Happy Wednesday!

Did I blink and suddenly it’s October? 🎃 Halloween has taken over my Instagram feed, pumpkin spice searches are trending and Spirit Halloween just opened.

One of our favorite spooky events is creeping into town for just 3 days: the Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy.

It’s held inside a cemetery chapel, where actors perform four of Poe’s stories, each paired with a themed cocktail. It’s spooky, theatrical and really fun. It sells out quickly, so don’t wait to get your tickets.

🍸 Speaking of fun, we’ve found something new we’re obsessed with: an OC Cocktail Trail worth working your way through. Read more below.

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

P.S…A Quick Favor: Click the sponsor ad below. It’s an easy way to support The Scene at no cost to you (We get paid when you click, even if you don’t buy).
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🎡 Sea Country Festival 2026
A full weekend of rides, games, food trucks, live music, and a beer & wine garden, one of Laguna Niguel’s biggest community events of the year.
Aug 21–23 | Aliso Creek Rd, Laguna Niguel

🧘‍♀️ Soundbath Workshop
Unwind with guided breathwork, meditation and therapeutic sound designed to help you relax and reset. .
Fri, Aug 21 | 7–8pm | Sender One, Aliso Viejo

💃 Salsa Dancing at River Street
Dance under the lights at River Street Marketplace with a free evening of salsa. .
Fri, Aug 21 | 6–9pm | River Street Marketplace, San Juan Capistrano

🤘 Rock Meets Mariachi
Metalachi fuses classic rock with traditional Mexican mariachi, pairing rock energy with violins and trumpets.
Fri, Aug 21 | 8pm | The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano

🍷 Wine Down Friday
Unwind with live music by Hunting Waldo, plus food, beer, wine, and cocktails.
Friday, August 21 | 6–9pm | Giracci Vineyards, Silverado

🌍 Around the World in 80 Days
A fast, funny, globe-trotting stage adventure as Phileas Fogg races to circle the world in record time.
Aug 21 – Sept 13 | Cabrillo Playhouse, San Clemente

☕ Coffee Concert
Enjoy a morning performance by local musician Molly Bergman paired with fresh brews from High Tide Coffee.
Fri, Aug 21 | 10am | Casa Romantica, San Clemente

🎶 🎶 Checkout all of this weekend’s Live Music Options

➡️ NEXT WEEK
Scroll down to see events happening next week and beyond.

🎤 Journey Tribute Night
Journey USA recreates the arena-rock sound of the ’70s and ’80s with hits like “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and “Open Arms” Tickets required.
Sat, Aug 22 | 8pm | The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano

💍 Second Time Around Sale
Shop thousands of vintage and modern jewelry pieces, handbags, scarves and accessories, most priced from $1–$5.
Sat, Aug 22 | 9am–2pm | Murray Community Center, Mission Viejo

🛶 Kayak the Harbor
Paddle Dana Point Harbor with a naturalist while exploring its ecology, wildlife and history.
Sat, Aug 22 | 9–11am | Ocean Institute, Dana Point

🥨 Pretzels, Pickles & Beer
Enjoy games with prizes, pretzel necklaces, specialty food and drinks, and surprise festivities.
Saturday, August 22 | 12pm–1am | The Original Patsy’s Irish Pub, Laguna Niguel

🛍️ Walk N Shop Passport
Hit 17 thrift and vintage shops around Old Towne Orange, collect passport stamps, and enter to win a $700 Visa gift card.
Sat, Aug 22 | 10am–5pm | Old Towne Orange

🎸 Lord of the Strings
Fingerstyle guitarist Brooks Robertson combines bass, rhythm and melody across country, jazz and original compositions.
Sat, Aug 22 | 7–9pm | City Hall Council Chamber, Mission Viejo

🎶 Saturday Concert Lineup
Laguna Beach: Brian Simpson, 1pm
Mission Viejo: The Band Perry, 7pm (members + guests only)

🐾 Dana Point Pup Paddle
Grab your pup and hit the water for a morning kayak or paddleboard adventure, plus a pre-paddle party with treats for dogs and humans.
Sun, Aug 23 | 8–10am | Westwind Sailing, Dana Point

🚗 Dana Point Classic Car Show
Hundreds of classic cars roll into the Lantern District for a sunny Sunday of chrome, engines, and car-lover wandering.
Sunday, August 23 | 10am–3pm | Del Prado Avenue, Dana Point

🎨 Battle of the Arts
Watch Festival of Arts artists race from blank canvas to finished piece in a live paint-off, plus ceramic artists competing at the wheel. Guests vote for their favorites.
Sun, Aug 23 | 12–3pm | Festival of Arts, Laguna Beach

🥁 Festival of Tabla
Two stages, 67 artists and a full day of Indian classical music, dance and workshops at Soka Performing Arts Center. Day passes include vegetarian meals, chai and snacks.
Sun, Aug 23 | Soka Performing Arts Center, Aliso Viejo

🎸 Tom Petty Tribute Night
So Petty brings the Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers songbook to The Coach House, from “Free Fallin’” to “American Girl.” Tickets required.
Sun, Aug 23 | 7pm | The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano

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Orange County has a cocktail trail, and it’s exactly our kind of trail: no hiking boots, just a passport and a string of tucked-away bars serving $5 cocktails.

The trail winds through 38 tucked-away spots around OC, with hidden speakeasies, tiki bars, cocktail lounges and quirky little drinking dens along the way.

No giant sports-bars. Just cool places we probably wouldn’t have found on our own, each with a $5 drink waiting at the next stop.

Jason and I have started working our way through the list, checking off one stop at a time and finding some very fun places along the way.

We’ll be sharing our favorites, what we drank and where we’re headed next (which by the way is Stone Groove Stillhouse.)

Want to follow the trail with us? Grab a passport and pick your first stop. Passports are only $20. You’ll make back your money after two visits. Cheers🍹

[Get a Passport →]

In Case You Missed It…

🥃 There’s a $5 Cocktail Trail in OC & We’re Following It!

🍺 Docent Brewing Opens up new location in Laguna Hills

🏈 Capo Valley High School wins first game in Hawaii

🏓 Indoor Pickleball Arrives in RSM

🍕 Two Dana Point Restaurants Make Eater LA’s Best-of-OC List

🎓 Saddleback College Ranked #1 in California

🧐 Trivia Answer:

✅ A - Santa Ana High School

We’ve had high school on our minds lately since our daughter started 9th grade at CVHS just yesterday, so this week’s trivia felt especially appropriate. 🎓

Santa Ana High School dates all the way back to 1889, making it the oldest high school in Orange County.

Interestingly, Orange County itself was formed that very same year!

A few notable alumni include Diane Keaton, Greg Louganis and Bill Medley from the Righteous Brothers.

Here’s how the four schools stack up:

A. Santa Ana High School - 1889
B. Fullerton Union High School -1893
C. Anaheim High School - 1898
D. Orange High School - 1903

The first High School in South OC?
That title goes to Capistrano Union High School, which opened in San Juan Capistrano in 1921 but stopped operating as a traditional high school in 1964.

The campus is still a school today, now home to Union High School, CUSD’s continuation high school.

Of the high schools still operating, Laguna Beach High School is the oldest, opening in 1934.

Then came…
San Clemente High School in 1964
Mission Viejo High School in 1966
El Toro and Dana Hills in 1973
Capistrano Valley High School in 1977

Newest (traditional) high school in Orange County? Portola High School in Irvine opened in 2016.

🥱 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.