I've been to enough similar events to have reasonable expectations and be disappointed by this…read moreevent. It was still fun, but improvements are needed to make this the great event it has the potential to be. There are so many things right about this event. It's in a unique and fun location (Tustin Hangar where they used to house blimps). There are dozens and dozens of vendors and room for even more. On paper, it sounds pretty perfect. In reality, the event space was incredibly dark and a significant portion of the lights were out for part of the night (music disappeared too, so probably a power issue). Mood lighting is great, but you shouldn't have to get your face right up to the bottles of wine or plates of food to figure out what is being offered. Some areas had better lighting than others, but they really need to get lighting everywhere. Tea light candles don't cut it. The other major issue was that so many vendors packed up and left before the first or second hour. So if you passed something earlier thinking you'd go back and try it later, too bad! Props to Fresh Brothers and Piadina for having food up until the end of the event. With an event this large, it's just not possible to do it all within an hour (at least not if you want to enjoy it), so it's terrible that some restaurants were gone before an hour had passed. If you are thinking of purchasing a ticket, let this serve as a warning so you will be prepared and not disappointed as I was. It's still a good event, but it has so much more potential.

Awesome event! They had tons of food and drinks and this was all inside of the Tustin Hangar. I've…read moreheard of the building several times but have never had the chance to actually go inside. It is my understanding that they used to house blimps inside of this building. Such a unique and interesting venue! I was very surprised with how organized this food festival actually was. I've been to a few food walks/festivals and they've always been so cluttered. They did an amazing job with organization. As soon as you enter they had several workers handing out wine glasses with the cutest Tustin Food and Wine logo on it. This would be your glass for most, if not all, of the tastings. Each vendor provided water for you to rinse out your glass with before a new taste. Most of the food was to the right side of the room and the alcohol to the left side of the room. Although it is titled a food and wine festival, they had such a wide variety of food and alcohol. They were serving everything from wine and beer to sake bombs and shots of bourbon. As for food vendors they had plenty of options. They were serving poke, clam chowder, indian food, and so much more. Expect to be full 15 minutes in. The only critique I truly have for this event is the lighting. I think they were going for a darker ambiance but it was very difficult to read the vendors signs or even see what they were serving. It was so hard to take any photos or videos. All in all, it was a great event. I could definitely see myself coming back next year. If you get a chance to go, come with an empty stomach and comfortable shoes.

I really enjoyed the event overall. There was a great atmosphere, plenty of vendors, and it was…read morenice seeing the community come together. I would definitely attend again. My biggest concern was the lack of access to water and the response to a medical situation I witnessed. At one point, someone appeared to be overheated and ended up on the ground. Given the warm weather and large crowds, I was surprised by the lack of urgency and support. Staff didn't have "water cups" so they ignored what was going on around them. I also asked for a cup of water to stay hydrated and was told no. For an event where people are walking around for hours in the sun, basic access to water should be a priority. The event itself was fun and well attended, but I think there is room for improvement when it comes to attendee safety, hydration, and responding to medical concerns.

Great community event, because its very popular. Parking is limited and tough. Downtown streets are…read moreblocked off for pedestrians and the event, so it's nice to freely roam around the streets. Each chili vendor has a different take, so go in with an open mind. I also never agree with Chili contest winners. So there lots of different types, seasonings, with or without meat. You buy tasting tickets, then use the tickets to receive a chili sample. Lines are long, so be patient. Tips I've seen from other people is to bring a muffin tin to hold all your samples. It's a great event that could use improvement, therefore I will most likely not return.

As many know The Orange International Street Fair began in 1973 ! Ever since I can remember, I've…read morebeen 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.

Gave it a miss for a handful of years, but went back in 2024…read more 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

It was good to attend the Festival! The brochure is available near the entrance. The center of the…read morebrochure contained good information: a map, a schedule for each stage, and a list of vendors. But that info was not widely available. There is room for better communication. * Approaching Parking Lot 2. As we drove east on Hornet, the sign said to keep going, but lanes were coned off to turn right on Phantom. Someone stood in the junction as if they were IPD directing traffic, but they did not direct traffic. That caused congestion as people stopped to ask them to ask for info. Next year, remove the person directing traffic and put signs BEFORE Phantom. * Entering Lot 2 took a long time and there was a long tailback on Phantom. Need signs in both lanes to state that "Parking $10 cash or card". Then we can get payment ready and keep the lines moving. While that info is on the website, not everyone checks beforehand. * Events were organized by stage. It was easy to find which event was on which stage but hard to find which stage was which. Even when we got to the stage, it was unlabeled! I checked the website for the festival and could not identify the stages. Need to label each stage. Especially important for first time visitors. * Need QR codes linking to the map. * We enjoyed the Great Park Live area. Most people approached the area and tried to walk into the exit because it was closer! A Police Explorer had to direct almost everyone to move to the entrance further along. Needs big signs "Exit Only" and "-- Entrance". * Driving out of Lot 2. No signs to the exit. We drove towards Hornet and found that exit closed off. We tried Phantom, but vehicles were coming in. Traffic exiting Lot 2 had to cut dangerously across pedestrians and cars entering from Phantom, to turn left on Corsair. Also, there were many pedestrians coming that way from the venue near closing time. Need to separate vehicle exits from pedestrian traffic. * We see a pattern. Great Park events tend to be very good but weak in communication. Events are clear to the organizer but may not be to the attendees. Attendees must deal with traffic jams, steps, wheelchairs, heat, crowds, and noise, or are managing children. Organizers should write all comms as if they are the first-time attendee.

Very over priced food, music and vendors are all low quality and mediocre. City of Irvine should do…read morea better job attacking high quality food and better entertaining activitie.

When Taste of Santa Ana first opened at Main Place Mall a few years ago, it was an amazing event…read moreand experience (5 stars). There were more things to do,, unique places to eat, and cool vendors. However, these past two annual taste events have been uninspiring 2022. There were about 40 vendors. About 10 were taco vendors, 10 drink vendors, 10 mall shop vendors, and 10 random businesses. Hands down best food vendor was Gus Fried Chicken which had the longest wait. Best drinks were Native Son cocktails, Maz Coffee drinks, Cito cafes Rainy days are unexpected but we powered through and tried our best keeping dry. We wish there were more umbrellas for the general admission. Those at the VIP tent had 2 extra vendors and enjoying being dry under the tent. Would I come back to TOSA? Maybe in the future

It was a little hard to find the event on the grounds of Main Place as no signs were directing…read morewhere exactly the event was being held. We eventually found it and entered the VIP line which moved quite fast. There were a good amount of vendors with a variety of food to sample. A few vendors included a few taco trucks. After trying a few savory bites and sweet treats we concluded our favorite vendor was Gus Fried Chicken. The wait was about 10 minutes, but it was worth it. The chicken was perfectly fried and seasoned. The extreme heat of the chicken complimented the cold raindrops slowly landing on us as it was about to rain. The event and live entertainment continued despite the drastic change in the weather. We mostly spent much of our time under the VIP tent due to the rain, but enjoyed mingling with the other guests trying to stay dry, and continued listening to the live band while trying some bites located within the VIP tent. An open bar was also included for anyone attending as a VIP. The drinks were great and crafted pretty well by a small staff of bartenders working endlessly due to the rain. Thanks to the bartenders for keeping the vibe strong. We enjoyed our time at this year's event. Hopefully next time it won't be raining, but that didn't stop the Taste of Santa Ana event from being a success.

Attended the 2nd Annual OC Chocolate Festival again this year. This is a charitable event…read morebenefiting the Fountain Valley Community Foundation that is held at the Fountain Valley Sports Park & Recreation Center. The festival runs only the Friday night and Saturday of the weekend it occurs and this year tickets sold out! I bought my tickets in advance online. The regular $25 admission gets you 8 chocolate/food tasting tickets and 3 wine tickets. If you are not a wine drinker, you can trade your wine tickets for additional chocolate tickets. There are many different vendors here including chocolate companies, wine sellers, candy makers, ice cream and gelato vendors, bakeries, and various boutiques. Many booths at the festival are there representing local businesses also. My friends and I always have fun sampling the different goodies and wines available. We were stuffed by the end of our tastings filled with yummy gelato, cheese, wine, stoli chocolate-covered raspberry martinis, caramel apples, flatbread, ice cream, and chocolates from Luisa Chocolatiere, Godiva, See's, M Josephs, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Lindt Chocolate, Sueann Molina, Chuao Chocolatier to name a few. Volunteers were circulating also with samples of pumpkin pie. We were definitely "chocolate wasted" by the end our tastings to quote our friend, Nick. Who doesn't love chocolate and wine?! A fun annual event for chocolate lovers to benefit a great local charity.

Why have I never heard of this before?!?!…read more This chocolate extravaganza was at an all-time high for me this weekend. Thanks to my sweet treats bff and her "foodie senses," we were on a mission to get our chocolate fix! The O.C.C. fest went on from Nov. 5-6 only. VIP tickets were sold out for Nov. 5th. On Nov. 6th, it's $25 per person. At the door, you receive 8 tasting tickets and 3 wine tickets. Yessss! We tried everything and anything inside. There were 3 different rooms. Each one had different chocolate/desserts and wine tastings. I'd have to say that I had my 3 top faves all lined up by the end of the day. So here they are.. 1) Socially Sweet Events by Mijauno Pham. She had beautifully decorated cupcakes and cookies. The setup was very cute and girly. I tried the strawberry with vanilla frosting and the banana chocolate. Both cupcakes were moist and delicious! I also tried the chocolate chip marshmellow cookie which was also pretty good. A definite two thumbs up for her and her mini-cupcakes! 2) Ruhl Family Vineyards by Al and Elain Ruhl. They were such a sweet pair. Uber friendly and explained in detail about their wine and what they've done over the years. I could tell they loved what they did. Their Merlot and Chardonnay were exquisite. The best I've tasted at the O.C.C. fest! I'm not too picky between reds and whites, but I have to say that the Chardonnay sure won me over! 3) Mangiamo Gelato Caffe by Bob Hoxsie. Big fan! His champagne gelato was unlike anything I've ever tasted. It had the perfect blend of gelato and bubbly. I went back a second and third time to savor more but they ran out completely! Bummer! It's alright though, I'm glad I got to taste it. It's a must-try! We spent a good three and a half hours there enjoying all the desserts, complimentary food such as steak and pasta salad, and not to mention all the free wine samples on top of the others! I'm not trying to sound like a major alcoholic (or maybe I am) but hellloooooooo buzzzz hahaha. It wasn't a huge, fancy place but if you go with friends or family that love trying new sweets and wines, it's definitely a place for you! I'm not sure when the next event will be but if you keep a look out on their website or info, I'm sure you'll be able to get more details. Here were my select contacts/information: 1) Socially Sweet Events by Mijanou Pham. Email: mijanou@sociallysweetevents.com Website: www.sociallysweetevents.com Phone: (949) 244 - 4280 Specialties: Gift baskets, parties, desserts, florals and decor, party favors, corporate, catering, showers, invitations, fundraisers, weddings, and more! 2) Ruhl Family Vineyards by Al and Elaine Ruhl. Email: kurtruhl@hotmail.com Specialties: Only available for retail at two fine wine establishments -California Wine and Cheese and Holiday Wine Cellar. Please call ahead to verify inventory. 3) Mangiamo Gelato Caffe by Bob Hoxsie. Website: www.mangiamogelatocaffe.com Phone: (714) 536-5388 Specialties: Can serve anywhere from a group of 30 to 180 people. For pick-up of 30-180 people, 24 hour notice is needed. For 120-350 people, reservations must be made in advance.

We didn't stay here very long as it was excessively packed creating as one would say a "Packing…read moreHouse" in the park! The Night Market itself was alright there wasn't many vendors or much of really anything to occupy our time with. The screen they were showing Back To The Future on was relatively small and just wasn't an all around enjoyable size for the large group of people in the park. What this appeared to be was something that wasn't a too well thought out idea had they had a bigger screen we might have stayed longer than the first few minutes of the movie. The atmosphere on the other hand was killer I mean come on your in a park next to the awesomeness that is the Packing District so that was definitely a plus as was the free admission to the event. Hopefully they do this again sometime and put a bit more planning into the event as it could potently be a spectacular family friendly outing for all ages to enjoy!

Let's start with the positive -Parking was packed, but it…read morewasn't that bad. We found a good spot two blocks down from the packing house. -the people were great, the etsy vendors had amazing creations and ideas for my wedding. -lines were long inside but they didn't take long to get through, service was fast. Food was fresh. -seating for the movies was great, we brought our chairs so it made for a relaxing wait. -music was great, she had a beautiful voice Negatives -the movie started 45 minutes late, to me this was a bit of a family outing and there were a lot of kids and that can sometimes be hard to deal with a toddler being out so late. -there was a private event, not sure that's the smartest thing to do on a day you're holding your own event. Other then that, it was great, would've liked a little more vendors around to keep me occupied while waiting for the movie but other then that well done. My family and I had an amazing time! It was especially awesome to see the Disneyland fireworks going off in the background as that's my favorite thing about Disney.

I won tickets to the Taste of Huntington Beach from Yelp! The event is $65 per person and benefits…read morethe HB Central Library. The event brings in a lot of vendors in and around Huntington Beach. This was my first Taste of HB event. There were breweries, wineries, food, and even grocery vendors. The food and drink is all inclusive with admission which means you get your money's worth just by walking around and trying everything out. It began at 11 am for VIP and 12 pm for the general public going until 4 pm. If you brought your lawn chair you can camp out for the entire time enjoying the live entertainment and sunshine. You park at the HB Sports complex where parking is $1 for the entire day or you could valet for $5. Highlights for me were the spicy edamame from Reef's Edge Grill (Shorebreak), Three Twins ice cream, Strongbow cider, Pan Roast from Ritter's, and the corn and watermelon samples from Solita's Tacos. Great event and can't wait to check it out next year.

Bought 2 vip tickets to this event. We came during vip hour…read moreand they were serving mainly appetizers and drinks that time. It was a little hard to find empty tables to seat since there weren't much seats avaliable. During tasting hours, we tried so much food from the booths. I appreciate how Taste of HB has many tasting booths (40+) for everyone to try! The lines weren't that much of a wait, but there was a lot of people so it was hard to get through. We went for multiple rounds for most of the booths and enjoyed every booth's food! Our experience here was enjoyable. They had bands playing and other giveaways going on. Parking wasn't a haggle. I'm planning to go here again this upcoming year! Can't wait. You guys should go check it out.