Well hello {{first name | there}}☔
The rain’s clocking-out just in time for the weekend. Mardi Gras just wrapped, Lent begins, Lunar New Year celebrations continue, and Ramadan is around the corner. Whether you’re reflecting, feasting, or chasing down dumplings, there’s something going on.
Speaking of tradition… did you know Alicia, Marguerite, Antonio, Jeronimo, and Avery were all part of one local family tree? The streets you drive every day have a backstory. Scroll for that one.
Two things to lock in now:
✨ Only 4 seats left for Align & Design on Feb. 28. Think vision board, meets junk journal, meets manifesting; mimosas included. Grab your ticket.
🕯️ Bridgerton by Candlelight is April 9. A live string quartet playing your favorite tunes from the show, surrounded by candlelight.
To all the new readers, welcome to The Scene… Our motto is: the more you know, the more you’ll go. That’s what this newsletter is all about, sharing ideas big and small to make it easier (and more fun) to get out and enjoy OC.
See you out there!
Lorna & Jason
What's Inside...
🗓️ THIS WEEKEND’S PICKS
~~ FRIDAY FEB 20th ~~
🤠 Whoop Axe Line Dancing
Country line dancing, and if the steps get tricky throw a few axes instead.
Fri, Feb 20 | 8pm–Midnight | Whoop Axe, Lake Forest
🍷 WineDown Friday at Giracci Vineyards
Ease into the weekend with wine by the glass or bottle, live music, and food trucks spread across the vineyard grounds.
Fri, Feb 20 | 5–8pm | Giracci Vineyards, Silverado Canyon
🐶 National Love Your Pet Day
Bring your pup to mingle, grab coffee and donuts, enjoy special treats for dogs.
Fri, Feb 20 | 9–10:30am | Creekside Dog Park, Aliso Viejo
🧚 Daddy Daughter Dinner Dance: In the Fairy Garden
An enchanting evening filled with music and dancing at this annual daddy-daughter celebration.
Fri, Feb 20 | 6:30–8:30pm | Laguna Hills
💎 Gem Faire
The largest gem and jewelry show in SoCal, packed with crystals, gemstones and beads.
Feb 20–22 | OC Fair & Event Center | Costa Mesa
🎳 Lucky Strike Bowling Night- Save 20%
A polished take on bowling with full bar service, upgraded food, and a sleek lounge feel.
Any night | Lucky Strike/ Bowlero | Aliso Viejo or Ladera Ranch
Scroll down to see what’s happening next week and beyond:
➡️ NEXT WEEK
🎶 🎶 Checkout This Weekend’s Live Music Options
~~ SATURDAY FEB 21st ~~
🌮 Love & Tacos Fest
An evening built around tacos, live music, culture, and community.
Sat, Feb 21 | Evening | Heritage Museum of Orange County | Santa Ana
🎭 Mardi Gras Night Market
A lively night market with food vendors, live music, dancing, art and jewelry.
Sat, Feb 21 | 5–9pm | 25282 Marguerite Pkwy, Mission Viejo
🎨 Art in the Garden: Sun Catcher Workshop
Create a sun catcher surrounded by ocean views and winding trails at the Hortense Miller Garden.
Sat, Feb 21 | 9:45am–12pm | Hortense Miller Garden, Laguna Beach
🧧 Lunar Fest at Heritage Park Library
Celebrate Lunar New Year with crafts, activities, and cultural traditions.
Sat, Feb 21 | 1–4pm | Heritage Park Library, Irvine
🐾 San Juan Capistrano Pet Parade
Kids and their pets take the spotlight in this parade celebrating animals, costumes, and rescue groups.
Sat, Feb 21 | Signups 10am, parade 11:30am | San Juan Capistrano
Scroll down to see what’s happening next week and beyond:
➡️ NEXT WEEK
🎶 🎶 Checkout South OC Live Music Options
Unlock Amazon Prime Perks You Never Knew Existed
Like a vision board but way better!
Amazon Prime offers much more than just free shipping! Ensure you're getting the most out of your membership with help from our deal experts. Discover 9 Prime benefits you should be using.
~~ SUNDAY FEB 22nd ~~
🎸 The Man in Black: A Johnny Cash Tribute
A live tribute to Johnny Cash’s iconic sound, performed in an intimate concert hall setting.
Sat, Feb 22 | 7pm | Coach House, San Juan Capistrano
🛡️ Monty Python’s Spamalot
The Tony Award–winning musical comedy that’s outrageously silly, joyfully irreverent, and packed with flying cows, killer rabbits, and nonstop laughs.
Last Night! Sat, Feb 22 | Times vary | Segerstrom Hall, Costa Mesa
💡 Turkish Mosaic Lamp Workshop
Create your own glowing Turkish mosaic lamp with traditional techniques, vibrant tiles, Turkish tea, and sweet treats.
Sat, Feb 22| 10am, 2pm, 6pm | Art Masterclass, Tustin
🕵️♂️ Murder Mystery: Orange Is a Crime Scene
Turn Old Towne Orange into your own whodunit. Follow clues on your phone, question suspects, and solve a suspicious death across 12 real locations.
Start anytime | Up to 2 hours | 272 S Grand St, Orange
🎭 106 Years of Drama
A free panel celebrating the 106-year history of the Laguna Beach Playhouse, the oldest continuously running theater company west of the Mississippi.
Mon, Feb 23 | 7–8:30pm | Susi Q Community Center, Laguna Beach
🥕 San Clemente Farmers Market
Fresh produce, flowers, baked goods, and local makers.
Sun, Feb 22 | 9am–1pm | Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente
Scroll down to see what’s happening next week and beyond:
➡️ NEXT WEEK
🎶 🎶 Checkout South OC Live Music Options
🤔 Name That Spot
Marilyn Monroe posed in front of this fountain in 1946.
Where is she?
A) Mission San Juan Capistrano
B) Knotts Berry Farm
C) Balboa Pavilion, Newport
D) Orange County Courthouse, Santa Ana
(Scroll to bottom for answer)
The Family Behind The Street Names
Most of us in South Orange County know the names Marguerite. Alicia. Avery. Jerónimo.
They’re streets we drive every day.
But those names aren’t random. They trace back to one family that shaped this entire region: the O’Neills. Yes, as in O’Neill Regional Park.
Richard O’Neill
In the late 1800s, Irish immigrant Richard O’Neill helped build a cattle empire across thousands of acres of what is now Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita and Ladera Ranch.
👩🌾 Marguerite was Richard O’Neill’s wife.
👰 Alicia (Alice) was his daughter-in-law.
👦👦 Jerónimo (Jerome) and Antonio were Alicia’s sons.
💍 Avery came later, connected to Alice’s second husband and the next chapter of the family’s legacy.
🏅 Before the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, today’s Olympiad Road in Mission Viejo was originally named O’Neill Parkway — it was renamed in honor of the Summer Games when Mission Viejo hosted Olympic cycling events.
🗓️ NEXT WEEK…
✏️ Add these events to your Calendar
MONDAY FEB 23rd
🥃 Whiskey Tasting at El Adobe
Whiskey tasting night with a live cigar roller, custom coaster branding, and a live saxophonist in the background. Tickets required.
Feb 23 | 5:30–9:30pm | El Adobe de Capistrano | San Juan Capistrano
🏓 Ping Pong Anyone?
Drop-in ping pong games. All skill levels welcome.
Mondays, through Mar 30 | 12–2pm | Aliso Viejo Ranch | Aliso Viejo
TUESDAY FEB 24th
🩰 Swan Lake
The world’s most iconic ballet arrives with a full live orchestra, 50 international dancers, and jaw-dropping sets and costumes.
Feb 24–25 | Irvine Barclay Theatre
🥟 Empanada Tuesday at Villa Roma
All cooked empanadas are half off — stock up or eat them fresh out of the oven.
Tue | 9am–8pm | Villa Roma, Laguna Hills
WEDNESDAY FEB 25th
🔧 Get Your Stuff Fixed for Free at Repair Café OC
Broken lamps, wobbly chairs, busted gadgets, volunteers help you fix them at no cost.
Wed, Feb 25 | 5:30–9:30pm | Murray Community Center, Mission Viejo
🧠 Trivia Nights
A few regular spots around South OC where you can test your random knowledge.
Hangar 24 Brewing | Irvine
Los Molinos Beer | San Clemente
Brewhouse SJC | SJC
Pub 32 | Mission Viejo
THURSDAY FEB 26th
🎶 Musical Bingo Night
Songs replace numbers in this crowd-friendly twist on bingo.
Thursdays | 7pm | Patsy’s Irish Tavern | Laguna Niguel
FRIDAY FEB 27th
🎤 Comedy for a Cause Fundraiser
Enjoy a night of stand-up at the Irvine Improv featuring Chris Porter, finalist on Last Comic Standing and seen on Comedy Central. Every laugh supports women in recovery, with ticket proceeds benefiting OC Sober Gals, a local nonprofit creating alcohol-free spaces and community across Orange County.
Fri, Feb 27 | Show 7:30pm | Irvine Improv, Irvine
🕯️ Candlelight: 90s Unplugged
A string quartet brings iconic ’90s hits to life under candlelight inside the art deco beauty of the Lido Theater.
Thu, Feb 27 | 8:15pm | Lido Theater, Newport Beach
🛍️ Sugar Plum Festival
A giant, joyful sprawl of handmade goods, vintage finds, antiques, and collectibles.
Fri–Sun, Feb 27–Mar 1 | OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa
🎭 The Cottage
A laugh-out-loud British comedy packed with secrets, surprise guests, and very bad timing inside a countryside love nest.
Feb 27 – Mar 22 | Times vary | Cabrillo Playhouse, San Clemente
SATURDAY FEB 28th
🎨 Align & Design: Art Journaling Workshop
A 2.5-hour guided workshop where you’ll create a handmade art journal to manifest your dreams (like a vision board but better) All materials + light breakfast and mimosas included.
Sat, Feb 28 | 10am–12:30pm | Mission Viejo
🛍️ Silverado Canyon Flea Market & Artisan Fair
A laid-back canyon market with vintage finds, handmade goods, and local vendors set against rustic Silverado charm.
Sat, Feb 28 | 9am–2pm | Silverado Canyon Community Center, Silverado Canyon
🏃 Oso Fit 5K Fun Run & Community Health Fair
Run or walk the Oso Creek Trail, cheer on the kids’ races, and explore a free community health fair.
Sat, Feb 28 | 7:30–11am | Murray Community Center, Mission Viejo
SUNDAY MARCH 1st
🎤 Debby Boone with Special Guest Pat Boone
A nostalgic evening of pop, jazz, Broadway, and storytelling as Debby Boone performs hits and classics, joined by her legendary father for a special appearance.
Sun, Mar 1 | Doors 5pm, Show 7pm | Coach House Concert Hall, San Juan Capistrano
✏️ PLAN FURTHER AHEAD:
To see what’s happening even further ahead, check out our full listing.
New events added daily…
📸 This Weeks Snapshot
Last weekend we hiked out to Red Rock Canyon in Foothill Ranch. Park near Ralphs and you’re basically at the trailhead. Walk to the very end to be surrounded by massive red rock walls. It feels like Sedona.
About Us:
Lorna’s an OC native who has lived in Spain, France and New Zealand but always returns home for the tacos, the trails, and the beautiful tree-lined streets of Mission Viejo.
Jason’s a Brit who swapped pub life for paddleboards and now splits his time between aquascaping and crafting perfect cocktails. We started The Scene because there’s so much to see, do, and savor.
Thanks for letting us be a small part of your weekend.
🧐 Trivia Answer:
✅ A — Mission San Juan Capistrano
The photo was taken in 1946 at Mission San Juan Capistrano when she was just 20 years old and her name was still Norma Jeane
The photo was taken by professional photographer Andres de Dienes and was copied from an article in American Photo Magazine.
It’s A Wrap..
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🥱 Boring Stuff
Publication Disclaimer: Everything included here is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. It is always best to double-check links to be sure event information hasn’t changed if you plan on attending something.
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©️ 2025 The Scene: South OC | All content and information set forth above was created by Lorna Ladd and Jason Ladd and is the intellectual property of this publication. It is protected under US copyright law, including but not limited to “The Digital Millennium Copyright Act.” Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or duplication of any material, in whole or in part, without express written authorization & consent, is strictly prohibited by law and may result in legal action. Violators will be subject to prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.