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

Dance Escape 2024

A much anticipated annual dance concert from the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at UCI, showcasing new choreography created by the MFA students of their Dance Department MORE

Trial by Fire: The Making of Ali Mookhi and Khan Saab

Determined to seek his fortune in America,17-year-old Imran Ali Mookhi didn’t have much to go on in 2000. The night before he left his hometown of Karachi, Pakistan, his extended family came to wish him well. But his father gave him a harsh lecture, along with $1,000 and a one-way plane ticket to Los Angeles. 

“Have your vacation and when you are ready to come back, call me. I will send you a return ticket.” Mookhi was shocked. He thought his father planned for him to settle in the U.S. and be a good example for his siblings, an older sister and two younger brothers.

“You want me to come back?” 

His father answered: “You’re my son, but you’re a piece of (expletive). You are nothing without me. So, you're not gonna make it. Just go have a vacation and come back. You can’t survive without me. You’ll be back in a month.”

Mookhi wasn’t just stunned, he was insulted. “That statement triggered me. But it made me who I am right now,” he said. “I told my dad that night, ‘You know what? I won't come back for at least 10 years.’”

Churros Are Having a Moment

Churros are experiencing a surge in popularity. Here’s where you can get your own bite of this sugary favorite, from the perfected classic to 2024’s must-try modern twists.

Great Park Arts Campus is Finally Taking Shape

The city of Irvine has greenlighted construction for two tenants of the Great Park’s dedicated neighborhood of cultural facilities, long envisioned as an integral part of its master plan: Orange County Music and Dance (OCMD), which offers arts education, performing arts training and musical experiences for children and adults; and Pretend City, an interactive, pint-sized city that encourages the physical, cognitive, language and social-emotional development of children.

The project is called The Collaborative, which represents a partnership among three nonprofits: Pretend City, OCMD and the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum. A fourth group may be added later.

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.

The Sea Coast Symphony Returns

Formerly known as the Dana Point Symphony, this longtime local ensemble puts on a spring concert featuring the Durkovic Trio performing Beethoven MORE

Spring Cleaning Open Mic

The Third Street Writers host a free open mic at Laguna Beach's LCAD Gallery, encouraging local writers to dust off old works and share four-minute excerpts in a friendly community atmosphere MORE

Bloom 24: A Vibrant Celebration of the Arts

First Presbyterian Church in Santa Ana plays hosts to this free celebration of the artistic achievements of local children from every background, hosted by the Orange County Children's Therapeutic Arts Center and featuring students from their Prep Arts Academy MORE

Aliento a Tequila (or The Spirit of Tequila)

The Fullerton Museum Center celebrates the "landscape, culture, and traditions" behind the beloved blue agave drink in an exhibition of photographs by Joel Salcido MORE