OC Moms Guide – February 2019

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February 2019

This round-up is brought to you by our amazing sponsors Caduceus Medical Group!  

In everything we do we defy the traditional models of healthcare delivery.  Daily we strive for innovation, independence, and advocacy for our patients to measure success from interference from the government or hospital systems, health plans, or pharmaceutical companies. 

 

2019 is well under way now, and there’s so much to do in our area this February! We’ve already written a post about the Get Your Ears On – 2019 Mickey And Minnie Celebration and Valentine’s Month events happening at the Disneyland Resort. There’s also our post about San Diego Museum Month where you and your entire family can go to 40+ museums for half price! And let’s not forget our very own Orange County Moms Blog event happening at the end of this month, Mom-di Gras! Plus, February 2019 is also the time for the Superbowl, Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, Black History Month, Groundhog’s Day, President’s Week, awards shows, and more. It was a challenge as always to put together this curated list of the most exciting event happening in our area this month.

But without further ado, here’s our top picks for February 2019!

 

Lunar New Year Dragon Parade at Bella Terra – Huntington Beach

February 2

From their website: “Chinese dragons are a symbol of China. They are believed to bring good luck. The longer the dragon, the more luck it brings.  The Immortals Awaken Lion Club will amaze young and old with their daring acrobatic feats. The Dragon Parade will wind through Bella Terra at 12 AND 2 PM with a complete performance in the Pavilion Event Plaza featuring colorful costumes, drums, gongs, cymbals and skilled displays of dance and movement. More details to follow. Kids craft stations open from 12 – 3 PM.”

Free. Pavilion Event Plaza is located off Edinger across the street from Old Navy by the large fountain. 

 

Chocolate (and Candy and Cookie and Cake) Festival – Anaheim

February 2+3

From their website: “The biggest baking, pastry and sweets convention on the West Coast comes to the Anaheim Convention Center. Meet thousands of Californians who share your love for all things sweet, salty and savory in the world of baking and sweets. Celebrity chefs are set to include Ron Ben-Israel, Adriano Zumbo and Rosanna Pansino. The Sweet Genius Competition will be live on stage, in addition to the LACC Five Year Anniversary Celebration. Plus, there’ll be a kids’ zone to keep the little ones entertained, with princesses, superheroes, balloon figures, face painting, cookie decorating (of course!), pancake art and a bubble zone.”

Tickets range from $6-$19.99 on the Goldstar website. Additional fees may apply. 

 

Lunar New Year Festival at Bowers Museum – Santa Ana

February 3

From their website: “Welcome the year of the brave, sincere, and lucky pig! Celebrate with lion, dragon, and classical Asian dance, music, and art projects. Enjoy painting a paper lantern, getting your face painted, and eating a delicious egg roll treat.”

Free festival and Bowers Museum admission in celebration of Southern California Museums FREE – For – All Day. 

 

UVSA Tet Festival – Costa Mesa

February 8-10

This celebration, now in its 38th year, is the largest Vietnamese Lunar New Year Celebration in the United States! Known at Tet, it is the most important holiday in Vietnamese culture and celebrates the coming of a new year and looking forward to the rebirth of spring time. This weekend celebration features a variety of contests like dancing, Children’s costume and talent pageant, and even a Pho eating competition. You can also walk through an architectural replica of a traditional village filled with exhibits, galleries and cultural ceremonies. If you’d like to visit Vietnam without boarding a plane, this could be your chance!

Admission is $6 per person. Children 2 and younger are free with a paying adult. On Saturday from 11am-1pm, people wearing traditional outfits, military, and scout uniforms can enter for free. 

 

Jurassic Trails And Tales Family Fun Night – Laguna Niguel

February 8

From their website: “Follow the Jurassic trail through time to discover interesting Jurassic facts and adventures! Join us for dinosaur shows, arts and crafts, photo opportunities with dino creatures, and more!”

Admission is $8.00 per Adult or Child. Capped at 26 spots so be sure to pre-register in-office at Crown Valley park or online (convenience fees will apply if the latter). Doors open at 6:30pm.

 

Lunar New Year For Kids concert – Costa Mesa

February 9

From their website: “Join Pacific Symphony for a special fun-filled Lunar New Year concert celebrating the Year of the Pig! Together we will explore the legends and stories through a musical feast of Eastern and Western music as we celebrate this joyous annual festival observed by many Asian cultures here in Orange County and across the world! Enjoy a fun and fascinating 45-minute concert designed especially for children ages 5-11. Join in the fun at the interactive Musical Carnival, where kids can test drive a musical instrument, meet and interact with musicians from Pacific Symphony and Pacific Symphony Youth Ensembles, watch local ensembles perform and create special crafts associated with Lunar New Year. Activities begin at 9 a.m. for 10 a.m. concertgoers and 12:15 p.m. for 11:30 a.m. concertgoers.”

Tickets range from $15-$26 depending on seating location. 

 

Valentine’s Day Party – Newport Beach

February 14

From their website: “Join your friends at Newport Beach Public Library for a fun Valentine’s Day! Make valentines and crafts to share with your loved ones, and don’t forget to decorate a cookie!”

Free. No registration required. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

 

Fullerton Unplugged Concert Series: Echo Hill Band – Fullerton

February 16

Orange County Moms Blog’s very own Liz McTan will be performing at the Fullerton Museum this month as part of the Echo Hill Band. In addition to being a very talented writer, she is also a seasoned musician! So book a babysitter and enjoy date night with some live music in this cool art space. 

$12 General admission. $10 for Museum Members. Concert ticket purchase includes admission to the museum galleries! Beer and wine will be available for purchase. To purchase tickets please call 714-738-6545.

 

American Revolution Reenactment – Huntington Beach

February 16+17

From their website: “The Huntington Beach Historical Society is proud to host this reenactment of the American Revolution in Huntington Beach Central Park, behind the library, on the site of our annual Civil War Days reenactment. Come experience the founding of our nation with some of the country’s finest living history presenters.” Two jam-packed days of activities including artillery and sword demonstrations, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, 18th Century Dancing, and more. Could be a fun hands-on way to celebrate President’s Day.

Free and open to the public. 

 

ScotsFestival & International Highland Games XXVI – Long Beach

February 16+17

From their website: “Experience the rich culture and history of Scotland first hand through an array of authentic activities, athletics, dancing, entertainment and cuisine, paying homage to the Queen Mary’s Scottish legacy. ScotsFestival honors nearly fifty Scottish clans & vendors throughout the weekend with professional and amateur competitions in piping, drumming, massed bands, darts, Highland dancing, and the brand new North American Professional Highland athletics. The Scottish Highland Games, a precursor to today’s Olympic Games, were designed to test the strength, skill, and technique of ancient warriors through face-offs. With falconry, sheep herding and a large array of other activities, guests will have culture at every turn! Whisky tasting sessions with aged malt experts are available for adult festivalgoers while the wee laddies & lassies can bear witness to Queen Mary’s coronation, knighting ceremonies, and even take part in the Wee Highland games.”

One day general admission tickets start at $25 for people ages 12+. $12 for children 4-11. Plus service fees. VIP tickets, Whisky tasting, other add-ons available for an additional cost.  applies. 

 

Irvine Park Railroad’s 23rd Anniversary Celebration – Orange

February 23

From their website: “We’re rolling back prices to our original 1996 prices… including $2.00 train rides! It’s our way of saying thank you to all of our loyal customers who have visited Irvine Park Railroad over the years. Irvine Park Railroad, which has become a favorite destination for families from across Southern California, takes passengers on a 12-minute ride through scenic Irvine Regional Park. The engineer narrates the ride pointing out all of the history inside of the park which is over 100 years old. The Anniversary Celebration will also feature other activities including carnival games, a bounce house, panning for gold, face painting, and more…. And, for this celebration, we will be conducting raffles on both Saturday and Sunday… every hour from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Winners will receive Irvine Park Railroad prizes ranging in value from $60.00 to $300.00. To add even more fun for visitors, a live band will play on both days from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.”

$5 parking fee per vehicle. Some activities may require two (2) tickets. Concessions like hot dogs, sodas, ice creams, and popcorn are also available for $2. 

 

OCMB’s Mom-di Gras Party! – Fullerton

February 28

Yes. You read it right. Orange County Moms Blog is bringing you another fun Mom’s Night Out, and this year our theme is Mardi Gras or ‘Mom-Di Gras’! Grab your besties and be ready to cut loose, eat great food and dance the night away! Orange County Moms Blog are SO excited to host our second annual Moms Night Out.

You can expect a Mac’n’Cheese bar with fixins’ (YUP), teriyaki chicken skewers, salad, garlic bread, 2 drinks included in your ticket and beignets for dessert. Additional drinks can be purchased at the bar.

We will be selling an extremely limited number of VIP tickets which will include full admission to the event, an extra giveaway ticket, and a VIP Swag bag. The VIP swag bags will include all the items in the general swag bags plus exciting extras from our VIP sponsors

Tickets are now on sale here! General Admission tickets include admission, 2 drinks & food + 1 giveaway ticket and start at $25 during the first week of sales, then $30 until they’re all sold out.

 

Lots of fun stuff coming up this February 2019! 

 

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Hilary Feldstein Ratner
Follow me on Instagram @EcoFriendlyMama, Twitter @EcoFriendlyMa, and Pinterest @EcoFriendlyMama! Though I was born and raised in New York City, I've lived in SoCal for over ten years now and am proud to call this beautiful and diverse place my home. My husband and I have a son and baby daughter (whom I was 9 months pregnant with when this photo was taken!). Prior to becoming a mommy I spent several years in feature film publicity and acquisitions for Miramax and later as the Creative Executive for Hilary Swank Productions before seguing to the music industry where I did Online Communications for the GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares. In my ample pre-parenthood free time, I also freelanced as a script analyst and screenwriter. I am fortunate now to be able to devote all my time to my family, but I still love to write so am thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of this blog! I am a foodie, avid traveler, environmentalist, preschool board member, and unabashed Disney nut. I can also be found writing about green parenting and eco-conscious living on my personal website, https://ecofriendlymama.com.