The street fiesta is always fun. There's good music, games, vendors. The street is closed to…read morevehicle traffic. I always take Metrolink when I come.

San Clemente's Fiesta Music Festival is a great festival with live music and a number of vendor…read morebooths offering food and various products and crafts and games for the kids. It's great to make a day of it with lunch and a walk along the beach walk down by the pier. Local musicians provide a lively atmosphere with live music on three stages offering different music genres so you will be sure to find the music you love.

I had such a good time last year, I had to return. As soon as I got off the train I headed to the…read morelifeguard pancake breakfast. Its a great deal and its good to support the lifeguards. I watched the surfing contests for a bit and checked out some of the activities on the beach. For a snack I had a BBQ corn. This is a fun event, and I'm looking forward for next year.

Came for the Sunday event. Really liked that you can park at the San Clemente High School and they…read morehave free buses to transport you to the beach. The event isn't big, but they have activities throughout the day to keep you entertained. They have police patrolling the area to keep everyone safe. It got pretty crowded in the afternoon. Liked the surf and sand castle competition. It was nice to walk on the pier and look at all the vintage cars.

The Swallows Day Parade in San Juan Capistrano is one of the nation's largest non-motorized…read moreparades, celebrating the return of the swallows with a festive, Old West-style street party held on a Saturday in March. It features extensive equestrian groups, marching bands, dancers, and floats, followed by a lively Mercado Street Faire.

The Swallow's Day Parade is a nice (free) annual event held each March to celebrate the return of…read morethe swallows to the area. It's also "one of the nation's largest non-motorized parades." That's right, you'll see plenty of horses, wagons, bands, and beautiful costumes adorning parade walkers, but no motorized vehicles. You won't see many real swallows at that time, but they are around - their nests are very distinguishable with mud pellets stuck together often in a gourd shape attached to high outer corners of buildings. Growing up, my mom always let them build their nests right above our patio door, much to the displeasure of some visitors. But I digress. You probably want to attend this event only once in your life if you don't already live in the vicinity. It's very organized with a different theme each year, but the parade drags on for quite a bit as there was too much space between each group of paraders. TRAVEL THERE We rode the Metrolink (3/23/19) from Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs. Highly recommended this method of travel because a) parking is free in this particular lot on weekends, b) you can avoid traffic & the absolute hassle of trying to find parking when you reach San Juan Capistrano because it is SUPER crowded, c) children 5 and under ride free, and d) the train depot in SJC leads you within short walking distance of the streets where the parade will be passing through. Overall, the people of SJC including all the law enforcement were very welcoming and nice. SIDE STORY There may be one or two bad apples - like this woman who sat next to my husband halfway through the parade and later let her friends sit right in front of him. Mind you, we were already sitting on the street in front of people who are in chairs or standing. She didn't like it when he told them he thought they were being disrespectful since they kept scooting in front of him more. She turned up the psychometer real quick, spoutin' out stuff like "hit me!" What the... This chick was a brand new kind of crazy! A sheriff's deputy who was standing nearby kept listening to her and my husband go back and forth, but the deputy really kept his eyes on HER. Most likely because she was trying to instigate something that wasn't going to happen. Eventually man-hating crazy town left because I wasn't moving. Lol. I wasn't about to let this mouthpiece & her inconsiderate friends ruin our day, but then our 5-year-old daughter openly declared, "That woman was really mean to Daddy." TIPS Consider bringing a... - light jacket - hat and sunglasses - blanket to sit on - cash for the Mercado Street Faire! There's plenty of food, games, & merch

What a great music venue! Three years and running strong. The only disappointment is getting…read morethere early, securing great seats in front, and the Driftwood security folks allowing people standing IN FRONT OF those who established a front row seat in chairs. Standing should be behind chairs! Common sense 101...

"One's options in this world are as vast as the horizon, which is technically a circle and thus…read moreinfinitely broad. Yet we must choose each step we take with utmost caution, for the footprints we leave behind are as important as the path we will follow. They're part of the same journey -- our story." ― Lori R. Lopez, Dance Of The Chupacabras What an amazing event this was! OC Meets Napa and Baja, presented by Community Health Center AltaMed, brought primarily Latino-centric restaurants and chefs in Orange County and Latino-owned wineries in Napa and Baja together in a celebration of culture. Proceeds from all the ticket sales went toward supporting the Orange County health services and programs that AltaMed spearheads in underserved communities. When I was Housing Manager for the City of Huntington Beach, I funded Alta Med through the City's CDBG program and am very knowledgable about the great services they provide especially in a country that still has an imperfect and expensive healthcare system. What was cool about this event was actually seeing, meeting and talking to the chefs/winemakers. These are the people who chose their path, who chose their own story. The passion from chefs such as Beto Ygei from 930 Sushi (excellent spicy yellowtail), Carlos Selgado of Taco Maria (wonderful scallop here), Gabbi Patrick (I think they did a scallop dish too), Rogelio Martinez of Casa Oaxaca (so excited was he about his sorbets and ice cream), and winemakers such as Alex, Oscar and Lola Llamas (best wines at event and great people too who invited us to hang out afterwards). This is the type of event that I love to attend and is only second to the San Jose Jazz Festival as favorite yelp events of this kind that I was lucky enough to get tickets from Yelp. Was disappointed in the Baja wines as there was little balance or flavor with those wines, and a lot of rustic smells and astrigent finishes. However given that when traveling the local wines always taste better when you are visiting their area (Cinque Terre was an example of this where the wines are fabulous only when you are outdoors on a patio with a great view eating a sublime pesto dish in Italy), I will visit Baja soon and visit the better wineries on their home turf ;-) Thanks again Yelp for this event! Sidney

I was a lucky winner of VIP tickets ($125 pp) to OC Meets Napa and Baja sponsored by AltaMed. I…read morewas worried about rain but it cleared up right before the event started which led to the vendors scrambling to set up their tents. It was warm and muggy but there was plenty of food and drink for all the guests to enjoy. There were plenty of Napa and Baja wine vendors pouring wine throughout the event along with restaurants from LA, OC, and Baja. Some of my favorite food vendors were Anepalco's Cafe, Taco Maria, Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen, and Deckman's en el Mogor. Wine was definitely plentiful as was the food. There was a wine wheel that you could spin for $20, which went to the Women in Action charity and in turn you won a wine bottle valued anywhere from $40 to $80. I won an $80 bottle of wine. It was pretty awesome. There were tables for all the guests to lounge and mingle at. The event was held at Mission San Juan Capistrano which I had never visited before. We were allowed to walk around the exhibits while the Mission was closed to the public. Pretty cool. Thanks to Yelp OC for the tickets. My +1 and I had a great time.

Went to the Greek Festival today and it was soo much fun! Parking was free, entry $5. I have always…read morewanted to attend, and this year was the year i made it happen. I loved the live music, the dancing, the singing, the food vendors and other clothing, trinket vendors. They had a kids section with face painting. Something for everyone. It was awesome being in an environment with yaya's and pappoús, and family mixed young and old enjoying music, food, and just being happy. My parents made it there sooner than i had and already were immersing themselves with Side - Tzatziki & Pita $4.00 Spanakopita (1 piece) $7.00 Greek Salad - small $7.00 for $18.00 All while enjoying how to learn greek dancing and listening to music. When I arrived, the good times were still rolling and i had to order my chicken gyro with fries. Soo worth it. Yumm! I went for their Greek Sundae with Baghalava and they had to stop serving it for one reason or another. It was the talk of the festival about how great it was. Next year, definitely thats on my bucket list. Thats the first thing im getting. Seeing the lamb roasted on the spit reminded me of the movie "my big fat greek wedding". Same vibes, 1000%. Everything was clean and organized and loved it! It still going on until 11pm, as i was leaving at 5pm people were still arriving and the party was still getting lit! I have to pace myself next year. I purchased some cute stuff by the vendors , specifically : and Evil Eye Tote and evil eye accessories. For those who know me, know the "mati" is real and your girl here doesnt take any chances. Hehehe. Iykyk!! ;) Overall, 10/10.

Went to the San Juan Capistrano Greek Festival last night. It's always a cool charitable event…read more The vendors are nice and food is good (a bit pricey but it's for charity). The wine booth and beer tent are always fun. They always play the key college football games so the fans do not have an excuse not to go. We enjoyed a bottle of wine with some friends and strangely it paired well with a tasty gyro and some Greek fries. There is Greek music and dancers too. Fun family event.

I haven't been here in about 20 years but Jen wanted to check it out…read more I bought our tickets online for $12.50 each and we took the free Summer Breeze Trolley from Irvine, which for Labor Day weekend was a great choice. We both enjoyed checking out all the booths and artists, with Jen having her favorites and same with me. Loved learning about their passion, especially Sue Thompson and the husband/wife glass blowers. Jen liked the Italian landscapes and nature photos. I picked up a small photo of Jackass Penguins forming a heart for both Jen and I. I felt it symbolized us in a way. The food lines were a bit long, but we did get some green tea that was refreshing on a hot/humid day. We look forward to coming back or at least checking out the local galleries.

The Sawdust Art Festival was a lot of fun! While I didn't buy much because of the high prices, it…read morewas still nice to walk around and check out the work from local artists. If you plan to park in the Sawdust lot, I'd recommend getting there very early. We had no trouble finding parking about an hour before Sawdust opened, then grabbed breakfast nearby. There are also cheaper lots within walking distance. I did find the prices to be very expensive overall. You have to pay to park, to get in, pay for food and drinks, pay for the art, and so on. There was even a tip jar in the very clean bathrooms! I'm not sure if this is because it's an expensive area or just a reflection of the current economy, but I definitely felt like I was being nickel-and-dimed. If you're just going to look around, you can get away with only paying the entry fee and parking. I was disappointed to find that not all of the artists were there, and the policies regarding purchasing art at the front of Sawdust weren't very clear and seemed to vary from booth to booth.

Way more crowded than I was expecting, but the energy was infectious! Seating was limited, so be…read moreprepared to share a picnic table with others; find a an open spot at the bleachers (and camp out there); or do what we did and plop down on top of semi-dead grass! Some people didn't buy tickets and instead, camped out on the beach (behind the fenced boundary) where you can hear the music, but won't be able to see the stage. VIP definitely had the perks - its own bleachers, separate entrance (closer to the parking areas, so you walk less), and air-conditioned bathrooms. The stage had big screens which made it easy to see the bands perform from almost any viewpoint (except the back where the food vendors were located). By the way, there are plenty of food and drink options! Free hydration stations were available too (bring your own non-glass bottle to fill up). We arrived around 6 PM and lucked out with parking at the structure near Dana Point Harbor (the Ohana Fest website offered prepaid parking here, but indicated it was sold out). And... we didn't actually park in the structure, but on the outer side of it, which ended up being perfect since we avoided the long exit lines within the parking structure after the event ended. Parking was $60. Other options include parking further away and taking the free trolley, or taking an Uber and being dropped off at the venue entrance. Green Day headlined day 3 of the festival and absolutely crushed it. It was amazing to see one of my favorite childhood bands perform live! THE VERDICT. A bit chaotic but totally worth it for the experience, the music, and the memories. If we ever decide to come back, VIP is the route we're going. Our old asses need a seat closer to the stage and semi-decent restrooms.

Went on Friday with VIP tix. Entirely too crowded and very disappointed with VIP accommodations…read more You cannot see Tiki stage and only poor side view of Ohana stage from VIP section. Perhaps, the worst VIP viewing of any musical festival I have attended.

So freaking crowded in the Ritz ballroom. Oversold. No way to sample anything as the lines were…read moreridiculous. Not enough outside seating. People rushing for open seats. Food selection was very disappointing and sparse. Will not return to this event. More hype than substance. The dribbles of wine given as samples were ridiculous as well. Had to "negotiate" for a real sample size. No Covid protocols and extremely packed ballroom with total chaos. Very poorly run event.

Awesome event! My first time here and I can't wait to return next year. Great selection of beers…read moreand wines. I would like to see more food, but the choices that were available were delicious. The booths were generously spaced out giving plenty of room for walking or standing. The Spazmatics and Nutty were very entertaining to watch. It was great to see a diverse crowd... from young to old... from wild young and free to happily married with kids in tow! Despite all the drinking... this was a very family friendly event. Very positive and fun atmosphere.

With the caveat of needing more blues acts than any other type of music, it is a fun event and you…read morecan't beat the location.

I have been to the Doheny Blues Festival several years and every year I have enjoyed it completely!…read more It's basically just a chill day/weekend to sit on a chair, lay on a blanket or walk around. There are 2 stages of music, food booths, vendor booths and a great view of the beach and surrounding Dana Point. Seems the weather has always cooperated each year that I've attended (and if it didn't, I enjoyed the day so much that I've forgotten!) I love that you've got an event card to just keep on yourself and so not worry about money. Parking is awful if you come late, thank goodness for taxis ($5/person to drop you off closer to the main entrance... and $5/person to drop you off at your car door). A few years I've stayed at a motel/hotel during the event... THAT is the way to do it! Whether headliners are big names or not, the music never fails. Because of this festival I've become fans of some musicians and bands that I may never have heard of otherwise. Blues is amazing when heard live!! I'll always go back the the Blues Festival... made great friends, heard great music and had a great time every time! CHEERS!!!