Best Activities To Do In Orange County This Weekend - August 12
Just as soon as it arrived, it feels like time has all but run out on the last little bit of summer. With kids already strapping on their backpacks and getting back into the classroom, we're starting to prepare for Fall all of a sudden! While the summer months seemed to whiz by, there is still time to make some memories and enjoy a stellar weekend. Just a couple of days can really make a season stick and we have figured out a quick list of places and happenings that are sure to be winners. Get ready to snap some selfies and brag about how amazing your weekend was. Here is what is happening in Orange County this weekend.
Take In The Last Weekend At The O.C. Fair
88 Fair Dr.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 708-1500
www.ocfair.com
Whether you spend hours and lots of dollars on the midway, or hit the thrilling heights of the Ferris Wheel, there is something essential about a visit to the O.C. Fair during the summer months. Although the annual tradition has morphed into a huge foodie destination, all of the attractions that comprise a complete fair experience are still a huge part of the appeal. Sure, a deep fried avocado, a glazed donut chicken sandwich, and a footlong corn dog are going to be main draws, but in between bites, scoring that gigantic stuffed animal or swinging your feet while soaring on the swings are nothing short of invigorating. This is the last weekend to connect with that feeling that only a visit to the fair can stir. Get to Costa Mesa or be forced to wait another year.
Art Crawl Experience (A.C.E.)
205 W Center St Prom
Anaheim, CA 92805
www.facebook.com
A.C.E. is a quarterly event that transforms the promenade of the Downtown Anaheim Arts District into a robust outdoor gallery. Less of a stiff, formal exhibit, ACE is a party that combines visually engaging art, live music (and some dancing in the street), plus the lure of local culinary craftsmen into one fantastic Saturday. With pop-up galleries, brick-and-mortar galleries, a craft village that allows visitors to get hands on with their penchant for art, and plenty to experience, the concise artwalk of sorts is another example of Anaheim's thriving creative community. With local shops and cafes staying open late to participate in the fun, plan on spending the rest of your day in the promenade.
The Bradford House
136 Palm Circle
Placentia, CA
(714) 993-2470
www.thebradfordhouse.info
The Bradford House has been listed in the National Registry of Historic Places since 1978, but the roots of the building are linked to the foundation of Orange County. The 15-room colonial style home was established in 1902 in one of the many orange groves as a place to get water along the railroad, thus giving birth to the city of Placentia. The home now functions as an interactive time capsule that visitors can walk through and experience. From the staircase to the ruby windows and original interior details, the house is itself a work of art. A visit to Bradford is a wonderful trip in time that really gives people from Southern California a new appreciation for the area's rich history.
Alabama Shakes At Irvine Meadows
Irvine Meadows
8808 Irvine Center Dr,
Irvine, CA 92618
www.alabamashakes.com
Rounding out their weeklong stay in Southern California, Alabama Shakes are appropriately one of the most anticipated shows for the final season at Irvine Meadows. Touring in support of their latest "Sound and Color" record, expect nothing less than goosebumps when Brittany Howard is in command. The band is a potent combination of blues, soul, and raw rock n roll that transcends explanation. An Alabama Shakes show is nothing short of a religious experience in how that ticket will certainly lead to some soul searching while the band is onstage. Spend your Sunday night in the meadows with the Shakes and you will drive home a better human for it.
Laguna Art Museum
307 Cliff Dr.
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 494-8971
www.lagunaartmuseum.org
While the Pageant of the Masters usually steals all of the Laguna Beach art and culture headlines, the city's museum is an incredibly dynamic California institution for art. Regularly hosting California-centric exhibits of modern art including all different types of media, the current curation at The Laguna Art Museum includes work from Santa Monica surf photographer Anthony Friedkin and the late modernist Peter Krasnov. While the sand and shore provides plenty of reason alone to head south, the museum is one of those places you could visit regularly and never see the same thing twice.
