Travel Costa Mesa Blog
Your Top Ways to Save This Year at The OC Fair
What time is it? It’s time to be “Happy Together” at the OC Fair, July 14 through August 13, 2023, only at the OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa! Find out all about this year’s fair, one of the biggest on the West Coast and one of the ten largest fairs in the United States!
This year’s 2023 OC Fair has some great offers and specials. Advance ticket purchase is required as the fair is limiting the number of admission tickets available for each day. Choose your days and plan your summer! The good thing is, when you buy tickets online for the OC Fair, you’ll pay no service fees on admission tickets. Before you go, you can also read over the fair’s Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.
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Posted in Misc
Ten Ways to Heat Up Your Summer in Costa Mesa
The joy of summer is back, and Costa Mesa is ready to welcome you for a summer full of fun in Orange County. From exciting new dining to Broadway shows to one of the biggest fairs on the West Coast, there’s just so much to see in Costa Mesa.
Great New Dining
Costa Mesa offers Orange County’s only Michelin-starred restaurants – three of them, to be
exact. A slate of new dining destinations are popping up around the city, adding to its already
robust varieties of cuisine. But that’s not all! A host of exciting new restaurant concepts have opened or are opening this summer, and the new dining continues to raise the bar as a perfect spot for an Eatcation®.
Read more about the hot new restaurants in Costa Mesa in our latest press release, including Blossoms and Brass pictured below – a European, cocktail-forward restaurant with surprising Japanese influences.
Tickets to a Show
Segerstrom Center for the Arts (SCFTA) offers not only Broadway plays and musicals, but lots of other great outdoor summer events as well. The hottest ticket of the summer will be Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, playing July 11-23, 2023. With the world’s recent loss of legendary singer Tina Turner, watching this show will be bittersweet, but an absolute must to appreciate the life and music of this phenomenal artist.
Another show coming this summer is Six, June 13-25. From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix 500 years of historical heartbreak into a celebration of 21st century girl power. For outdoor fun, be sure to check SCFTA’s calendar, including free dance events and their famous Movie Mondays free on the Plaza starting with The Lion King on July 10. Don’t forget to take a stroll through Costa Mesa’s Art Walk.
OC Fair
Costa Mesa’s biggest event of the year, the OC Fair returns July 14 – August 13 with the theme “Happy Together.” The Orange County Fair is the 9th-largest fair in the United States and dazzles visitors every year with its wide array of events, rides, carnival, fantastic food, and the biggest Ferris wheel on the West Coast. Tickets are on sale now – choose dates carefully as there are no refunds or exchanges. Fairgoers must choose a specific date due to a certain number of guests allowed per day.
Pacific Amphitheater
PacAmp concerts are one of the highlights of Costa Mesa’s summer roster, and this year’s slate of artists is an exciting one. Pacific Amphitheatre is the 3,000-seat outdoor stadium located on the OC Fair grounds, and offers months of summer concerts for music lovers of every genre. Enjoy artists like Robin Thicke, Neyo and Mario, Dwight Yoakam, Smokey Robinson and more. See PacAmp’s concert lineup here – and remember, your concert ticket purchase gets your free admission to the OC Fair as well!
Centennial Farm
Centennial Farm is a 3-acre working farm at Costa Mesa’s OC Fair & Event Center. Created to educate youth about agriculture and its importance to daily life. Centennial Farm is home to fruit and vegetable gardens, livestock, and the Millennium Barn. Two youth educational tour programs are offered, Discovery Days and Junior Farmer Tours – as well as year-round daily hours so the public can visit the farm. The Farm is well known for its Pig Cam, a live feed of the adorable Centennial Farm pigs. Check the Centennial Farm calendar for hours, and find out more about the farm’s programs here.
OCMA
With free admission to all visitors, there’s no reason to not make a visit to Orange County’s newest museum. On the Segerstrom Center for the Arts campus, the Orange County Museum of Art houses a collection of Check the OCMA calendar to see current exhibits and events happening this summer, including their monthly happy hour and pop-up talks!
Outdoor Shopping
Summer means being outside, but it doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite pasttime of shopping the day away! Costa Mesa has multiple outdoor shopping, dining and retail environments including The LAB, pictured here. Its sister facility The CAMP is directly across Bristol Street with a crosswalk connecting the two. Both of these shopping and dining centers offer relaxing and kitschy outdoor space (even hammocks!) along with a great collection of restaurants – in fact, The LAB even has a Michelin Star restaurant, Hana re sushi. Find a brewery, sustainable shopping, wine tasting, a tattoo shop, eclectic bars and so much more – and spend the majority of your day strolling outside in the California sunshine.
Don’t miss SoCo and The OC Mix – you’ll find one of Costa Mesa’s Michelin Star restaurants here, Taco Maria – plus unique local boutique shopping. Triangle Square houses a movie theater plus wonderful outdoor dining and OC’s only nightclub, Time.
Orange County Beaches
Costa Mesa’s just minutes from some of the country’s most sought-after Orange County beaches. A short ride away from the Newport Beach and Huntington Beach crowds, Costa Mesa offers reasonable hotel rates plus incredible shopping and dining, frequently within walking distance of your hotel. Here’s some secret OC beach spots you may not know about.
Lions Park Fish Fry
A cherished favorite local event, summer brings Costa Mesa’s 76th Fish Fry & Carnival in Lions Park, 570 18th Street, Costa Mesa. This year the number of carnival rides will triple in size, as the carnival will expand onto Davis Baseball field. The Fish Fry is run by the Costa Mesa/Newport Harbor Lions Club, which has been serving the community for over 100 years.
Join in for three days of family fun June 23-25! Fish fry dinners, carnival rides, games, booths, listen to headliner bands, additional food stations, wine/beer garden, free giveaways, opportunity drawings, and more! All the money raised goes to support youth activities, sight and hearing conservation and other community needs.
Admission is FREE! Fish Dinners $15 – Food & Entertainment – Fish Dinners – Beer and Wine Garden – Carnival Rides – Games – Blues and Rock Bands – Booths – Opportunity Drawing –
Date & Time
Friday, June 23 · 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Saturday, June 24 · 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Sunday, June 25 · 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Goat Hill Junction Railroad
All aboard! A great family activity for locals and visitors, ride the model train for a 15-minute loop around Fairview Park on over 5 miles of track! Did you know Goat Hill Junction has one of the largest miniature train layouts on the West Coast? Managed by Orange County Model Engineers, club members operate over 40 gas and steam-powered model locomotives on the miniature railway. Riding Goat Hill Junction trains is great fun for both adults and kids. Free train rides every 3rd weekend of the month from 10am-3:30pm, weather permitting. Goathill Junction Railroad is located in Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park. It’s at 2520 Placentia Avenue between Adams Avenue and Victoria Street.
We know you’ll enjoy the summer in Costa Mesa! With its proximity to the beach and great OC hotel rates, Costa Mesa is your perfect home base to visit Orange County this summer.
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Grab-and-Go Options Perfect for a Beach Day
- Blue Bowl – Stay energized during your beach day by creating your own superfood bowls and drinks.
- Mendocino Farms – This gourmet sandwich shop offers fresh, healthy options with locally sourced ingredients.
- The Crack Shack – Known for its delicious fried chicken sandwiches and creative sides. Convenient outdoor order and pick-up window. HINT: The dipping sauces are the secret ingredient to every dish.
- Seabirds Kitchen – A vegetarian and vegan restaurant serving up creative and flavorful dishes using fresh, organic ingredients. Located at The LAB.
- Milligram Coffee – More than a coffee shop! This independently owned shop has great bites. Features locally sourced and seasonal produce combined with modern and clean cooking techniques.
- Jan’s Health Bar – A place always full of fresh food! Locally sourced ingredients and a casual atmosphere. HINT: Try the date shake for a perfect after-beach treat.
For more tasty food options in Costa Mesa, start exploring (and making reservations) now!
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Posted in Misc
10 Ways to Support Sustainability in Costa Mesa
Sustainability is quickly becoming an important consideration with those planning to travel. If you’re thinking about sustainable travel, Costa Mesa should definitely be on your destinations list. The City of Costa Mesa has been named a LEED Gold City, recognized for sustainability achievement and a Tree City USA community in California by the Arbor Day Foundation. Not only is the city committed to sustainability, but so are many Costa Mesa businesses. We’ve put together a list of our most sustainable places to shop – and eat – while you’re visiting.
Shopping
The CAMP
Visitors may recognize The CAMP as one of Costa Mesa’s most Instagrammable spots, but The CAMP is also one of the first eco-friendly retail and dining campuses in the country. It’s designed with tanks, filters and percolation wells underneath the parking lot that treats stormwater before it’s absorbed into the soil and underground water storage. Around the property, there are 12 gardens growing herbs, fruit and vegetables so the restaurants can source locally grown ingredients for their dishes.
This Earth Day, The CAMP is hosting a special Earth Day “Mother Earth Market.” It includes focus on eco-conscious vendors, a clothing swap, workshops on sustainability and more. RSVP here.
SEED Peoples Market
At SEED Peoples Market, you’ll find a curated collection of eco-friendly and ethical brands. They inspire sustainable living and highlight one-of-a-kind items from local and global artisans. SEED Peoples Market is one of our favorites and we recommend checking out their unique goods for a true Costa Mesa locals’ experience. It’s in The CAMP, too.
Bulk & Refilling Shops
Fill Up Buttercup
Fill Up Buttercup tells us that only 9% of recyclables are actually recycled, so the best thing we can do is reduce or reuse what we consume. Fill Up Buttercup is dedicated to keeping toxins and plastics out of your body, home & planet! The adorable shop is a one-stop shop for all your nontoxic household essentials in bulk to be refilled in your own container, as well as utilizing products that are easily composted or biodegradable. Its 3 female founders are hoping their store is a place to be fulfilled and inspired.
Eco Now
Orange County’s first zero waste and refill shop, Eco Now has plenty of plastic-free options as well as refills for everything from laundry detergent to shampoo. It’s located just across the street from The CAMP at The LAB Anti-Mall. The friendly staff are happy to answer questions for those who aren’t familiar with zero waste or plastic free living.
Amis de la Terre Market
Amis de la Terre is born from years of research on the ocean. Owners and PhD grad students Chris and Jessica have spent countless hours looking at water samples from our local beaches and finding micro plastics in everything. Visit Orange County’s first zero-waste grocer and find delicious treats like plantain chips, organic cashews,fruits, grains, flour, vinegar, honey and even fair-trade chocolate
Cooking/Dining
We Olive & Wine Bar
We Olive & Wine Bar at SOCO & The OC Mix offers refillable bottles of olive oil and vinegar. You can sample before you buy to find your favorite. Bring back your clean, empty bottle to refill and enjoy a discount. We Olive specializes in small-production, boutique West Coast wines, highlighting local vintners.
Wine Lab
Located in the bustling CAMP shopping center, the 1,270-square-foot space serves wine from a MicroMatic wine dispenser; Wine Lab’s offering of 8 wines on tap was a first in Orange County. Small wineries love the keg-delivery option because it maintains the temperature and quality of the wines, but with a smaller carbon footprint. Wine Lab also features a beer dispenser with 6 taps offering local microbrews. There’s also a small shop where customers can buy wine or the local artisan cheese, goat butter or other items they’ve tasted while sipping.
Fermentation Farm
Fermentation Farm is what might be called a fermentation hub providing OC with all things fermented, from kombucha to kimchi. Ferm Farm, as it is fondly called by locals, hosts things like Sustainability Boot Camps to teach visitors ways to be eco-friendly and sustainable in a variety of cooking or preservation methods. They focus on how to raise animals and plants organically, without the use of antibiotics or pesticides and sell products to promote organic living and gut health.
Veg’d
Veg’d offers a 100% plant-based menu uses nourishing, whole foods. It’s a vegan fast-food restaurant that used to be a Del Taco, if you can believe that. They have burgers and fries but also serve kung pao veggie bowls and other great items. Everything is provided in 100% packaging that’s biodegradable and compostable. The restaurant also composts or donates all unused food.
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Posted in Misc
Who Run the World? Women-Owned Businesses in Costa Mesa
As we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, we wanted to call out the huge number of businesses owned by women in Costa Mesa. Per the Orange County Business Journal, the 39 largest businesses owned by women generated a collective $4.2 billion in 2021 revenue. Women-owned businesses are definitely powerhouses in the OC, but what about Costa Mesa specifically? Well, this city’s no exception! This is by no means an exhaustive list of the women-owned businesses in Costa Mesa, but here are just a few of the great women-owned businesses in the city.
ARTime Barro
Photo by ARTime Barro
Co-founders Gabriela and Nicole work daily to bring the joy of pottery and ceramics into the lives of those around them. ARTime Barro is more than just another ceramics studio, it is a place where they can share their love of the craft with their community. Every class taught and every artwork sold in their shop are infused with the creative spirit of this mother-daughter duo.
The LAB
The LAB’s got a whole page dedicated to female entrepreneurs at The LAB; in fact, The LAB itself is owned by Linda Sadeghi, a business owner in Costa Mesa for over 30 years. The LAB began its journey to combat what they call retail monotony in 1993, when it was recycled from a night-vision goggle factory to the fun, urban and artsy retail and dining center it is today. As they say, “From clothes to candles, beer to bags, jewelry to jackfruit nachos, the women who have set-up shop at the Anti-Mall are a force to be reckoned with.”
From left to right, Patricia Barkenhagen is co-owner of Bootlegger’s Brewery. Read more about women brewers in OC here. House of Inspiration says they “serve as a culturally inclusive metaphysical oasis” where people can enhance their spiritual journeys, by owners Marlene Vargas and Alex Naranjo. And Thea Merrit is the founder of Eco Now at The LAB. Eco Now was the first zero-waste refill station in OC and is a local favorite.
The CAMP
The CAMP shares its powerhouse lineup of female entrepreneurs at the center here, celebrating their part of the history as a center, as well as Costa Mesa’s history. Currently, The CAMP lists 8 businesses as women owned; the three featured here are: at left, Natasha Quinn, owner of Pürre Boutique, a little oasis of unique new and vintage finds along with decor for your home and essential beauty items. Second, tattoo legend Kari Barba has been operating legacy shop Outer Limits Tattoo at the CAMP since 1983. Looks like she’s having a blast! And third, arguably one of the most well-known female business owners in Costa Mesa is Rachel Klemek, the owner of Blackmarket Bakery. Besides her store at The CAMP, she also has two more stores in San Diego. But what makes her so well known? Well, Rachel won Food Network’s “Chopped” in the Sweets Showdown in 2019!
The OC Mix
Photo by The Salon
There are so many more women-owned boutiques in the trendy OC Mix retail center in Costa Mesa, we found just a couple to share…
The story of The Salon is one of a harmonious coming together between like-minded women. Founded by Ana in 2022, The Salon’s mission is to continue that sense of harmony through their care for their clients’ hair with a focus on well-being and health.
Hadley and Ren was founded by Cynthia, who used floral design to find her way through a period of immense grief and loss. Now, she uses floral design to bring joy and beauty into the lives of her clients. Each design is bespoke, inspired, and instilled with her passion, which you can see and feel with a single visit to the shop.
One of the newest additions to The OC Mix, Balboa Gold is owned by Savannah, who is excited to use her shop as a way to express her creativity and provide unique pieces. Her shop sells curated and crafted jewelry items, specializing in permanent pieces. That is, jewelry that is permanently (and painlessly) welded onto you for a fun, meaningful way to wear your purchase.
The Mixing Glass
Photo by Emily J. Davis
Gabrielle Dion is another well-known Costa Mesa business owner, a mixologist extraordinaire turned owner of The Mixing Glass, a specialty cocktail store in Costa Mesa. Voice of OC did a piece on Gaby last summer as she opened her new, bigger retail space at Harbor and Adams. Not only selling specialty liquors, beer and wine, you can also get high-end products to make your cocktails, mixers, cocktail ice, condiments and even seasonal produce. Gaby offers cocktail-making classes focused on carrying local products by women-owned businesses whenever possible.
South Coast Plaza
Photo by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
South Coast Plaza is a world-renowned shopping center featuring hundreds of shops, award-winning eats, and year-round events. And for the first time in its 50+ years of history, a woman is the general manager of the entire center. Molly Unger has taken the helm of this luxury shopping destination, bringing with her a suite of experience and a track record of success from her time overseeing properties such as Westfield Century City and Westfield UTC.
OC Fair & Event Center
Photo by OC Fair & Event Center
As the CEO and general manager of the OC Fair & Event Center, Michele Richards works tirelessly to ensure year-round fun and events for her community. Her decades of leadership experience have made her integral to the inner workings of the organization, which is a staple of the Costa Mesa and larger Orange County communities. Of the four members of the OCFEC executive staff, three are women, each bringing a unique set of experience and skills to continue improving the organization year by year.
City Government…and even Travel Costa Mesa!
There are many other women-owned businesses in Costa Mesa, and women have also held high places in city government – Costa Mesa’s city manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison had some thoughts to share to celebrate Women’s History Month (she was the first woman to hold the position, and has held it since 2019).
And even here at Travel Costa Mesa, we’re proud to say that we’re an all-woman staff too!
The Costa Mesa Historical Society tells a great history of women who have been important to the city’s development. Costa Mesa’s first female city council member, Norma Hertzog, even has a community center named after her. Visit the Costa Mesa Historical Society’s website for more great tidbits and stories of how women impacted this community, then and today.
Even the new Orange County Museum of Art, originally started by its 13 female founders, has an exhibition honoring the women pioneering the museum’s collection. Did we mention that OCMA’s CEO and Director is a woman too? Heidi Zuckerman has been at the helm of the organization since it opened in October 2022.
Happy International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month! We hope you’ll visit some of the links to see other great women entrepreneurs in our city.
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