August 5, 2026

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

Newport Beach Art Week

For the first time, the city of Newport Beach is bringing together dance workshops, author readings, a live performance from Pacific Symphony, and the 59th annual juried Art Exhibition, under one banner as a week-long celebration of the arts in all forms MORE

The Udon Restaurant My Algorithm Influenced Me To Try

REVIEW: With its viral online popularity and well-executed dishes, Tsurukawa Udon may be the restaurant that finally breaks the curse of its location at The District in Tustin.

In an Arts Town, Laguna Dance Builds a New Residency for Making Dance

For three weeks this summer, a group of dancers has had the experience to fully immerse themselves in making a new piece of work, together, with nowhere else to be. There’s no company season pulling at their attention. No school. No full-length repertory piece that has to hold up across a dozen performances and a tour. Just one goal, followed through from start to finish.


Laguna Dance’s new Summer Creation & Performance Program is a three-week residency that culminates Aug. 6-9 in “Summer Stage: We The People.” The final week of the program includes four days of performances across Laguna Beach – free shows on Main Beach and at Laguna Art Museum, a master class and ticketed evenings at Laguna Playhouse.


This summer program will not replace the organization’s long-standing winter festival. Instead, it introduces an annual residency built to give artists dedicated space, time and financial support to create new work, something increasingly rare in today’s dance world.

Santa Ana’s Monthly Cumbia DJ Spinfest Brings Dancers and Memories

Since 2021, Ritmo Santanero has taken over an alley in Santa Ana for its residency with Mission Bar on the first Saturday of every month.

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.

Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill: The Musical

The acclaimed production of this musical at Anaheim's Chance Theater has been extended to August 16th by popular demand, reimagining the songs of Morissette's breakthrough album as a story about trauma and healing MORE

Fiesta Music Festival

Two stages will feature live music acts all day long as well as a parade down Avenida Del Mar led by Raíces Ballet Folklórico in this free outdoor festival in San Clemente MORE

Wonder Studio

Irvine's Pretend City Children's Museum invites parents and kids to get creative and get messy with their immersive summer exhibit MORE

de la Torre Brothers: The Tipping Point

The acclaimed mixed-media artist brothers have created a unique, experiential installation at the Laguna Art Museum that looks on the surface like the setting of a lavish dinner, but with much more being said within the details MORE

 

Culture OC's mission is to provide the best possible arts and cultural journalism to Orange County, raise awareness of the area’s cultural richness and diversity, and strengthen the future of our field.

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Arts Orange County builds appreciation of, participation in and support for the arts and arts education throughout Orange County. Event information provided by SparkOC, an ArtsOC program. 

sparkoc.com