Festival of Whales
Mar. 1-2 & 8-9. Take part in this 43rd annual festival celebrating the migration of the California gray whale. Enjoy a parade, street fairs, concerts, crafts and marine mammal cruises. See website for schedule. Dana Point Harbor, Dana Point, 949.496.1045. festivalofwhales.com
OC Cocktail Week
Mar. 2-8. Celebrate the first annual OC Cocktail Week as more than 40 bars and restaurants throughout the county offer handcrafted cocktails paired with appetizers and small bites for only $20.14. Orange County’s best bartenders such as Dave Stolte from 320 Main, Rich Ohtsika from The Cellar and Neil Matchko and Mike Lowery from Hopscotch will be giving demonstrations during the week. See website for details. occocktailweek.com
Lark Creek Newport Beach
Through Mar. 31. Snag great wines while saving money as Lark Creek Newport Beach offers each bottle of wine from their signature wine list for half price, including a selection of varietals from Napa Valley, the Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Barbara, Mendocino and Sonoma, as well as from wine-growing regions around the world. 957 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, 949.640.6700. larkcreeknb.com
Fat Tuesday at House of Blues
Mar. 4. End Mardi Gras with Fat Tuesday in true Bourbon Street style! Enjoy live entertainment from Papa J Blues Band, New Orleans style food, drink specials, beads, masks and more. Break out your Mardi Gras masks for their costume contest. 6-9 p.m. 1530 S. Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, 714.778.2583. houseofblues.com
Meet the Curators and Artists Behind Hanji: Contemporary Korean Paper Art
Mar. 6. Enjoy a free gallery tour and artist discussion of the current exhibit that features six contemporary artists who use hanji, the traditional mulberry paper of Korea as a surface for painting, calligraphy or printmaking, as well as mold or layer the fine paper itself into functional design objects. Artists Young Hoon Kim, Donghyun Chung, Yoonsook B. Ryang, Theresa Hwang and co-curator Linda Lim of the Lynn J. Gallery in Buena Park will speak about their working methods and answer questions from the audience. 7:30 p.m. Exhibit runs until April 13. Muckenthaler Cultural Center, 1201 W. Malvern, Fullerton, 714.738.6595. themuck.org
Fullerton Art Walk 4 Year Anniversary
Mar. 7. Check out this colossal art event at the Fullerton Museum Plaza as numerous local galleries, downtown venues and artists invite all to partake in this family-friendly celebration. Enjoy live music, dance, interactive art and theater, demonstrations, a beer and wine garden and gourmet food trucks. 6-10 p.m. Parking available at the SoCo Parking Structure on Sante Fe Ave. off Harbor Blvd. Fullerton Museum Plaza, on Wilshire Ave. between N. Harbor Blvd. and N. Pomona Ave. fullertonartwalk.com
French Film Festival at Fullerton College
Mar. 6-15. Watch screenings of new award-winning contemporary French films of a variety of genres. All movies will be shown in French with English subtitles. 7:30 p.m. $6.50. Fullerton College’s Wilshire Auditorium, 321 E. Chapman Ave., Fullerton, 714.992.7349. foreign.fullcoll.edu
Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo
Mar. 7-9. The company returns to Segerstrom Center for the Arts with the American premiere of choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot’s take on Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Expect extraordinary dancing, sumptuous costumes and inventive storytelling at this interpretation of the classic. $35-$135. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org
Celebrate Good Taste
Mar. 7-9. Indulge in a three-day culinary adventure throughout Laguna Beach as participating restaurants offer prix fixe menus, daily events, chef and winemaker dinners, educational seminars and more. See website for event schedule. celebrategoodtaste.com
Shen Yun
Mar. 11-16. Take a journey across 5,000 years of Chinese culture through the universal language of music and dance as Shen Yun weaves a wondrous tapestry of heavenly realms, ancient legends and modern heroic tales. $54-$180. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org
Bourbon Street Confidential
Mar. 13. Help discover who dunnit as you travel back to 1960s Bourbon Street where a murder has been committed. Enjoy an evening of fun, food and drink at this interactive murder mystery show. After the show, visit the Dueling Piano show in the Flambeaux Room. 6:30 p.m. $77. Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen at Downtown Disney, 1590 S. Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, 714.563.7261. rbjazzkitchen.com
I Love Lucy
Mar. 18-23. Watch television’s favorite foursome live on stage as Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel will have you in side-splitting laughs as you watch the “filming” of two episodes of the iconic sitcom. $29-$89. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org
Swallows Day Parade and Mercado Street Fair
Mar. 22. See the parade that commemorates storied annual bird visit from Argentina. The Mercado Street Fair in Historic Town Center Park off El Camino Real and Ortega Hwy., features more than 100 vendors with live music, activities for children and a variety of food and drink. 11 a.m. Free. Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Ortega Hwy., San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.1976. swallowsparade.org
Firkfest
Mar. 22. Sample unlimited 4oz. cask pours from more than 30 Southern California craft breweries at this proper cask ale festival. Enjoy local artisanal foods and more while supporting the charitable organization Inspire Artistic Minds which raises awareness for the arts of taste, sight and sound. $50. Farmers Park, 400 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim, firkfest.com
Wells Fargo’s Table for Ten
Mar. 23. Indulge in this rare opportunity as 30 of Orange County’s top chefs–such as Andrew Sutton of Napa Rose, Yvon Goetz from The Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar, and Casey Overton From The Loft at Montage Resort Laguna Beach–come together to compose masterpiece signature dishes prepared tableside for tables of ten guests. Each course will be paired with fine wines and served with white glove service. Enjoy a cocktail reception where you can mingle with the chefs as well as bid on live and silent auction items benefitting Illumination Foundation, a nonprofit working to end the cycle of homelessness in Orange County. 4:30 p.m. $500. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, 1600 Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, 714.635.2300. ifhomeless.org
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Mar. 27-30. Witness unparalleled artistry, athletic strength and boundless passion as you watch the dancers of Alvin Ailey. The company and director Robert Battle promise Ailey classics as well as works by today’s most exciting choreographers; its dancers are perhaps the most acclaimed international ambassadors of American culture performing today. $59-$119. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org
Themed Wine Dinner at Tangata
Mar. 28. In tandem with the Beethoven: The Late Great art exhibit at Bowers Museum, Tangata will be featuring a special three-course prix fixe wine dinner along with access to the exhibit, art displays and shopping in the gallery after regular museum hours. Indulge in dinner with wine pairings including Beethoven’s favorite dish, spatzle mac ‘n’ cheese. $35 dinner; $50 with pairings. Tangata at Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana. 714.550.0906. bowers.org