Doheny State Beach Halloween Haunt, The Taste by Los Angeles Times, La Bayadère and more…. Here are the top Orange County weekend events for October 17-20.

Edited by Whitney Lauren Han.

EVENTS

Halloween Haunt
Oct. 19. Doheny State Beach hosts its annual Halloween Haunt, where people in costumes stroll along the Spooky Walk, indulge in Halloween snacks and get their faces painted. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free admission with one can or box of food to support local food banks. 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.6171. dohenystatebeach.org

 

 

 

Fall Fitness Festival
Oct. 19. YMCA of Orange County hosts the second annual event at the Huntington Beach Family YMCA  to provide resources enabling the community to practice a healthy lifestyle. The festival presents family-friendly entertainment, guest speakers, fitness competitions for all ages, food trucks, kids costume contests, face painting, inflatable games and goods from local vendors. Group exercise sessions include U-Jam, Hot Hula, Barre, Yoga, Body Combat, BodyPump and Sprint as well as cycle and youth classes. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Huntington Beach Family YMCA, 8875 Adams Ave., Huntington Beach, 714.378.4784. ymcaoc.org

 

FOOD + DRINK

Fogo de Chão
Now Open. The famed Brazilian steakhouse welcomes guests to its first Orange County location in the Irvine Spectrum Center. The menu features a variety of fire-roasted meats including favorites such as ribeye, lamb chops and the house specialty, picanha, the most prized Brazilian cut. The restaurant also offers a range of menu selections and prices to fit guests’ needs for lunch and dinner. Brunch: Sa-Su 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Lunch: M-F 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Dinner: M-Th 4:30-10 p.m., F 4:30-10:30 p.m., Sa 2-10:30 p.m., Su 2-9 p.m. 623 Spectrum Center Drive, Irvine, 949.398.1500. fogodechao.com

 

 

The Blind Pig Kitchen + Bar in Yorba Linda
Now Open. The Blind Pig’s newest location offers a menu of chef-driven new-American cuisine by executive chef Karl Pfleider and an expansive selection of craft beers and specialty craft cocktails. The speakeasy-style bar and eatery’s menus change seasonally with eclectic and imaginative choices, as well as classic mainstays. An intimate four-seated chef’s counter (by reservation only) allows chef Pfleider to experiment with custom tasting menus. M-W 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Th 11 a.m.-midnight, F-Sa 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Sun: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. 4975 Lakeview Ave., Yorba Linda, 714.485.2593. theblindpigoc.com

 

 

National Pasta Day
Oct. 17. Brunos Italian Kitchen celebrates National Pasta Day with $15 specials featuring its hand-made-in-house pastas. Dishes include Grandma Nonna Maria’s spaghetti & meatballs, rigatoni alfredo, wild boar bucatini and spaghettini alla cecca. 210 W. Birch St., Brea, 714.257.1000. brunositaliankitchen.com

 

 

 

 

The Taste by Los Angeles Times
Oct. 18-19. The Taste, a celebration of the Southern California culinary scene presented by the Los Angeles Times, returns. Before expanding to the county last year, the event took place at the Paramount Pictures Studios backlot in Hollywood for nine years. Admission includes unlimited tastings, seasonal cocktails and cooking demos. 21+. F 7-10 p.m; Sa noon-3 p.m. and 7-10 p.m. $80-$100. The MET, 535 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa. Tickets

 

 

 

Hiccups & Churroholic
Opens Oct. 19. Celebrate the grand opening of Asian eatery Hiccups Restaurant & Teahouse—and its Spanish-inspired dessert concept Churroholic—from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Hiccups offers a variety of specialty drinks—such as Pink Flamingo tea—and boba; the Churroholic menu features churros, ice cream, milkshakes and fruit slushies. The first 25 customers receive free pho and a regular Vietnamese iced coffee or sea-salt iced coffee; the next 25 customers get popcorn chicken and a Vietnamese coffee in a mason jar. 3390 S. Bristol St., Santa Ana, 714.760.4313. hiccupsteahouse.com

 

 

Sea Fare
Oct. 19. Fall into a festival of flavors at the Aquarium of the Pacific: The most so-fish-ticated event of the year features an open bar, tastes from more than 30 local restaurants, breweries and bakeries, a live and silent auction and a photo booth. 7-11 p.m. $130. 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, 562.590.3100. aquariumofpacific.org

 

 

 

 

The Great Crush
Oct. 20. Benefiting the Arthritis Foundation, the event formerly known as Sunday in the Vineyard offers tastes of more than 80 wines, passed hors d’oeuvres by the Winery’s executive chef/partner Yvon Goetz, and live and silent auctions. Guests can also partake in an early tasting on a Yacht Tour through the Newport Marina prior to the main event. 2-5 p.m. $150. The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar, 3131 W. Coast Hwy., Newport Beach. arthpac.ejoinme.org

 

 

ARTS + CULTURE

Concert at Casa Romantica
Oct. 17. Experience the thrilling sounds of symphonies by Viennese composers Joseph Haydn and Franz Schubert performed by the Orchestra Collective of Orange County at Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens. Guests are seated in the round, surrounding the musicians in Casa Romantica’s historic Main Salon. A limited number of $1 tickets are available for children ages 6-16 who wish to attend. 7 p.m. $30 GA, $25 members. 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, 949.498.2139. casaromantica.org

 

 

Aubergine
Opens Oct. 19. Sometimes a meal is more than just food. A man shares his bowl of berries and a young woman falls in love. A mother meticulously prepares her son’s favorite dish to keep him from leaving home. And a Korean-American son cooks soup for his ailing father to say what words cannot. The perfect bite transcends time and cultural differences in this poetic tale of love, loss and healing by the author of The Language Archive and Office Hour. See website for showtimes and prices. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.708.5555. scr.org

 

 

La Bayadère
Through Oct. 20. Mariinsky Ballet and Orchestra performs the Petipa classic, an epic tale of a doomed temple dancer, the warrior who betrays her, and her archrival. See website for showtimes. $39+. Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org

 

 

 

Photos: Doheny State Beach, courtesy OC Register. Fitness Festival courtesy YMCA of Orange County. Steak courtesy Fogo de Chão. Pork chops courtesy the Blind Pig. Boar pasta courtesy Brunos. The Taste courtesy LA Times The Taste. Hiccups & Churroholic courtesy Hiccups Restaurant and Teahouse. Sea Fare courtesy Aquarium of the Pacific. The Great Crush courtesy Moxxe PR. Casa Romantica courtesy of Casa Romantica. Aubergine courtesy South Coast Repertory. La Bayadere, Natasha Razina © State Academic Mariinsky Theatre.