Need some spring break plans? This April there are tons of events in Orange County to enjoy from food and wine festivals to new exhibits and events around the county. Good times are in bloom in Orange County.
BUBBLEFEST XXI
Saturday, April 1st – Sunday, April 16th
10AM-5PM
discoverycube.org
Visit Discovery Cube OC for the return of Bubblefest XXI! Watch the Mega Bubblefest Laser Show and witness art in motion as bubble scientist Deni Yang performs tricks and stunts with smoking bubbles, spinning bubbles, bouncing bubbles, and a laser light show. Inside the bubble zone, kids can create their own bubble art with wands, participate in science demonstrations, roll around in water spheres and so much more!
DINOSAURS UNLEASHED
Saturday, April 1st – Sunday, April 2nd
9AM-7PM
discoverthedinosaurs.com
Experience up-close encounters with a lifelike Stegosaurus, Velociraptor and the king T-Rex in this thrilling walk-through exhibit. Kids can also meet a baby Apatosaurus, take an exciting spin in the Jurassic Jeeps at the Dino Raceway and visit the Kids Adventure Zone filled with themed bouncy houses, crafts, face painting and more. Parents and kids can test their skills playing an all-new mini golf course, become junior paleontologists while completing the scavenger hunt as they explore the exhibit and dig for fossils in the Valley of the Bones.
COASTAL COUNTRY JAM
Saturday, April 1st
12PM-9PM
coastalcountryjam.com
You can join in Southern California’s biggest country beach bash with live country music, beach bars, bean bags, and the best looking country crowd around! They will be top notch BBQ and cold beers with a full beach bar all night. The concert will be on the sand at Huntington State Beach at Brookhurst and PCH. Headliner Jake Owen plus more country artistis including Josh Abbott Band and Honkey-Tonk Boombox.
JAPANESE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
Sunday, April 2nd
11AM-3:30PM
bowers.org
The Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana is a free event celebrating with art, music and dancing. The Japanese tradition of the cherry blossom festival is to welcome the beauty of spring by celebrating the beautiful blooms. People gather under blooming cherry blossom trees to enjoy food, music, drink and the natural beauty.
KNOTT’S BOYSENBERRY FESTIVAL
April 1st – April 23rd
10AM-12PM
knotts.com/boysenberry
The boysenberry – a cross between a blackberry, raspberry and loganberry – is what made Knott’s famous and the farm is reimagining it in dozens of delicious ways this month for the Boysenberry Festival. Boysenberry beer, aioli, wine, ketchup, butter, taffy, soda and so much more waits at Orange County’s rollercoaster haven. Entrance into the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival is included with theme park admission. Check out the craft beer garden, classic melodramas at the Bird Cage theater and all the delicious boysenberry treats!
THE 7TH ANNUAL WALK FOR KIDS
Sunday, April 9th
6:30AM-10:30AM
walkforkids.org
Come out and support The Ronald McDonald House mission this spring at the Honda Center in Anaheim. When you register you’ll receive an official 2017 Walk for Kids tee shirt and your own personal walker webpage so you can share and inspire friends and family to support you while you raise funds for families of critically ill children. Race day fun will include a Kids Zone with bounce houses, a rock wall, reptile exhibit, face painting and more.
NIGHT NATION RUN
Saturday, April 8th
7:30PM -10:30PM
nightnationrun.com
The Night Nation Run is the World’s first Running Music Festival. A musical voyage filled with live music, lights, lasers, all set to the latest in Electronic Dance Music. Run, walk, skip or dance your way through this electrifying adventure with music carrying you every step. Your journey will take you through an illuminated racecourse to multiple on course DJ stages, finishing with an explosive main stage after party featuring top EDM DJ’s and special guest celebrity performers.
SABROSO ‘CRAFT BEER & TACO FESTIVAL’
Saturday, April 8th
12PM-4PM
sabrosotacofest.com
Source: Flickr
From the producers of Brew Ha Ha Craft Beer Festival comes the 4th Annual Sabroso Beer and Taco Festival. A ticket to this crazy craft beer festival gets you unlimited tastings of over 60 craft beers, $3 gourmet tacos from the best chefs in Orange County and an in on all of the fun including live music and 5 world class Lucha Libra wrestling matches. Musical guests include The Offspring, Sum 41, Rival Sons and Lit.
BEACHFRONT CINEMA: FINDING DORY
Saturday, April 15th
5PM-10PM
eventbrite.com
BeachFront Cinema brings big movies to the sand in Huntington Beach. Featuring one of the biggest inflatable, outdoor movie screen in California, the night includes food vendors, live bands, a beach bar, contests, games, and jumbo bean bags to lounge in. BeachFront Cinema movies on the beach run from April – October.
WILD & CRAZY TACO NIGHT
Thursday, April 20th
4:30PM-7:30PM
shareourselves.org
Get ready for a fun and festive evening where 20 of Orange County’s finest chefs and restaurants each put a twist on everyone’s favorite food – the taco. The chefs’ creativity is endless and the food leaves guests talking for the rest of the year. Best of all, the event raises money for Share Our Selves (SOS), a nonprofit serving the homeless and low-income families of Orange County to provide food, clothing and emergency financial aid. Event proceeds benefit the SOS Food Pantry, feeding more than 235 Orange County families each day.
ORANGE COUNTY IMPROV FESTIVAL
Thursday, April 20th – Saturday, April 22nd
7PM-12PM
ocimprovfest.com
The festival runs 4 nights. Each night of the fest is broken into blocks of shows that incorporate a variety of styles and formats. Buy a specific block, a whole night, or the whole fest, with increasing discounts to enjoy the show. If you are an improv team looking to participate, register for festival workshops and stay to watch the shows for free. The largest improv event in Orange County, the OC Improv Fest is committed to the celebration and elevation of improvisation, as well as forging friendships across cities and states with like-minded performers.
CALIFORNIA WINE FESTIVAL
Friday, April 21st – Saturday, April 22nd
californiawinefestival.com
Experience the quintessential California wine tasting and enjoy hundreds of California’s finest vintage wines, delicious gourmet foods samples and lively music. Discover new wines, and enjoy a dizzying variety of fresh gourmet appetizers like artisan breads, cheeses, olive oils and so much more. Enjoy an afternoon of unlimited fun, food and music, all in Dana Point presented by Total Wine & More.
NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL
Thursday, April 20th – Thursday, April 27th
newportbeachfilmfest.com
The Newport Beach Film Festival brings 350 films and nightly gala events to over 50,000 film fans, right here in Orange County. The theme of this year’s event is “Go Deeper”. The lineup of films includes shorts, documentaries, music, action sport series and so much more. Festival events include an Opening Night Gala as well as a Closing Night Gala. For all the details on events and films, check out the website.
OC FAIR IMAGINOLOGY
Thursday, April 21st – Saturday, April 23rd
Fri: 9AM-3PM; Sat-Sun: 10AM-5PM
ocfair.com
Source: Flickr
It’s full S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) ahead for the OC Fair Imaginology event featuring hands-on activities and exhibits at the Orange County Fairgrounds. Youth in Orange County, from pre-school through high school, are invited to showcase their talents in individual and group project competitions in a variety of subjects including science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
WILD WEST STEAMFEST
Saturday, April 22nd
Festival: 10AM-6PM Concert: 7PM
wildweststeamfest.com
The Heritage Museum of Orange County makes the perfect historical setting for a Wild West themed steampunk festival. Events throughout the day include panels, vendors, gunfights, a blacksmith at the fully operational blacksmith shop on the museum grounds, a costume contest, tea dueling, beer gardens and living history tours. There will also be a live music concert for the whole family to enjoy once the festival is over.
STEAM CARNIVAL
Saturday, April 22nd
2PM-7PM
ipsf.net/steam-carnival
In celebration of IPSF’s 20th anniversary this year, we are excited to combine the STEAM Carnival with IPSF’s Birthday Bash. In addition to more STEAM-inspired fun, this year’s event will include activities for attendees of all ages including a “Cheers to 20 Years” beer and wine garden, live music, student performances, and local food trucks. Proceeds from the event will benefit students of the Irvine Unified School District.
AUTFEST: INTERNATIONAL AUTISM FILM FESTIVAL
Saturday, April 22nd – Sunday, April 23rd
10AM-8PM
autfestasa.com
AutFest is the first film festival solely dedicated to an autistic audience and filmmakers. Presented by the Autism Society, AutFest will screen over 20 feature films and short films that promote autism awareness and/or are made by autistic filmmakers. Highlights include Q&As with Ben Affleck following a screening of The Accountant and with Pixar filmmakers Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera following a screening of Inside Out. Affleck, Docter and Rivera will be honored at the festival’s VIP closing reception.
ANGELS 5K & 1 MILE FUN RUN
Saturday, April 22nd
8AM at Angel Stadium
race-angels.com
Source: Flickr
Ever wanted to get down to the feel level and feel the outfield grass underneath your sneaks? Now’s your chance! The Angels 5K & 1 Mile Fun Run is held this month at Angels Stadium in Anaheim. Registrations for the 5K Race is $45 and the 1 Mile race is $30. The 5K Run/Walk begins at 8AM and the 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk begins at 8:30AM. The Angels 5K and 1 Mile Family Fun Run/Walk presented by St. Joseph Hoag Health benefits Angels Baseball Foundation.
BOOGALOO ART CAR & MUSIC FESTIVAL
Friday, April 28th – Sunday, April 30th
boogaloofestival.com
Boogaloo Art Car & Music Festival is what happens to an electronic music festival when the rules get thrown out the window and the art, cars and campers take over. Held in the wilderness of Oak Canyon Ranch in Silverado, this weekend of DJs playing house music, techno, bass and funk gets all kind of rowdy and dusty. Purchase your ticket for the festival including a weekend camping pass.
7TH ANNUAL WALK FOR WISHES
Saturday, April 29th
7:30AM-12PM
wish.org
Walk For Wishes® is a nationwide Make-A-Wish® fundraiser that celebrates the thousands of wishes that have already been granted, while raising funds for future wishes. This family-friendly event features a fun, spirited walk and our World of Wishes Festival with games, face-painting and tasty bites from local food vendors. Don’t forget to register your group!
TASTE OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
Sunday, April 30th
12PM-4PM (VIP Reception 11AM)
tastehb.com
Source: Flickr
For one all-inclusive ticket price you can feast on unlimited samples of 50t local eaters and taste samples of wine and beer from premier California wineries and breweries. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Children’s Department of the HB Public Library so stick around to bid on the silent action goodie baskets from local businesses and buy tickets to win more raffle prizes. Enjoy live music, fill up on foodie treats and get to know your local community a little bit better!
DAPPER DAY EXPO
Saturday, April 30th – Sunday, May 1st
Sat: 12PM-7PM; Sun: 10AM-7PM
dapperday.com
Source: Flickr
Dapper Day Expo is a free event open to the public at the Disneyland Hotel Exhibit Hall celebrating stylish living of yesterday and today. At the Expo you can shop vintage and classic fashions for men, women and children including hats, jewelry, grooming products, home décor and more. Entertainment to round out the day includes swing dancing, big bands and specialty cars on display. Dress your best! You can also catch the dapper crowds at Disneyland all weekend – it’s common for the attendees to visit the happiest place on earth decked out in their Sunday best.
Thank you for reading. I hope you found this article useful.
Jeff Pittman, Realtor in Ladera Ranch – Orange County, California