Rain, rain, has gone away (mostly) and if the super bloom is any indication, spring has officially sprung here in Orange County! And April is blooming with a bounty of fun family-friendly activities, including celebrations for Easter, Passover, Nowruz, STEM month, and Earth Day! Here are our top picks for the most interesting Orange County events in April 2019!
UCI Norooz Celebration Event – Irvine
April 2
If you read our post last month about this beautiful springtime holiday and are curious to see it in real life, the Iranian American Faculty/Staff Association of UCI and the UCI Jordan Center for Persian Studies & Culture are hosting this Norooz event for the public. The celebration also includes music, refreshments, and the opportunity to learn about other Persian New Year traditions.
Free.
Aliso Viejo Community Association Spring Celebration! – Aliso Viejo
April 6
This community Easter-themed event includes visits with Peter Rabbit, face painting, balloon twisters, community booths, DJ entertainment, children’s arts & crafts, and bubble fun by Rainbow Bubble Co! There’s also an Egg Hunt for AVCA residents only that requires advance registration. All other activities are open to the public.
Free. Grand Park. Pavilion Event Plaza is located off Edinger across the street from Old Navy by the large fountain.
Caspers Adventure Day – San Juan Capistrano
April 6
From their website: “Spend a fun-filled day with family and friends under the sycamore trees while learning about Caspers Wilderness Park’s natural and cultural history at Adventure Day! Come enjoy a full schedule of guided hikes, skill games, storytelling, wildlife exhibits, workshops, puppet shows and live music. Families and friends of all ages can partake in numerous activities while learning about Caspers Wilderness Park’s natural and cultural history. Come to Caspers to choose your own adventure, visit exhibitors and explore the trails! Participants include: OC Public Libraries, OC Fire Watch, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Sea and Sage Audubon Society, Sierra Club, Tree of Life Nursery, Inside the Outdoors, The Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo and many more!”
Event and parking are both free! Food will be available for purchase from Front Porch Pops and other food vendors.
City Of STEM Science Festival at the Columbia Memorial Space Center – Downey
April 6
From their website: “This event will feature 100 STEM partner booths, indoor and outdoor activities, music, food trucks, special live performances and the Discovery Channel show “SciJinks. The celebration will include a live performance from Jason Latimer and Impossible Science!, plus live science music on stage from Music Notes and The Amoeba People! Catch Bill Nye live on stage at the City of STEM Kick-Off event at the Columbia Memorial Space Center!”
Free admission
Bowers Museum Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival – Santa Ana
April 7
From their website, “Spring is in bloom and the Bowers is celebrating with traditional Japanese dance, music, and art. Enjoy face painting, fish printmaking, sumi-e (Japanese brush painting), and a special Japanese treat.”
Free festival. General admission to Bowers Museum is also free on Festival Sundays for Members and Santa Ana residents only.
Sensory Friendly Bunny Event at MainPlace Mall – Santa Ana
April 7
From their website: “In partnership with Autism Speaks, MainPlace Mall is hosting a sensory-friendly Bunny event for people with special needs and their families on Sunday, April 7 from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Guests will enjoy a special meet-and-greet with the Easter Bunny, and a private photo session. The event will take place at the Easter Set in Macy’s Court, and Bunny helpers will be on hand to provide guests with a number so families do not have to wait in line.”
Event is free; photos available for purchase. Complimentary tickets must be reserved in advance as every family is given a specific time slot, and can be made through the website link above.
Bubblefest at the Discovery Science Center:
Now through April 21
From their website: “Bubblefest features hands-on bubble science and the amazing Mega Bubblefest Laser Show starring Deni Yang and Melody Yang. Interactive spaces include the Mega Bubble Courtyard, Water Spheres, and the Bubblefest Zone where the whole family can learn bubble science from surface tension, elasticity, air pressure, and geometric properties.”
$10 plus admission to the Cube required.
Imaginology at the OC Fair & Event Center:
April 12th-14th
From their website: “At Imaginology, kids and their families will not only see a world of wonder, but can participate in a wide range of fun and educational hands-on activities designed to inspire and encourage academic and career exploration.” Your kids will have so much fun at this event which sprawls across multiple indoor and outdoor venues at the fairgrounds, they won’t even realize they’re learning all about S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics).
Free admission
Orange County Moms Blog Bloom Event:
April 13th
New & Expecting Moms please join us in celebrating your new bundles of joy! We will treat you to a breakfast with “mocktails” and a panel of experts for all of your questions. We will also have local artisans and vendors, Swag, and GIVEAWAYS!!
Tickets start at $15 (plus ticket service fee) and include admission, 1 raffle ticket, delicious food and beverage, access to our panel of experts for Q&A sessions about topics related to pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and infant care, plus more baby-centric fun!
Earth Day At The Bay – Newport Beach
April 20
From their website: “On Earth Day we need you to take a stand so that together, we can show the world a new direction – to think about how we can protect our planet and preserve it for the future. Environmental partners will be on hand to show you what you can do. Booths will feature family friendly activities including arts and craft, science discovery, and educational information. There will be a scavenger hunt with small prizes for all participants and entry in larger prize drawings. The day will be filled with live music from Danny Maika. Guests are encouraged to bring a bag of small, clean, hard plastic items (bottle caps, toy pieces, old pens and markers, etc.) from home so that the Child Creativity Lab can help make an amazing creation and keep these plastics out of our Bay and ocean.”
Free admission and parking. Bring some cash for food trucks and opportunity drawing.
For more Earth Day events throughout Orange County, check out this comprehensive list! http://www.orangecounty.net/html/earthday.html#anaheim
PAW Patrol Live! “The Great Pirate Adventure” – Long Beach
April 16+17
From their press release: “PAW Patrol Live! sets sail with a pirate adventure! It’s Pirate Day in Adventure Bay and Ryder will need all paws on deck as he and the PAW Patrol discover a secret treasure map while on a mission to rescue Cap’n Turbot from a mysterious cavern. It’s up to Chase, Marshall, Skye and all their heroic pirate pup friends to save the day and find the pirate treasure before Mayor Humdinger finds it first!” We went to the Paw Patrol Live! show last year (though it was a different story) and our kiddos had a great time!
Tickets start at $23. PAW Patrol Live! supports military families. In honor of your sacrifice, present your Military ID at the box office to receive $5 off per ticket that you purchase.
Let’s Celebrate Passover at Pretend City – Irvine
April 19
Pretend City has a wonderful year-round diversity program that includes celebrations from every major world religion, cultures, and traditions. This April – along with several other fun theme days – they are celebrating Passover, a holy Jewish holiday (that is also celebrated by some Christians) through interactive activities and story time. Among the educational opportunities is the Afikomen Bag Hunt, which is always a fun scavenger hunt for the kiddos.
Included with museum admission. $13.75 adults and children over 12 months. Military and their families $10.50.
This post of family-friendly events happening in Orange County this April marks a full year that we’ve been doing these posts. If you like what you’re seeing, or have any feedback for us on what you’d like to see in the coming months, please comment below!
