Came for the Sunday event. Really liked that you can park at the San Clemente High School and they…read morehave free buses to transport you to the beach. The event isn't big, but they have activities throughout the day to keep you entertained. They have police patrolling the area to keep everyone safe. It got pretty crowded in the afternoon. Liked the surf and sand castle competition. It was nice to walk on the pier and look at all the vintage cars.

I was here for both days. There were so many things going on some I saw others I didn't. Saturday…read moreon the pier they had old Woodies, Sunday VW busses were there. They had multiple lifeguard competitions, body and board surfing. Both days I ate the city lifeguard pancake breakfast. Fisherman's restaurant had food like corn on the cob, burgers, corn dogs, teriyaki chicken next to the pier. Sunday there was a sand castle contest. I didn't see everything so I will return next year. You can drive and park at San Clemente High and take the free shuttle. I took Metrolink and got off right at the pier.

The Swallows Day Parade in San Juan Capistrano is one of the nation's largest non-motorized…read moreparades, celebrating the return of the swallows with a festive, Old West-style street party held on a Saturday in March. It features extensive equestrian groups, marching bands, dancers, and floats, followed by a lively Mercado Street Faire.

The Swallow's Day Parade is a nice (free) annual event held each March to celebrate the return of…read morethe swallows to the area. It's also "one of the nation's largest non-motorized parades." That's right, you'll see plenty of horses, wagons, bands, and beautiful costumes adorning parade walkers, but no motorized vehicles. You won't see many real swallows at that time, but they are around - their nests are very distinguishable with mud pellets stuck together often in a gourd shape attached to high outer corners of buildings. Growing up, my mom always let them build their nests right above our patio door, much to the displeasure of some visitors. But I digress. You probably want to attend this event only once in your life if you don't already live in the vicinity. It's very organized with a different theme each year, but the parade drags on for quite a bit as there was too much space between each group of paraders. TRAVEL THERE We rode the Metrolink (3/23/19) from Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs. Highly recommended this method of travel because a) parking is free in this particular lot on weekends, b) you can avoid traffic & the absolute hassle of trying to find parking when you reach San Juan Capistrano because it is SUPER crowded, c) children 5 and under ride free, and d) the train depot in SJC leads you within short walking distance of the streets where the parade will be passing through. Overall, the people of SJC including all the law enforcement were very welcoming and nice. SIDE STORY There may be one or two bad apples - like this woman who sat next to my husband halfway through the parade and later let her friends sit right in front of him. Mind you, we were already sitting on the street in front of people who are in chairs or standing. She didn't like it when he told them he thought they were being disrespectful since they kept scooting in front of him more. She turned up the psychometer real quick, spoutin' out stuff like "hit me!" What the... This chick was a brand new kind of crazy! A sheriff's deputy who was standing nearby kept listening to her and my husband go back and forth, but the deputy really kept his eyes on HER. Most likely because she was trying to instigate something that wasn't going to happen. Eventually man-hating crazy town left because I wasn't moving. Lol. I wasn't about to let this mouthpiece & her inconsiderate friends ruin our day, but then our 5-year-old daughter openly declared, "That woman was really mean to Daddy." TIPS Consider bringing a... - light jacket - hat and sunglasses - blanket to sit on - cash for the Mercado Street Faire! There's plenty of food, games, & merch

What a great music venue! Three years and running strong. The only disappointment is getting…read morethere early, securing great seats in front, and the Driftwood security folks allowing people standing IN FRONT OF those who established a front row seat in chairs. Standing should be behind chairs! Common sense 101...

"One's options in this world are as vast as the horizon, which is technically a circle and thus…read moreinfinitely broad. Yet we must choose each step we take with utmost caution, for the footprints we leave behind are as important as the path we will follow. They're part of the same journey -- our story." ― Lori R. Lopez, Dance Of The Chupacabras What an amazing event this was! OC Meets Napa and Baja, presented by Community Health Center AltaMed, brought primarily Latino-centric restaurants and chefs in Orange County and Latino-owned wineries in Napa and Baja together in a celebration of culture. Proceeds from all the ticket sales went toward supporting the Orange County health services and programs that AltaMed spearheads in underserved communities. When I was Housing Manager for the City of Huntington Beach, I funded Alta Med through the City's CDBG program and am very knowledgable about the great services they provide especially in a country that still has an imperfect and expensive healthcare system. What was cool about this event was actually seeing, meeting and talking to the chefs/winemakers. These are the people who chose their path, who chose their own story. The passion from chefs such as Beto Ygei from 930 Sushi (excellent spicy yellowtail), Carlos Selgado of Taco Maria (wonderful scallop here), Gabbi Patrick (I think they did a scallop dish too), Rogelio Martinez of Casa Oaxaca (so excited was he about his sorbets and ice cream), and winemakers such as Alex, Oscar and Lola Llamas (best wines at event and great people too who invited us to hang out afterwards). This is the type of event that I love to attend and is only second to the San Jose Jazz Festival as favorite yelp events of this kind that I was lucky enough to get tickets from Yelp. Was disappointed in the Baja wines as there was little balance or flavor with those wines, and a lot of rustic smells and astrigent finishes. However given that when traveling the local wines always taste better when you are visiting their area (Cinque Terre was an example of this where the wines are fabulous only when you are outdoors on a patio with a great view eating a sublime pesto dish in Italy), I will visit Baja soon and visit the better wineries on their home turf ;-) Thanks again Yelp for this event! Sidney

I was a lucky winner of VIP tickets ($125 pp) to OC Meets Napa and Baja sponsored by AltaMed. I…read morewas worried about rain but it cleared up right before the event started which led to the vendors scrambling to set up their tents. It was warm and muggy but there was plenty of food and drink for all the guests to enjoy. There were plenty of Napa and Baja wine vendors pouring wine throughout the event along with restaurants from LA, OC, and Baja. Some of my favorite food vendors were Anepalco's Cafe, Taco Maria, Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen, and Deckman's en el Mogor. Wine was definitely plentiful as was the food. There was a wine wheel that you could spin for $20, which went to the Women in Action charity and in turn you won a wine bottle valued anywhere from $40 to $80. I won an $80 bottle of wine. It was pretty awesome. There were tables for all the guests to lounge and mingle at. The event was held at Mission San Juan Capistrano which I had never visited before. We were allowed to walk around the exhibits while the Mission was closed to the public. Pretty cool. Thanks to Yelp OC for the tickets. My +1 and I had a great time.

I can't emphasize how organized this event was! We love any venue where we can take our dog that…read morehas enough to satisfy our human wants or needs at while getting our fur babe out in the world! If only he could pay with Aussie Express! This event was sponsored to raise money for dog rescue and care in South OC. It was held at the outlets of San Clemente. One of the few places where the parking lot gets a better view of the ocean than the shop and shop keepers! It was a gorgeous weekend day by the coast and we got a little staple shopping in pre event ( those things you have to replenish at least once or twice a year. The outlets here are dog friendly daily, not just during events. Many shops have pet merchandise and some have treats on hand! This event for a cause was free to attend, five dollars for drink tickets, which offered a selection of tequila (my stop of choice; I tried the pineapple the lime flavors) vodka and wine in addition to the beer focused choices where on hand! Tito's vodka offered up free dog bandanas and dog toys. Balloon animals, goody bags, and photo booths!! Soon the wheel for food vendors at the outlets. My husband won the free pizza and I won the drinks. Twist & Shout made a balloon animal to go with Kindle's Bark and Brew cardigan...he was stylin' This event was well laid out, easy to get around, offered options for sitting. Dog owners United. We saw more Australian shepherds at this event more than any other we have seen in one place. A Mastiff stoke the show with his bold presence... However, a red merle Aussie stole my heart. We want to get our boy a girl with this lovely coat and color and it was our first time seeing a red merle in person. Our dog formed a connection from the start. Look forward to the next Barks & Brews. #SanClemente #BarksAndBrews #DogFriendly #BackInTheOC #OutletsAtSanClemente

Went to the Greek Festival today and it was soo much fun! Parking was free, entry $5. I have always…read morewanted to attend, and this year was the year i made it happen. I loved the live music, the dancing, the singing, the food vendors and other clothing, trinket vendors. They had a kids section with face painting. Something for everyone. It was awesome being in an environment with yaya's and pappoús, and family mixed young and old enjoying music, food, and just being happy. My parents made it there sooner than i had and already were immersing themselves with Side - Tzatziki & Pita $4.00 Spanakopita (1 piece) $7.00 Greek Salad - small $7.00 for $18.00 All while enjoying how to learn greek dancing and listening to music. When I arrived, the good times were still rolling and i had to order my chicken gyro with fries. Soo worth it. Yumm! I went for their Greek Sundae with Baghalava and they had to stop serving it for one reason or another. It was the talk of the festival about how great it was. Next year, definitely thats on my bucket list. Thats the first thing im getting. Seeing the lamb roasted on the spit reminded me of the movie "my big fat greek wedding". Same vibes, 1000%. Everything was clean and organized and loved it! It still going on until 11pm, as i was leaving at 5pm people were still arriving and the party was still getting lit! I have to pace myself next year. I purchased some cute stuff by the vendors , specifically : and Evil Eye Tote and evil eye accessories. For those who know me, know the "mati" is real and your girl here doesnt take any chances. Hehehe. Iykyk!! ;) Overall, 10/10.

Went to the San Juan Capistrano Greek Festival last night. It's always a cool charitable event…read more The vendors are nice and food is good (a bit pricey but it's for charity). The wine booth and beer tent are always fun. They always play the key college football games so the fans do not have an excuse not to go. We enjoyed a bottle of wine with some friends and strangely it paired well with a tasty gyro and some Greek fries. There is Greek music and dancers too. Fun family event.

Experience: Wow please, please make sure to stop by here between June and August when they have…read moretheir summer festival! They have so many local artists and jewelry makers at stalls, and the person selling it to you is often the artist themselves! Every artist is so kind and asks you how you are doing as you walk by their stall! There is also a QR code where you can vote for your favorite artist. There's also live music and many food options. Pricing: You can buy a ticket before (https://tickets.sawdustartfestival.org/), and tickets are $12.50 a day and $49.50 for an annual pass. I recommend adding the ticket to your Apple/phone wallet, so you can easily scan the QR code when you enter. Some of the art and jewelry is slightly expensive, but you can also find more inexpensive pieces, and considering it is all handmade, this is understandable. Parking: A great parking option is to park at Lot 16, which is $5 a day on weekdays and $10 on weekends and holidays. You can pay for this on the Laguna Beach parking app (https://towne.com/lagunabeachparking/). Then, you can take the free trolley (and enjoy the amazing breeze!) to the Sawdust Art Festival (There will be a sign, so you will know where to get down). The trolley runs till around 10:30 PM (as the festival closes at 10 PM).

I've been to the Sawdust Art Festival in Laguna Beach probably three or four times now between the…read moresummer and winter festivals and despite the crowds, the traffic, and the absurd lines... I keep going back! I usually attend with a close friend and while she's more of the purchaser, I tend to be a window shopper and craft admirer soaking it all in while seeing what surprises the booths contain. Though last monthI did pick up a few Christmas gifts for friends and family even though there wasn't much holiday specific merchandise. It felt great to support local artists and find some unique pieces. The winter festival decor is especially great with the cozy lights, festive touches, and plenty of spots that are great photo ops for both adults and families. The whole place is whimsical and creative and part of the fun is simply wandering without a plan and seeing what you find! Now for the realities: parking is insane, traffic can be really bad, and the lines for entry, food, and sometimes even the restrooms can really test your patience. The food lines in particular are ridiculous, so I usually eat before and/or plan dinner outside the festival (it's cheaper and less crazy). Pro tip: buy your ticket online and show it at the door. Do not wait in line to purchase tickets on site unless you enjoy unnecessary suffering!! All that said, the Sawdust Festival remains uniquely Laguna and there's always that sense of mystery about what you'll discover. Overall, four stars from me!

Ohana Fest is an amazing event. I went to the third day of the 2025 event on Sunday with a good…read morefriend, and we had a blast. We arrived shortly after it opened since it was our first time at the event. We wanted to see and explore and experience all it had to offer. There are plenty of vendors offering samples, cool merch and even some free swag - like hats, bandannas, pins, sunglasses, towels, temporary tattoos and more. We sampled some food trucks and had a few fun beverages. The music was great: Green Day, Cage the Elephant, and James were all great. James was especially terrific. There were also a number of other cool bands that rocked the two stages. At the end, we were exhausted but looking forward to going back next year.

I arrived here at 3:45 PM today, September 26, 2025 and it was a madhouse! One of my girlfriends…read moreinvited me so I said why not. We had a lot of fun watching all the drunk people. There was so much alcohol and not a lot of food choices. The music was very loud. I think the best part was the art show, they have a lot of cool rock 'n' roll artifacts. The bathroom situation sucked, lines forever, I had to use the outhouse, I'm so grossed out! it's better to just walk on the beach and listen to the music.