Beautifully done! Our community treasures the Nightmare…read moreBefore Christmas House. Today I had the wonderful opportunity conversing with the homeowner again he loves to share how he made each individual character from common items, such as washtubs, potato sacks, Water cans, etc. He mentioned that he does it for the community, especially the children. Furthermore, I found out today that as we grow closer to Christmas / winter holiday the outdoor decorations transitions/change into more of a Christmas theme (as the movie itself does) And as we get closer to December 25, he's going to put up a Christmas tree, and then the stockings! I love slowly driving by here, especially with a passenger, who's never seen the house before and is shocked at how beautifully done it is! In conclusion, we give Much thanks to the homeowner and the neighborhood for having this heartfelt display for all to enjoy !

Our family of six first learned about this truly amazing holiday spectacle right here in Orange…read moreCounty. For years we hoped to stop by, but life kept getting busy and we never quite made it--until now. On our very first visit, we were lucky enough to meet the homeowners themselves. They generously walked our four kids through each creation and section, encouraging them to ask questions and even sharing their own favorite parts of the movie that inspired it all. Watching our kids light up during that interaction made the experience even more special. What makes this display even more incredible is knowing that every single character in the yard is handcrafted by the homeowners themselves. The time, care, and love poured into this display is undeniable. A truly magical experience created by genuinely amazing people. We are so grateful we finally made the visit--and it's now a holiday memory our family will cherish.

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

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.

It was good to attend the Festival! The brochure is available near the entrance. The center of the…read morebrochure contained good information: a map, a schedule for each stage, and a list of vendors. But that info was not widely available. There is room for better communication. * Approaching Parking Lot 2. As we drove east on Hornet, the sign said to keep going, but lanes were coned off to turn right on Phantom. Someone stood in the junction as if they were IPD directing traffic, but they did not direct traffic. That caused congestion as people stopped to ask them to ask for info. Next year, remove the person directing traffic and put signs BEFORE Phantom. * Entering Lot 2 took a long time and there was a long tailback on Phantom. Need signs in both lanes to state that "Parking $10 cash or card". Then we can get payment ready and keep the lines moving. While that info is on the website, not everyone checks beforehand. * Events were organized by stage. It was easy to find which event was on which stage but hard to find which stage was which. Even when we got to the stage, it was unlabeled! I checked the website for the festival and could not identify the stages. Need to label each stage. Especially important for first time visitors. * Need QR codes linking to the map. * We enjoyed the Great Park Live area. Most people approached the area and tried to walk into the exit because it was closer! A Police Explorer had to direct almost everyone to move to the entrance further along. Needs big signs "Exit Only" and "-- Entrance". * Driving out of Lot 2. No signs to the exit. We drove towards Hornet and found that exit closed off. We tried Phantom, but vehicles were coming in. Traffic exiting Lot 2 had to cut dangerously across pedestrians and cars entering from Phantom, to turn left on Corsair. Also, there were many pedestrians coming that way from the venue near closing time. Need to separate vehicle exits from pedestrian traffic. * We see a pattern. Great Park events tend to be very good but weak in communication. Events are clear to the organizer but may not be to the attendees. Attendees must deal with traffic jams, steps, wheelchairs, heat, crowds, and noise, or are managing children. Organizers should write all comms as if they are the first-time attendee.

Very over priced food, music and vendors are all low quality and mediocre. City of Irvine should do…read morea better job attacking high quality food and better entertaining activitie.

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.

I love it here I come here every once in a while! First year with my boyfriend :)great pumpkin patchread more

Great selection & a lot of other fun stuff to do! They have live music, games, snackies, and…read moreanimals!

Beautiful artwork with the artists themselves present to talk about their work, tranquil atmosphere…read moreand peaceful pace. Price go enter less than a burger and fries.

As much as I enjoy viewing art I harbor some strong feelings about paying to do so. My issues…read morearen't centered around museum entrance fees or even around art and craft shows but the latter is where my biases stat to arise. There's a million art/craft shows that are free of entrance fees so when I pay to enter I want to feel that there's a good reason to do so. And generally, that reason should be the art. I never mind paying to enter the nearby Festival of the Arts. The art is excellent as is the setting and the music. The Laguna Art-A-Fair charges an admission fee of about $10 and neither the setting nor the art struck me as worth the price of admission. There are musical acts to catch here, but I visited on a weekday and there were none. Some of the artists who have been selected to show at the Festival of the Arts have also chosen to show their work here. The former is a highly competitive bar to scale. The bar for showing at the latter is far lower and sadly, I thought less of the artists who chose to show here when their works had been selected for inclusion at the Festival of the Arts. The Art-A-Fair isn't a bad experience but rather, more of a blah experience. I enjoyed walking around and looking at the work but feel there's places to either see better art or pay less (or nothing) to see the equivalent of what's here.

There's a Mexican Food truck that I recommend you AVOID!…read more Not only is it right, and I mean right, next to the toilets, you have to fight the flys while you eat. After purchasing a $10 taco I asked for a cup of water to wash the greasy meat down and they wanted $2.50. Go figure. I'm not interested in sitting next to a mobile fly factory and getting gouged to boot.

So many options for vendors. Today we got the sweetest summer strawberries and some focaccia bread…read morefor dinner. Kids also talked me into a cookie. Easy walk. Stroller fits in walkway. No dogs allowed. Love a great farmers market. New Friday morning routine?!

Awwww, Mission Viejo!!! So proud to be a local! Lots going on, and lots to do! I LOVE living…read morehere!!! But getting building permits and other business dealings can be a challenge to obtain. This beautiful city is in their very own pocket of well-maintained trees, roads, and businesses worth visiting. Mission Viejo is one of my favorite cities in the South OC! Mostly a clean and safe environment, I love mostly everything about Mission Viejo! Highly recommended!

I came to city hall for a free romance book event put on by the library and it was fantastic. It…read morewas so well organized and I can't believe the whole thing was free! Libraries are awesome! City hall had lots of seating in the event room, and you were never too far from the "stage" so it was easy to see everyone. At the end when people were queuing up for the authors, it never got too out of hand. My only gripe is the parking, it's so dumb. I wish they didn't have a cute plant that basically blocks off every third spot. Seems like such a waste. I had to park farther away. The venue itself was very nice and easy to navigate. And as a plus, the library is right across the street!

"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.