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Top Activities To Do This Weekend In Orange County - December 9

It's time to make some choices. You can spend your weekend battling for parking spaces and scratching your head about what to buy for your friends and family, or you can spend your weekend doing something fun. Visit these exciting events to make your weekend fun!
Friday, December 9
Stages theatre
(Credit: Ramon Gonzales)

It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
Stages! Theatre
400 E Commonwealth Ave.
Fullerton, CA 92832
(714) 525-4484
www.stagesoc.org

During the holiday season, the timeless story of George Bailey and his plight to understand the meaning of life is an essential tale to help boost anyone's seasonal spirit. The Stages! Theatre and writer Joe Landry go one step further and retell this tale as a 1940's radio broadcast. The re-imagination allows the characters from the film to come to life onstage in a way that makes a familiar story especially dynamic. Taking in the holiday treasure on the local theatre stage also gives the audience a chance to get connected to the people and faces of the story in a way that they can't when watching it on film. Spend your Friday night taking in a Christmas favorite acted by the next crop of main-stage talent.

Saturday, December 10
santa monica pub crawl - verified ramon
(Credit: Spin PR)

The 5th Annual OC Brew Ho Ho
Phoenix Club Anaheim
1340 S Sanderson Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92806
(714) 563-4166
www.ocbrewhoho.com

From the same production company responsible for the Sabroso Craft Beer and Taco Festival as well as the annual craft beer pilgrimage known as the Brew Ha Ha, the Ho Ho is the ugly Christmas sweater installment of the beer enthusiast shindig. A bit more intimate than the summer counterpart, the Ho Ho still boasts some 140 different craft beers from all over the country. With an emphasis on rare and seasonal items, this Christmas party offers unlimited tasting as well as live music from the preeminent Oingo Boingo tribute band, Dead Man's Party. Regardless of how refined your pallet is, you can cruise an endless variety of beer and find a new favorite while enjoying classic Danny Elfman tunes. You'll likely patronize the local-centric food trucks that will be providing munchies for ticket holders and with a group that is passionate about beer, you know the food will be just as food. The Brew Ha Ha is considered one of the most respected and comprehensive craft beer events on the West Coast. It's assumed that they would throw one hell of a Christmas party just the same.
 

bishop-briggs-verified
(credit: George Robertson)

KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas
The Forum
3900 W Manchester Blvd.
Inglewood, CA 90305
www.kroq.com

Since 1990, Southern California's alternative radio station KROQ has been hosting an annual holiday bash that has become a time-honored tradition. Having to relocate a few of years ago, the Almost Acoustic Christmas has definitely resettled into their brand-new home at the Fabulous Forum of Inglewood. A fantastic punctuation to round out the calendar year, the roster is always a top-notch assembly of some of music's biggest and brightest. Over the course of two nights (Saturday, December 10 and Sunday December 11), the forum will be rocking with sets from Kings Of Leon, Green Day, Jimmy Eat World, AFI, the chart-topping Bishop Briggs and many others. Visit here for a full lineup. And, while it doesn't happen every year, there is always the chance a special guest might drop in. The event sells out within minutes every December, which should be a full proof indicator of just how hot this ticket is. For tickets, you can look at Stubhub or other online venues to grab a seat for this spectacular show!

Sunday, December 11
Bowers Museum
(credit, Mobilisdeus via Wikimedia Commons)

The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art
2002 N Main St
Santa Ana, CA 92706
(714) 567-3600
www.bowers.org

In the way of museums in Orange County, The Bowers is the standard and has functioned as a beacon of world culture for decades. Since the early 90's when the museum went through a revamp, the destination has produced some 50 different internationally traveling exhibitions with 24 of those exhibitions turning into published catalogs. Starting out as just a 7,000 square foot space, the museum has since become a 93,000 haven of world art, lecture, literature, and performance. The museum also offers a separate Kids Museum with exhibits tailored to a younger audience. Among the current exhibitions are a focus on the art of the Virgin of Guadalupe, a collection of art from the Pacific Islands, and the photography of Imogen Cunningham.
 

knotts-merry-farm - verified
(Credit: Knott's Berry Farm)

Knott's Merry Farm
Knotts Berry Farm
8039 Beach Blvd.
Buena Park, CA 90620
(714) 220-5200
www.knotts.com

The original theme park of Southern California, the transformation of Berry Farm to Merry Farm is more than just cleaver wordplay at Knott's. From top to bottom, the entire theme park really does become a holiday haven with all of the characters joining in the fun of the season. Snoopy and his pals are decked out their Christmas gear and roam the grounds as guests hit the Log Ride or Montezuma's Revenge for some afternoon thrills. The corners of the park like Calico Ghost Town and Camp Snoopy are all seasonally festive with plenty to see and shop for. Between the rides, the shows, and the essential funnel cake, a trip to Knott's is always a win for the weekend.

Article by Ramon Gonzales.
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