There are lots of special events going on this weekend: Fountain Valley Summerfest, St. Paul’s Annual Greek Festival, Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary Summerfest, and the Pirate Invasion of Belmont Pier & Mermaid Festival in Long Beach. The Sawdust Festival opens Friday and continues through August 30. More concert and movies in the park series are beginning this week and more will be added throughout the summer. So much to do! Enjoy your week!
Ongoing / Week-long Events / Museum Happenings
Fountain Valley Summerfest
Fountain Valley Recreation Center
16400 Brookhurst St.
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
fountainvalley.org/903/FV-Summerfest
This year, Summerfest 2015 will take place on Thursday, June 25 through Sunday, June 28 at the Fountain Valley Sports Park. This event will include numerous vendors, carnival rides, plenty of food, and will feature the FV Car Show on Saturday, June 28 and carnival rides event on Sunday, June 28.
All rides on Thursday night will be just $1 per ride. Test your skills at the many carnival games that will be operating and treat yourself to one of the many gourmet food trucks that will be onsite Thursday night. For more information, please call 714-839-8611. See website for details and a schedule of events.
St. Paul’s 36th Annual Greek Festival
St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church
4949 Alton Pkwy.
Irvine, CA 92604
irvinegreekfest.com
Experience “a taste of Greece” at this spirited festival. There will be Greek folk dancing, a carnival, cooking demonstrations, opportunity drawings and plenty of tasty things to eat. Festival runs Friday, June 26 – Sunday, June 28, 2015. Hours are as follows:
Friday, June 26: 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Saturday, June 27: 12:00pm – 10:00pm
Sunday, June 28: 12:00pm – 9:00pm
Greekfest Admission is $3.00 per person, Children under 10 are free, Seniors 65+ are free Saturday 12-5pm. See website for details and a schedule of events.
Bolsa Chica State Beach
17851 PCH
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
parks.ca.gov/bolsachica
Junior Rangers – Junior Rangers is designed for children ages 7 – 12. All programs begin at 10 am and end at 11 am at the Bolsa Chica Lifeguard Headquarters building. Junior Ranger programs are free to the public. These programs are designed to help children discover the rich natural and cultural heritage preserved in parks. Possible topics are: ecology, the wetlands, geology, marine mammals, beach animals, plants of the beach and more!
Wednesday, June 24: Quest for Camouflage
Friday, June 26: Microscopes & Plankton
Sawdust Festival
935 Laguna Canyon Rd.
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
sawdustartfestival.org
A Laguna Beach tradition for 49 years, the Sawdust Festival’s Summer Show serves as a showcase for more than 200 local artisans. Come and see all the diverse artwork as well as check out the art demonstrations and workshops. Admission is $8.50; $4 children 6-12. Festival runs Friday, June 26 – Sunday, August 30, 2015.
There is a Children’s Art Spot with art fun for the little ones, free of charge. Although most are complimentary, some classes and workshops may require a materials fee. There is also a Ceramic Center with one-on-one instruction at the potter’s wheel for all ages. Free of charge to take home as greenware; $8 to glaze, fire and pick up; $16 to glaze, fire and ship to your home. Please see website for class schedule.
Children’s Museum at La Habra
301 South Euclid St.
La Habra, CA 90631
lhcm.org
Our mission
is to encourage enthusiasm about learning in a hands-on environment that opens the world even to the youngest child. Our museum features 7 galleries and 14 different hands on exhibits, many of which remain unique to the field today. In addition to these exhibits, an outdoor dinosaur topiary and historic 1942 caboose, the Museum features an exhibit which changes 3 times a year. The Children’s Museum welcomes local, national and international visitors. Children can ride a kid-size carousel, take a walk in T-Rex’s footprints, pet an Arctic fox, pump gas, drive a bus, dress up and perform, and dig for fossils all in one afternoon! Admission: Kids and Adults $8, La Habra residents $7, Kids Under 2 Free).
The spring/summer exhibit is California Full of Life and it opens Tuesday, March 31 and runs through August 24, 2015. This exhibit introduces guests to the ecosystem diversity found in our beautiful Golden State. Visit the deserts, beaches, mountains, and redwoods and learn about the life cycles of plants and wildlife. Have fun on a mini camping trip at the Museum. Learn about living in a tent, camping foods, camping gear, and California state parks & wildlife. Get a taste of our great outdoors with the Children’s Museum at La Habra’s Spring 2015 Changing Gallery Exhibit, California: Full of Life!
Monday, June 22: MUSEUM CLOSED
Tuesday, June 23: Reading Circle – Event begins at 11:15am. “Did you feed your baby’s brain today?” There is no better source of brain food than reading aloud! Bring you eager listener to our weekly reading session in the Nannie’s Travels gallery and get your fill!
Tuesday, June 23: Very Hungry Caterpillar Craft - We’re celebrating Eric Carle’s birthday week with an amusing Very Hungry Caterpillar craft today! Event runs 11:00am – 3:00pm in the Family Art Center. Free with Museum admission.
Wednesday, June 24: Little Picasso Family Art Center – Make a “paint” date every Wednesday (11:00am – 3:00pm) at the Museum for lots of messy time exploring color and texture! There are easels, washable paints, brushes and paint smocks ready for little artists to use. This is a drop in art studio and subject to change. Free with paid admission.
Thursday, June 25: Very Hungry Caterpillar Craft - We’re celebrating Eric Carle’s birthday week with an amusing Very Hungry Caterpillar craft today! Event runs 11:00am – 3:00pm in the Family Art Center. Free with Museum admission.
Friday, June 26: Creative Capers - Bring out your inner artist this summer! Explore the lives and works of these famous artists and create a work of art in the styles they were most noted for. Today’s artist is Eric Carle.
Saturday, June 27: Very Hungry Caterpillar Craft - We’re celebrating Eric Carle’s birthday week with an amusing Very Hungry Caterpillar craft today! Event runs 11:00am – 3:00pm in the Family Art Center. Free with Museum admission.
Sunday, June 28: Family Art Sundays: Hatmakers - Dino-Mite Hats: Kids create dinosaur hats to wear while roaming the Museum! Reservations are REQUIRED. Please call (562) 383-4236.
Discovery Cube Orange County
2500 N Main St.
Santa Ana, CA 92705
discoverycube.org
We INSPIRE and EDUCATE young minds through engaging SCIENCE-BASED programs and exhibits to create a meaningful IMPACT on the COMMUNITIES we serve. Our mission to inspire, educate, and impact is brought to life through the cornerstones of our core initiatives (STEM Proficiency, Early Learning, Healthy Living, and Environmental Stewardship. Explore over 100 hands-on, interactive exhibits as you adventure throughout Discovery Cube’s first and second floors. All of our exhibits teach science concepts using fun and engaging activities.
Admission is $16.95 for Adults, $12.95 for Children 3-14, and Free for Children 2 and Under. Memberships also available. Check website for details.
June 11, 2015 – September 7, 2015: The International Exhibition of Sherlock Homes - This interactive experience combines science with history and culture to bring to life the historic underpinnings of author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories. Visitors will learn how Sherlock Holmes, a scientific expert, used seemingly trivial observations of clues others missed to solve the most puzzling of mysteries! This exhibition features original manuscripts and artifacts, investigative tools, and crime-solving opportunities. Visitors will be transported back into Victorian London and given a detective’s notebook to use throughout the exhibition to help solve a riveting crime! Exhibit is included in price of general admission.
Kidseum (art-based children’s museum operated by the Bowers Museum)
1802 N Main St.
Santa Ana, CA 92706
bowers.org
The newly renovated Kidseum is high-tech and interactive with a focus on its new mission, “Igniting imagination through exploration,” stressing the excitement of art and archaeology. Be sure to check out the new “Glow Cave” with its fun art making activities, ride the magical Wells Fargo stagecoach through time in the “Green Screen Time Machine,” and explore archaeology like never before in our new Archaeology Lab. There will be a lot of visual stimulation and engaging education with new smart tables, smart boards and computers.
Special Weekend Programs for children and adults! (included with admission). Admission is $6 for Ages 2 and Up, Under 2/Members are Free. Adult free admission with current Bowers Museum ticket stub.
Face painting all day
Drop in Art Studio all day
Live Storytelling in the Story Room – 11:00am – 11:30am and 1:30pam – 2:00pm (Saturdays & Sundays)
Glow Cave Paintings – 11:30am – 12:00pm and 2:00pm – 2:30pm (Saturdays & Sundays)
Archaeology Lab Coin Impressions – 1:00pm – 1:30pm and 2:30pm – 3:00pm (Saturdays & Sundays)
Muzeo
241 S Anaheim Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92805
muzeo.org
The MUZEO engages the community by exploring and celebrating our diverse heritage, culture and arts through creative programming. The MUZEO hosts three traveling exhibitions per year which would otherwise not be displayed in the region. Every exhibit is enhanced with special programs, events and activities. You don’t want to miss a moment of them. Admission fees: Adults $10 and children $6. Parking is available in the structure on the corner of Center Street Promenade and South Lemon Street.
Cougars and Grizzlies: Sharing Their Path – Exhibit runs April 18, 2015 – September 13, 2015. Most Southern California families are unaware that grizzly bears ever roamed what has now become bustling cities like Irvine and Corona. The extinction of the California grizzly bear (Ursus Californicus) in 1924 serves a cautionary tale for those wanting to protect and preserve California’s fragile mountain lion (Puma concolor) species. Cougars and Grizzlies: Sharing Their Path will educate and raise environmental awareness by juxtaposing the fate of the California grizzly bear with the future of the state’s mountain lion. Docent tours start in the box office and last approximately 45 minutes. Tours are complimentary with admission to Cougars and Grizzlies: Sharing Their Path. See website for details.
Pretend City
29 Hubble
Irvine, CA 92618
pretendcity.org
Pretend City Children’s Museum features a small, interconnected city designed to “build better brains” through purposeful play, hands-on learning experiences, role playing, and educational programming. As a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization serving all children, it depends on community-based funding and guest support. Through 17 interactive exhibits and activities guided by a highly trained professional staff, children learn foundational math, reading and science skills, while fostering curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, organization, teamwork, self-confidence and socialization. The museum is a unique community resource offering developmental screenings and tools for families, educators and community agencies working to ensure that each child gains the experiences needed to discover their potential and build toward a productive and fulfilling future.
Admission is as follows: Infant to 12 months: FREE, Children: $12.50, Adult: $12.50, Military and Family Members: $9.50. Pretend City’s Art Studio has new art projects daily! See the Art Calendar for details. Pretend City’s Real Café is located between the Home and Construction Site. Our vending Machines contain healthy choices like sandwiches, salads, fruit snacks, milk, bottle water, and other healthier snack options for your family. Take a break in our Real Cafe seating area while you fill up on much-needed fuel before going back on the floor for more play! We ask that all eating be in the Real Café seating area, or on the outside tables to side the building (next to the Front Entrance). Pretend City Children’s Museum is a nut-free facility.
Monday, June 22: Summer Kick-Off Celebration – Join us for our 5th annual Summer Celebration! This event marks the start of Southern California’s favorite season! Our Summer Kick-Off Celebration includes a live musical performance by our surprise guests – who you won’t want to miss!! Other fun-filled activities for the day include:
Limbo contests
Beach ball Volleyball
Sand Castle Building Contest
Summer has officially begun which means another school year has ended! Activities run 10:00am – 5:00pm. RSVP: Not required. Fee: Included with museum admission. Show your child’s (or yours!) graduation certificate starting June 22nd to July 31st for $1.00 off general admission.
Friday, June 26: Little Dragons Taekwondo Class presented by West Coast Taekwondo - The Little Dragons Program is a detailed curriculum that focuses on improving younger children’s basic motor and listening skills. These skills will help them enter society with a more confident enthusiastic outlook. The curriculum consists of developing eight major sport and activity skills along with eight personal development skills. Upon completion of the Little Dragons Program, your child will become focused and motivated to achieve any goal they set in life! Specifically for: Children 3 ½ to 6 years of age; Grown-ups must remain on the premises. Please arrive to class early in order to complete all required participation forms. Loose fitting, comfortable, all white, no logo attire is highly suggested. Children will participate in the class barefoot. Siblings are permitted to peacefully observe.
RSVP: Registration required. Walk-ins may be welcome. Max: 20 students. *Please note West Coast Taekwondo Waiver of Liability and indemnity Agreement and Medical History/Treatment Release Form will be required to be completed on the first day of class prior to participation.
Fee: $30.00 per child for the 4 class series Session 1; $10.00/class (walk-ins). 1/3 of the session profits will benefit Pretend City Children’s Museum a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
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