As many know The Orange International Street Fair began in 1973 ! Ever since I can remember, I've been attending this event. If you missed this year's, Labor Day weekend international Food, fair event, please make sure that you attend the next one. There is definitely something here for everyone, the schools, dance studios, you name it. Everything for everyone is here! I like the booth that read " meet the Orange County mayor". I didn't have any questions for him though. This year there was a wonderful area specifically designed for children. Apparently the restaurant, Canes chicken fingers, gave a lot of donations for this area. The only thing I didn't care for was the timeshare booth, they really didn't advertise what their intent was. I noticed that everybody was enjoying the food, it's just such a wonderful event! In conclusion, can't wait to go next year again, because it was really well organized, very clean, everyone seem to be polite. Parking was not an issue for us. We got there very early, and the weather was great. read more

Orange International Street Fair - International Food Here ! - Festivals Near Me - Orange, California

Gave it a miss for a handful of years, but went back in 2024. But why? I like the Street Fair for the nostalgic element of my childhood: always coming here with my family. But now: so much of the food is fried, inauthentic and expensive. The only good thing might have been some of the music stages. While I'm glad we gave it another go, I think we'll miss the next few years again. 2026: 5/100 read more

The Orange International Street Fair, is an annual event on Labor Day weekend starting the Friday of. I don't get why it's rated so poorly, honestly. It's a fun place to go as a foodie. It does get super packed but what can you expect for a fair? The circle is closed off to all traffic, with all four streets leading to the center, housing different types of food by region. Complaints are from the hot weather to that there is too many people. It's really not something that can be helped, so I find it unfair to rate for how hot it is or the popularity of the event. The fair is right on blacktop roads, in the dead of summer in Southern California. If you don't like the heat, wait until it cools down a bit. That's what we do. Parking is throughout surrounding neighborhoods and you can also find spots where you can pay to park. I like doing that instead of endlessly driving around to find a place. Many stores and restaurants, stay open throughout the fair hours but definitely note that you cannot use their restrooms unless you are a customer. There are many portable potties everywhere. Make sure to bring disinfectant hand wipes and Clorox type wipes for your use. Also, don't forget to bring a lot of ice water unless you don't mind buying a lot of water there. For the people who overheat like crazy, bring those neck fans. They're super helpful. What we enjoy at the fair; 1) Greek gyros - we never leave without having one. It is a tradition for my family. The lines are LONG but so worth it. 2) Greek loukamathes - another place with super long lines but very worth it. They're fried desserts, coated in honey and cinnamon. It may be too sweet for some. 3) lemonade 4) corn 5) desserts and treats from Sweet Stop - they're located in the circle l. Cotton candy, candy apple, cookies and other treats. So cute and so delicious. 6) Henna from Priti Henna Art - also located in the circle. She is so good and so fast. 7) antique stores - we always visit antique stores. I don't like to buy antiques because I don't want to bring anything home that has an attachment, but it's always cool to see some really old items from the past. 8) Polish sausages 9) Beer - note that you HAVE to purchase a liquor bracelet which I think was $6 last time I was there. That's a whole beer, so I personally don't buy one anymore. It's too hot to drink anyways and I get even hotter when I drink liquor. Nobody needs to peel me off the floor after melting. 10) Bands in the circle - FYI. If you don't want to get stuck here where everyone tries to pass but can't (it is extremely packed in this area, and having kids walk through can be scary) go counter clock-wise from the foot traffic. Overall, I love the Orange International Street Fair. I have been attending since I was little, so I've been going for at least 30 - 35 years. We used to even be active in selling food there. It's a very nostalgic time for me and has become a part of who I am. I will never grow tired of this fair. I am happy to share it with my family and hope the kids do the same when they're adults. read more

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This is an annual pilgrimage for our family. There are several checkpoints: Greek corner (gyros and loukoumades), inner circle vendors, outer circle vendors, the navy surplus store, the music stage, the sexy women making lemonade, Mr. C's Record Store. This year, the highlight for me was a soap vendor (www.YogurtGlamour.com) who sold me three bars of rosemary soap for $24. We always park at the Public Library on Chapman Street, $10 and only one block away. Also we always go in the morning to avoid the heat of the afternoon and the craziness and revelry of the nightlife. read more

Way too hot outside. Not enough shade. Not enough food options. It was mostly tents and vendors selling random things like Botox and vacations. And cheap, novice things like backpacks, sandals and Knick knacks. In each area, there was a band playing. And the music was obnoxiously loud. There was 1-2 food item options in each country they were representing. I tried the cannoli in Italy, and it sucked. $8 for a crappy cannoli. The line at the Ireland tent for potatoes on a stick, was insane. To me, none of it was worth my time. There was zero parking nearby. You had to walk a couple blocks out to get there. And then stand in-line forever for some boo-boo a$$ food. And everything was overpriced. And the heat just added to how unpleasant the experience was. Pass. I'd never do this event again. read more

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We haven't been to the street fair in years so we thought we would stop by for a few hours to check it out in the early afternoon on the last day. It was crowded but I'm sure a lot less crowded than it would be on Friday or Saturday afternoon/evening. My girlfriend's mom lives about a half mile away from the circle so we just parked there and walked over. I think next time we would just pay to park closer to the circle in one of the $10 lots since it got pretty hot later in the afternoon. We started out with Greek loukoumades pastry. Most of them were very light and airy but a few of them had a little crunch which was nice. They had a nice sweet flavor, not overwhelmingly sweet by any means. Next we had two spiral potatoes, one hot & spicy and one ranch. They were both deep fried perfectly and we both liked the hot & spicy better than the ranch. It was less salty and the heat level was mild. As we were getting ready to leave, I was thirsty and a fresh squeezed Barrett's lemonade sounded good. I got the strawberry lemonade and it was unfortunately a disappointment. I was expecting some fresh squeezed sour citrusy flavor but it just tasted like some mild premixed lemonade and they just shake it up with some off the shelf strawberry syrup. Prices overall seemed on the higher side. If was fun to check out since it had been a while but I would be fine skipping it again for a while. read more

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Parking can be super difficult to find, especially free parking. We were lucky to find parking amidst the chaos on the Saturday Labor Day weekend. Many lots were charging at least $10 for parking for the event. The Loukoumades were delicious. Light, soft pastry like a pillow in my mouth. The syrup can be a bit too much making the pastry bite soggy, but the overall sweet flavor with the cinnamon sugar coating was good and addicting. Syrup reminded me of a banana flavor. Loved the variety in vendors for food and you could always hop into a cafe or restaurant to grab a bite. It got super hot in the afternoon though. Overall, with the music and liveliness, a great event to enjoy with family and friends. Grab a Greek sausage, shawarma wrap, or beer and just chill. read more

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I've been wanting to check this street fair out for years and finally made it to the international street fair this year. It was held during Labor Day weekend, Friday thru Sunday. Knowing it would be busy and hot we decided to arrive early at 10:00am. It was a great experience for us as we combined wandering thru a couple of antique stores, watching some Polynesian and various music entertainment and eating some good food. We had a Greek beef gyro, an Italian cannoli and of course a German beer. Overall a fun experience. We enjoyed listening to Greek musicians while enjoying our gyro, watching Polynesian dancers making us yearn to return to the islands and enjoyed lively music while walking thru Mexico. It does get hot so make sure you wear a hat, wear plenty of sunscreen and go early. read more

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The Orange International Street Fair is a yearly occasion locals always look forward to. A wide selection of food, vendors selling their wares and beer!!! The atmosphere is dynamic, fun and exciting. This is an experience definitely worth trying out. As we walked around and found ourselves in "Germany" area of the Fair and had the most fun experience of the day. Festmeister Hans was playing. Sang 500 miles. People were on their feet and dancing around! Awesome band! Socal Weekend Walkarounds definitely recommends the Orange Street Fair and checking out Festmeister Hans! n 1973, The City of Orange was looking for ideas to celebrate its one hundredth year. Inspired by the Orange Street Fair of 1910 it was decided that for their centennial celebration, Orange would have the Orange International Street Fair (OISF). The Fair was so successful that it has become an annual tradition during Labor Day weekend. The Fair is located near Plaza Park in the historic downtown district. https://www.orangestreetfair.org/about/history/ Watch this short clip and get the vibe at the Orange Street Fair! https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8YKTDJE/ read more

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This is one of the best traditions on Labor Day Weekend! A huge variety of food, several types of live music, fun booths (shopping, community services, and poliical), and just good energy. Most food booths are supporting a charity or school group so you know the money probably goes to a good cause. The biggest challenge here is finding a place to sit if get food that you can't eat and go. We finally found a bench, but it was still tricky to eat my messy meatball sandwich. It's usually fairly warm to hot the first weekend in September so I suggest going early AM and be out of there by 1 pm-ish. I like to park in the parking garage off Lemon St. If it is hot, at least your car is in the shade. Most of the parking is about the same price if you can't find a spot on the street. Kudus to the stores that stayed open. We dipped into a few whiles we were there, mainly for some A/C or at least to cool down (it was a 100+ degree day), but it's fun to browse and I have some ideas for Christmas shopping this winter. Most of the people working the booths are very nice, but they are high volume and volunteers, so be patient. If fair food isn't your thing, you might not enjoy this, but if you just want to kill a couple of hours and enjoy the atmosphere, then, by all means, join in on the fun. read more

Orange International Street Fair - Festivals Near Me - Orange, California

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Orange International Street Fair is fun! I had Loukoumades, Carne Asada and Al Pastor Street Tacos, Taquitos and Pepperoni Pizza. I would go out of my way to come here for the Loukoumades. Have you had Loukoumades? Well I hadn't until last year! Loukoumades are kind of like Greek Donuts. If you haven't had them yet, you definitely need to put this on your list, these are a must. The dough is deep fried to a golden crisp and dunked in sweet honey syrup, amazing. The street tacos and taquitos I had were good but not mind blowing so I probably wouldn't get it again. The pizza I got was very just ok, wouldn't get again. Can't wait to go back and try other options. They did have a fair amount of food options, I think each street represents a different country. Since the only thing I really liked were the Loukoumades, I give the fair four stars. The street fair is coming back this year from September 1st to 3rd. They close down the streets of Orange Circle and Old Town Orange to hold this event, pretty neat. I don't know how last year was the first time I went because I've grown up in Orange County my whole life and it was the first time I'd heard about it. This fair is much bigger than I was expecting, it spans many streets, really neat. It also gets pretty crowded. It is right next to Chapman University so you know the college kids are out here having a good time and drinking. I think during the day it's not as crowded since it's quite hot but once the sun starts to set, the crowd will come. I came on a Friday around 6 PM. Parking can be a bit tough, watch the signs, you can't park in a lot of neighborhoods because it's by permit only. I just park further away and walk. It's mostly free street parking you'll find. This is a non-profit event which I thought is pretty cool. Everyone here is nice including service. There aren't really tables to sit and eat though so you'll have to stand around. There is live music. Prices are going to be more expensive as expected going to a street fair but I'd say that the Loukoumades are 100% worth it. Lines for food can get long depending on where you pick, Loukoumades line is always long but also moves quickly. read more

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Have attended this event many years back to back prior to Covid. Finally made it out this year and the food selections are roughly a 2-3 option for each ethnic vendor which I think is pretty good considering you will most likely want to try from different streets. They had some pretty good bands on the main stage and Germany was a whole vibe. I don't remember them charging for wrist bands (if you plan on drinking) expect to pay for that. No cost to attend and if you don't find street parking expect to pay at one of the local lots. I usually park at the Church lot. Each vendor was either accepting Credit Card ONLY and others both CC & Cash. What I did not like is you have a Chase bank in the center of everything yet it was not accessible so that you are forced to use the ATM machines the fair had. They're still lacking available seating areas as well. As expected prices were higher unfortunately the quality on most of the items I tried were not worth it. Over all still an event I enjoy attending. read more

If you are an Orange County native, the International Street Fair of Orange is a must! Just forget the fact that it gets packed with people every evening. That sometimes makes it more fun. This is a yearly event put on in the Orange Circle. There are streets with international foods everywhere you turn. It is a great way to spend a day with family, friends, or even a date. The foods are booths set up by different organizations to help them raise funds. Did I mention the beer and wine booths? You can drink in the streets! It is a great way to support the community and your stomach Usually the last weekend in August. It is a must if you have never been! Get the cannolis!! read more

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I have been coming here for years. Unfortunately it is not as fabulous as it once was. There are less vendors and no more tables to sit at. They have a nice variety of food from many ethnic areas, music, and booths to shop at. There are portable bathrooms to use. Parking is on the street or in the parking structure. read more

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I think the first time I truly enjoyed the Orange circle fair was when my son was 2 yrs and under. That was 24 yrs ago when i lived at the Orange circle. If you live at the Orange circle neighborhood that is, actually the way to do it right. My son and I used to have so much fun. Those days are now history because the last time i truly had a good timd was 3 yrs ago with my bestie from Chicago. Then again, I do remember a yaper mini dog attacking our military cane corso dog and the owner with no license allowing her mini diva syndrome dog over reacting when she was to drunk to realize what really took place. Scary! If you are a family come to the fair before noon because at night its a drunk fest. If you plan on crashing into O'Hara's look for Ray. His the dude that will take care of you. Now if are going into Paul's Cocktails go look for Jenn. Oh yeah, she is my homegirl! If you have a problem go stick your head in a bucket of cold water. Seriously it gets really hot in the back patio. I guess you have to come in with the idea that you might eat on the pavement. Haven Pub will modify their menu and I really do not blame them but it is really down sized to the minimal. Perks many fun vendor's and many local bands play. Food wise it is okay I only go for the bratwurst with spicy mustard but that is really hard to mess up. Over all I go every other year in the last 25 yrs. Parking you are under gods good humor. I usually find parking in the neighborhood and walk. Over all if its not a hot day I will drop in and visit Jenn at Paul's cocktails on Sunday morning at early morning hours. She makes the best bloody Mary's but at that point I lyft or uber it. Many many cops all over so folks be smart an lyft it! Over all it is great to visit for a bit and it is great for people watching. Grab a bite or an ice cream cone and call it a day! read more

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Heard about this fair through social media and I wanted to check it out. Parking was absolutely horrible, tons of lots preying on this fair to take your money. I thought there was a free parking offered and they sometimes do not say it until you leave the car. We were told to pay $20 so we left and took around 30 minutes to find a spot. This was at around 10:25 AM and the event starts at 10. Anyways, the fair itself had limited food choices. It looks like there is a lot since they have different streets but it is like 2-3 foods really. We were mostly into the Greek food and we got a gyro wrap with Loukoumades which were the best. The gyro itself was decent but it cost $12 which could get you much better food elsewhere. Many of the booths were from schools and non-profits so they are raising money so do not have high expectations. The organization booths were very interesting and not in a great way. Some were from health organizations, related to schools around the area, and the Police Academy was there so you get some nice free goodies from the company. However, me and my partner got pulled into two almost "time share" scams. They lure you to signing up to visit one of their locations and they promise a beautiful 7-8 day vacation. It was pretty much we were forced by these staff to visit the booth and hear their blurb. At this point, we wanted to leave but they did not want us to which was a huge red flag. We just wanted to guess how many balls were in a container for "free" Dodger tickets. I would not visit again, very packed and busy for overpriced food. read more

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The weather started off a bit cooler with sprinkles. Perfect time for early morning eats & drinks supporting local schools. read more

The fair has been going on for years and it's full of food drinks and vendors. They started to have live music and if your trying to chat with a vendor close to the music it's very hard to hear a person. They opened a parking structure and they were charged $10.00 You can find street parking . Lots of people watching and a great feeling to be outside read more

Orange International Street Fair - The street - Festivals Near Me - Orange, California

Labor Day Weekend street fair in Orange County. Pretty much, you should know it's going to be over crowded, the weather is going to be either scorching hot or humid and you're going to have no where to sit and have to wait in lines to pay for overpriced food and beer. Is it worth going to at least one time, absolutely, if you''re hang loose and can just accept what you're going to be dealing with than have at it, but be warned it's not for everyone! You might enjoy the circle on a regular weekend, keep that in mind. read more

Orange International Street Fair - Saturday... Early, already getting busy! - Festivals Near Me - Orange, California

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I remember this being so much more fun years ago. There really isn't much variety here and to find parking is the absolute worst. I read more

I didn't really care for the fair food here. My friends shared their food with me. I wasn't really hungry. Most of the fair stands are cash only. But if you don't bring cash, there's plenty of ATM machines to withdraw cash from. I knew parking was horrid so my friend and I decided to park about two blocks away and walked to the fair. Later, we met with a group of friends. I don't know why there's such negative reviews and people saying there's drunk people at night. I was there on a Saturday night and I was sober. My friends and I stayed until they closed at 10pm. If you want to hangout after the fair is over, most of the restaurants located in the circle close early. We tried to hangout at some of the restaurants there but they were closed already. This fair was fun, I especially liked the cover bands. Some of us were dancing and signing along. read more

Orange International Street Fair - Friend's henna - Festivals Near Me - Orange, California

I have been pleased to perform at the Orange International Street Fair several times. It has always been an enjoyable experience! The food and music on German street, and all of the streets, is excellent. Also, for German-American music/entertainment, please email me: rob_t@gmx.com read more

Orange International Street Fair - Festivals Near Me - Orange, California

Huge fair with tons of people, it can get crazy crowded here. Tips: Bring a your own water bottle / container to save $2 per bottle water they charge here. Get here early of you can go avoid the lines. Parking can get crazy here so bring your walking shoes & a smaller car to park easier if you can. Don't bring big strollers if you can, not much space to walk when the crowd gets crazy. Bring plenty of cash, many of the vendors accept credit cards but some don't so it speeds things up when you pay in cash. read more

Reason for the 4 stars instead of 5... I got super sick after eating their food.. specifically the corn dog but I can't remember what county it was... aside from that, we had a blast!! My daughter loves all the different music and Mexico street was a blast!!! read more

August 2019 We make this an annual tradition to come at least 1 of the 3 days. We came on Saturday closer to 5PM, it was packed to the rim. Parking is available in designated lots near the circle but also close to the Chapman University campus. Parking in the neighborhoods can be risky since it's permit only. We started off with Germany then made our way over to Ireland and ended up in Asia. Every street section has about 4-5 variations on food and alcohol. We enjoyed Ireland for their Sausage Banger sandwich ($7). My Carne Asada Taco was ($3.00) pretty expensive but the quality of the meat was much better than the traditional street tacos. The fair offers a varieties of food, vendors, drinks, organizations, music, novelty items. It is the city way of bringing in people to show case the diversity and community it has. Although parking can be challenging and all the vendors take mainly cash i would definitely recommend everyone trying it out even if it seems like most of the reviews sound like it's not worth it. read more

So let's be clear... The street fair is a bunch or organizations trying to fundraise. All food and drinks purchased at the tents are to help someone. Ok, so now to talk about how much fun it is! I love the street fair! So much diverse food to choose from and a large variety of beer on draft! There's fun bands playing at every street and the main stage usually has the best music. We do lots of walking from street to street, tasting food and listening to small bands cover popular songs. Some of my favorites are the German bands and the Irish bands. They are pretty fun to watch. The Japanese tent sells the Kirin Ichiban slurpee. Which I think is the greatest idea ever! Yes it can get pretty crowed but everyone is here to have a great time! Parking is hard to find... But with a little persistence we find something. I think getting dropped off is a better idea. The delicious food is available all weekend long but NOT on Labor Day! I thinks it's worth checking out! read more

If you go during the day, it is the Orange International Heat Fair. Get it? Instead of Street I said Heat. The lack of shade keeps the Lost Boys out, with a third of the people sticking to the walls for shade like a recently-escaped convict hiding from a spotlight, and the other 2/3rds in front of you, blocking you in, slow slow slow, making you walk like a geisha. The "International" claim is a little bit of a stretch... the Ireland section had an AUTHENTIC Lucky Root Beer booth... (really?)... and apparently every country has sausages "Italian Sausage, Swiss Sausage, German Sausage, Australian Sausage"... they should just rename it the Sun Shiny Sausage Fest. (But Golden Gate Park has a trademark on that) You avoid the sun obviously if you go at night, but then you face all the drunks and overflowing trash (literally and figuratively), and it's potentially the Orange International Street Fight. Get it? Instead of Fair I said Fight. Try to find that sweet sunset spot in between the heat and the beat. Like Coachella, Lollapalooza, and church, you gotta go at least once. read more

We come every year to support the city; usually Friday night is less crowded, but not this year! Parking was horrible; we paid 10 dollars to park at the one of the St. John parkings. It's a short walk to the fair, but there were so crowded Friday night this year. It's very hard to walk around and get food. Drink lines were not too bad based on my observation. A lot of stores closed to avoid the chaos. Most of the restaurants are open. read more

Always a fun place to go to during the fair time ! Love the consignment stores around the Circle. The street fair food is good , but Felix Cuban food is great ! read more

"Every Labor Day weekend for the past three decades, the Orange International Street FairSM (OISF) in downtown Orange has been the place where friends, families and neighbors get together to experience a wide variety of food, music and dance from cultures and ethnicities throughout the world. Whether it's Philly Cheese Steaks, Italian Sausages or Greek Loukoumades, the Street Fair never fails to tantalize the taste buds of the half million Fair goers every year. The theme for 2009 is "Music Makes The World Go Round!!"SM. The Orange International Street FairSM has served millions and remains a mainstay in Orange for over 35 years." Location: Plaza Square Park, Chapman Street (Main Street) with Glassell Street (cross street). Overall, boxed within 57/5/22/55 fwy. Admission: FREEEE!!! Food range from $5+. Beer & Drinks range from $4+. Parking: Streets, $5-$10 Church/Schools/Business/Private Parking (Parking is a hassle, prepare to walk 3+ blocks) Ethnic Food/Countries Represented: Denmark, Swiss, German, Polynesian, Japanese, English (UK), Irish, Mexico, Italian, All-American, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Austrailian, etc *Parking Tip, remember the country you parked closest to. Bathroom: Port-o-potty, or borrow restaurant's bathroom (Zitos Pizza has one stall for woman, one stall for man) Entertainment/Commotion: Live Entertainment, Lots of Alcohol, Lots of authentic ethnic foods (not like crap fat LA or OC Fair food). Tents, shops and foods are served by community like softball teams, churches, service clubs, charity groups and more. Basically you're supporting the community and they're support charities around the world! Food prices aren't ripping you off. Payment: Cash, unless you're at a restaurant or real store there. Lots of ATMs around. Group: Great for groups!! Couples? If you're a couple that likes to party or just explore ethnic fairs. Great for family, young or old (you'll see huge amounts of different ages) Closest School: Chapman Univeristy Street Map: http://orangestreetfair.org/images/stories/MAP_OF_FAIR_2008.jpg read more

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I love the street fair, it's one of my most favorite events of the year. This year it was slightly disappointing but it's probably due to the pandemic, which is not the fault of the event planners. #1 NO ebelskivers???? Denmark isn't Denmark without ebelskivers! #2 Social distancing the tents? That didn't make any sense at all but I'm thinking it was more that not all of the vendors wanted to participate this year due to lower turnout. I ended up replacing my annual ebelskivers with a Holy Cannoli, they were exceptional so I kind of got over my disappointment rather quickly. I also had the Kalua pork sliders and a bratwurst. Everything was good but expensive of course... but hey, it's for charity so nothing to complain about expense wise. My suggestion is to go in the evening because it can get really miserable in the heat...but then again, that's what the Orange Circle bars are for I guess. ;-). #supportlocal read more

Orange International Street Fair - Festivals Near Me - Orange, California

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Way too many countries representin' wieners... need more variety of food types. Lots of countries and lots of different tastes (but was NOT aware that wieners were so prevalent across the board!) That being said, the Lobster on a Stick was soooo good!!! Street tacos (especially El Pastor) were nice and spicy from both vendors. Tried a beer from almost every nation, some good some not. I've gone a few times to this event. It's a nice way to spend 2-3 hours and then move on and go somewhere else. Gets crowded at night and it's super hot during the day (so plan accordingly for both!) Totally worth trying out though. Plus it's in the Circle, always a great place to hang. I recommend going with a small group of people so that you can purchase one food item and share all the way around, that way you can try more before you bust a gut. CHEERS!! See you next year!! read more

Orange International Street Fair - Lobster on a Stick..... so good!!! - Festivals Near Me - Orange, California

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All day I was preparing myself to be glutton-full a la oc fair or foodtruck fest. I even took my meals down to four for the afternoon in anticipation of this seemingly foodie dream come true. We showed up around 7pm, and parking was horrendous, even for a sunday night. Luckily someone was pulling out of a 10 dollar lot as we were passing through. We snatched that spot like a fat kid and the last piece of fried chicken. The streets represented a few countries and their cuisine/ crafts/ culture, which in and of itself is a pretty nifty idea. I mean I thought it was rad how you could visit that many countries and eat their food in one night out. Unfortunately, there was just way way too many people, and that leisurely trip around the world turned into an almost losing your group thrice in 20 mins kind of a deal. It was hectic just trying to get through the belligerent and sometimes rude horde of people. Needless to say I only had a few, very unmemorable plates of random food. And we would eventually end up at Norms thereafter. read more

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I LOVE THE STREET FAIR! I actually didn't start attending the street fair until I turned 21 which when all the fun happens :) Parking is a nightmare and it only gets worse as the years go on and the fair gets more popular and the world populates. The prices only rise a bit every year. What's my favorite you ask? Well, I adore the corn on the cob! I also adore everything from Japan and Germany. Oh yeah, I love that they have schools (and churches) selling beer and food to fundraise. Let's talk about the music! One of my favorite bands is the band that plays down by Mexico. They're a funk band that always brings in a crowd. So will I come back? Every year! read more

There is so much food from every corner of the world. People were eating while in line to get more food. Several bands/musicians playing at different locations. It was a cool experience to do once. I've always loved this area of Orange so it was fun to go into some of the shops that were open for the day. read more

Orange International Street Fair - Festivals Near Me - Orange, California

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Fun street fair with lots to eat! There were also great local vendors in the area to buy nice handmade goods! Parking wasn't that bad! There are lots of lots near by and street parking. It was super hot so I recommend coming only in the mornings or after sunset when it cools. We enjoyed ourselves! read more

Orange International Street Fair - Was a fun time! - Festivals Near Me - Orange, California

I called up a friend who's always up for adventures and asked if she'd like to spend the day with me and we found ourselves at the street fair right as it opened around 10AM. It was a cool, breezy day and we found parking right near Mexican Street and entered the fair there. We weren't craving any Mexican food since we just had breakfast so we walked right by and entered the Orange Circle and found what we were looking for: crafts, jewelry, handbags, trinkets, you name it. That stuff always suckers us in. We bought flexi hair twists, hand painted jewelry, stuffed animals, bejeweled card holders, and a bunch of other cool things and spent about $40-60. After we walked the circle and checked out the vendors, we went and checked out the individual streets and walked past Denmark, Japan, Greece, and just about everything you could think of. The food smelled and looked great but we didn't try any of it mostly because I didn't have cash and my friend spent all hers at the vendors and we couldn't locate an ATM. Oh well. All in all, we had a lot of fun and found some neat things which is why I always love coming to things like this. On the plus side, we quickly found parking, there were no crowds, and we were able to check out the fair in a couple of hours and move on. read more

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This was our first time to the Orange Intl Street Fair and we were pretty excited because it sounded fantastic! International food tents, multiple stages with live music ... Unfortunately, 50 million other people also had the same great idea!! It took 20 minutes driving up and down the neighborhood streets to find a parking spot 12 blocks away, which we hoped was legal. Walking to the Fair was fun because everyone was having a house party or BBQ. The Fair itself was so completely overcrowded that you could barely walk. We were there 7pm-8:30pm on Saturday and were grateful that we had eaten dinner prior and didn't have to wait in the long food lines. The mood was very festive and everyone seemed pretty happy despite the crowds. The highlight was definitely the German band complete with accordion and Lederhosen, playing traditional music and the sweet old couples dancing. As touching as it was, it wasn't enough to make us want to stay. Maybe the secret to this street fair is to come earlier in the day? read more

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This has been my second time at the Orange International Street Fair and it has been a great experience... except for the heat, but what can you expect when it's during the summer months in Southern California. To beat the heat, I try to arrive a little bit in the late afternoon knowing that the evening is about to come along with cooler temperatures. The only downside is that with cooler temperatures, it gets extremely packed with people where sometimes it is difficult to walk around without getting into other people's personal bubbles. Other than that, it's a great time to literally try all foods of the world, and for those 21+, a great time to enjoy beer from all over the world. Better yet, all the food stands are supporting a non-profit organization/charity, so it feels great that everyone is coming together to eat good food, drink good beer, and make a good difference since proceeds go to the partnered charities, organizations, schools. This time around, I enjoyed a this mango beer (mmmmmm....), corn dog (yummy), Guinness (definitely a fave), buttered corn (so savory), and ended it with a Greek pastry (forgot what it was called, but it was amazingly sweet). Tip: Got it from my friend, but if you're planning on drinking a lot of beer, be sure to bring water to keep hydrated, also to help with the heat. Parking may be hectic, but it is definitely worth it if you're willing to park far and make the walk (which isn't so bad since there are several trees to provide shade, there's barely incline, and the surrounding Orange community is beautiful. Just think of it as your daily cardio. Will definitely be back! read more

We almost didn't go because of the negative reviews but I'm glad we did! We went on Sunday at around 11 and it wasn't too crowded. The food was pretty good and not too expensive, given that it was a festival. $4 beers and most food around $8. The only problem was the lack of bathrooms. Even places that generally have public restrooms like Starbucks had closed them. At 39 weeks pregnant, this was rough and we ended up walking for around 30 minutes before finding Burger Parlor. Got a drink and some chicken strips just to use the bathroom. Fortunately the food was great! Overall, I'd recommend coming to the festival and we will be returning next year! read more