Each week, Arts Orange County and Culture OC deliver you this look at the stories and events happening in our arts and cultural community.

Border Crossings: Music Beyond the Boundaries

The Orange County Women's Chorus programs their spring concert with the songs that bring us together and bind us in community, with a spotlight on the contributions of immigrants and refugees to America's songbook MORE

Summer 2026 in Orange County: The Arts and Culture Events Worth Your Time and Money

Memorial Day weekend is behind us, so what does the future have in store? Why, the exciting summer arts and culture season, of course!

There’s plenty to see and do in Orange County during the coming months. So instead of relying on the usual, conventional options – movies, amusement parks, the beach, a sporting event – why not explore what this great county has to offer in the realms of arts and culture?

Here’s a look at some of the top summertime picks in theater, dance, visual arts, culture, music (classical, popular, jazz and world) and food, brought to you by Culture OC’s talented team of arts and culture writers.

Dig Into a Feast of Flavors at Local Night Markets This Summer

Warm nights filled with the scent of grilled meat, fried food and sweets wafting on the breeze: Summer season is approaching, which means it’s time for local night markets to get under way.

These foodie festivals kick off with the 626 Night Market from May 29-31 at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, followed by smaller, monthly events presented by Weekend Night Market in Huntington Beach, Lake Forest and Mission Viejo.

Aside from an array of tantalizing treats, the air feels electric with music, people talking and playing games, the hum of food truck generators in the background – a general buzz of activity that makes these gatherings feel like the place to be.

Pacific Symphony Asks What America Means – in Music, Images, and History

The Pacific Symphony takes on America at 250 with a May 28–30 concert blending orchestral music, jazz, and large-scale photography and video. Taking place at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, “Shelley Conducts America at 250” features a pair of West Coast premieres along with the special performance of George Gershwin’s “Concert in F.”

Conductor Alexander Shelley, the Pacific Symphony’s artistic and music director designate, said that the concert is a great place to start the symphony’s America at 250 programming “because we’re exploring America through three different lenses here …. You’re getting a triumvirate of impressions of the U.S.”

Each week, we recommend a variety of events and experiences from the listings at SparkOC.com, our free website for Orange County's arts and cultural community.

VIVO

A celebration of the inimitable connection between live music and dance, presented by Ballet OC at the Brea Curtis Theatre MORE

GAME! Basketball and Contemporary Art

Uniquely using the renovation of the Great Park's basketball courts as the catalyst for an art exhibition, GAME! uses site-specific work and a variety of contemporary artists to explore how the aesthetics of the sport travel through our culture MORE

Story Time at Casa Romantica

The scenic cultural center and gardens in San Clemente invites famlilies once a month to bring their young ones to play, explore, sing, and hear children's books read aloud by the Casa's volunteers MORE

Jazz on a Summer's Day

The 1958 documentary brought the eyes of the world to Rhode Island where the Newport Jazz Festival was growing in esteem and popularity, featuring legendary performances by Louis Armstrong, Mahalia Jackson and more. Laguna Beach's Rivian South Coast Theater hosts a special screening featuring a reception and conversation with contemporary jazz trumpeter Tony Guerrero MORE