July 15, 2022
Each week, Arts Orange County and Voice of OC are excited to deliver to you this look at the stories and events happening in our arts and cultural community.
♦ Marquee ♦
Anaheim's Chance Theater presents the smash hit, Tony-winning adaptation of the Grammy-winning rock album that captured the energy of a generation MORE
♦ Culture ♦
Orange County’s biggest community fair, the OC Fair, will be returning again this year with new additions to its attractions and fun. This year’s theme “Feel the Sunshine” welcomes the community back and highlights the summer bliss of the season.

The OC Fair dates back to 1890 when it started as a small community event featuring a horse race and small exhibits. Now, the fair is a 23-day festival taking place at the OC Fair & Event Center, which is 130 acres and filled with carnival games, rides, exhibits, food and live entertainment from mid-July to mid-August.

The OC Fair is limiting the daily capacity to 45,000 guests due to COVID-19. This capacity limit was set in place in 2021 after the fair had to cancel in 2020 for the first time since World War II.
♦ Food ♦
Orange County runs on coffee even in the heat of summer. Ask any parent, chef, teacher, student, writer and every other individual who needs the life-giving elixir, and they’ll tell you how they like it ordered. I may be a self-proclaimed fan of all things tea, but there’s something about an iced latte on an 80-something-degree afternoon that hits different – and that’s a good thing.

I was inspired to explore coffeehouses further while penning a recent article on breakfast spots. In lieu of an exhaustive list of places specializing in hot and cold brews, I’m featuring three destinations I’ve started frequenting beginning with one dedicated barista transitioning from pop-up status to proper operation in Old Town Tustin. Then it’s off to a community-focused roaster in Placentia before concluding at the sassy, not-so-small business that launched a flagship in Costa Mesa.
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. We always suggest you be mindful of the most recent health and safety guidelines in California, Orange County, and the venue for the listing.
♦ Local Spotlight ♦
Irvine Barclay Theatre is the place to catch the MenAlive! chorus wrapping up their triumphant season of returning to live performances, as they celebrate the musical and cultural diversity of our country MORE
♦ Wallet Friendly ♦
Learn to move your hips and celebrate the spirit of the Hawaiian islands in this edition of the free dance lessons offered on Segerstrom Center's outdoor Argyros Plaza
♦ For the Family ♦
Geology and rocket science are just a few of the subjects illuminated by this educational celebration of space travel at the Children's Museum of La Habra MORE
♦ Wildcard ♦
This special exhibit at Fullerton's Muckenthaler Cultural Center spotlights how what you put on your body can make bold, challenging, and progressive statements MORE
"Arts Orange County is a steadfast ally for arts organizations and local artists here in Orange County. That support results in increased partnerships with school districts and expanded access to the arts for students and families. Arts Orange County collaborates with the Orange County Department of Education to raise awareness of the need for the arts in our schools. We are grateful to Arts Orange County for its leadership and partnership and look forward to expanding our work together."
— Dr. Al Mijares,
Orange County Superintendent of Schools
Voice of OC is Orange County's nonprofit newsroom with a mission to consistently deliver fair, focused and thorough journalism on critical quality of life and local issues for Orange County communities.
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 Arts OC program.