Surf City Splash
Jan. 1. Celebrate the new year with a dip into the chilly Pacific Ocean. Enjoy a pancake breakfast, art fair and costume contest next to Zack’s Pier Plaza. Prize categories for the costume contest include funniest, best celebrity, most sparkly, best animal-themed and group costume. Bring your bathing suits (wetsuits are cheating) for a dip into the ocean at noon. 8 a.m. Breakfast served until 11 a.m. Vendors open until 4 p.m. $20 upon registration, includes breakfast. Downtown Huntington Beach, Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach. surfcityusa.com
Travis Scott
Jan. 1. See American hip hop recording artist and record producer Travis Scott hit the stage at The Observatory. Expect Scott to perform hits from his sophomore album, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, released early September. You’ll recognize his hit songs “Antidote,” “Rodeo” and “3500.” 8 p.m. $75. The Observatory, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana, 714.957.0600. observatoryoc.com
Adele-Inspired Chef’s Table Dinner at Mesa
Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31. Join Mesa on Tuesdays through January for a musician-inspired four-course meal. This month, chef Niki Starr will draw her inspiration from popular singer Adele. Course one, inspired by Adele’s hit song “Hello,” features hamachi sliced thin, avocado and tomatillo puree, tortilla strips, tangerine segments, tangerine tequila fluid gel and micro cilantro. The third course, “Turning Tables,” features grilled New York loin with a green peppercorn sauce sitting atop pomme puree, roasted bone marrow with a raisin and red onion marmalade and fresh parsley served with grilled bread. See website for full menu. Reservations required. 5-9 p.m. $60. 725 Baker St., Costa Mesa, 714.557.6700. 100eats.com
The Roommate
Jan. 3-22. Sharon, a sensible, curious and very, very talkative woman, at age 54 takes in a roommate to make ends meet. Robyn, a new arrival from the Bronx, is hiding a lifetime of secrets. Watch as the story unfolds and Sharon finds the shocking truth. Tickets start at $48. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.708.5555. scr.org
RENT
Jan. 6-8. Catch the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning masterpiece as it returns to the stage for its 20th anniversary touring production. Follow the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without settling. See website for showtimes. Tickets start at $29. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org
2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross
Jan. 7, 21. Don’t miss the highly anticipated 2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross. The world’s premier off-road motorcycle championship series will kick off a 17-race battle to crown a champion with the premiere 2017 season race on Jan. 7. A second racing event will take place Jan. 21. Arrive early for the Monster Energy Pit Party for an opportunity to get an autograph and see the riders, the teams and their bikes. Gates open at noon; pit party noon-6 p.m.; racing 7 p.m. Tickets start at $20. Pit passes $10. Angel Stadium of Anaheim, 2000 E. Gene Autry Way, Anaheim, 800.745.3000. supercrosslive.com
Taps and Tastes at Skyloft
Jan. 11. Indulge on a decadent six-course menu featuring beer pairings from brewing company Modern Times. The menu includes albodingas soup (spicy beef broth with meatballs, carrots, celery, zucchini, tomatoes and garlic sticky rice on the side), lobster baked romas (spicy lobster mix baked in roasted Roma tomatoes and topped with house-smoked pork belly, balsamic glaze, chili basil oil and micro cilantro) and Cali smoke sampler (includes almond wood smoked brisket and achiote marinated roasted chicken) among other items. 6 p.m. $55. 422 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, 949.715.1550. skyloftoc.com
Chapatti
Jan. 11-Feb. 5. Annabella Price and Mark Bramhall star in this humorous and heartwarming tale about two animal lovers in Dublin and their unexpected spark as they re-discover the importance of human companionship. This second-chance comedy celebrates these unforgettable characters who still believe in love. See website for showtimes. Tickets start at $65. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 949.497.2787. lagunaplayhouse.com
Segerstrom Center’s Off Center Festival 2017
Jan. 12-28. See an all-new lineup of creative, contemporary and sometimes controversial artists and shows. The festival will present Keith A. Wallace’s The Bitter Game, Mariachi Flor de Tolache, Marga Gomez’ Latin Standards and much more. The Off Center Lounge in Leatherby’s Café Rouge will be open with a special low-cost post-performance menu and the opportunity to mix and mingle with festival artists. See website for schedule and showtimes. $25. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2121. scfta.org
Monster Jam
Jan. 14, 28. Get ready for mayhem and destruction with the biggest, baddest monster trucks in the business. Monster Jam, one of the country’s premier live motorsport events, features drag racing and freestyle contests in which trucks face death-defying jumps and other obstacles. This year’s lineup features appearances by Monster Jam powerhouses and multiple world finals champions Join the Pit Party before the show where fans get the chance to score autographs and memorabilia from the drivers. Pit party 2:30-5:30 p.m., showtime 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $25. Angel Stadium of Anaheim, 2000 Gene Autry Way, Anaheim. angel.stadiumanaheim.com
Newport Beach Restaurant Week
Jan. 16-29. Prepare your inner-foodie for the longest running restaurant week in Orange County. The annual event features special prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner at more than 50 premier eateries in Newport Beach, such as The Ritz Prime Seafood, Five Crowns, Sessions West Coast Deli and Lighthouse Bayview Cafe, among others. Feed your curiosity and try new places or revisit your favorites. Find a culinary road map of participating locations online. No passes or coupons required, just visit your favorite participating restaurants during business hours. Lunch $10-$25/pp, Dinner $20-$50/pp. dinenb.com
Daou Wine Dinner
Jan. 17. Take in the gorgeous ocean views at 21 Oceanfront while indulging on a four-course wine pairing dinner with Daou Winery. Menu highlights include a first course of smoked Chilean sea bass carpaccio with sweet baby peppers, watercress, shaved fennel and wasabi paired with a 2014 Daou Chardonnay; and for the main course, prime New York Oscar with lemon chard risotto and hollandaise paired with a 2013 Daou Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. See website for full menu. 6:30 p.m. $95. 21 Oceanfront, 2100 West Oceanfront, Newport Beach, 949.673.2100. 21oceanfront.com
Matilda The Musical
Jan. 17-29. The Tony Award-winning Matilda The Musical, based on the novel by Roald Dahl, is the story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny. See website for showtimes. Tickets start at $29. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org
Moby Dick
Jan. 20-Feb. 19. Witness firsthand the power—and the poetry—of Melville’s classic novel, Moby Dick, as it is transformed into a masterwork for the stage. Driven on by a self-destructive madman, larger-than-life characters search for the white whale, pitting themselves against the Seven Seas with a fiery passion in this production by Chicago’s renowned Lookingglass Theatre Company. See website for showtimes. Tickets start at $20. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.708.5555. scr.org