OC Helper: May 2021

Friday, May 28, 2021

Come To Rockin’ Jump If You Are Looking For Things To Do In Orange County For Your Toddler

For parents of toddlers looking for things to do in Orange County, check out Rockin' Jump's weekly event. Read more here:

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks Presents Group Hikes And More Orange County Events

Join Orange County events like group hikes to enjoy the sun, beautiful scenery, and making new friends. Read more here:

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Check Out These Incredible Orange County Open Air Markets

From food to jewelry, these Orange County events and markets are the perfect spots to shop with family.

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Stop For a Sweet Treat at One of These Amazing LA Dessert Spots

Complete your day by going out to Orange County events with a treat from one of these delicious dessert shops. Read more here:

Monday, May 17, 2021

Visit Knott's Berry Farm, One Of Many Things To Do In Orange County

Visit Knott's Berry Farm for their grand reopening if you are looking for things to do in Orange County. Read more here:

Saturday, May 15, 2021

Things to do in Orange County - Top 5 Museums to Visit in The Los Angeles Area

As businesses are slowly starting to open back up again, we’re probably all excited to get together a list of things to do in Orange County to celebrate! However, one thing you should definitely add to your agenda is to check out all of Los Angeles’ amazing museums. Don’t know where to start? Here’s a list of 5 of the most popular museums the Orange County area has to offer, ranging from art, science, history, and more!

Also, it’s important to note that during these times, museums are operating differently. In order to prioritize safety, some parts of the following museums may be closed until further notice and require guests to reserve time slots for entry. For more information about how COVID precautions are affecting your favorite museum, make sure you check out their website before grabbing your tickets!

1) Petersen Automotive Museum

This Los Angeles automotive history museum is an amazing spot for all car fans. With over 200 different cars on display, you’ll get lost in a glamorous world full of fascinating vintage cars, high-tech supercars, speedy race cars, and famous vehicles you’ll probably recognize from some of Hollywood’s most notable celebrities, films, and shows, and much more. Not to mention, this museum also offers tons of educational and interesting automotive history and car production through self-guided tours and activities. Tickets can be purchased here.

2) Natural History Museum

If science is your favorite subject, the Natural History Museum is perfect for you! Los Angeles’ NHM holds massive collections over several interesting permanent and seasonal exhibits. Among their ongoing exhibits includes Age of Mammals, the Nature Gardens, Gem and Mineral Hall, Dinosaur Hall, and more. However, if you visit now, you’ll also get to experience their special temporary exhibits, such as the Butterfly Pavilion, Rise Up L.A.: A Century of Votes For Women, and Spiky, Hairy, Shiny: Insects of L.A. To read more about their exhibits and ticket prices, check out their website.

3) Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Looking for a classic art museum? LACMA is the way to go! From traditional works of art to more modern styles, LACMA is famous for hosting an impressive collection that ranges in style, mediums, and time periods. Before you visit, you should know that some of LACMA’s buildings are closed for redesigning and won’t open back up until 2024. However, you’ll still be able to enjoy plenty of beautiful works of art, including a photography section by various artists and an exhibit dedicated to Yoshitomo Nara, one of Japan’s most notable artists. You can get a full view of their current exhibits open to the public here.

4) California Science Center

This Los Angeles science museum is the perfect place to spend an afternoon with your family, especially because it has many aspects to it that are specially geared towards children. All sorts of interesting permanent exhibits call CSC home, like ecosystem exhibits that showcase tons of live animals and fun activities, and a look into NASA’s greatest achievements with air and space exhibits. There’s even an IMAX theatre that shows different educational science movies every day! Like most museums, CSC also has special temporary exhibits. Right now, you can catch a special display of the world’s largest collection of Lego sculptures, an informational exhibit all about COVID-19, and a look at the gigantic space shuttle Endeavour. Make your reservations for this exciting museum here.

5) The Huntington Library, Art Museum, And Botanical Gardens

While most of the indoor spaces of this Huntington museum are still closed, the botanical gardens have officially opened back up! These gardens are nothing short of breathtaking as they encompass 130 acres with thousands of different plants. Here, you’ll get lost among their dozen of beautifully themed gardens, including a lily pond, a rose garden, a Japanese garden, a jungle garden, and much more. It truly is a beautiful spot to enjoy a warm spring afternoon with your family, especially if you prefer to do things in Orange County that are out in nature compared to a day indoors. Head over to their website to learn about their reservation and ticket policy.

This blog is brought to you by Toyota of Orange, among the top dealerships to get used Toyota cars near Tustin.

Friday, May 14, 2021

Things to do in Orange County This May 2021 - The Ecology Center’s TASTE Festival

If you’re a true Southern California native, chances are you’ve probably heard about the Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano. The Ecology Center is one of many fun things to do in Orange County, especially as the weather begins to warm up! Here, they pride themselves on being an organization that uses fun and education to teach the Orange County community all about ecology, agriculture, and environmentalism. With this comes plenty of amazing events held at this center that aim to do just that, like their current TASTE festival! Keep reading to learn more about this wonderful event suited for the whole family.

All about the TASTE festival

The Ecology Center’s TASTE festival takes an innovative twist on the classic summer fruit picking experience. In fact, they describe this experience as a multi-sensory and immersive experience, as you’ll find yourself surrounded by delicious treats, local art, music, and plenty of fun! However, the real star of the show at this event is the strawberry. While at the TASTE festival, you’ll explore the entire journey of the strawberry as it goes from seed to food thanks to the three educational and interactive stations located throughout the space. The point is to help foster a deeper sense of appreciation for the work that goes into creating one of life’s sweetest little treats and the land that helps sustain us.

The GROW station

The strawberry’s story begins as a seedling in the dirt as it grows and sprouts and continues as this fruit ripens to the perfect juicy strawberry ready to be picked. At the GROW station, you’ll learn all about the specifics of this process and how it’s possible for such a tiny seed to become the fruit we all know and love. In order to do this, you’ll participate in a series of fun physical activities meant to demonstrate this fruits’ life from seedling to ripe strawberry!

The EAT station

Once the strawberries are ripe, of course, the next step is to eat them! At the EAT station, you’ll be guided by a chef who will teach your family all about the different strawberry varieties there are to be enjoyed. You’ll even get to sample them, as well as experiment with bold and unique flavors by combining different toppings to compliment the taste of the berries!

The MAKE station

Lastly, stop by the MAKE station to show your appreciation to this seasonal fruit by tapping into your creativity. Here, you’ll join a “Strawberry Jam” and use musical instruments to celebrate this incredibly versatile and nutritious treat. Don’t know how to play? Don’t worry! A musician will join your party at this station to help you get started and guide you through a wonderful story of the day.

U-pick strawberries

When we think of things to do in Orange County once the weather warms, many of us are quick to think of the classic U-pick fields and bringing home buckets of fresh ripe fruit. Luckily, you can experience this ultimate summertime activity while visiting the TASTE festival! Once you’re done working your way through the three different stations, you’ll be set to pick your own strawberries, including four different unique and organic varieties: Albion, San Andreas, Fronteras, and Camarosa. The Ecology Center will be selling these berries by the pound, so follow the vines and pick to your heart’s content!

More important information

Dates and times:

This festival began on April 24 and is set to continue operations every weekend until the berries run out. Times vary depending on what time slot you book your tickets for.

Location:

32701 Alipaz Street

San Juan Capistrano

CA 92675

Tickets:

Tickets are on sale for $15 per person and you can book them online here. It’s also important to note that this fee does not include the U-pick experience. U-Pick strawberries are an additional fee that will be sold by the pound.

This blog is brought to you by Toyota of Orange, among the top trusted Irvine car dealerships.