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Good morning, Orange County. You’re reading Thrive OC, your weekly rundown of what’s worth eating, seeing, and doing across the county. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and a relaxing long weekend. Now let’s jump into the week ahead. Here’s what’s on deck:

• Live Concerts, Markets & Holiday Events

• OC Tree Lightings This Week

• Hidden Gem OC Eats

• New Park Opening in North Tustin

• Major Coastal Updates in San Clemente

• San Onofre’s Shoreline Planning Kickoff

Let’s dive in.

— Dave Berry

🍽️ Restaurant of the Week: Pacific Hideaway (Huntington Beach)

A vibrant, surf-inspired spot just steps from Main Street, serving coastal California dishes with flavors from Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Latin America. It’s bright, colorful, and perfect for sharing plates after a day on the sand.

Where: 500 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach | Phone: (714) 965-4448

📅 Upcoming Events 🎉

Sawdust Winter Fantasy, Laguna Beach (Now–Dec 21)

Laguna’s winter art village with 180+ local artists, live music, food, and festive activities—one of the best spots for unique, handmade holiday gifts. Fridays–Sundays, Nov 21–Dec 21 | Sawdust Art Festival Grounds, Laguna Beach | Event Info

Great Park Christmas Showdown, Irvine (Dec 5)

A festive country concert under the lights featuring Tucker Wetmore, Dasha, Hudson Westbrook, and Mackenzie Carpenter. Dec 5, Doors 4:30 PM, Show 6 PM | Great Park Live, Irvine | Event Info

Santa’s Jolly Trolley & Tree Lighting, Dana Point (Dec 6)

Santa and his elves visit multiple parks with treats for kids, ending with a tree lighting, carolers, cocoa, cookies, and a toy drive at La Plaza Park. 1:30–5:30 PM (Tree lighting 5:15 PM) | Multiple parks, final stop La Plaza Park | Event Info

Modern Makers Mart, Irvine & Yorba Linda (Dec 6)

A lively makers market featuring local artisans, handmade goods, food, music, and holiday shopping. Dec 6 (times vary) | Irvine Woodbridge & Main St. Yorba Linda | Event Info

Santa’s Village by the Sea, San Clemente (Dec 6)

A charming holiday night with a Santa processional, tree lighting, snow hill, games, crafts, and downtown shops open late. 4–9 PM | Community Center & Avenida Del Mar | Event Info

Ceramics Holiday Market, Costa Mesa (Dec 6)

Shop unique handmade ceramics and gifts, enjoy food and coffee, and join hands-on art activities. Free to attend. 11 AM–4 PM | 1001 W. 17th St, Costa Mesa | Event Info

Thriftopia Flea Market, Fullerton (Dec 6)

A free flea market featuring vintage vendors, Pokémon collectibles, and unique finds at Cal State Fullerton. 10 AM–5 PM | Cal State Fullerton | Event Info

Holiday Italian Mercato, Pelican Hill (Dec 7)

An Italian-inspired holiday market with local artisans, seasonal treats, and coastal resort ambiance. 11 AM–3 PM | The Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Coast | Event Info

Holiday Tree Lightings Across OC (Dec 1–7)

Nearly every city has a tree lighting this week—neighborhood ceremonies, waterfront shows, and community traditions. Dec 1–7 | All across Orange County | Full Guide

Learn To Be 5K Walk/Run (Jan 11)

A family- and pet-friendly 5K supporting Learn To Be’s mission to provide free 1-on-1 tutoring for students in need. With Giving Tuesday tomorrow (Dec 2), it’s a great time to sign up. Enjoy coffee, a food truck, games, and raffle prizes at the finish. Early bird pricing ends Friday. Check in between 8-8:45 am and race starts at 9 am | Yorba Regional Park in Anaheim, CA | Event Info

🏄 Local News You Should Know

Crawford Canyon Park Now Open (North Tustin)

OC Parks just opened a new 2.5-acre nature-themed park in North Tustin with playgrounds, fitness stations, picnic areas, and scenic pathways surrounded by native landscaping. It’s open daily, with extended hours in spring and summer.

San Clemente Moves Forward on Long-Term Beach Restoration

The city received all approvals to restart its Sand Compatibility and Opportunistic Use Program, allowing up to 300,000 cubic yards of clean sand per year to help rebuild eroded beaches. A new nature-based feasibility study also recommends reef-inspired sand-retention features at North Beach to improve long-term coastal resilience.

San Onofre Shoreline Planning Process Begins

A new planning effort is launching to shape the future of Surf Beach at San Onofre, focused on nature-based shoreline resilience as tides and erosion increase. The year-long project begins with a community kickoff on December 6 at the San Clemente Historic Cottage (4:30–6:30 PM).

🌟 OC Trivia: Did You Know?

San Onofre’s surf scene traces back to the early 1930s, when pioneering California surfers began riding its long, rolling waves. Over the following decades, it grew into one of Southern California’s most iconic longboarding communities, known for its mellow, old-school vibe. Today’s preservation and planning efforts aim to protect that “timeless” surf-culture feel and keep the area as natural and welcoming as it’s always been.

Think you know OC? Reply with your best trivia, and we might feature it next!

The daily health habit you’ll actually stick with…

This time of year, it’s SO hard to stay in control of your health.

Holiday travel (and meals!), big family gatherings, dark and cold days, it’s easy to skip that workout, sleep in later than you should, or have just one more cookie.

That’s why you need a daily health habit that’s easy to stick with.

Meet AG1: With just one quick scoop every morning, you’ll get over 75 ingredients that help support your immune health, gut health, energy, and close nutrient gaps in your diet.

Right now is the best time to get started - with every new subscription, they are giving away $126 in free gifts for the holidays.

Give AG1 a try today and take control of your health this holiday season.

Give AG1 a try today

🎶 Live Music This Weekend

Looking for live tunes? Here’s what’s happening:

Friday, Dec 5:

1. Board & Brew (Laguna Niguel) – Olivia Rohde, 5:00 pm

2. River Street Marketplace (San Juan Capistrano) – Paul Jackson, 4:45 pm

3. Tango Laguna (Laguna Beach) – Rebel Robbie, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

4. The Coach House (San Juan Capistrano) – Brooke Ramel, 8:00 pm

5. The Drake (Laguna Beach) – Jessica Allen, 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm

6. The Rib Joint (Dana Point) – Gary Wright & the Remedy, 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

7. Cafe Sevilla (Costa Mesa) – Colombian Latin Soul, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

8. Garden Amp (Garden Grove) – Sublime & Bob Marley Tributes – Reggae Winter Fest, 5:00 pm

9. Keno’s Restaurant (Anaheim Hills) – Matt Koerner, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

10. Newport Beach Tennis Club (Newport Beach) – Pinch Me! Band, 5:30 pm

11. Spaghettini (Seal Beach) – Sway Collective – Sinatra & Friends Holiday Show, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

12. The Observatory (Santa Ana) – JMSN, 7:00 pm

💸 Local Deals of the Week

Here are a few standout Cyber Weekend deals still active around OC:

• 🏷️ 2.5-Hour Whale Watching Cruise (Davey’s Locker): 💸 65% off – Now $9.75 (was $28) |📍 Newport Beach | 🔗 View Deal

• 🏷️ Open Aerial Yoga – Unlimited Classes for Rest of 2025: 💸 Special Cyber Deal – $99 for Unlimited Aerial Yoga, Pilates, and Sound Baths through Dec 31 | 📍 Huntington Beach | 🔗 View Deal

• 🏷️ 75-Minute Signature Facial + Microdermabrasion (Studio 16 Skincare): 💸 78% off – Now $48 (was $220) |📍 Costa Mesa | 🔗 View Deal

Want more deals? Join Thrive OC VIP for weekly handpicked discounts, perks, guides, and more.

Note: Thrive OC shares deals for informational purposes only. Offers and services are provided directly by the business. Please check details with the provider before purchasing. All deals listed were accurate as of Saturday November 29, 2025 and are subject to change.

🌦️ 7-Day Weather Forecast

🌅 Sunrise & Sunset in OC

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