Happy Wednesday!

We’ve got a few things worth getting on your calendar early this week, including some big names headed to South OC and one very popular activity involving birds. Hurry, all of these tickets will fly!

🎸 Grammy blues powerhouse Beth Hart, known for her raw, soaring vocals and electric live shows, is coming in January. (She is AMAZING!) Get tickets now.

🥧 Don McLean, the singer-songwriter behind “American Pie” and “Vincent,” takes the stage Sunday, Nov 8. Get tickets ASAP

🎤 Lou Gramm, the original voice of Foreigner and hits like “I Want to Know What Love Is,” is also coming. Tickets are very close to selling out, so move quickly. Check availability.

🐦 These spots really do fly!
Now for a completely different kind of activity: birding. Yes, birding. The last event filled within seconds, but no need to ruffle your feathers, another FREE bird walk is coming to Irvine on Saturday, Sept 26. Don’t wing it, register now !

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 before you keep scrolling: 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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🎸 Robert Cray Live
Five-time Grammy winner and Blues Hall of Famer Robert Cray brings five decades of blues, soul and rock to The Coach House. Tickets required.
Fri, Aug 14 | 8pm | The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano

🦈 Sharks After Dark
See the Ocean Institute after hours when the sharks and rays are most active, ending with a shark feeding. There’s also live music, food and drinks.
Fri, Aug 14 | 5:30–8:30pm | Ocean Institute, Dana Point

☕ Coffee Speed Dating
Skip the apps and meet singles over coffee and matcha at this alcohol-free speed dating night for ages 24–45.
Fri, Aug 14 | 6–8pm | Morning Lavender, Tustin

🪼 Bioluminescence Night Cruise
A late-summer glow tour on the water with expert narration and unreal views.
Aug 14 | 8:30pm | Ocean Institute, Dana Point

🌼 Native Plant & Wildflower Hike
Discover California’s native plants and seasonal wildflowers on an easy guided hike through Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.
Fri, Aug 14 | 8–10:30am | James Dilley Preserve, Laguna Beach

🎶 Friday Concert Lineup
Laguna Hills: ACME Time Machine, 6:30pm
Laguna Niguel: Kings of 88, 6:30pm

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

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

🎨 San Clemente Arts & Crafts Fair
Browse a juried show of local makers, artisans, and crafters across indoor and outdoor spaces at the Community Center's 65th annual fair.
Sat, Aug 15 | San Clemente Community Center

🐾 Pet-A-Palooza Night Market
Bring the dog for local makers, food, live music, games and a beer garden, with Mission Viejo Animal Services joining the night. Free.
Sat, Aug 15 | 5–9pm | North Paseo at Los Osos, Mission Viejo

🤠 Country Celebration at River Street
Live country music, line dancing, family activities, local shopping, food, and drinks at River Street’s summer country bash. Free admission.
Sat, Aug 15 | 12–9pm | River Street, San Juan Capistrano

🎸 Music on the Deck
Jabe Amato plays classic rock and ’80s and ’90s favorites poolside.
Sat, Aug 15 | 1–4pm | Montanoso Center, Mission Viejo

🎻 Symphony in the Cities
Pacific Symphony performs popular classics, pop favorites, and patriotic songs.
Sat, Aug 15 | 7pm | Mike Ward Community Park, Irvine

😂 Comedy Underground
Catch a night of stand-up comedy at Krazy Kooters. Presale tickets are $15, with dinner available before the show.
Sat, Aug 15 | 8pm | Krazy Kooters, San Clemente

🎶 Saturday Concert Lineup
Laguna Beach: Eric Marienthal, 1pm
Lake Forest: Yachty by Nature, 6pm
Irvine: Symphony in the Cities, 7pm

🎤OC Smoke Show & Country Fest
Lil Jon, Bow Wow and Soulja Boy take over Day 2 of the Smoke Show, alongside award-winning BBQ pitmasters and a custom car show. Tickets are almost sold out.
Sun, Aug 16 | The Riding Park, San Juan Capistrano

🤠 Toby Keith Tribute Night
American Made brings the Toby Keith songbook to the stage for a country night packed with patriotic hit and barroom anthems
Sun, Aug 16 | Show 7pm | The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano

🔧 Get Your Stuff Fixed for Free at Repair Café OC
Broken lamps, wobbly chairs, busted gadgets — volunteers help you fix them at no cost.
Sun, Aug 16 | 1-5pm | Murray Community Center, Mission Viejo

🧵 Quilt Fair
Shop handmade quilts and browse artisan vendors. Free.
Sun, Aug 16 | 10am–4pm | Bowers Museum, Santa Ana

🎡 OC Fair
The OC Fair’s last chance to hit the carnival rides, fried food, live entertainment, exhibits, games, shopping, and peak summer people-watching. Tickets required.
FINAL DAY | OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa

🎶 Sunday Concert Lineup
Dana Point: Emo Kids + Tijuana Dogs, 2:30pm
Rancho Santa Margarita: Typical Gypsys Band, 4–5:30pm
Laguna Beach: Rose’s Pawn Shop, 5pm
Rancho Santa Margarita: Diego’s Garage, 6–8pm

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Get Matched Today

As you may have noticed, we’ve been on a coffee kick lately. With so many new indie spots opening, we’re happy to have more reasons to skip the big chains and support local.

While putting together our guide to South OC’s independent coffee shops, one thing jumped out: coffee houses are getting very specific. At this point, you’re not just paying $8 for a latte. You’re getting a whole experience, so you might as well stay a while and soak it all in.

A few of the most interesting:

☕️ Middle Eastern + South Asian: Sabr Coffee House in Lake Forest brings MESA-inspired flavors and design to the coffee shop experience.

🚗 Vintage cars + coffee: The Petrol Club in San Clemente is part coffee shop, part vintage car clubhouse.

🇳🇴 Scandinavian cool: Oslo Coffee Co. in Ladera Ranch pairs coffee with clean Nordic-inspired design.

⛳️ Golf simulator + café: Ever Table in Tustin lets you grab coffee, eat and work on your swing under one roof.

🤠 Honky-tonk coffee: Wade’s Coffee House is coming to San Juan Capistrano mid-November, promising country-western vibes with your caffeine.

👻 Speakeasy Spooky: Relapse Killer Brews in Whittier takes coffee to a decidedly darker place.

☕️ [Get our guide to South OC’s indie coffee shops →]

🍷 This Wine Trail is an Hour from South OC (& it’s not Temecula)

🥇 Want to volunteer at the LA28 Olympics? Apply here.

🌉 Irvine’s New 1,200-Foot Bridge Connects a Trail From the Ocean to the Mountains

🏊 Katie Ledecky in Irvine This Week for Huge International Swim Meet.

🧐 Trivia Answer:

✅ C - John Steinbeck

Before writing Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck lived in a Laguna Beach cottage called The Bent Twig, near Third Street and Park Avenue.

He lived there around the time Tortilla Flat was published in 1935, the book that gave him his first major success.

Years later, Steinbeck won both the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize in Literature.

🥱 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.

*Affiliate Disclaimer: This publication contains affiliate links which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We only share things we believe in. Anything you buy through our affiliate links supports the ongoing publication of The Scene. We greatly appreciate your trust in us. Thank you!

©️ 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.