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

An Evening with Los Lobos

The four-time GRAMMY-winning rock-and-roll legends of East L.A. bring their foot-stomping sounds to the Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University MORE

Five Independent Bookstores to Visit Across Orange County

Short fiction and graphic novelist Neil Gaiman once said “a town isn’t a town without a bookstore.” When we think of the relationship between towns and bookstores, what’s the difference? It is no secret that behind boundless inventories of books lies a history of owners, passing down works of literature down to generations that will continue to do the same.

Orange County is a proud literary powerhouse, with a wide array of independent used bookstores for anyone to visit across its many cities. If you find yourself in the area, or look around where you live, these five independent bookstores will provide you with nuanced book options and exciting experiences.

Learning and Serving in Orange County During MLK Day and Black History Month

The first month of the new year is close to its end, which leads to the beginning of February and Black History Month.

Both of these times not only push us to look back to learn about and remember our history, but also to look forward and find ways to help our community to become better.

Dry and Damp January Recommendations in OC for the Rest of the Month

For those of you who have been debating whether to hit the gym in 2025 or stop drinking, there might be more incentive to cut the alcohol.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy proposed labeling alcoholic drinks with cancer warnings. Beer, wine and liquor are a factor in nearly 100,000 newly diagnosed cases each year, and about 20,000 people die annually from alcohol-related cancer.

Not only is drinking linked to cancer and other health problems, but using alcohol to relax can affect your sleep negatively. Poor sleep cycles then increase anxiety, which turns into a vicious cycle.

You don’t need to be a complete teetotaler, however, to experience the benefits of reducing alcohol consumption.

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.

Suor Angelica

A semi-staged performance of this Puccini masterwork will be presented in Irvine by Lyric Opera of Orange County, with tickets priced for people who haven't experienced opera before to take a chance MORE

Tết (Lunar New Year) Festival

Celebrate the coming Year of the Snake with this free family festival in downtown Santa Ana complete with dancing lions and dragons, live music, and a spectacular fireworks show MORE

Bob Baker Marionettes

The masterful puppets of this Los Angeles institution have been moving and entertaining people of all ages for over 70 years, and they're returning to Aliso Viejo's Soka University MORE

1968: Folsom Redemption and Beyond Confinement: The Untold Stories

The Fullerton Museum Center presents a unique exhibit that uses the legendary concerts performed by Johnny Cash at the maximum security Folsom Prison as an entryway into examining the profound effect of art on incarcerated people MORE