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Best Things To Do This Week In Orange County - March 19

Spring arrives this week, and with it comes a slew of outdoor activities that allow those in Orange County to take advantage of the sunshine and warmer weather. From golf tournament and trainings to mystery hikes, a nearby 5K and an Easter party at one of the area's most iconic railroads. In addition, fresh flavors are coming out at local foodie events like an artisan dinner, Disney's food and wine-themed festival and a pickling class. Plus music, crafty workshops, trivia and more.
Monday, March 19
Local Artisan Dinner-The Ecology Center- VERIFIED Ashley
(Credit: The Ecology Center)

Mystery Treks Hiking Club
Environmental Nature Center, Newport Beach
www.encenter.org
This fun club hosts their monthly meeting this Monday. You may not know where you're going on this three-mile hike, but you're sure to learn plenty about local plants and animals as well as about March's theme, photography.

Local Artisan Dinner
Farmhouse Restaurant, Corona del Mar
www.farmhouserg.org
In the midst of Roger's Gardens' annual Spring Celebration, chef Rich Mead will head an artisan dinner bringing together local culinary notables who will craft delicious cuisine from the freshest seasonal ingredients. Benefiting The Ecology Center, the meal will feature various courses, sides and a dessert.

Tee It Up for CHOC
Oak Creek Golf Club, Irvine
www.jackandjillguild.org
This golf classic benefits the nearby CHOC Children's Hospital for the fifth year, complete with a putting contest, a shot gun-start tournament, a sky ball drop and an awards luncheon featuring an opportunity drawing and silent auction.

Tuesday, March 20
Mindful Performance Enhancement for Golfers-Monarch Beach Resort- VERIFIED Ashley
(Credit: Monarch Beach Resort)

Mindful Performance Enhancement for Golfers
Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point
www.monarchbeachresort.com
Sign up for the resort's newest program, where mindfulness expert Amy Noelle hosts a private sessions with golfers in order to enhance their game. Learn pre-game focus exercises, set goals for yourself and figure out if mental barriers are hindering your golf performance.

Spring Market: Art and Design
Laguna Design Center, Laguna Niguel
lagunadesigncenter.com
Interior designer and head of the furniture brand of the same name, Thomas Lavin will lead a discussion between two designers— Sheldon Harte and Ohara Davies-Gaetano—and gallery owner Peter Blake on how to collect art and work it into the design of your home as well as tips for creating artful atmospheres.

Food & Wine Festival
Disney California Adventure, Anaheim
www.disneyland.com
Each spring, visitors at Disney's other theme park can enjoy a variety of unique foods from 13 different marketplace kiosks, like guacamole burgers and "frushi" (fruit sushi). The festival also features special cooking classes and demonstrations as well as winemaker and brewmaster dinners.

Wednesday, March 21
Easter Eggstravaganza-Irvine Park Railroad- VERIFIED Ashley
(Credit: Irvine Park Railroad)

Easter Eggstravaganza
Irvine Park Railroad, Orange
www.irvineparkrailroad.com
It may not be Easter yet, but this holiday celebration gets the party started early with visits with the Easter Bunny, egg hunts, cooking decorating, egg tosses, face painting and a bounce house in addition to the railroad's famous train rides.

Pickling & Kombucha Class
Casa Romantica, San Clemente
www.casaromantica.org
The cultural center is hosting a unique workshop that will allow guests to try their hand at bottling their own pickled food after tasting samples of kombucha and learning about the benefits of fermented and probiotic food for digestion and the immune system.

Macramé Necklace Workshop
Roger's Gardens, Corona del Mar
www.rogersgardens.com
Join visual designer Sylvr Sharp as she teaches a class on how to create a macramé necklace using an 18-inch chain, metal pieces, beads, hemp cord, and either antique copper or bronze. Sharp will offer step-by-step instruction for guests to make their piece of wearable artwork.

Thursday, March 22
Queensway 5K-The Queen Mary- VERIFIED Ashley
(Credit: The Queen Mary)

Queensway 5K
The Queen Mary, Long Beach
www.queenmary.com
The very first Queensway 5K kicks off this week, offering stunning views of the Long Beach skyline in the late afternoon. Kicking off at 5:15 p.m., participants will run (or walk) along the Queensway Bridge, greeted by faces and icons from The Queen Mary's annual events.

A Salute to Women
OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa
www.ocfair.com
This celebratory event, which is open to the public, honors female veterans as well as active military members. In addition to guest speakers like Eileen Moore, a California appellate court justice and former army nurse, the event will include a wine and cheese reception and photography displays.

Disney Themed Trivia Night
Timeless Pints Brewing Company, Lakewood
www.timelesspints.com
Dress up in your best Disney costume and head down to Timeless Pints with your team for a themed trivia night. It's free to play, and those dressed in Disney attire will get their first pint for the price of a 10-ounce brew.

Friday, March 23
WonderCon-K.Green - VERIFIED Ashley
(Credit: K.Green © SDCC)

WonderCon
Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim
www.comic-con.org
Put on by the same company that presents San Diego's famed Comic-Con, this convention is like a miniature version of that one, also focusing on comics, television, movies and animation. Expect to find a variety of artists and writers on site as well as costumed fans galore.

Beatles vs. Stones
The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano
www.thecoachhouse.com
A musical showdown featuring songs from two of the most popular bands of all time—both of which drew inspiration from each other. Whether you like The Beatles or The Rolling Stones more, this competitive tribute concert is surely one everyone can enjoy.

Beauty Week
Whole Foods Market, Various Locations
www.wholefoodsmarket.com
While Beauty Week technically runs from March 21-28, Friday marks a special celebration of natural beauty products at Whole Foods. For one day only, the store will offer $20 beauty bags filled with $100 worth of products, from mascara and bronzer to face masks and toner.

Saturday, March 24
Coppelia- VERIFIED Ashley
(Credit: Dave Friedman)

"Coppelia"
Irvine Barclay Theatre, Irvine
www.festivalballet.org
Festival Ballet Theatre presents a romantic comedy that is fun for families with children of all ages, telling the story of inventor Doctor Coppélius, who creates a life-size dancing doll. When a local boy falls in love with is, Swanhilda pretends to be the doll to make it "come to life."

Firkfest Caskaway Tiki Beer Fest
Anaheim Packing District, Anaheim
www.firkfest.com
Now in its fifth year, this unique tiki-themed beer festival offers one-of-a-kind cask beers from 30 different breweries. The four-hour event offers unlimited pours so drink up, and know that the money from your ticket is going toward the Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade.

The Best You Expo
Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach
www.thebestyouexpo.com
Starting on Saturday, this two-day event encourages visitors to be passionate about their lives, touching on things like confidence, mindfulness, wealth, health, empowerment and entrepreneurship. There will be a variety of speakers as well as yoga and meditation sessions.

Sunday, March 25
Luzia-Matt Beard- VERIFIED Ashley
(Credit: Matt Beard)

Luzia
OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa
www.cirquedusoleil.com
Orange County's first Cirque du Soleil show in years is Luzia, a dazzling display of Mexican culture and music in addition to color, light, water and pure talent. Sunday marks the last show of the run so see the show before it's gone.

Lord of the Strings: Carl Verheyen
LCA Wine, Costa Mesa
www.lcawine.com
LCA Wine at SOCO Collection hosts its annual Lord of the Strings series with a performance by Carl Verheyen, the lead guitarist of Supertramp as well as the Carl Verheyen Band. See his guitar work up close with this intimate performance while enjoying curated wine selections.

Summer Home
Back Bay Bistro, Newport Beach
www.newportdunes.com
This musical series at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort marks the launch of the Summer Home concert series. The resort works with MDA Events (Modern Disco Ambassadors) to present a DJ set by Télépopmusik along with a sunset brunch buffet.

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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