What You're Doing This Weekend In OC – October 30
This just can't be one of those weekends that results in getting all dressed up with nowhere to go. Halloween is the socially acceptable excuse to get a bit nutty and transform into who/whatever you want. But what good is a killer costume if you can't go anywhere to strut in it. As always, we plucked the coolest destinations over the course of the weekend in the OC. These are the places worth making the drive for, the places worth spending a bit of dough for. If you were lost on how to spend Halloween, here is your itinerary.
Boo At The Zoo
Santa Ana Zoo
1801 E Chestnut Ave
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 836-4000
www.santaanazoo.org
Home to one of the longest-running family friendly Halloween themed events in Orange County, the Santa Ana Zoo welcomes people of all ages to dress up and cruise ten different stations to an impressive run of trick-or-treating in a safe and very unique environment. Add in some educational animal presentations, live entertainment, and a costume parade throughout the park and you got a jam-packed evening ripe with photo ops so show off your little humans.
Go Trick Or Treating!
Various Neighborhoods
Orange County offers some great areas to go trick or treating in. Luckily for you, we've put together a list of the very best areas to stop by to get your fill of candy. Whether or not you're with kids or just a big kid at heart, areas in Santa Ana, Irvine, Anaheim and others offer great places to stop by and join in on the Halloween fun. To view a list of the best areas, visit our list of the Best Neighborhoods to Trick or Treat in Orange County.
Tiger Army
Observatory Santa Ana
3503 S Harbor Blvd
Santa Ana, CA 92704
(714) 957-0600
www.observatoryoc.com
Nick 13 and his Tiger Army celebrate their annual gathering, settling in for two nights at Santa Ana's Observatory for Octoberflame 7. A driving, explosive blend of punk rock with psychobilly-twang, the band has earned a cult-like following with their stylized take on bleak end of the rock n roll spectrum. With no other plays in the foreseeable future and few plays leading up to the Halloween weekend for the TA, the walls of the Observatory are likely to be sweaty with movement from start to finish.
Tanaka Farms
5380 University Dr
Irvine, CA 92612
(949) 653-2100
www.tanakafarms.com
With their sprawling farm situated in the heart of business-ripe Irvine, the Tanaka family name is an established agricultural lineage with roots to Hiroshima, Japan. A home for responsible farming and education, Tanaka Farms not only supplies produce for the California Supported Agriculture program that services local businesses and schools, but they invite the community to enjoy hands-on experiences ranging from cooking classes to their famous U-Pick tours where people can harvest their own fruits and vegetables (including pumpkins!). A crown jewel of Orange County, an afternoon at Tanaka is about as perfect as it gets.
Night of the Living Dead Closing Night
Maverick Theater
110 E Walnut Ave
Fullerton, CA 92832
(714) 526-7070
www.mavericktheater.com
In what's become an annual tradition in Fullerton, the Maverick Theater celebrates October with a run of the theatric adaptation of the George Romero zombie classic, Night of the Living Dead. The creative heavy-lifting is manned by one guy, Mr. Brian Newell. From lightning to special effects to director duty, Newell overseas the entire production leaving no detail to chance. For a film whose strengths are rooted in the rough edges of the gnarly violence of zombies gnawing on human flesh, the stage show equivalent is no less a spectacle to soak in. A night at the theater this time around proves both polished and petrifying.
Bike Around Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach Cyclery
240 Thalia St.
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 494-1522
www.lagunabeachcyclery.com
Orange County's Laguna Beach is just the type of city that you'd want to rent a bike and take a stroll on a Sunday afternoon. Visit Laguna Beach Cyclery where you can rent a bike for the day and stroll around the sights that this beautiful beachy community offers.
26th Annual Military Tribute Program
Knott's Berry Farm
8039 Beach Blvd
Buena Park, CA 90620
(714) 220-5200
www.knotts.com
While the Scary Farm continues to be the biggest draw at Knott's Berry Farm, the quiet follow-up is certainly one of their coolest events at the park. Marking the end of the Halloween festivities, November ushers in a month plus worth appreciation for the men and women of America's armed forces. Knott's allows retired and active members of the military free admission to the park with guest. For families, Knott's allows the purchase of 6 additional tickets at a discounted rate. The promotion has been running for nearly three decades and while Knott's doesn't seek a pat on the back for being especially hospitable, they definitely deserve one.