30 dancers from 13 African countries. The North American premiere of Matthew Bourne’s retelling of “Romeo and Juliet” comes to the Ahmanson Theater and Alvin Ailey begins its multi-year residency at The Music Center.
From contemporary ballet to just plain contemporary, tap, stepping and flamenco, the upcoming lineup promises to be a captivating journey through the rich and dynamic world of dance. – Kaitlin Wright
Alonzo King LINES Ballet
When: 7:30 p.m., Jan. 20
Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: Start at $39
Contact: scfta.org or 714-556-2787
Over its 41-year history, Alonzo King LINES Ballet has been known to create works around themes that explore the affinities between Western and Eastern classical forms, elemental materials, the natural world, and the human spirit. This week, six pieces by choreographer Alonzo King will make their Costa Mesa debut at Segerstrom Center for the Arts when the San Francisco-based company takes the stage with a mixed repertory program. The program includes “Following the Subtle Current Upstream,” “Dust and Light,” “Writing Ground,” “Resin,” “Suite Etta,” and “Child of Sky and Earth.”
Along with innovative movement, audiences will be treated to a range of music styles including blues, Italian baroque, pop, and jazz, as well as music from Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Tibetan Buddhist influences. In a press release for the performance, King said “If you could choose masterful composers from around the world, why would you limit yourself to one genre?” says Alonzo King. “A lament is a lament, regardless of its place of origin. I simply want to work with tuning forks that vibrate truth, for movement and sound are both vibrations; they are inextricably linked."
Photo credit: Three distinct companies will perform at the Laguna Dance Festival in February. Photo 1: New Zealand-based Black Grace. Photo 2: Los Angeles Ballet dancer Aviva Gelfer-Mundl. Photo 3: The women of Syncopated Ladies’ all-female tap production. Photos courtesy of Laguna Dance Festival.
Laguna Dance Festival
When: Various times, Feb. 22-25
Where: Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach
Cost: $30, student; $60, general
Contact: lagunadancefestival.org
The Laguna Dance Festival was founded in 2005 by Orange County resident Jodie Gates. Gates has a successful and storied dance career that includes time spent as an artistic director, educator, choreographer, producer, stager and principal dancer. Her vision for the Laguna Dance Festival is to present world-class dance performances on the West Coast and increase public appreciation for dance. The nonprofit also has a significant education mission with an annual summer intensive program and master classes.
This year, the festival is presenting three very different companies which makes for an exciting sequence of programming. Up first is Black Grace, hailing from New Zealand who will bring choreography by Neil Ieremia that fuses contemporary dance with traditional Samoan movement. Los Angeles’ leading ballet company Los Angeles Ballet will take the stage with a contemporary ballet “Tableaux Vivants” and another work adapted from film to stage called “Reclamation.” Last, the all-female tap production Syncopated Ladies will show off their intricate footwork in pieces set to some of today’s top hits.
Snippets from Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo’s “Coppél-i.A.” from the Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, choreographed by Jean Christophe Maillot
Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo’s ‘Coppél-i.A’
When: Various times, March 7-10
Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: Start at $39
Contact: scfta.org or 714-556-2787
The classic ballet “Coppelia” was created in 1870 and tells the story of an inventor who made a life-size dancing doll. The doll causes confusion in the village by distracting a groom-to-be from his true love. In Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo’s version by choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot, the cast finds itself in the not-so-distant future, where artificial intelligence fools the characters and causes them to question the norms of love and relationships in an age of technology – something anyone who has spent time on a dating app has probably experienced!
Maillot’s production reimagines a familiar tale using an original score and new sets and costumes.
American Ballet Theatre and Wayne McGregor’s ‘Woolf Works’
When: Various times, April 11-14
Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: Start at $39
Contact: scfta.org or 714-556-2787
American Ballet Theatre, the official dance company of Segerstrom Center for the Arts, will perform the North American Premiere of Wayne McGregor’s “Woolf Works” in April. This original ballet is based on the writing of famed English author Virginia Woolf who wrote modernist classics including “Mrs. Dalloway” and “To the Lighthouse,” as well as pioneering feminist texts. The ballet is inspired by three of Woolf’s novels “Mrs. Dalloway,” “Orlando,” and “The Waves” along with her letters and diary entries.
Created for The Royal Ballet in 2015, “Woolf Works” was met with much critical acclaim and received awards for Best Classical Choreography and Best New Dance Production.
McGregor said in a press release that the choreography and design were created “in the spirit of Woolf’s writing” rather than it being a direct translation, taking on Woolf’s trademark stream-of-consciousness narrative and unconventional structure. The original score by Max Richter will be performed live by the Pacific Symphony.
Bonus mention: Backhausdance
When: 8 p.m. March 27
Where: The Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine
Cost: $25-$95
Contact: thebarclay.org or 949-854-4646
I mentioned Orange County’s own Backhausdance and the kickoff of their 21st season in our fall preview, but this spring, the company will perform in Orange County proper at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. The mixed repertory program will include three new works by Backhausdance associate artistic director Amanda Kay White, Alice Klock and Florian Lochner of Flock dance company, and Peter Chu, respectively, and a restaging of artistic director Jennifer Backhaus’ “Love and Other Impossibilities” which won the Lester Horton Award for choreography in 2007.
Theater
Well-crafted stage dramas have the power to compel us to empathize. All of the selected productions coming to Orange County this spring do exactly that.
The searing Holocaust drama “A Shayna Maidel” comes to Laguna Playhouse in March. South Coast Repertory has overhauled its 1988 world premiere “Prelude to a Kiss” as a Broadway-style musical. Drama of a different sort is portrayed in the rock musical “Hedwig and The Angry Inch,” which is receiving two stagings this spring by two prominent Orange County theater companies – Chance Theater and Maverick Theater.
You couldn’t do much better than to take in any one of these stagings – let alone all five. – Eric Marchese
‘Hedwig and The Angry Inch’
When: Jan. 28 through Feb. 25
Where: Chance Theater, 5522 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim Hills
Admission: $8-$49
Contact: 888-455-4212, chancetheater.com
~and~
When: May 17 through June 15
Where: Maverick Theater, 110 E. Walnut Ave., Fullerton
Admission: $30 general, $15 students with ID
Contact: 714-526-7070, mavericktheater.com
Based on his life as the son of a U.S. Army major general who had commanded the U.S. sector of occupied West Berlin, John Cameron Mitchell dreamed up this 1998 rock musical, which follows the exploits of genderqueer East German singer Hedwig Robinson of the fictional rock band The Angry Inch.
Stephen Trask’s music and lyrics mesh the androgynous 1970s glam rock of David Bowie with the styles of John Lennon and of early punk rockers Lou Reed and Iggy Pop.
Now, two productions of the show are coming to Orange County. Matthew McCray, Chance Theater’s director, said that by being “highly theatrical,” the company’s production promises to “highlight the inherent psychological struggle within the musical about garnering strength from life’s challenges. In that way, ‘Hedwig’ carries a very universal message.”
McCray adds that “this wild piece moves at lightning speed, and just when you don’t expect it, another joke has you laughing.” He said Chance’s staging “is headlined by a tour-de-force performance” by Tom Avery in the lead role of Hedwig and that it features a live on-stage rock band. The resulting show is “vibrant and electric.”
Maverick Theater’s Brian Newell is looking to create a “more intimate” staging akin to his original musical concert play “Elvis ’68,” which was staged in the venue’s black box and featured an on-stage band. Stephen Hulsey will direct and music-direct a cast headed by Dennis Tong as Hedwig.
“The band is on stage with Hedwig the whole time,” Newell said, “and it’s supposed to be like they’re not in a typical music venue.” He notes that the off-Broadway version of “Hedwig” uses a proscenium stage like Maverick’s main cabaret venue, but that he’s instead using his theater’s black box space “to give it that awkward retail space feel.”
‘A Shayna Maidel’
When: March 13-31
Where: Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Drive, Laguna Beach
Admission: $45-$84
Contact: 949-497-2787, lagunaplayhouse.com
Director David Ellenstein is an old hand at directing what he calls “a beautiful play about hope, resiliency and family.” He helmed it in San Diego in 1990 and at North Coast Repertory Theatre in 2008, calling both “powerful productions that were artistically and personally satisfying.” Laguna Playhouse’s production, he notes, originally slated for 2020 but postponed by the pandemic, is all new – “new cast, new designs, new everything.”
Barbara Lebow’s play unfolds in 1946, when a Jewish woman who has survived the Nazi concentration camps reunites with her sister. Ellenstein calls the 1984 drama “relatable to anyone who has experienced loss and coped with coming out the other side. The family is Jewish and has experienced the horrors of World War II and Nazism, but that’s really just the backdrop of the human story of a family – and the power we all have to overcome challenges.”
‘Prelude to a Kiss, the Musical’
When: April 5 through May 5
Where: South Coast Repertory Theater, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Admission: $34-$112
Contact: 714-708-5500, scr.org
A South Coast Repertory world premiere fantasy-drama in 1988, “Prelude to a Kiss” is now back 36 years later in an all new form.
By musicalizing the show, SCR has created something completely different. Playwright Craig Lucas has adapted the show’s book to accommodate songs with music and lyrics by composer Daniel Messé and lyrics by Messé and Sean Hartley. The pandemic delayed the new show’s development and postponed its opening, but it’s finally here, and will be a centerpiece of this year’s Pacific Playwrights Festival.
Directing the production is SCR artistic director David Ivers, who conducted auditions in both New York and Los Angeles and spent the first week of November in Chicago to work on the show’s movement and choreography.
‘Galilee, 34’
When: April 21 through May 12
Where: South Coast Repertory Theater, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Admission: $29-$105
Contact: 714-708-5500, scr.org
Along with “Prelude,” SCR is unveiling a second world premiere during the 2024 Pacific Playwrights Festival. Playwright Eleanor Burgess submerged herself in Jewish and Christian theology, the histories of the Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Judea, and accounts of the daily lives of those who lived there in the first century C.E., to examine and depict what happened to the disciples after the crucifixion of Jesus and give audiences an up-close look at those who forged a world-changing movement.
Classical Music
Classical music continues to thrive in Orange County post-pandemic, as the busy calendar for the first half of the year attests. The Pacific Symphony is in the process of picking a new conductor, the Philharmonic Society is bringing in some big orchestras, and the chamber music scene is bustling, in several locations. From the prospective riches, I’ve chosen three sure-fire bets, below. —Timothy Mangan
Jeremy Denk
When: 3 p.m. Jan. 28
Where: Soka Performing Arts Center, 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo
Cost: $35-$75
Contact: soka.edu/soka-performing-arts-center
Jeremy Denk is a pianist you want to hear live, be in the same room with. A stylish writer and musicologist, and winner of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship as well, he seems to bring his brains along to the concert hall, where his probing performances reveal the secrets of the music he plays, whatever it is. In this present case it’ll be all-Bach and nothing but, an increasing obsession for the pianist. He’ll take on the wondrous Six Partitas, BWV 825-830, in O.C.’s best hall for piano recitals.
All-Sibelius With Esa-Pekka Salonen and San Francisco Symphony
When: 8 p.m. March 20
Where: Renée & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: $38-$268
Contact: philharmonicsociety.org
Conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen brings the San Francisco Symphony to Orange County for the first time since he took over as music director a few years ago. Reports are that it’s been a good as well as interesting marriage. The Finnish Salonen brings music by his fellow countryman, Jean Sibelius, including the ever popular Finlandia, the Violin Concerto (with the much-admired Georgian violinist Lisa Batiashavili as soloist) and the oft-neglected Symphony No. 1.
Beethoven’s Ninth
When: 8 p.m. June 6-8
Where: Renée & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: $25-$145
Contact: pacificsymphony.org
This concert is shaping up to be Carl St.Clair’s last as music director of the Pacific Symphony, which he has led for some 34 years. Even if it isn’t (there’s a music director search underway), the proceedings have the look of a valedictory performance. Preceded by Morten Lauridsen’s beauteous Lux Aeterna, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, long a St.Clair specialty, anchors the agenda, sending conductor and everyone else out with a joyous bang.
OTHER Music
The coming months bring an unusually rich selection of top-level artists, particularly from the jazz world. Even smaller presenters such as Fullerton’s Muckenthaler Center have lined up an impressive and diverse array of singers, instrumentalists and groups, and Laguna’s lively restaurant/club, The Drake, continues its dominance as Orange County’s best venue for live jazz and talented solo acts. – Paul Hodgins
Jane Monheit
When: 8 p.m. March 15
Where: Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine
Cost: $30-$100
Contact: www.thebarclay.org
Since she recorded her first album, Never Never Land, at 22, this phenomenally talented jazz singer has never stopped touring or recording over the last two decades. In addition to her solo releases, the two-time Grammy nominee has recorded with Terence Blanchard, John Pizzarelli, Michael Bublé and many others. Expect a dazzling cross-section from the Great American Songbook
Latin Fire with Arturo Sandoval
When: 8 p.m. Feb. 16-17
Where: Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: $38-$259
Contact: www.scfta.org
One of Cuba’s greatest gifts to music, the Latin jazz trumpeter and composer has won four Grammy Awards and an Emmy Award. Performing with the Pacific Symphony under the baton of its new principal pops conductor, Enrico Lopez-Yañez, Sandoval will play some of his most famous works, including "Every Day I Think of You," "Smile," "La Virgen De La Macarena" and "Someone to Watch Over Me."
The Cookers
When: 8 p.m. Feb. 24
Where: Soka University Performing Arts Center, 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo
Cost: $27-$65
Contact: soka.edu/soka-performing-arts-center
This supergroup is composed of iconic jazz veterans: Billy Hart (drums), Cecil McBee (bass), Eddie Henderson (trumpet), David Weiss (trumpet), Billy Harper (sax), Donald Harrison (sax) and George Cables (piano). Individually, they've been at the core of the post-bop jazz scene for decades. They’ll play selections from the six critically acclaimed recordings they’ve released as a group over the last 15 years.
Food and Drink
From a private club to Asian-inspired pizza slices, Costa Mesa is a commonality between nearly all of our 2024 food subjects. That isn’t a coincidence, it’s fate. This list shouldn’t omit so many other transitions happening in OC dining as well, including Dolan’s Uyghur Cuisine launching in one of Irvine’s busiest plazas for its third location in Southern California last month. In addition, Bear Coast Coffee’s streamlined, retro exterior off Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach is a welcome addition to the community.
The following roundup is a lively bite of what’s coming soon to a city ripe with options from culinary veterans like Mark McDonald, plus a local celebrity chef doing the reality television circuit. This is the busiest year we’ve seen in dining – and it’s only January. – Anne Marie Panoringan
Old Vine Community Dinner, Costa Mesa
Where: 2937 Bristol St. Suite A-103, Costa Mesa
Contact: oldvinekitchenbar.com/
A five-course winter spread with both wine and cocktail pairings available, Old Vine Kitchen and Bar kicks off its 2024 series on Sunday, Jan. 28. But what is being served, you ask. This is where the element of trust (and fully disclosing allergies) comes into play. Both the menu and pairings will be announced at the dinner – something Old Vine prefers. “It is open to any community, but the real community has been built over 17 years of doing these special dinners, and our loyal clientele that joins us to see what is new,” said Chef/owner Mark McDonald. $125 per person plus tax and 20% gratuity – you do the math. Reservations are being accepted online at Old Vine’s website.
Chris Tzorin on Next Level Chef
Contact: chefchristzorin.com
Coincidentally, the premiere of season three of Fox’s “Next Level Chef,” a culinary competition with continuous ups and downs, also premieres on Sunday, Jan. 28. Local celebrity chef Chris Tzorin, a second-generation culinarian and veteran of this genre of entertainment (known locally as a previous executive chef at Savannah Chop House in Laguna Niguel, among other restaurants) is on the roster to win. He is currently available for personal chef experiences and food truck bookings with his Taste Collective concept.
Coming Soon: Sugo Costa Mesa
Where: 675 Paularino Ave., Suite 3 in Costa Mesa
Contact: www.sugocostamesa.com.
Brought to you by the same man behind Bello by Sandro Nardone, Sugo is chef’s passion project. A neighborhood pizzeria done his way, Sugo (Italian for juice) refers to the ripe tomatoes his kitchen utilizes in sauce and as a topping. Slices infused with Asian flavors reflect not only his creativity but the neighborhood it’s in – walking distance from Mitsuwa. As Nardone would say, “Slice slice Baby, from Rome to OC.” Sugo is expected to open in late January.
The Park Club California, Costa Mesa
Where: 650 Town Center Drive, Garden Level
Contact: For membership inquiries, contact Lisa Schripsema at (949) 868-6486 or lisa.schripsema@parkclubca.com.
The Park Club, a members-only space next door to Segerstrom Center for Performing Arts, will operate three venues: Monet Restaurant, Palm Bar and Garden Terrace. Executive Chef Daniel Hohng plans to serve classic French cuisine with coastal California and Asian influences. The Palm Bar will feature an extensive wine collection and craft cocktails. An outdoor space named Garden Terrace will serve bespoke drink flights and classic fare. Providing a networking environment for philanthropic, creative, entrepreneurial and professional backgrounds, The Park Club is set to launch at the end of January.
CULTURE
Before it’s time for spring to be sprung, we bet you’re wondering what Orange County cultural offerings will be in full bloom this upcoming season.
As we awaken from the winter blues, spring is a time for starting fresh. As a way for you to reemerge with exciting new experiences to look forward to, Culture OC has compiled the most widely attended and one-of-a-kind cultural events across Orange County.
Here’s what you can expect from the Orange County culture scene this winter/spring. – Alex Chan
UVSA TEt Festival
When: Feb. 9-11
Where: OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: $8
Contact: (714) 576-6411 or tetfestival.org
UVSA, the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California, hosts an annual Tết Festival. Tet is a Vietnamese cultural celebration marking the Lunar New Year. This year, the Year of the Dragon, the three-day festival will host multicultural activities such as exhibits, galleries, architectural models, music, food, and a special replica of a traditional Vietnamese village.
TEt Parade
When: Opening ceremony 8:30 a.m.; parade 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 10
Where: Parade begins at the intersection of Bolsa Avenue and Magnolia Street and moves eastbound on Bolsa Avenue in Westminster
Cost: Free
Contact: (714) 895-2860 or www.westminster-ca.gov
The city of Westminster has hosted an annual Tet Parade in Little Saigon for more than 20 years for the Lunar New Year celebration . The parade showcases floats, marching bands, lion dances, color guards, veterans, youth organizations, martial arts, multicultural outfits, elected officials, scout organizations and much more. In addition to in-person attendance, viewership via streaming sites and channels are also available to international audiences.
Knott’s Boysenberry Festival
When: March 8-April 7, plus weekends until April 28
Where: Knott’s Berry Farm, 8039 Beach Blvd., Buena Park
Cost: Knott’s Berry Farm admission from $49.99
Contact: (714) 220-5200 or knotts.com
This event is Knott’s Berry Farms’ annual food and wine festival commemorating the park’s history by celebrating the boysenberry, the berry that first inaugurated the park’s success. The festival will offer a lineup of savory dishes alongside specialty desserts and drinks that feature the boysenberry. Guests can also enjoy a variety of wines and craft beers only available at the park during this limited-time food event. Local crafters, musical stage shows, and other activities will be held during the festival.
Carnival of the Animals
When: 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. March 16
Where: Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Cost: Starting at $15
Contact: (714) 556-2787 or scfta.org
This concert will bring Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Carnival of the Animals” to life with colorful puppets, enchanting music, and playful and engaging storytelling. The program will feature puppet artist Robin Walsh, whose work has been seen at the Academy Awards and in Pacific Symphony’s “Magic Flute, Opera for Kids!” Show-goers can enjoy free pre- or post-concert activities in the concert hall lobby, including a coloring station, craft station, S.T.E.A.M. station, and photo backdrop.
St. Joseph’s Day at Mission San Juan Capistrano
When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 19
Where: Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Old Mission Road, San Juan Capistrano
Cost: $9-$18
Contact: (949) 234-1300 or missionsjc.com
March 19 honors St. Junipero Serra, the mission’s founder, and marks the return of migrating cliff swallows, which indicates the advent of spring and the St. Joseph’s Day recognized in the Catholic Church. Highlights of the day include the ringing of the historic bells, live Mariachi music, Flamenco dance performance, Native American storytelling, Serra Chapel tour, history lesson on St. Joseph’s Day and Swallows Legend and more.
St. Patrick’s Day Festival at the Bowers Museum
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 19
Where: Bowers Museum, 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana
Cost: Free
Contact: (714) 567-3600 or bowers.org
This free family festival indoors will showcase the musical stylings of the Celtic band, Craic in the Stone, and festive folk dances by the O’Connor Kennedy Academy of Irish Dance. Guests can celebrate the Celtic culture and traditions with Scottish cookies, face painting and art projects throughout the day. The festival’s intermission will offer an opportunity for Santa Ana residents to access general admission to the Bowers’ galleries for free.
Cinco de Mayo Fiesta in San Clemente
When: 2-6 p.m. May 6
Where: Max Berg Plaza Park, 1100 Calle Puente, San Clemente
Cost: Not listed
Contact: (949) 361-8264 or san-clemente.org/recreation
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with authentic food, a vendor pavilion, children’s pavilion with inflatable games, face painting, recreational activities, and giant slides. Live entertainment will include a mariachi band, Chinelos dancers, the Ballet Folklorico de Las Palmas and more. The event will also feature artisan vendors representing Latino cultures and the arts and crafts community.
_gif.gif)
%20(1)_gif.gif)