"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.

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.

I was here for both days. There were so many things going on some I saw others I didn't. Saturday…read moreon the pier they had old Woodies, Sunday VW busses were there. They had multiple lifeguard competitions, body and board surfing. Both days I ate the city lifeguard pancake breakfast. Fisherman's restaurant had food like corn on the cob, burgers, corn dogs, teriyaki chicken next to the pier. Sunday there was a sand castle contest. I didn't see everything so I will return next year. You can drive and park at San Clemente High and take the free shuttle. I took Metrolink and got off right at the pier.

I've been to the Sawdust Art Festival in Laguna Beach probably three or four times now between the…read moresummer and winter festivals and despite the crowds, the traffic, and the absurd lines... I keep going back! I usually attend with a close friend and while she's more of the purchaser, I tend to be a window shopper and craft admirer soaking it all in while seeing what surprises the booths contain. Though last monthI did pick up a few Christmas gifts for friends and family even though there wasn't much holiday specific merchandise. It felt great to support local artists and find some unique pieces. The winter festival decor is especially great with the cozy lights, festive touches, and plenty of spots that are great photo ops for both adults and families. The whole place is whimsical and creative and part of the fun is simply wandering without a plan and seeing what you find! Now for the realities: parking is insane, traffic can be really bad, and the lines for entry, food, and sometimes even the restrooms can really test your patience. The food lines in particular are ridiculous, so I usually eat before and/or plan dinner outside the festival (it's cheaper and less crazy). Pro tip: buy your ticket online and show it at the door. Do not wait in line to purchase tickets on site unless you enjoy unnecessary suffering!! All that said, the Sawdust Festival remains uniquely Laguna and there's always that sense of mystery about what you'll discover. Overall, four stars from me!

We went on December 21st, which was apparently the last day of the Sawdust Winter Fantasy event in…read moreLaguna Hills. This was our first, and possibly our last time that we will be attending one of these events. The parking situation was insane. We sat in bad traffic (caused by the festival as well as the construction being done on the highway) heading to Lot 16, only to find out after 35 minutes of slowly creeping and lapping down the minimal amount of lanes of parking (along with many other drivers doing the same thing) that we should just turn around and head back to Irvine for their free temporary lot instead. So we sat in major traffic again now headed back to Irvine to hopefully catch a trolley from there. (There went about an hour of our lives wasted.) So we get back to that lot and wait another 20 minutes or so only to find out that the next trolley that pulled up leaking all kinds of stuff, and the driver telling everyone that the trolley is out of commission and that the group would have to wait for the next one. Oy! So at this point we would have called it quits and cancelled this option for the day, BUT we had already prepaid online for our tickets... So we decided to spring for an uber instead. We were originally FIRST in line, but because the trolley pulled up to the stop and just parked there (blocking) broken down, everyone turned and faced the other way and now we would have been the absolute LAST loading the next trolley. (There was a huge crowd by then.) Our uber experience was much more pleasant, but there we were once again sitting in heavier traffic heading back in the direction we were originally that morning. What a day... Long story short, we get in and there are just crowds EVERYWHERE. It was so tight at times trying to walk past the individual booths, and hearing people (including multiple vendors) just hacking and sneezing away WAS NOT helping. Our family had managed to remain healthy and disease free all Winter, and we were definitely not planning on getting the flu, COVID or whatever as this seemed like a true disease spreader event. The food and drinks area were much worse, and once we got our food we ended up squeezing ourselves into a little pocket of an area and stood to drink our drinks and eat our quick meals. After perusing the entire proximity and spending a little time chatting with a few of the vendors, we took a few photos by the central Christmas tree and a little scenery (trying my best not to get any crowds into our shots), and headed our way out to the trolley. As we passed the ticket booth, we asked a young gal which direction the trolleys would be picking up and she just rudely shrugged and said she didn't know. The afternoon and evening ended up being quite long because of all the parking hassles and crowds. I don't feel it was worth our time for that day.

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!!!

Purchased two day pass, first day was like an indoor Comic Con convention, packed and long lines…read morefor everything. Day two outdoors, pretty location but having purchased VIP tickets expected more than what we got! The only difference was being able to sit, if you could find a spot. Long lines for everything and a lot of stalls closed early having run out of stuff. One would assume the following math, how many VIP tickets sold and multiply portions by that number plus 1 or 2 at minimum. Also, VIP expectation was a larger pour per serving. Due to long lines two 2oz pours did not equate to cost of ticket. I wasn't only one voicing disappointment. All that being said the people watching was enjoyable. So much Botox and lip filler

The festival was so much fun! I wasn't planning on going, but I just happened to see a flyer with a…read moreSublime cover band. The bands name is "40 Ounces to freedom". They played a lot of great songs and band seemed to enjoy the crowd. There was a Foo Fighters cover band that played a tribute song to "Soundgarden". I did get some nachos that were very surprisingly tasty. I didn't have enough time to enjoy the event since I got there late. I will be sure to be there next year!

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.

Great event and I think he tried to do the right thing but for 2026 scalpers bought all the tickets…read morewith Chase cards and immediately put them on sale through StubHub. Regular attendees and fans with presale codes could not get tickets.

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.

I can't emphasize how organized this event was! We love any venue where we can take our dog that…read morehas enough to satisfy our human wants or needs at while getting our fur babe out in the world! If only he could pay with Aussie Express! This event was sponsored to raise money for dog rescue and care in South OC. It was held at the outlets of San Clemente. One of the few places where the parking lot gets a better view of the ocean than the shop and shop keepers! It was a gorgeous weekend day by the coast and we got a little staple shopping in pre event ( those things you have to replenish at least once or twice a year. The outlets here are dog friendly daily, not just during events. Many shops have pet merchandise and some have treats on hand! This event for a cause was free to attend, five dollars for drink tickets, which offered a selection of tequila (my stop of choice; I tried the pineapple the lime flavors) vodka and wine in addition to the beer focused choices where on hand! Tito's vodka offered up free dog bandanas and dog toys. Balloon animals, goody bags, and photo booths!! Soon the wheel for food vendors at the outlets. My husband won the free pizza and I won the drinks. Twist & Shout made a balloon animal to go with Kindle's Bark and Brew cardigan...he was stylin' This event was well laid out, easy to get around, offered options for sitting. Dog owners United. We saw more Australian shepherds at this event more than any other we have seen in one place. A Mastiff stoke the show with his bold presence... However, a red merle Aussie stole my heart. We want to get our boy a girl with this lovely coat and color and it was our first time seeing a red merle in person. Our dog formed a connection from the start. Look forward to the next Barks & Brews. #SanClemente #BarksAndBrews #DogFriendly #BackInTheOC #OutletsAtSanClemente