Weekend Roundup

Find the best Orange County things to do this Weekend

EVENTS
D23 Expo

Aug. 19-21. Join other Disney fans for a three-day fan expo featuring a Disney Legends Ceremony, the Ultimate Disney Trivia Tournament and a never-before-seen showcase, Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives. There’s also special panels and presentations, movie screenings, celebrity appearances and autograph sightings, and insight into new movies and TV shows, theme parks, animation and Disney history. Admission is $47 for adults for one day and $136 for all three days; kids are $37 and $106, respectively. Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim, 714.765.8950, d23.disney.go.com

Costa Mesa Restaurant Week

Begins Aug. 19. The first-ever Costa Mesa Restaurant Week showcases the diversity of dining options in the city. Please your palate at participating restaurants—including Mastro’s Steakhouse, Charlie Palmer and Antonello Ristorante—with prix fixe menus of three or more courses at incredible prices; prices start as low as $10.11 for lunch and just $19.11 for dinner. This very special week is an excellent opportunity to experience the cuisine of new restaurants and old favorites throughout Costa Mesa. costamesarestaurantweek.org.

Movies on the Beach

Aug. 19-20. Bring those blankets and beach chairs for a family friendly film on the sand. Newport Dunes’ Movies on the Beach sets up a giant screen right on the water every Friday and Saturday night throughout the summer. This weekend, catch Meet the Robinsons on Friday night and Finding Nemo on Saturday. Concessions are available for purchase. Parking is $10. Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort, 1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach, 800.765.7661, newportdunes.com.

Elvis Festival

Aug. 21. Get all shook up at this 12th annual event featuring free entertainment all day long: Elivs and Pricilla Presley stilt walkers, a Cadillac Kings car club, Halau Hula Lani Ola dancers and Crème de la King, an Elvis singing competition. Plus, Elivs tribute artists perform music from The King’s movies, and festival host Kirk Wall sings Elvis Movie Medleys. 7 am-4 pm. $2, children under 12 are free. Costa Mesa Fairgrounds, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, 949.723.6616, ocmarketplace.com.

Doll Boutique Summer Sale

Ongoing. The new boutique celebrates summer with big savings of up to 70%. Enjoy markdowns on such brands as Wildfox, Black Halo, Parker, Freeloader, Karina Grimaldi and Young Fabulous and Broke. Many items are less than $50, and new fall items are also 10% off—perfect for back-to-school shopping! 270 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa, 949.646.5652.

COMEDY
Steve Martin

Aug. 18. One of America’s most beloved performers brings his banjo and the Steep Canyon Rangers to Segerstrom Center for an unforgettable evening filled with laughter and music from his latest release, Rare Bird Alert. 7:30 pm. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787, scfta.org.

Daniel Tosh

Aug. 21. The host of the super successful Comedy Central series Tosh.0 brings his Tosh Tour On Ice to Anaheim. Named one of the “Ten Comics to Watch” by Daily Variety, Tosh’s casual comedic style and sharp material are appreciated by audiences, young and old. 7 pm. Honda Center, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim, 714.704.2500, hondacenter.com.

Todd Glass

Aug. 18-21. The Philadelphia native, a two-time contestant on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, takes the stage to show off his stand-up skills. The comedian has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Sarah Silverman Program and Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn. Irvine Improv, 71 Fortune Drive, Irvine, 949.854.5455, improv.com.

MUSIC
Music Under the Stars

Aug. 20. The evening concert features picnic dining and dancing to a variety of live music in the beautiful mission courtyard. Seating is available at a reserved table or on the lawn; catered dinner or to-go orders can be arranged with the mission’s restaurant partners. This week, groove to Spadilla’s steel drum and Calypso island music along with Caribbean Jem dancers. 6:30 pm. Lawn tickets are $28; table prices vary. Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Ortega Hwy., San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1317, missionsjc.com.

Unity Tour 2011

Aug. 20. Sublime with Rome joins 311 for a rockin’ evening featuring the bands’ greatest hits and newest singles. Expect to hear fan favorites “Amber,” “Sunset in July” and “Panic.” 6:30 pm. Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, 8808 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, livenation.com.

ART
Cinema Orange

Aug. 18. Take an exhibition tour of Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art before viewing Contemporary Days: The Designs of Lucienne and Robin Day, a film about the British design couple and their achievements over the course of 70 years. This event is held in conjunction with the Newport Beach Film Festival. 7 pm. Free with museum admission. Orange County Museum of Art, 850 San Clemente Drive, Newport Beach, 949.759.1122, ocma.net.

Art-A-Fair

Through Aug. 28. The only Laguna art festival to feature fine art by international, national and local artists also offers beginner and intermediate art classes, available for adults, ages 16 and older. Live musical entertainment Thursday through Sunday features a variety of music genres. Tivoli Too! serves epicurean cuisine and award-winning margaritas for lunch and dinner daily. $7 for adults, children under 12 free; one-time admission includes a pass for the rest of the season. 777 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 949.494.4514, art-a-fair.com.

Sawdust Art Festival

Through Aug. 28. Works by more than 200 artists are on display at this annual festival. There are also art demonstrations, children’s activities, outdoor cafes and live music. 10 am–10 pm daily. $7.75 for adults, $3.25 for children ages 6–12; a season pass is $15. Laguna Beach residents get in free with ID Thursday evenings after 5 pm and the first Friday of each month. 935 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 949.494.3030, sawdustartfestival.org.

Pageant of the Masters

Through Aug. 31. Set in an amphitheater behind Festival of Arts, the Laguna Beach summer star has actors re-create works of art in spectacular living tableaux, backed by narration and a live orchestra. This year’s theme is “Only Make Believe.” Shows run nightly at 8:30 pm. Ticket prices range from $10–$90. 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 949.494.1145, lagunafestivalofarts.org.

Festival of Arts

Through Aug. 31. California’s longest-running outdoor fine-art exhibition features work by 140 juried artists. Represented media includes paintings, photography, printmaking, sculpture, jewelry, handcrafted wood, ceramics and glass. 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 949.494.1145, lagunafestivalofarts.org.

THEATER

I Left My Heart: A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett

Through Aug. 21. A tribute to the man Sinatra called “the greatest singer in the world,” the performance presents a thrilling score of 40 standards all including “Because of You,” “Stranger in Paradise,” “The Best is Yet to Come,” “Cold, Cold Heart” and, of course, Bennett’s best-known hit, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” The Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 949.497.2787, lagunaplayhouse.com.

FOOD + DRINK

Sunday Night Chef Fights

Aug. 21. Let’s get ready to rumble! Royal Hawaiian’s Chef James ‘Hawaiian’ Harris will battle Chef Nicola Bellazzi for the title of “Champion Chef of Orange County” in a fast-paced, culinary head-to-head showdown. Similar to TV’s popular cooking competition shows, but with a few extra twists thrown in, the event gives both chefs mystery ingredients to create a meal for a live audience; audience members will vote for their favorite chef. Standards of Excellence Showroom, 16001 Gothard St., Huntington Beach, 800.783.5390, sundaynightcheffights.com

Brunch at The Silver Trumpet Restaurant & Bar

Ongoing. The restaurant at Wyndham Orange County recently unveiled an all fresh, all delicious weekend brunch, served Saturdays and Sunday from 9 am–2 pm. Notable menu items include lemon ricotta pancakes, crispy chicken and waffles, Southern California Benedict and The Trumpeter’s egg white omelet, served alongside breakfast classics. 3350 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa, 714.751.5100.