FOOD + DRINK
Thompkin Tasting
March 22. The Wine Lab welcomes Jeff Dobkin and Julie Thompson-Dobkin, local winemakers, to a tasting at its new Costa Mesa location. Sample five wines from the last three vintages of Thompkin Cellars and discover what an asset Jeff and Juile are to the local cultural scene. 2937 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, 714.905.9521. winelabcamp.com
Parrot Head Brunch
March 25. Parrot Heads rejoice! Bayside Restaurant hosts a special Parrot Head Sunday Brunch featuring entertainment by Mark Wood and the Parrot Head Duet Band, a Jimmy Buffet tribute Band. Enjoy Bayside’s famous three-course, free-flowing Champagne brunch and take advantage of drink specials such as the Sailor Jerry Mai Tai and the ultimate Seacoast Bloody Mary. After all, it’s 5:00 somewhere! 900 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach, 949.721.1222. baysiderestaurant.com
MUSIC
Spring Folk Concert
March 22. Celebrate the arrival of spring with an evening of music in the park! Brea’s Carbon Canyon Regional Park presents its Spring Folk Concert Series featuring local acoustic artists March 22, April 5 and April 19. The series kicks off with a performance by Jeremiah Webb and the Sweater Brothers. Originally from Colorado, this indie experimental folk group now lives in Long Beach and takes musical inspiration from renowned artists such as Josh Ritter and Andrew Bird. 4442 Carbon Canyon Rd., Brea, 714.973.3161. ocparks.com
SFJAZZ Collective
March 23-24. The SFJAZZ Collective delights audience members with an adventurous performance of the jazz standards of Stevie Wonder. A true collection of accomplished jazz stars, SFJAZZ is known for its acclaimed explorations of such jazz masters as Coltrane, Hancock, Monk and Tyner. At 6:30 pm, Bubba Jackson of KKJZ gives a free preview talk before each 7:30 pm performance. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org
Mendelssohn Piano Trios
March 25. In 2009, Finkel, Han and Setzer gave a triumphant performance of Schubert’s Piano Trios. This weekend, the accomplished classical artists return to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts for a highly anticipated performance of Mendelssohn’s virtuosic Piano Trios. The program features Sonata for Cello & Piano in D-Major Op. 58, Piano Trio #1 in D Minor, Op. 49 (1839) and Piano Trio #2 in C Minor, Op. 66 (1845). 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787. scfta.org
DANCE
The Sleeping Beauty
March 24. When the long-wished for Princess Aurora is born, the Fairies of the kingdom visit to bestow gifts upon the young princess. Furious at being overlooked, the Evil Fairy Carabosse “gifts” the princess with a curse, which is partly changed by the Lilac Fairy who vows that the curse will result in a 100-year-long slumber instead of death. Watch Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece come to life as the Festival Ballet Theatre performs this beloved fairy tale, which reminds us that good always triumphs over evil. 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, 949.854.4646. thebarclay.org
SHOPPING
Spring Collection Party at Havaianas
March 23. Visit the Havaianas store in Huntington Beach (America’s first!) to celebrate the launch of the 2012 Spring Collection. Check out cute new styles while enjoying DJ beats along with delicious Brazilian drinks and appetizers. Also in attendance is Assouline, publisher of fine lifestyle and fashion books, which presents its new book, Brazilian Style by W magazine’s editor Armand Limnander. 300 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach, 714.536.0001. havaianas.com
Spring Fling
March 24. The OC Mart Mix, a marketplace for gourmet foods, coffee and wine among other items, invites guests to celebrate the arrival of spring at the first annual Spring Fling. Meander through the 30 plus shops of the South Coast Collection and enter to win a gift basket of your choice with every $20 spent. Treat your children to face painting from Haute Body Couture and portraits with live bunnies from Illuminated Photography before treating yourself to a mini facial and make-up application from Organic to Green. Enjoy live music as well as a new art exhibit. 3313 Hyland Drive, Costa Mesa. ocmartmix.com
MUSEUMS
People Were Her Project
Through September. The Nixon Presidential Library & Museum recently opened a new exhibit celebrating what would have been Mrs. Pat Nixon’s 100th birthday. People Were Her Project is an interactive, highly visual and powerful exhibit profiling one of America’s most beloved First Ladies from her humble beginnings through her years in the White House. Mrs. Nixon was known for championing volunteerism and representing the United States as the President’s Ambassador of Goodwill. 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, 714.993.5075. nixonfoundation.org
ART
The Postwar Era: From the Collection, 1945-1980
Through April 29. Inspired by the Getty’s Pacific Standard exhibit, Laguna Art Museum offers The Postwar Era: From the Collection, 1945-1980, which consists of existing pieces from the coastal museum’s collection. Through the works of Peter Alexander, Keith Finch and Roger Kuntz, among others, The Postwar Era explores the development and demise of various art movements throughout the region and how those movements helped shape Southern California into a major cultural force. 307 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach, 949.494.8971. lagunaartmuseum.org
Victor Hugo Zayas: Mi Obra
Through April 29.
New at Laguna Art Museum is Victor Hugo Zayas: Mi Obra, which presents the passionate, bold and expressionistic paintings of Victor Hugo Zayas. Mi Obra (literally, “my work” in Zayas’s native Spanish) contains paintings of figures, landscapes and cityscapes as well as linear, abstract sculptures. Of particular interest is Zayas’s newest sculpture series made from more than two tons of destroyed guns. The series stands as a symbol of peace in conjunction with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Gun Buyback Program, which aims to take illegal firearms off the streets of L.A. 307 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach, 949.494.8971. lagunaartmuseum.org
THEATER
Sister’s Easter Catechism
Through Apr. 8.
The Catholic Church’s most hilarious nun answers age old questions of the Easter season like “Why isn’t Easter on the same day every year like Christmas?” and, “Will my bunny go to Heaven?” Part pageant and part wHOLY hysterical, this latest of the sinfully funny Late Nite Catechism series unearths the origins of Easter bunnies, eggs, baskets, bonnets and of course, Peeps! 606 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, 949.497.2787. lagunaplayhouse.com
Sight Unseen
Through Apr. 1. This OBIE award-winning play follows Jonathan Waxman, the art scene’s new golden boy, who has a waiting list to buy paintings he has yet to paint. As the pressure mounts upon Waxman, he realizes something is missing and flees the country to find the woman who first held his heart, inspired his work and made him an artist in the first place. 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.708.5500. scr.org