Page 97 - 2023-2024 Travel Guide to California

MUST
SEE,
DO
SAN CLEMENTE, opposite;
surfing in Huntington Beach,
left; sailing class, Newport
Beach, top; Mission San Juan
Capistrano, above.
J.D.S/SHUTTERSTOCK; PRADABROWN/SHUTTERSTOCK; FELIX LIPOV/SHUTTERSTOCK. OPPOSITE: JON BILOUS/SHUTTERSTOCK
SPECIAL EVENTS 2023
DANA POINT FESTIVAL OF WHALES March 4-5, Dana Point festivalofwhales.org
SWALLOWS’ DAY PARADE AND MERCADO STREET FAIR
March 25, San Juan Capistrano swallowsparade.com
HUNTINGTON BEACH 4TH OF JULY June 30-July 4, Huntington Beach hb4thofjuly.org
SAWDUST ART & CRAFT FESTIVAL June 30-Sept.3, Laguna Beach sawdustartfestival.org
PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS July 7-Sept. 1, Laguna Beach foapom.com
OCEAN INSTITUTE MARITIME FESTIVAL Sept. 8-10, Dana Point Harbor
ocean-institute.org/events/maritime-festival
NEWPORT BEACH CHRISTMAS BOAT PARADE
Dec. 13-17, Newport Beach christmasboatparade.com
• DISNEYLAND RESORT Disneyland is
celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Walt Disney
Company. New nighttime shows include Wondrous
Journeys and a water show at Disney California
Adventure, World of Color – One, to celebrate the
storytelling legacy started a century ago. Mickey and
Minnie’s Runaway Railway opened in January. Star
Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is the Magic Kingdom’s top
draw—who could pass up a smuggling operation on
the Millennium Falcon or battling the First Order
with the Resistance? Pixar, Marvel Comics (see the
new Avengers Campus at California Adventure) and
Twentieth Century Fox acquisitions may overshadow
classic Disney characters, but princesses, witches and
cute animals galore still enchant youngsters.
• disneyland.disney.go.com
• GREAT PARK Marked by the huge orange balloon
ride (seats 25 to 30) floating 400 feet overhead, the
continually evolving 1,300-acre park is a family favorite
offering open space, educational play areas, art
galleries and studios, a playground and picnic area, 1.5
miles of walking/biking trails, an outdoor performance
plaza and a weekly farmers’ market. In addition, there
is a 194-acre Sports Complex with a championship
soccer stadium, 25 tennis courts and amenities for a
wide variety of sports, including a public ice and
training facility with one Olympic and three NHL
regulation-sized rinks and a gym.
• ocgp.org
• LOT 579, HUNTINGTON BEACH Just south of
“Surf City’s” downtown, steps from Huntington Beach
Pier and the city’s famous sands, the sidewalk cafés
and markets of this modern waterfront food hall offer
8 unique restaurants and eateries. Lot 579 is an anchor
of Pacific City, a shopping, dining and entertainment
complex. The communal space upstairs offers plenty
of seating and a killer ocean view.
• gopacificcity.com/lot579
• LAGUNA BEACH’S PAGEANT OF THE
MASTERS Art literally comes to life in the unique
Pageant of the Masters, in which living actors take
up positions against painted backdrops to recreate
world masterpieces in eerie 3-D fidelity. It’s the pièce
de résistance among the festivals, workshops,
galleries and proliferation of public art in the
picturesque beach town that began life in the early
1900s as a small artists’ colony.
• visitlagunabeach.com
• foapom.com
• KNOTT’S BERRY FARM What started as a small
berry farm grew into a family theme-park destination.
With attractions for all ages, the Park has four themed
areas. The Old West Ghost Town is the heart and soul
with cowboys, shootouts, shows and rides for all. Camp
Snoopy is for young ones and features the “Peanuts”
gang. Fiesta Village pays tribute to California’s Hispanic
roots with Mexican-style architecture, food, and eye-
catching works of art. Knott’s Boardwalk pays tribute
to the SoCal beach lifestyle and is home to California’s
first dive coaster, HangTime.
• www.knotts.com
2023-24 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA 95