Orange County

Weekend roundup

September 9-12

Events

Tall Ships Festival from 2018 photo courtesy Ocean Institute

Maritime Festival

Sept. 10-12. Bring the kiddos for family-friendly fun at the Ocean Institute’s annual Maritime Festival (formerly known as Tall Ships Festival) at the Dana Point Harbor. This weekend celebration features all things maritime including sailing, food trucks and vendors, craft beers, live music, and more. The festival brings history to life as crews from seven different ships, along with historical re-enactors, engage the public in mock cannon battles at sea, pirate adventures, mermaid encounters, ship tours, and other entertaining activities. See website for full schedule. $20 adults, $15 children. 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.496.2274. oceaninstitute.org

Adoption event photo courtesy Ajenda PR

Mess Hall x Priceless Pets Adoption

Sept. 11. Give a pet a fur-ever home with help from Tustin’s chef-driven food hall Mess Hall Market at FLIGHT and Priceless Pet Rescue. On Saturday, come meet some adoptable rescue at this pet adoption event, and then stop by Mess Hall to enjoy an eclectic, chef-driven selection of eateries. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 1705 Flight Way, Tustin. pricelesspetrescue.org

Food + Drink

Steak and eggs dish photo courtesy Billy's at the Beach

Sunday Brunch at Billy’s at the Beach

Begins Sept. 12. Gather your brunch pals and head over to Billy’s at The Beach for its new Sunday brunch. The new brunch offers the full menu in addition to island-inspired breakfast items such as banana-and-macadamia-nut pancakes, Billy’s Moco Loco, and steak and eggs—as well as signature cocktails including the World Famous Mai Tai and bloody mary. Tu-Th 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; F-Sa 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Su 10 a.m.-9 p.m. 2751 W. Coast Hwy., Newport Beach, 949.722.1100. billysatthebeach.net

O Sea's grilled octopus dish photo courtesy Moxxe PR

New Seasonal Dishes at O Sea

Now Available. In celebration of the fall season ahead, O Sea’s executive chef David Yamaguchi presents a seasonally driven menu with new dishes that showcase fall ingredients. Indulge in new menu offerings such as the wild Fijian albacore tuna poke, grilled Spanish octopus (pictured), autumnal cabbages in Nuoc Cham, crispy Brussels in carrot mole and Mexican ‘Tres Leches’ cake. M 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Tu-F 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sa 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Su 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. 109 S. Glassell St., Orange, 714.363.3309. eatosea.com

Watermelontini cocktail photo courtesy ReMix Kitchen Bar

Summer Cocktails at ReMix Kitchen Bar

Available. Even if summer is coming to an end, the heat is still here … and so are the refreshing summer cocktails at ReMix Kitchen Bar! Located at the Long Beach Exchange, ReMix is offering these seasonal cocktails through the end of the month. Try the Watermelontini (pictured) made with fresh squeezed watermelon juice, lemon juice and vodka; or Chill as a Cucumber made with tequila, cucumber, pineapple, lemon and a cooling mezcal mist. W-Th 5-9 p.m.; F 5-10 p.m.; Sa 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Su 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 3860 Worsham Ave., Long Beach, 562.421.0200. remixlb.com

Zankou Chicken's food spread photo courtesy Zankou Chicken

Zankou Chicken

Now Open. The SoCal Mediterranean restaurant group welcomes Huntington Beach locals to its newest location on Beach Boulevard. Enjoy flavorful, time-honored Middle Eastern-inspired dishes the restaurant is known for, including signature dishes such as its famous rotisserie, marinated tri-tip shawarma, kabob, falafel, trademarked chicken tarna and more. Make sure to try the house-made sides and sauces, Tabouleh salad, Mutabbal, hummus and, of course, Zankou’s signature garlic sauce. Open daily 10 a.m.-10 p.m. 18541 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach, 714.515.8960. zankouchicken.com

Arts + Culture

"LEGEND- 200 Years of Sleepy Hollow" art courtesy Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center

LEGEND: 200 Years of Sleepy Hollow Exhibit

Sept. 10-Oct. 31. Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center presents a celebratory exhibition that explores the origins of the classic short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and the lasting legacy of one of America’s first pop culture icons, Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. The artifacts in this exhibit come from 200 years of publishing, film adaptations and collectable memorabilia. There’s also an art show component, showcasing work created for this exhibit by local and national illustrators and artists. W-Su 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 241 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim, 714.765.6450. muzeo.org

Tchaikovsky Spectacular

Sept. 11. End the summer with a bang at Pacific Amphitheatre with Tchaikovsky’s greatest hits along with Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini performed by the critically acclaimed pianist and International Tchaikovsky Competition silver medalist George Li. The concert opens with patriotic music by John Williams, Stephen Paulus and Irving Berlin to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11, followed by Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy. Gates open at 6 p.m., concert begins at 8 p.m. $25-$99. 100 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.708.1500. pacificsymphony.org

Headshot of Gayle Garner Roski photo courtesy Bowers Museum

The Gift of Los Angeles: Memories in Watercolor by Gayle Garner Roski 

Through Nov. 14. Bowers Museum presents an exhibition by Los Angeles-based artist, traveler and storyteller Gayle Garner Roski (pictured). Featuring more than 100 of her watercolor works on display, this celebration of life was a labor of love for the artist, who completed the project while battling the rare neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)—also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease—and unfortunately passed away in October of 2020. Tu-Su 10 a.m.-4 p.m. See website to purchase tickets. 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana, 714.567.3600. bowers.org

Photo credits: Alonzo King LINES Ballet by RJ Muna. O Sea courtesy Moxxe PR. All other images are courtesy of the businesses and venues.

Let's Stay In Touch

with weekly roundups

Sign up for FREE to receive our exclusive Weekend Roundup!

Get the best things to do in our favorite SoCal spots delivered to your inbox every week

Los Angeles

Orange County

San Diego