Weekend Events for Families in Orange County

Weekend Events for Families in Orange County – January 25 & 26, 2020. Here are the top fun things to do in Orange County this weekend. There is something for everyone! All the events on this list are happening here in the OC this Saturday and Sunday…some are even FREE!

(To submit your event, email jillparkin@gmail.com by the Wednesday before your event.)

Things to Do in Orange County This Weekend

Knott’s Peanuts Celebration
Knott’s Berry Farm | All Day
Knott’s Berry Farm will kick Seasons of Fun with the Knott’s PEANUTS Celebration, uniquely dedicated to celebrating the beloved PEANUTS characters. Guests can step inside the pages of a Charles M. Schulz comic strip as the PEANUTS characters take over the entire park. PEANUTS inspired decor and comic strip elements will provide the perfect animated backdrop for your fun Instagram pics. New character experiences, activities, live entertainment, and deliciously themed-treats will top off this whimsical celebration.

Pre-Season Strawberry & U-Pick Vegetable Tours
Tanaka Farms, Irvine | Times Vary
Strawberry Picking Tours include: a guided wagon ride around the farm with samples of produce right out in the fields where it grows, the last stop is in the Strawberry Fields, where you can pick and eat as many strawberries as you wish! all you can, and fill a 1 pound basket to bring home.

U-Pick Vegetable Tours: This is a FREE, guided wagon ride around the farm, where you will be able to pick your own fresh fruits and vegetables in the field! This tour takes 45 min to 1 1/4 hours. Remember to wear closed-toe shoes as you will be walking through the fields which may be muddy and uneven.

Annie JR.
Curtis Theater, Brea
The beloved Annie play performed by local Orange County children. Based on the popular comic strip and adapted from the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, with a beloved book and score by Tony Award winners, Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, Annie JR. features everyone’s favorite little redhead in her very first adventure

Planetarium Shows
OCC Planetarium
In January there are two brand new programs for audiences of all ages! The Sun: Our Living Star explores the life cycle of stars and it impacts our lives on Earth. From Earth to the Universe takes from our backyards to explore the cosmos and all the incredible phenomena that share it with us.
Tickets for all these programs are available now! Public programs are a cornerstone of the Planetarium’s mission. Come enjoy a rotating schedule of breathtaking full-dome experiences.

Discover Nature Family Program
Oak Canyon Nature Center | 10:30am
Join staff of Oak Canyon Nature Center weekend mornings for an hour long, naturalist-led hike through Oak Canyon and a live animal demonstration themed to the Canyon’s plants, animals, history, ecology, and more! Admission is free but a $5 per family is suggested. FREE

The Ecology Center
The Ecology Center | 10:00am – 4:00pm
Every Saturday and Sunday – explore The Ecology Center and all it has to offer! Open for self-guided exploration. Be sure to check their calendar for workshops and events happening every weekend! FREE

Things to Do in Orange County This Saturday

Monster Jam
Angel Stadium, Anaheim | 6:30pm • Pit Party 2:30pm
Monster Jam® is the big leagues of motorsports competition, where 12,000-pound trucks and the world-class athletes who drive them tear up the dirt with gravity-defying feats. Engineered to perfection, the legendary Grave Digger®, Max-D, El Toro Loco® and many more push all limits in Freestyle, Skills Challenge, and Racing competitions. The Series Champion receives an automatic bid to the prestigious Monster Jam World Finals® to compete for the title of World Champion. This is full-throttle family fun. This. Is. Monster Jam.

Museum Free-For-All
Paticipating Southern California Museums | Times Vary
Over 40 museums—presenting art, cultural heritage, natural history, and science—will open their doors and invite visitors to attend free of charge.

Walk with a Naturalist
O’Neill Regional Park | 9:00am
Join O’Neill Regional Park naturalists and learn about the animals and nature of Trabuco Canyon. This will be a light to moderate walk on mostly paved roads. Approximately 1.5 hours. All ages welcome. Meet at the Nature Center patio. FREE

Winnie the Pooh Day
Ocean Institute, Dana Point | 11:00am – 3:00pm
Join us for the cuddliest holiday around as we celebrate one of the most famous bears of all time, Winnie the Pooh! Join us for some Pooh-riffic activities! Character visits Noon – 1:00pm.

Family Nature Hike
Crystal Cove State Park | 9:00am
Winter is a magical time to explore the park & learn about our local critters including bobcats, butterflies, and birds. Join park naturalists on a moderate 3-mile family nature hike at Crystal Cove State Park. Meet at the Berns Amphitheatre (PCH inland at stoplight School-State Park follow the signs to the Campground.) $15 day-use fee. FREE

Tide Pool Walk
Crystal Cove State Park | Noon – 3:00pm
Enjoy a super low tide (–0.9) at Crystal Cove State Park where a park naturalist will lead a guided tidepool walk to Pelican Point and help identify animals and describe some awesome adaptations. Meet at Pelican Point parking lot #2, at the top of the boardwalk near the parking lot (PCH coastward at Newport Coast, right at kiosk to first lot.) $15 day-use fee. FREE

Lunar New Year Celebration
Outlets of San Clemente | 1:00 – 2:00pm
Honoring the Year of the Rat, the fifth annual Lunar New Year Celebration returns with more than 50 performers from the Irvine Chinese School and San Diego-based Three Treasures Cultural Arts Society. Highlights include a Dragon Dance, the ever-popular interactive Lion Dance, martial arts demonstrations, arts and crafts activities, Red Envelopes and more. FREE

Free Crafts
Lakeshore Learning Centers Laguna Hills and Fountain Valley | 11:00am – 3:00pm
Make fun seasonal crafts. No reservations necessary FREE

Animal Feeding Day at Bolsa Chica Conservancy
Bolsa Chica Conservancy, Huntington Beach | 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Come join us to learn more about the animals at our interpretive center! During the feeding, we will cover feeding habits and general biology and anatomy of our reptiles and marine animals! *Please note: snake feedings involve live mice.* FREE

See Classic Cars at Donut Derelicts
Donut Derelicts
Each Saturday morning, car enthusiasts from all over gather in the parking lot of Adams Ave Donuts to enjoy a donut, a cup of coffee and a spectacle of hot rods and classic cars. FREE

Things to Do in Orange County This Sunday

Tide Pool Walk
Crystal Cove State Park | 3:00pm
Enjoy a low tide (–0.3) at Crystal Cove State Park where a park naturalist will lead a guided tidepool walk to Reef Point and help identify animals and describe some awesome adaptations. Meet at the Reef Point Parking Lot (PCH coastward at stoplight Reef Point, turn left after the entrance kiosk and meet at the first restroom building.) $15 day-use fee. FREE

Trailside Chat
Crystal Cove State Park | 9:00am
Stop by and meet Park Naturalist Laurel at a Trailside Chat table by the Moro Canyon Trail Head before starting a hike into the backcountry of Crystal Cove State Park. Learn about some of the fun critters living in the park and reasons to stay on the trail. Park near the Berns Amphitheater. (PCH inland at stoplight School-State Park, follow signs towards the campground.) $15 day use fee. FREE

Ranger Led Hike
Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park | 8:00 – 9:15am
Join OC Parks rangers for a one-mile nature hike in the beautiful Bell Canyon area of Caspers Wilderness Park. The hike lasts approximately one hour and is suitable for all ages. Contact park office for hike updates. Parking: $5 per vehicle (day use fee). Meet at the Old Corral Day Use Area. FREE

Junior Ranger Day at the Bay
Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve | 9:00am
Come earn your Junior Ranger Badge and Certificate at Upper Newport Bay. Participants will go on a guided hike, complete a short service project, and take the junior ranger oath. Activities will be designed for learners in the 9-12 age range, but everyone is welcome. Minors aged 16 and younger must have legal guardian present at all times. Rain will cancel the event. FREE

Bird Hike
Laguna Coast Wilderness Park | 8:00 – 11:00am
Spot local native and winter resident birds with Laguna Canyon Foundation volunteer naturalists on this 2-mile hike over moderate but uneven terrain (up to 100-ft elevation gain) through one of the most diverse plant communities in the United States. No experience necessary! For ages 12 and up (minors under 18 must be accompanied by an adult). Wear hiking or walking shoes and bring your binoculars. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, James Dilley Preserve (I-5 or I-405 to 133 south to stop light at 73 toll road; make a U-turn and go 1/2 block. Dilley is on the right). FREE