Get ready for summer with our 2010 summer guide to Orange County activities you don't want to miss.
BY Coast Staff
May 26 - 2010 3:57 PM
Photo By MARK RIGHTMIRE/THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
OC Fair
Surrender Dorothy We all want to share the classic movies of our childhood with our kids but somehow slipping in the DVD to watch The Wicked Witch of the West on television – even the large screen version – doesn’t quite measure up to the experience of seeing her in all her green glory looming over us on the big screen. The Orange County Performing Art Center’s (OCPAC) Free Movie Mondays knows just how you feel. Once again this summer, this free movie series takes place on the Center’s 46,000-square-foot community plaza and the films will be projected on the side of Segerstrom Hall, creating a large, clear image that is the closest thing to the big screen you can get. Cozy up under the stars and watch family-friendly musical and dance films, along with animated shorts shown before the main attraction courtesy of the Newport Beach Film Festival. The 2010 series lineup consists of five classic films: Some Like it Hot, Oliver!, Dirty Dancing, Mad Hot Ballroom, and of course, The Wizard of Oz. Did you think we were kidding about The Wicked Witch of the West? July 12 through August 9 714.556.2121 :: ocpac.org
Duuuuude While a few diehards from our friends to the north will claim otherwise, Huntington Beach reinforces its status as Surf City each year with one of the coolest – and hottest – surfing competitions in the country. Now in its 16th year, the Hurley US Open of Surfing draws the world’s best surfers to our shores to compete for over $350,000 in prize money. Both surfers and non-surfers alike can enjoy the stadium-style competition, which features a men’s open, women’s open and skilled contests like the Corona Noseriding Invitational (Kooks need not apply). And while most of the action is on the sea, you’ll find plenty to do on shore, like Hurley’s Walk the Walk fashion show, afternoon concerts, Nike 6.0’s Elite-level BMX, Converse Coast Carnage Skateboard competition and plenty of food, booths and demonstrations. July 31 through August 8 :: usopenofsurfing.com
Still Flying High Not many shows can lay claim to going strong after one year, let alone over 100, but then, as any child can tell you, there’s only one Greatest Show on Earth. Once again, the circus has come to town. Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey’s new production, Barnum’s Funundrum, will be at the Honda Center in Anaheim from July 28 through August 8. There will be no shortage of death-defying and astounding performances: the Body Benders, who fit three humans into a cube the size of a milk crate; Mighty Metal, the strongest man in the world who can lift over 1200 pounds; and the Flying Caceres, who will attempt a quadruple summersault on the flying trapeze – a feat no one has accomplished in over three decades, are but a few. The requisite clowns and characters will of course be there, as well as an impressive array of exotic animals, including llamas, tigers and a rare Watusi. P.T. Barnum, who would have turned 200 this year, still seems to be alive and well in this summer spectacular. ringling.com :: ticketmaster.com
Jazzing it Up Summer in the OC means that jazz fanatics never have to travel far to hear the best of the best. The Newport Beach 2010 Summer Jazz Series at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Coast brings back its summer series, and that means that every single week of the summer offers another opportunity to see and hear jazz greats performing live. Performances take place in the hotel’s intimate outdoor amphitheater, surrounded by a serene and lush landscape. The showcase is a range of jazz styles from traditional and contemporary to R & B and big band. Artists as diverse as David Sanborn, Keb' Mo' and Max Weinberg (longtime drummer for the E Street Band) are just a few of the names that will appear throughout the summer. Don’t miss the Independence Day event that includes fireworks and other special attractions, but any night at the Newport Beach 2010 Summer Jazz Series (sponsored in part by Coast Magazine) is guaranteed to be special. June 25 through October 1 949.729.6400 :: summerjazzseries.com
Game, Set, Match Living in Southern California may offer the opportunity for the occasional brush with a movie star, but this summer there’s a gathering of superstars of the tennis world to rival any red carpet event. The Newport Beach Breakers, one of 10 nationwide teams making up the World Team Tennis Pro League, will host The World Team Tennis Pro League Playoffs. Tennis luminaries like Maria Sharapova, Lindsay Davenport and John McEnroe will compete in the intimate Breaker stadium, giving fans a chance to get up close and personal with these legends. Join the Breakers for Ladies Night on July 15 as they face the Davenport-led St. Louis Aces or check out Junior Night on July 9 when tickets are just $10 and the Breakers take on Kansas City. All Breakers profits go to Hoag Hospital Foundation so you can feel extra good about the thrills. 714.352.6301 :: newportbeachbreakers.com
The Beat Goes On The fate of the Orange County Fair and Events Center may be in limbo, but don’t tell that to the racing pigs, carny barkers and deep fry-ers of all things edible – as far as the Orange County Fair is concerned, the show must go on, as it has for the last 120 years. And appropriately enough, this year’s OC Fair theme is The Beat Goes On. From July 16 through August 15, all the food, rides, competitions, and fun OC has come to expect will be in full swing. Get in on the action at the Action Sports Arena with shows like the 36th Annual Speedway Fair Derby on July 16 or Extreme Rodeo on the 21st. Or check out the Fair’s new entertainment complex, The Hanger, showcasing acts like Jumping Jack Flash, the ultimate Rolling Stones tribute band August 8 or the Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular July 22. Pick up an OC Fair Super Pass if you’re planning to visit more than once, or check the events calendar for We Care Wednesdays, where a donation to a designated charity or program will get you free admission and one carnival ride. And of course, abandon all diets at the OC Fair; indulge in that deep fried Twinkie or Oreo. Who knows where they’ll be next year? July 16 through August 15 :: ocfair.com
Photo By PAUL BERSEBACH/THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Festival of Arts
Art Appreciation Once a year, for over a month, some of the most strait-laced and dignified of OC residents don often-scanty costumes and full body paint and parade in front of an international audience every night – and yes, they're sober. Otherwise known as the Pageant of the Masters, this annual trompe l’oeil re-creation of great works of art is one of the highlights of the summer season. This year themed Eat, Drink and Be Merry, the Pageant features works whose themes celebrate the delights of feasting on food, drink and life. Look for the Pageant’s Gala Benefit on August 28. If you prefer to take home your works of art, Laguna hosts a myriad of arts festivals, starting with the venerable Festival of Arts. A tradition that dates back to 1932, this open-air art event features more than 140 local artists in a juried show of everything from sculpture and photography to jewelry and stained glass. Tickets to the event are good all season. Then there’s the ever-reliable Art-A-Fair, which features both local and nationwide artists creating art in media as diverse as watercolor and acrylics to digital art and mixed media, all displayed in a garden setting, and the Sawdust Art and Craft Festival, showcasing everything from ceramics and glass blowing to textiles and woodwork, along a sawdust-covered path.
Festival of Arts July 5 through August 31 800.487.3378 :: foapom.com
The Art-A-Fair June 25 through August 29, 2010 949.494.4514 :: art-a-fair.com
The Sawdust Art and Craft Festival June 25 through August 29 Residents Night: Laguna Beach residents receive free admission with ID Thursday evenings (after 5 p.m.) and first Fridays of each month (all day). 949.494.3030 :: sawdustartfestival.org
Concerts in the Park If you’re looking for a concert closer to home and easier on the pocketbook, chances are you can find one that doesn’t even involve leaving your city. Nearly every city in Orange County hosts a concert in the park series, where you can enjoy live music and bring your own picnic dinner, blankets and lounge chairs. And with so many free shows to choose from throughout the county, you’re bound to find something to suit your musical taste. We recommend The Oreo Divas – A Tribute to the Music of Motown July 25, in Dana Point, Celtic rock band and local favorite The Fenians June 25 in Laguna Niguel and a Rolling Stones tribute band, Jumping Jack Flash, August 12 in San Clemente.
Dana Point July 27 through August 22 Heritage Park 34400 Old Golden Lantern Lantern Bay Park 25111 Park Lantern Rd. Sunday Evenings: 4:30-6 p.m. :: danapoint.org
Laguna Niguel June 25 through Aug 27 Crown Valley Community Park Amphitheatre 29751 Crown Valley Pkwy. Every other Friday, 6:30 p.m. 949.425.5100 :: ci.laguna-niguel.ca.us
Newport Beach July 25 & August 8 Grant Howlad Park 3000 5th Ave. Bonita Canyon Park 1990 Ford Rd. Every Other Sunday, 6-7:30 p.m. 949.717.3870 :: newportbeachca.gov
Orange July 7 through August 25 Hart Park Bandshell 701 Glassell St. Wednesdays 7-8:30 p.m. 714.744.7278 :: cityoforange.org
San Juan Capistrano June 16 through September 15 San Juan Capistrano’s Historic Town Center Park El Camino Real Third Wednesday of the Month, 6-8 p.m. 949.493.5911 :: sanjuancapistrano.org
San Clemente June 29 through August 26 On the beach, north of the San Clemente Pier Every other Thursday, 6 p.m. 949.361.8264 :: san-clemente.org
Tustin June 23 through August 11 Peppertree Park 230 West First St. Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m. 714.573.3326 :: tustinca.org
Music to the Ears Summer Concert Series at OC's amphitheaters If you’re still fuming about who won “American Idol” last year, catch the electrifying Adam Lambert live in concert (July 27-28) at the Orange County Fair Summer Concert Series at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa. The roster leans heavily toward nostalgia with the likes of Blondie (August 8), The B-52's (August 5) and Joan Jett (August 11); but you can also catch Train (July 18), Ziggy Marley (July 23), Faith Hill (July 24), Weird Al Yankovic (August 13-14), and many others.
At the Verizon Wireless Ampitheater, the Pacific Symphony will hold five concerts for its summer series, kicking off with a tribute to John Denver (July 4) and ending with a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (September 11).
OC Fair Summer Concert Series July 16 through August 15 :: pacamp.com
Pacific Symphony Summer Festival July 4 to September 11 :: pacificsymphony.org
