Best Last-Minute Summer Activities For Families In Orange County
Ghost Town Alive!
Knott's Berry Farm
8039 Beach Blvd.
Buena Park, CA 90620
(714) 220-5200
www.knotts.com
Date: Now through Sept. 4, 2017
Ghost Town Alive! is where the guests become a star in story of the Wild West. The story continues from last summer after the Mayfield Gang escaped the custody of Sheriff Wheeler. The Mayfields are back and need your help to capture them bandits and keep Calico safe. As an honorary citizen, you can be deputized, participate in pony races, deliver packages for Pony Express, relax and enjoy entertainment and shows, eat some country cooking, and y'all are invited to good ol' western hoedown at the end of the day. Yee Haw!
Shore Break and The Wedge
Knott's Soak City Waterpark
8039 Beach Blvd.
Buena Park, CA 90620
(714) 220-5200
www.knotts.com
Date: Now through Sept. 10, 2017
Knott's Soak City Waterpark opened with a newly expanded park complete with seven new slides on two new towers, a remodeled restaurant, and additional spacious cabanas and seating areas. Shore Break is an adrenaline-filled water adventure for single-rider thrill-seekers. The rider awaits in one of four Aqua Chambers as the floor drops and sends them on a high speed free fall down a 60-foot tall slide and through a series of drops and loops. Shore Break also offers two dueling tube slides where riders zip through drops and turns while soaking up the sun. The Wedge is an open-raft ride (seats up to six riders) that descends down hair-raising twists, turns, and dips. Longboard's Grill has been remodeled with expanded shaded outdoor seating and a menu with favorites like grilled burgers and hot dogs along with new items like breaded chicken tenders, fish and chips, and assorted wraps.
Summer Sunset Dinner Cruises on Newport Harbor
Hornblower Cruises & Events
2431 W. Coast Highway
Newport Beach, CA 92663
(949) 650-2412
www.hornblower.com
Date: On-going on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m.
There is nothing better than cruising Newport Beach at sunset while enjoying the sights of beautiful beaches, towering yachts, and sprawling mansions and sounds of oceans and barking sea lions aboard a luxury yacht. Your three hours cruise begins with a welcome glass of champagne. Enjoy a four-course dinner with locally-sourced, summer ingredients at your own private table. After dinner, the outdoor deck will be filled with music and dancing with fresh sea air and stars to lead your way.Related: Guide To The 2017 Summer Sawdust Art Festival
San Clemente Fiesta Music Festival
100 and 200 blocks of Avenida Del Mar
San Clemente, CA 92672
(949) 492-1131
www.scchamber.com
Date: Aug. 13, 2017 at 9 a.m.
The 64th Annual San Clemente Fiesta Music Festival will feature a long list of bands like Turn the Page – Tribute to Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, The Trip, Tunnel Vision, and more. The fabulous food will be provided by local non-profit organizations so your food money goes right back into the community. The city's finest salsa makers, restaurants, and individuals will be competing in the Salsa Challenge with official judging and People's Choice awards. For the kids, clowns, jugglers, and face painters will be in the crowd along with contests and games like pie eating, jump rope, The Tortilla Toss, and a Children's Zone. If you love to shop, there will be an Arts & Crafts Show, Business Expo, and Action Sports & Beach Lifestyle Expo. Motorcycle enthusiasts will enjoy the Motorcycle Show where bikes from all over Southern California compete in different categories. Best of all, admission is free plus there is free shuttle parking at San Clemente High School.
2017 Sunset Cinema
Yorba Regional Park
7600 E. La Palma Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92807
(714) 973-6615
www.ocparks.com
Date: August 18, 2017 at 7 p.m.
Join the County of Orange and OC Parks for their first Sunset Cinema film series. The last one of the series will be The "Sandlot" (PG) from 1993 which is a coming-of-age movie about a boy who moves to a new neighborhood during the summer and learns about friendship, problem-solving, and the love of baseball. Pack a picnic basket, blankets, and beach chairs for free admission and parking. There will also be food trucks on site too.
Summer Surf Camp
HB Surf School
285 Pacific Coast Highway
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
(714) 658-6873
www.hbsurfschool.com
Date: Now through Aug. 21, 2017 at 8:30 a.m.
HB Surf School was founded by former pro and long-time coach, Bill Sharp, in 2007. They have partnered with and are licensed by the City of Huntington Beach to offer quality instruction for beginners, intermediate, and advanced surfers. The week-long summer surf camp offers a fun instructional environment by focusing on the core skills: paddling, overall riding, and wave selection to grab a ride on those tasty waves.
