/ ENTERTAINMENT SPECIAL EVENTS FESTIVAL OF WHALES Mar. 2-3, 9-10. 48th annual festival celebrates the California gray whale migration with a parade, concerts, crafts and marine-mammal cruises. Call for hours. Free. Dana Point Harbor, 949.496.1045, festivalofwhales.com Map J16 CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL Mar. 17. Huntington Beach’s fifth-annual festival featuring Japanese dance, music, cultural exhibits, arts, crafts and games, plus Japanese food offerings. 10:30 am-5:30 pm. Free. Huntington Beach Central Park Bandstand, 7111 Talbert Ave., Huntington Beach, hbcbfest.com Map D2 OC RESTAURANT WEEK Mar. 3-9. Nearly 150 restaurants across Orange County offer discounted prixfixe menus, cocktail specials and breakfast for dinner options. Various locations, ocrestaurantweek.com SWALLOWS DAY PARADE Mar. 23. Salutes storied 61st-annual bird visit from Argentina. Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Ortega Hwy., San Juan Capistrano, 949.493.1976, swallowsparade.com Map I17
Back at the Ranch The Ranch Saloon, adjacent to the Ranch in Anaheim, one of the finest restaurants in North County, presents the best in live country music on a concert stage featuring a Meyer sound system and a dance floor that manages to feel both open and intimate. The calendar mixes prime country-music entertainers, local country bands and a country deejay for dancing nightly. Dance instructors teach two-step, West Coast swing and line dancing free Wednesday through Sunday; family night is the first Sunday of the month. According to owner Andrew Edwards, the saloon pays homage to the Crazy Horse Steakhouse & Saloon and Palomino Club of yore. Enjoy everything from Southern-fried dill pickles or peanuts from Wilson, North Carolina, to a cowboy rib-eye from the restaurant next door, among the very best steaks in the county. p. 51
NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL Apr. 25-May 2. 20th-anniversary event presents more than 300 films— features, shorts, documentaries and animation—as well as parties and sessions with directors and screenwriters. Schedule: newportbeachfilmfest.com Map K16 NEWPORT ENSENADA RACE Apr. 26-28. World’s largest yacht race. Best views from Corona del Mar coastal cliffs and Balboa Pier. nosa.org Map N12 TASTE OF HUNTINGTON BEACH Apr. 28. 18th-annual tasting event with live entertainment by the Ramsey Brothers Band. Noon-4 pm. $50-$80. Huntington Beach Sports Complex, 18100 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach, tastehb.com Map D2 TUSTIN LOBSTERFEST May 18. Unlimited whole lobster festival featuring live music from the Shady Street Band. 4:30-8 pm. $25-$75. Peppertree Park, 200 S. C St., Tustin, tustinlobsterfest.com Map C4 DOHENY BLUES FESTIVAL May 18-19. Blues, rock and R&B on three stages. Microbrews, wine lounge. Sa 11 am-9:30 pm; Su 11 am-9 pm. $100-$400. Doheny State Beach, 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, 949.360.7800, dohenybluesfestival.com Map H15 GARDEN GROVE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL May 24-27. Parade, carnival rides, strawberry cake. F 1-10 pm; Sa-Sun 10 am-10 pm; M 10 am-9 pm. Free. Rides from $1. Village Green between Main and Euclid streets, Garden Grove, 714.638.0981, strawberryfestival.org Map J9
THEATER BLUES IN THE NIGHT Mar. 1-10. Tony and Olivier Award-nominated musical tells of the experiences three women have with the snake of a man who represents the men who do them wrong. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 949.497.2787 Map G15 ALADDIN Mar. 6-23. Disney’s Broadway hit musical features all your favorite songs from the film as well as new music written by Tony and Academy Award winner Alan Menken. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787 Map J13 HEISENBERG Mar. 27-Apr. 14. What happens when free-spirited American plants a kiss on the neck of mid-70s British butcher; written by Tony Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 949.497.2787 Map G15
GUIDELINES Map locators at the end of each listing (Map A3; Map H10, etc.) refer to maps on pp. 53-55. Compendium includes editors’ recommendations and advertisers.
INDEX Special Events............. 44 Shopping Destinations.49 Theater........................ 44 Eatertainment............. 50 Music + Dance.............. 44 Golf Courses................ 50 Sports.......................... 46 Active Outdoors........... 51 Attractions................... 46 Nightlife....................... 51 Museums..................... 48 Tours + Transport........ 51
POOR YELLA REDNECKS Mar. 30-Apr. 27. Taking place after the award-winning Vietgone comes a tale six years later about one family’s history. A raucously funny, deeply moving take on the immigrant story, told with hip-hop style. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.708.5555 Map J13 CATS Apr. 9-14. Seven-time Tony Award-winning musical tells the story of one magical night when a tribe of cats gathers for its annual ball to rejoice and decide which cat will be reborn. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787 Map J13 SHEN YUN Apr. 16-28. Extravaganza brings the spirit of China’s 5,000 years of civilization to life with music, dance and acrobatics. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787 Map J13 M. BUTTERFLY Opening May 11. Poignant Tony Awardwinning breakout hit about a married French diplomat, a mysterious Chinese opera diva and a passionate 20-year affair. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.708.5555 Map J13 HARVEY Opening May 29. Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy tells the story of Elwood P. Dowd and his imaginary friend Harvey, a 61/2-foot-tall rabbit. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 949.497.2787 Map G15
MUSIC + DANCE HONDA CENTER Mar. 2 Sarah Brightman. Apr. 13 P!nk. May 24 New Kids on the Block. 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim, 714.704.2500, hondacenter.com Map I11 HOUSE OF BLUES Mar. 1 Chippendales (ages 18+). Mar. 8 Cradle of Filth. Mar. 9 Metric & Zoé with July Talk. Mar. 9 Peter Yorn. Mar. 14 Baroness, Deafheaven. Mar. 23 Totally ‘80s Live! Mar. 24 State Champs. Mar. 29 Boyce Avenue. Mar. 30 Saved by the ‘90s. Mar. 31 Pink Talking Fish. Apr. 1 A Boogie wit da Hoodie. Apr. 5 Saabrina Benaim. Apr. 10 Camilo Septimo. Apr. 11 Josh Abbott Band. Apr. 12 Ben Rector. Apr. 13 World of Dance OC. Apr. 19 Aaron Watson. 400 W. Disney Way, Anaheim, 714.778.2583, houseofblues.com Map I10 IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE Mar. 1 Vocalist Diego el Cigala. Mar. 8 UCI Symphony Orchestra. Mar. 10 Mozart Classical Orchestra. Mar. 14 Dee Dee Bridgewater with Memphis Soulphony. Mar. 16 4 Girls 4. Mar. 17 David Gonzalez’s The Frog Bride. Mar. 20 Malpaso Dance Company. Mar. 21 Hawaiian vocalist Henry Kapono and Dukes on Sunday Band. Mar. 23-24 Festival Ballet Theatre, Sleeping Beauty. Mar. 25 Irvine Unified School District Jazz Night. Mar. 27 Enchantment Theatre Company, The Phantom Tollbooth. Mar. 28 Iranian musician-composer Mohsen Namjoo. Mar. 29 Vocalist
W California’s largest ice skating facility, Great Park Ice, opens at Orange County Great Park in Irvine. The Anaheim Ducks will practice there. p. 46 44
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