The Nutcracker

It's time once again for sugar plum fairies and those unforgettable melodies as Anaheim Ballet performs the holiday perennial with Symphony Irvine MORE

♦ Arts & Culture ♦

What To Do in Orange County During the 2022 Holiday Season

What a difference two years make.

Two years ago, theaters, museums and concert halls were shut down, arts and culture programming went online, and friends and families gathered on Zoom to celebrate the holidays.

Now in 2022, it’s almost as if the coronavirus pandemic never happened.

Sure, the enormous loss of life and epic toll on our mental and emotional well-being are still being assessed. Masks are still available and worn at some crowded indoor venues. And vaccinations and flu shots (or negative tests, remember those?) are still recommended, but proof isn’t typically required for entrance anymore.

Here’s a look at some of the best O.C. holiday offerings in the areas of culture, visual arts, dance, theater, classical music and food, brought to you by Voice of OC’s talented arts and culture writers.

Note: This is not an encyclopedic list. If your favorite arts or cultural institution is not included here, visit the organization’s website.

Happy holidays from the A&C team at Voice of OC!

♦ In Case You Missed It ♦

Viet Cuong Marches to His Own Unusual Drummer

Viet Cuong began his journey to becoming a successful composer with a little bit of con artistry.

“My mom put me in piano lessons because she thought it would stimulate my brain,” said Cuong, 32, the Pacific Symphony’s new composer-in-residence. “My parents were in the sciences. They weren’t musicians, but they thought it would be good for me to learn piano.”

Cuong laughed at the memory. “I wasn’t very studious. I didn’t like to practice. And so, the way I started composing is – I would make things up at the piano. It was a way of tricking my mom into thinking I was practicing.”

Cuong’s mother finally caught on to the subterfuge, and the piano lessons stopped. But his fascination for composing continued.

“I joined band in sixth grade. I played percussion. Sometimes people who played piano get (assigned) to percussion because the keyboard has the same layout (as some mallet instruments).”

It turns out that percussion was the perfect assignment for a budding young composer, Cuong said.

Winter Fantasy at Sawdust Art Festival

A little corner of Laguna Beach becomes a wonderland of lights, carolers, puppeteers, hand-crafted art for sale, and a daily visit from Santa Claus MORE

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Free pumpkin pie and egg nog will be served at this screening celebrating the 35th Anniversary of one of the great Thanksgiving movies MORE

Honoring Native Americans at The Mission

Mission San Juan Capistrano celebrates Native American history and culture, spotlighting Jouneys to the Past with Champion Pow Wow Dancers featuring Native American Educator and member of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation, Jacque Tahuka Nunez. MORE

Christmas with the Alley Cats

The famous doo wop foursome brings a special lineup of holiday songs to Brea's Curtis Theatre MORE