Orange County Blog

Tick, tick, tick…time is zooming by.  Do you have plans to ring in the New Year yet?  Here are two ideas of fabulous ways to celebrate the arrival of 2012!

The OC Fair New Year’s Eve Block Party http://ocfair.com/blockparty/index.php
Brought to you by the folks who bring you the annual OC Fair
“Unlike other New Year's Eve celebrations, the New Year's Eve Block Party is offering great fun in a casual setting. No black ties here! “
Saturday, December 31
7:30 pm – 1:30 am
The OC Fair New Year's Eve Block Party will offer live tribute bands and DJ entertainment by the decade – from the '60s to the '90s.
Be sure to visit the website to see pictures and videos from last year’s celebration and to get all the ticket information.

San Clemente Historical Society
~New Year’s Eve under the dome presents:
“Ole”
Enjoy dinner, dancing, and live entertainment at the historical “Casino” San Clemente!
$125/ticket –Spanish inspired attire optional
December 31, 2011
7 p.m. til 12:30 a.m.
Get your tickets now! (949) 498-0116 http://www.sanclementehistoricalsociety.org/events.html

Special Event: Weekend at the Nix Center, Native American Toys and Games

First, a little history about this beautiful region…The Native Americans of the Orange County region call themselves the Acjachemen (A-ha-che-men) Nation. For more than 10,000 years, they lived a prosperous lifestyle on the coastlands of Orange County. They were among the over 250,000 people that inhabited California before Spanish contact. At one point in history, their nation’s territory consisted of numerous villages, and spanned from Long Beach to Oceanside, as far east as Lake Elsinore, and westward to Catalina and San Clemente Islands.

“Join OC Parks and the Laguna Canyon Foundation on Saturday, November 12th from 1:00pm-4:00pm for a special Weekend at the Nix Nature Center - American Indian Stories, Toys and Games. Join the talented Acjachemen performer, Jacque Nunez, as she transports you into the traditions of the Acjachemen people - and into the world of our shared past.

Make your own American Indian toys and games to take home - or to give as gifts for the holidays! This amazing event will be fun for the entire family. Space is limited. For more information and to sign up www.lagunacanyon.org.
The Laguna Canyon Foundation is 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting, enhancing, and promoting the South Coast Wilderness Area. This 20,000-acre area of includes Laguna Coast and Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Parks, Crystal Cove State Park, and the City of Irvine Open Space Preserve. We work to Keep It Wild!

The Laguna Canyon Foundation fulfills its mission by managing and supporting park volunteers in Laguna Coast and Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Parks, providing educational and recreational programs and activities, coordinating land acquisitions, coordinating habitat restoration programs, and providing supplemental funding to our partner parks.” www.lagunacanyon.org

Celebrating the City of Aliso Viejo’s 10th Anniversary
Saturday, October 15th
12:00 noon to 6:00 pm
100 Park Avenue, Aliso Viejo

Free Admission, Rides and Attractions!

• Live Entertainment • Delicious Food and Treats • Carnival Games • Panning for Gold
• Blacksmith • Rope Maker • Rock Climbing Wall • Dunk Tank • High Striker • Pony Rides
•Petting Zoos • Inflatables • Ferris Wheel • Kids’ Carousel • Historical Displays
• Antique Farm Equipment

http://www.cityofalisoviejo.com

Birra Moretti Presents La Dolce Vita Italian Festival!  
http://www.ladolcevitafestival.com/

Italy is coming to Laguna Niguel on Friday, Sept 30th 5pm to 10pm and Saturday, Oct. 1st 10am to 10 pm
Free Admission and Free Parking –Fun for the whole Family.
Endorsed by the City of Laguna Niguel

“Image yourself being transported across the ocean to the land where La Dolce Vita means enjoying everything life has to offer. Italians know how to enjoy and celebrate the finest things in life. But if you can't go to Italy this fall go to Laguna Niguel and share in the joy and excitement of living La Dolce Vita.

Delight in the amazing food like pasta, pizza, and gelato. Have a "Lucy" moment in the grape stomp. Feel like "Lady and the Tramp" in our Spaghetti eating contest, or just stroll through the festival enjoying the breath taking art work of I Madonnari! Bring your kids to play in Il Giardino while you sip on Italian Wine and Beer while listening to great Italian Performers! Plus, don't forget to shop till you drop in our showcase of the finest Italian Vendors in Il Mercato. All day and night entertainment and keep your eye out for the Italian celebrities.”

This fun-filled family event is being organized and hosted by the Laguna Niguel Lions Club and the Sons of Italy, two non-profit organizations. Proceeds from this event will go to help citizens in our community.

For some, summer arrives the day school is over.  For others, it becomes official based upon the calendar date of June 21st.  But for many OC residents, summer arrives with a carefree shopping trip with one goal - to fill the closet with shorts, Hawaiian shirts, and sundresses.
 
It’s time to check out the Orange County Marketplace, a far cry from the swap meets of days past. The Orange County Market Place is now one of the largest weekly events in Southern California with some two million visitors each year. With over 1100 merchants and nearly 4 miles of walking aisles, the selling area extends over 20 acres. And while it’s most assuredly a shopping Mecca, it’s so much more!

Take a look…
Shopping:  Antiques, clothing, furniture, food items, beauty supplies, shoes, toys, bikes, sunglasses, mirrors, silk plants, home accessories, pet supplies, jewelry, and the fan favorites…As Seen on TV products!  And this is just a sample of the vast array of available items!

Entertainment: held most every weekend on the ACE productions' Stage presented by KSBR Radio Located across from Carlos Cantina. There is also DJ playing music and a variety of other entertainment featured every weekend on the Golden Mike Entertainment Stage.

Special Events:  Concert Series – Check the website for the current schedule of family friendly bands and activities.
So slap on a hat, some sunscreen and your favorite pair of walking shoes and welcome in summer at the OC Marketplace!

Open Saturday and Sunday from 7 am to 4 pm
at the OC Fair & Events Center
88 Fair Drive - Orange County Fairgrounds
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
http://www.ocmarketplace.com

Like to have more options or do you want a shopping marathon?  Take a look at this list of OC Shopping Malls!http://www.orangecountyresourceguide.com/shopping-malls.html 

The KSBR Birthday Bash began in 1989 as a small informal end-of-the-membership-drive party in the lounge of what was then the Dana Point Resort.  After the first couple of Bashes, the crowds got so big that the festivities had to move to the lawn of the resort.

In 1996, the Bash made a brief stop at Saddleback College for a (very) hot jam session on the campus softball field. In 1997, the date of the Bash moved to the Memorial Day weekend and the event began a magical 11-year run at the Mission San Juan Capistrano.

The growing popularity of the event sent the Bash looking for a new home in 2008, which fortunately was the same time that the City of Mission Viejo completed the beautiful Village Green and the expansion of the Norman P. Murray Community Center.  The Bash moved to its present home in that year, and based on its overwhelming success, the City and KSBR entered into an agreement that assures the event will have plenty of room to grow for the next five years.
There is nothing else like the KSBR Birthday Bash Jazz Festival. Make plans now to experience what happens when more than 30 distinguished musicians - including lots of surprise special guests - join forces to support south Orange County's community radio station.

For more information, go to www.ksbr.com/bash.html and for other great OC Entertainment options, take a look at the Entertainment tab on the homepage of this Orange County Resource Guide.com.

Event Complete's Taste of Ladera, now in its 7th year running, features a celebration of the finest local eateries, specialty vendors, musical performances and fun for the entire family to take place Saturday, April 30th, 2011 and Sunday, May 1st, 2011 North of Corporate Drive on Windmill in Ladera Ranch. The hours of the festivities will be from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM on Saturday, April 30th and from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Sunday, May 1st.  Live entertainment with the "Ladera's Got Talent" will be announced in April.

This annual festival will have rides, slides, and activities for the entire family with event proceeds benefitting local nonprofits, schools, and youth programs. Special pricing will be available online for Ladera Residents. General admission pre-sale tickets and a limited number of VIP tickets and suites are available starting March. VIP tickets and suites include access to party pit at main stage, private VIP pavilion with bars, seating and bathrooms.

Taste of Ladera is produced by Event Complete. Event Complete is an event marketing firm specializing in strategizing with clients to bring customers to seminars, charitable events and large-scale productions. For more information about ticket and booth sales, sponsorships and volunteering, please visit www.EventComplete.com or email info@eventcomplete.com.

You can wind down the summer and support south Orange County’s community radio station at the third annual KSBR Morning Breeze Schmooze. It’s coming Sunday evening, September 6 at 6 p.m. at the Dana Marina Center courtyard in Dana Point Harbor.

You’ll dine under the stars while being serenaded by world-renowned violinist Scarlet Rivera (www.scarletrivera.com); pianist and composer Kori Linae Carothers (www.koritunes.com); New Age Reporter Piano Album of the Year nominee Denise Young (www.deniseyoung.com); songwriter and multi-instrumentalist John Luttrell (myspace.com/johnluttrellmusic); and NAR Album of the Year winner Jeff Oster and friends (www.jeffoster.com). 
Featured will be sumptuous appetizers from What a Dish Bistro (www.whatadish.biz), a buffet dinner from Mahé (www.eatatmahe.com) and Two Guys Grilling (www.twoguysgrilling.com), and desert from It’s All About the Cake (www.itsallaboutthecake.com).

Throughout the concert, you will be able to bid on several original pieces of surf art as well as a customized Morning Breeze surf board created by Paul Carter during a silent auction.Tickets for this distinctive event, including the concert, dinner, and beverages begin at just $55, and fewer than 180 tickets are being sold.  For an extra special experience, you are invited to purchase a Cruiser Pass for $100.  With a Cruiser Pass, you will be treated to a special pre-concert sunset cruise aboard the Ocean Institute’s sailing ship, Spirit of Dana Point (beginning at 4:30), plus you will be seated at the tables closest to the stage.  You may purchase tickets by logging on to www.KSBR.org.  For more information, you may call KSBR’s Membership Services office at (949) 582-4501.

The Morning Breeze is the most popular specialty show on KSBR (88.5 FM), featuring an eclectic blend of electronic and acoustic World and New Age Music Saturdays 5 – 9 A.M. and Sunday 5 A.M. - noon. It is easy to forget that the Morning Breeze programming is commercial free because the flow of the music elevates you beyond those concerns. However, the way KSBR is able to provide this great music without interruption is by receiving the support of its listeners.  This will be an exciting way to treat yourself to a special experience while supporting the station that brings you the unique music of the Morning Breeze every Saturday and Sunday morning. KSBR (88.5 FM) is a commercial-free contemporary jazz and community information station serving Orange County and is broadcasted from Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.KSBR’s primary format is contemporary jazz and offers weekend specialty shows featuring other musical styles such as Techno, Reggae, Folk, Latin Jazz, and Blues.

KSBR began broadcasting in 1975 when the FCC granted an educational license to the Saddleback Community College District. In 1979, KSBR was granted a power increase to cover all of south Orange County and began broadcasting jazz as part of its programming.  KSBR is operated by Saddleback College Communication Arts students and is funded through membership drives, local fundraising events, and sponsorships.

28000 Marguerite Parkway Mission Viejo CA 92692  www.KSBR.org
SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Thomas A. Fuentes, William O. Jay, David B. Lang, Marcia Milchiker, Nancy M. Padberg, Donald P. Wagner, John S. Williams Dr. Raghu P. Mathur, Chancellor  SADDLEBACK COLLEGE: Tod A. Burnett Ed.D., President

Are newspapers a thing of the past?  For many of Orange County’s savvy residents, online news is more practical as well as efficient.  We want read the news on our computers and on our phones, at our leisure or when we need our news on the go.  Newspaper content may be shrinking, but internet news is on the rise. Classifieds have declined drastically with the advent of sites such as Craig’s List and Monster.  Online news also makes it easier to find older information or to re-read that article that came out last week. Most of us would rather use a search function than dig through a pile of old newspapers! And don’t discount the importance of going green and reducing our carbon footprint.

Staying up to date on news is imperative to today’s Orange County residents, yet time is always a precious commodity.  For a quick, informative read of the latest in O.C. News, visit http://www.orangecountyresourceguide.com/oc-news/local-orange-county-news.html  The bullet point style encourages a fast scan of up to date news with the option of learning more as time and interest allows. OrangeCountyResourceGuide.com goes beyond offering the latest news.  Learn what each city offers, search for restaurants, entertainment, business listings, and more.   Stay current on “Everything O.C.” and don’t get left behind.

Ah, summer. How we love the relaxing days of summer.  It’s the time of the year that children daydream about all school year and parents strive to find ways to keep their children busy.  Although theme parks and movie theatres are exciting and entertaining, they can be a drain on the bank account.  Besides they are not the only way to entertain on those warm, lazy days of summer. 

Most communities offer an alternative – concerts in the park.  San Clemente takes us to the coastal sand for their concerts while Dana Point brings us the bluffs with gorgeous ocean views.  Rancho Santa Margarita calls us to picnic in the park and San Juan Capistrano entertains us just a block from the Mission.  Best of all, this time with family and friends is free.  Bring a blanket or chairs and a willingness to enjoy music which may vary from the 60’s, disco, country, or good ol’ rock and roll.  Besides the fun at summer concerts, most communities also offer great family activities on Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day.  How wonderful to enjoy activities right in your own backyard!

For an easy way to review all the cities in your area and what activities they offer, visit http://www.orangecountyresourceguide.com/city-information.html

It’s time to slide into summer and dance the night away.