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Best Events To Know About This Week In Orange County - January 15-21

Indulge in a variety of nature and fitness-related events, wintertime stage shows and concerts this week! From planting acorns to grow beautiful new trees to learning to make fermented vegetables, there are plenty of activities to get your hands dirty. This week also marks a remembrance day for Martin Luther King Jr. with a special day of service as well as a life-saving blood drive and a leadership panel for those interested in making a difference in 2018.
Monday, January 15
Irvine Ranch Conservancy - Verified Ashley
(credit: Irvine Ranch Conservancy)

Acorn Planting to Restore Oak Woodlands
Weir Canyon Nature Preserve, Anaheim
www.letsgooutside.org

Get dirty this week as you help restore the oak woodlands that have suffered from both the recent wildfires and the wood-boring beetle, an invasive species. In addition to planting acorns yourself to help restore the special habitat, you'll learn about the impacts the insects and fires have on local land.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
OneOC, Santa Ana
www.oneoc.org

This annual day of service, hosted by local nonprofit OneOC for nearly two decades, offers a way to give back to the local community while celebrating the legacy of the famed activist. Volunteer alongside a variety of organizations while addressing community issues on your day off.

Big Boi
The Observatory, Santa Ana
www.observatoryoc.com

Head to one of Orange County's biggest music venues to enjoy a live concert by rapper Big Boi. Part of the popular duo Outkast, the multi-talented artist started creating solo music professionally back in 2010 with songs like "Shutterbugg" and the new "Mic Jack."

Tuesday, January 16
Pacific-City_  - verified ramon
(Credit: Eric Figge Photos)

Snowmen Program For Kids
Pacific City, Huntington Beach
www.gopacificcity.com

The winter activities continue at the seaside Pacific City shopping complex this week, with a special snowmen-themed program for kids. Featuring story time with a tale about snowmen as well as a related art project for kids, parents can also enjoy a variety of retail and food discounts.

Reach your 2018 Goals
Allure Anti-Aging & Rejuvenation Center, Huntington Beach
www.rejuvenatehb.com

Also in Huntington Beach, explore your goals for the year with a special workshop on weight loss, energy and vitality in the new year. The hour-long talk will touch on weight gain, mood swings, joint pain, fuzzy thinking, poor sleep and more as well as ways to overcome them.

Fermenting Veggies 101
Fermentation Farm, Costa Mesa
www.fermfarm.com

Instructor Yasmine Mason will discuss how to make fermented pickles as well as krauts, like garlic and beet. She will also discuss Fermentation Farm's master tonic, which can be used to make your own fermented vegetables in the comfort of your own home. Enjoy refreshments as well as a jar of veggies to take home with you.

Wednesday, January 17
Creative Journaling-Casa Romantica  - verified ashley
(Credit: Casa Romantica)

Creative Journaling
Casa Romantica, San Clemente
www.casaromantica.org

Learn the art of creative journaling with a workshop that shows guests how to write, draw and create beautiful collages on the pages. Using things like poetry, open-ended questions and prompts to create, the process offers benefits like improved brain function and increased creativity.

Hand-Crafted Orchid Arrangement Workshop
Roger's Gardens, Corona del Mar
www.rogersgardens.com

Bring the beauty of colorful orchids into your own home with a workshop that details how best to arrange the lovely flowers. In addition to tips, enjoy step-by-step as you create a practice arrangement of your very own.

Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce Blood Drive
Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, Newport Beach
www.newportbeach.com

Help save lives with blood donation this week as a local chamber of commerce partners with Hoag Hospital. Participants can drop by between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to donate, but make sure to drink plenty of fluids before arriving and to avoid fatty foods.

Thursday, January 18
reggae
(credit: tatuin/shutterstock)

SoCal Reggae Party
Shannon's at the Top, Long Beach
www.atthetoplb.com

This ongoing event honors local reggae band Jangala Roots Band as well as Jonzie Man, who have been performing at the bar once a month since September. Playing from 8 p.m. to midnight on Thursday, the band will offer up live reggae music for the final session of the series.

BHS 2018 Midwinter Convention
Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa
www.barbershop.org

Running Thursday through Saturday, the Barbershop Harmony Society will present their annual midwinter program, which celebrates the barbershop style of unaccompanied vocal music. The event will feature a variety of shows, a youth chorus festival, a seniors quartet contest and music education.

"Mickey and Minnie's Doorway to Magic"
Terrace Theater, Long Beach
www.disneylive.com

Celebrate the allure of Disney magic with this new stage show featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse as well as Goofy and Donald Duck. The famed group will be joined by 25 other well-known characters revealing magical scenes from movies like "Cinderella" and "Toy Story."

Friday, January 19
Jersey Boys-Joan Marcus - verified ashley
(Credit: Joan Marcus)

See "Jersey Boys"
Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa
www.scfta.org

One of the most famous musical Broadway shows in recent history, "Jersey Boys" tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. He and three others went from being working class teens to one of the most popular groups in history. The show includes a variety of the group's hit songs.

See "Diavolo"
Irvine Barclay Theatre, Irvine
www.thebarclay.org

This high-energy dance performance features two parts, including "Passengers," which deals with the search for identity on the ride of life. The second part, titled "The Veterans Project: Phase 2 - A Long Journey Home," is part of a four-month workshop drawing from stories of local veterans for a performance that uses movement to heal and reflect on inner strength.

Screening of "Ex Libris –The New York Public Library"
Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach
www.ocma.net

This 2017 documentary takes viewers behind the scenes of the New York Public Library system, detailing the cultural exchange and learning that takes place in various boroughs of the city. The free showing will start at 7 p.m. and will last for more than three hours.

Saturday, January 20
Bowers Museum - Verified AShley
(Credit: Bowers Museum)

Chapman University Panel on Life and Leadership
Bowers Museum, Santa Ana
www.bowers.org

A former Chapman university president and professors from the school of business and economics will join the museum's director of education to discuss leadership and endurance as portrayed by Sir Ernest Shackleton, the British explorer who is the subject of a current exhibit at Bowers Museum. The professors will also lead tours of the related exhibit.

Polar Bear Plunge
Sierra Recreation Center, Mission Viejo
www.cityofmissionviejo.org

The city of Mission Viejo will turn the spa at the recreation center into a winter wonderland for one afternoon while visitors enjoy artificial snow for snowball fights, a water slide, carnival games, hot chocolate, snow cones, photo opportunities and swim sessions.

Dance Party with DJ Bree
Bella Terra, Huntington Beach
www.bellaterra-hb.com

Kids and parents alike will enjoy this family-friendly dance party, which features plenty of games and prizes in addition to the music. There will also be hot potato relay races, hula hoop contests, psychic readings and dance challenges for both children and their parents.

Sunday, January 21
2018 Wellness Kick Off at Bella Terra Yoga - Verified Ashley
(credit: Bella Terra)

2018 Wellness Kick Off
Bella Terra, Huntington Beach
www.bellaterra-hb.com

Enjoy a free outdoor yoga class courtesy of Core Power Yoga as the shopping center kicks off their wellness event for the new year. Guests can also enjoy a fashion show featuring trendy workout apparel, healthy tips for the year and a live DJ.

Children's Garden Workshop
Orange County Great Park, Irvine
www.cityofirvine.org

Kids between the ages of 3 and 9 can visit the Farm + Food Lab to learn about vermiculture this weekend, including how worms break down food waste to make nutritious soil and how to make your own composting bin with recycled materials.

California Double
Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa, Huntington Beach
huntingtonbeach.regency.hyatt.com

The first of three California Doubles will take place this weekend, giving participants the chance to enjoy beach yoga and surfing in Huntington Beach as well as skiing in Big Bear on the same day. Transportation and two meals will be provided.

Ashley Ryan is an Orange County native that loves traveling, live music and photography. She blogs at Pure Wander and freelances for a variety of publications including Newport Beach Magazine and Laguna Beach Magazine.
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