Weekend Events for Families in Orange County

Weekend Events for April 13-14, 2019 – Hello April! It’s going to be beautiful weekend here in Orange County! Check out all these events on this list 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.)

All Weekend

101 Easter Egg Hunts and Spring Events!
Tons of Events THIS weekend!!!!! Check this out for all the Egg Hunts and Easter fun happening in OC

Best Places to See Wildflowers in Orange County
There are flowers everywhere! It’s so beautiful and green here in Orange County. Check out where you can see some amazing wildflowers.

Boysenberry Festival at Knott’s Berry Farm
The 31 day food festival features over 75 one-of-a-kind boysenberry inspired dishes, drinks and more, plus foot-stompin’ entertainment, the Wine and Craft Brew Tasting Garden, and family fun everyone will love! From sun up to sun down, the festival offers good ol’ fashion food, fun and entertainment. Pick up a tasting card to sample a few of the most popular boysenberry dishes in the park. For guests with a hankerin’ for some live entertainment, the options are endless with live music throughout the park.

CATS on Broadway
Segerstrom Center for the Arts | 2:00 & 7:30pm
CATS, the record-breaking musical spectacular by Andrew Lloyd Webber that has captivated audiences in over 30 countries and 15 languages, is now on tour across North America! Experience CATS for the first time as it begins a new life for a new generation… or let it thrill you all over again!

Bubblefest
Discovery Cube OC | All Day
Bubblefest features hands-on bubble science and the amazing Mega Bubblefest Laser Show starring Deni Yang and Melody Yang. Interactive spaces include the Mega Bubble Courtyard, Water Spheres, and the Bubblefest Zone where the whole family can learn bubble science from surface tension, elasticity, air pressure, and geometric properties. Don’t miss spring break’s most pop-ular event! Get your tickets before they sell out.

Springtime at South Coast Plaza
South Coast Plaza | All Day
Enjoy beautiful spring floral, visits to the Easter Bunny, ride the bunny carousel and do spring crafts!

U-Pick Strawberries at South Coast Farms
South Coast Farms, San Juan Capistrano | 9:00am – 4:00pm
Wow! Strawberry fields is going strong. South Coast Farms offers U-Pick strawberries from their fields which is fun for the whole family.

Imaginology
OC Fair & EventCenter | 9:00am – 4:00pm
Invention + play + experimentation = learning! Have you ever wondered how math can help you cook … or what causes a rainbow … or how baby chicks know when to hatch? Set a course for full STEAM ahead to OC Fair’s Imaginology, where science, technology, engineering, art and math come alive in the most fun and exciting ways. Parking $9 FREE

Irvine Park Easter Eggstravaganza
Irvine Regional Park | All Day
Hop on over with family and friends to enjoy this fun and exciting Spring time event. Children can meet and have their photo taken with the Easter Bunny, ride the train, take a hayride, have an Easter Egg Hunt as well as participate in fun activities that are located throughout the area. All activities take tickets.

Day Out with Thomas the Train
Orange Empire Railroad Museum | All Day
Take a ride with Thomas, meet Percy* and Sir Topham Hatt, and enjoy a day of family fun! Advanced Ticket Purchase is highly recommended and will be available online prior to the event.

Dr. Entomo’s Palace of Exotic Wonders
Fullerton Museum
Freakish, bewildering marvels of the insect world are on display in Dr. Entomo’s Palace of Exotic Wonders. Resembling an old-fashioned circus sideshow, this exhibit explores the truth, myths and mysteries surrounding some of nature’s most curious creatures – many of them alive and on view. Those daring enough to enter will be captivated by the deceptive and treacherous techniques these insects can wield on unsuspecting predators. They will learn about how the Giant African Millipede, though harmless-looking enough, can unleash a harmful cyanide secretion.

Saturday, April 13, 2019

Train Day at the Farmer’s Market
Orange Home Grown Farmers & Artisans Market | 9:00am – 1:00pm
Join our friends at Tiddlywinks OC for a day of train fun at the farmer’s market. In addition, the Orange High Petting Zoo will be spending the morning with us! FREE

Bolsa Chica’s Earth Day Festival
Bolsa Chica Conservancy Interpretive Center | 10:00am – 3:30pm
Join the Bolsa Chica Conservancy for some free family fun, as we celebrate our annual Earth Day Festival! The festival will include educational activity booths, tours, food, a bounce house and more! Don’ t miss out on the eco-friendly fun! FREE

Animals Everywhere!!!
Central Park, Rancho Santa Margarita | 10:00am – 1:00pm
Join us for a fun-filled, educational day with baby animals; furry, feathery and scaly critters; special animal-themed shows and much more! Due to the popularity of some attractions, some lines will close a half hour prior to the event ending to ensure everyone in line gets a turn. Activities Include: Crafts, Miniature Petting Zoo, Pony Rides, Face Painting, Photos with Peter Rabbit, Rock Wall, Inflatable Toddler Play Area, Educational Animal-Themed Shows, and Food Vendors. Please note: You must complete a waiver to receive access to the event.

Tide Pool Walk
Crystal Cove State Park | 11:00am
Enjoy a -0.2 low tide at Crystal Cove State Park where a volunteer 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

Orange County Jamboree
Irvine Ranch Historic Park | 10:00am – 2:00pm
Please join OC Parks and the OC Historical Commission as we celebrate the farming history of Orange County. The second annual family-friendly event will feature agricultural-themed crafts, pickling demonstrations, a petting zoo, live music, a photo booth, blacksmith and antique engine displays and tours of the park. (Parking will be available at St Thomas More Catholic Parish, 51 Market Place, Irvine 92602). FREE

Walk with a Naturalist
O’Neill Regional Park | 9:00 – 10:30am
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. All ages welcome. Meet at the Nature Center patio. FREE

Naturalist Led Bird and Butterfly Nature Walk
Caspers Wilderness Park | 9:00 – 10:00am
Join Volunteer Naturalist Mike Clayton for a one-mile nature walk in the beautiful Bell Canyon area of Caspers Wilderness Park. The walk will focus on identifying and learning about the birds and butterflies encountered on the trail. The walk lasts approximately one hour. FREE

Junior Ranger Day at the Bay
Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve | 9:00am – noon
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 to12 age range, but everyone is welcome. FREE

Annual ‘Gardenfest’
San Clemente Community Center | 8:00am – 2:00pm
This years highlights include annual Plant Sale and Garden Flea Market, exhibits demonstrating sustainable practices for your garden, garden related opportunities in our community, Open to the Public ‘funky container’ and ‘floral design’ contests, San Clemente Art Association’s Garden and Flower Show painting competition, Butterfly Habitat Education and Water Smart Program. 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

Sunday, April 14, 2019

101 Easter Egg Hunts and Spring Events!
Tons of Events THIS weekend!!!!! Check this out for all the Egg Hunts and Easter fun happening in OC

Imagination Celebration: Family Game & Art Day
Orange County Great Park | 11:00am – 3:00pm
Hop, skip, or jump over to the Palm Court to celebrate our love of arts and sports. Come view The Art of Competition exhibition at the Great Park Gallery and enjoy an afternoon of lawn games, sports-focused arts and crafts, and musical performances. Join us as the Great Park participates in the annual county-wide arts festival, Imagination Celebration. Drop-ins are welcome while supplies last. FREE

Ranger Led Hike
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. FREE

Mysterious World of O’Neill Park
O’Neill Regional Park | 9:00 – 10:30am
Have you ever wondered, “Where are all the wild animals in the park?” Visit a Show and Share exhibit next to the Nature Center at O’Neill Regional Park and discover mysterious clues animals leave behind. Make a wild animal track mold, enjoy nature, crafts and games, show and share exhibit activities from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Scavenger Hunt 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Meet at the Nature Center patio. FREE

Wee Wonder Walks: A Tree Like Me
Irvine Ranch Open Space | 1:00 – 2:00pm
Just like us, trees start out small and slowly add growth rings to become huge! Join us as we examine some “tree cookies” (tree cross-sections) and create some of our own tree life stories. Afterwards we will go on a hike and explore some of our big, leafy friends up close in Black Star Canyon Wilderness Park. This program is for wee little ones, 4 to 6 years of age. Parent or guardian must register and attend along with their child. FREE