Sweet Orange

On July 17 at 6:30 pm, the  Great Park Conservancy is presenting the fourth annual Jewel of Orange County fundraiser, which will include a hosted reception with cocktails, wines and hors d’oeuvres followed by a mesquite grilled dinner. Both will be held in Hangar 244, which is a former El Toro Marine base hangar that has been converted for use during Great Park events.. After dinner, the event moves outside for a concert and dancing. In addition, a silent jewelery auction will be part of the event.

The Great Park Conservancy is a non-profit organization with the goal of supporting the development of the Orange County Great Park as a world-class metropolitan park. Some Great Park project that the Conservancy is currently supporting are the Conservancy Nature Education Garden, Aviation and Heritage Museum, wildlife corridor, Great Park Farm and Food Lab, Great Park Citrus Orchard.

Tickets for this fund raising event are $250 each. Sponsorships and underwriting options are also available.

If the Conservancy event is not in your budget, here are some upcoming free Great Park events that should do the trick for you:

July 11–Growing the Park, Great Park anniversary events. Here is the description from the city of Irvine’s website:

To celebrate the fourth anniversary of the Orange County Great Park, bring your friends and family to Growing the Park, a sprawling festival divided into three activity areas — each representing a different aspect of the park’s past, present and future. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, activities will include a wingwalker show, petting zoo, live music, kite flying, vintage aircraft, food, hands-on activities, and appearances by the LA Galaxy Street Team and the Anaheim Ducks Street Team.

August-September 2009–the second annual free summer concert and dance series. The schedule for these events is now available. The events are free, but parking is $8. For more on these events, see my previous post “At the Orange County Great Park: Cirque du Soleil, Free Summer Concerts and Dances, Free Balloon Rides.”

Ongoing–day and evening rides in the Great Park balloon. Rides on this tethered balloon are dependent on wind and weather conditions, so call the Visitor Center at (866) 829-3829 (toll-free), or check the Great Park website before you go.

In addition, to these free summer events, ticket for the Cirque du Soleil’s January 2010 performances at the Great Park are now on sale.

GRAPHICS COURTESY THE GREAT PARK CONSERVANCY AND THE ORANGE COUNTY GREAT PARK

Related post: At the Orange County Great Park: Cirque du Soleil, Free Summer Concert Series, Free Balloon Rides

The Orange County Great Park board of directors recently approved the Design Studio’s 36-month construction plan. This plan calls for construction of features in the Sports, Lake, and Farm/Bosque Districts. More on that in a future post.

For now, here are some upcoming Great Park events:

International-known and innovative Cirque du Soleil will set up their big top and start a limited performance early next year (January 8 through January 30, 2010). However, some ticket sales start this week. Ticket information can be found at the Cirque du Soleil website.

The free dance and concert series will return this summer. More on that as more details become available.  For now, a look at the inaugural Great Park summer series, which was last year, will give an idea of what to expect. Last year’s events included free Friday-night dances and Saturday-night concerts. In addition, food prepared by Avanti Cafe of Costa Mesa was available for purchase at the Hangar Cafe (an MCAS hangar converted for Park use). Last year’s events were attended by about 50,000, young and old from various locations. (Update: The schedule for this series is now available. SW 7-11-09)

The free tethered balloon rides, which provide a view of Orange County from an elevation of 250 to 400 feet, are continuing.  Day and evening rides are available. The flights are contingent on wind and weather conditions, so call ahead or visit the Great Park website for flight availability. (For one person’s thoughts on the balloon ride, click here. I know that there are contrary options out there. So if you like, leave your comment.)

PHOTOS COURTESY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL AND THE ORANGE COUNTY GREAT PARK CORPORATION