KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Sun, Jul 26: Kids Market At Galleria at Tyler Farmers Market
Wed, Jul 29: International Surf Festival - Redondo Beach
Fri, Jul 31: Kids Markets at Ladera Ranch Summer Concert Series
Sun, Aug 2: Kids Market At Home & Backyard Show
Wed, Aug 5: We Read Wednesday with Empowering Readers OC
Fri, Aug 7: Kids Markets at
Brea Fest
Sun, Aug 9: Summertime! with Bob Baker Marionettes and Kate Micucci - The Ford
Sat, Aug 15: August Nothin’ But Sand Beach Cleanup - Heal the Bay Aquarium
Mon, Aug 17: Meet the Author - Griselda Maldonado
Wed, Aug 19: Happy Accident Presents "Vol. 1" - Bob Baker's Marionette Theater |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When I was a kid, summer meant St. Rocco’s Feast in the Peterstown neighborhood of Elizabeth, New Jersey. The streets were filled with music, carnival rides, vendor booths, and fairgoers... but the main attraction for 10-year-old me was zeppoles: lumps of dough dropped into hot oil, puffed golden, shaken in a paper bag with powdered sugar, and handed over hot enough to require
patience. To my young self, they were almost proof of magic. They were also my gateway drug into Italian food. Zeppoles led eventually to prosciutto and fresh mozzarella, risotto and gnocchi, pesto and puttanesca. Along the way, I learned that food has a vocabulary: crisp, chewy, silky, smoky, briny, bitter, fermented, caramelized. Knowing the names of flavors and textures helped me notice them more clearly, and knowing where dishes came from helped me see that food carries
geography, history, ingenuity, celebration, and memory. The more I tasted, the bigger the world became. Summer is the perfect season to help kids develop that kind of appetite... for food and discovery. Visit a farmers market and learn what grows nearby. Pick berries and notice how they taste when harvested just a second ago with your
own hands. Try the food truck serving something you’ve never ordered. At a festival, ask what country or region a dish comes from, what ingredients give it its flavor, and who traditionally makes it. Kids don’t have to like everything. Exploration still counts when the verdict is “Not for me.” As tour
guides to our kids’ universe, we can help them notice that food connects downward to the Earth and outward to people. Name the flavor. Name the texture. Name the place and the tradition. Then take another bite. Sometimes an entire world opens through one little bag of fried dough.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The
Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes from Deb" section of our site. |
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The Downtown Anaheim Farmers Market will remain open during regular business hours 11am- 3pm, providing an open air space to purchase food essentials while we work together to address the needs of our community.
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Come join us for a fun filled day of off ice activities such as arts and crafts and board games. We will also spend part of the day together lacing up our skates and having fun with camp counselors on the ice. Non experienced skaters are welcome to join. If you don't have any skates, no problem, you can borrow one of ours.
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The World of Birds Show has been delighting audiences for nearly 40 years! Launched by a major gift from the Angela Collier Foundation, the new World of Birds Theater reopened to the public in 2014. The refreshed and reimagined free-flight presentation features impressive displays of natural behavior and close up views of some of the L.A. Zoo’s most colorful residents. Note: This event is weather permitting, and the lineup is subject to change.
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All aboard Choo Choo Revue! In the first new show from BBMT in 40 years, your theater seat becomes a train bound for fantasy! A monumental milestone for BBMT and celebration of community and joy, Choo Choo Revue inspires IMAGINATION for all. Through the train window of BBMT’s stage, travel across rolling hills, mountainous peaks, and dazzling deserts. Meet dancing luggage, singing mushrooms, and a cicada jugband. This hour-long show, packed with over 100 handcrafted, BRAND NEW puppets, is presented with theatric grandeur and spectacular artistic skill. Bob Baker Marionette Theater is thrilled to present this milestone achievement in puppetry and theater, showcasing innovative art and performance for new generations to enjoy. This is your ticket to the future of puppetry!
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Experience the monumental "rebirth" of a global icon as YOSHIKI returns to Los Angeles for Classical 2026 at The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall this July 16–17. A composer, classically trained pianist, and Japan’s biggest rock star, the TIME100 honoree delivers two unique, post-surgery performances: "Scarlet Night" and "Violet Night." Expect an emotional, explosive fusion of cinematic mastery and orchestral power.
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And a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget! Set on a Greek island paradise where the sun always shines, a tale of love, friendship, and identity is beautifully told through the timeless hits of ABBA. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the father she’s never known brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited decades ago. For over 25 years, people all around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story, and the music that make Mamma Mia! the ultimate feel-good show.
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Ghost Town Alive! returns to Knott's Berry Farm for the summer, complete with bandits, cowboys, robberies, judges, a good ol' western hoedown, and much more! Guests can visit the beloved town of Calico and experience an authentic Western adventure by becoming a star in this summer's story of the Wild West. Ghost Town Alive! offers guests a firsthand experience of playing an important part in the unfolding story of the Wild West, with specific tasks and activities and an essential role as an honorary citizen of Calico.
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The community is invited to Hicks Canyon for an outdoor family movie night on the big screen. Bring low-back chairs, blankets and a picnic, or purchase tasty treats from gourmet food trucks and a snack bar. Guests can arrive early with food trucks available beginning at 6 p.m. Movies begin after sunset and are weather permitting.
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Is your child a young creator, maker, or budding CEO with a big idea? This is their chance to take center stage alongside local live music. While the band provides the soundtrack, your child will provide the innovation. This community event is the ultimate platform to test their entrepreneurial skills.
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GAME! Basketball and Contemporary Art celebrates basketball as a source of creative expression and community connection. Anchored by the renovation of the Great Park’s four basketball courts—featuring original, site-specific art by California artist, Katy Ann Gilmore—the exhibition showcases a selection of contemporary artists from the book Common Practice: Basketball and Contemporary Art who explore the culture and aesthetics of basketball, alongside a survey of Project Backboard’s national and international court renovations.
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Cabrillo Marine Aquarium has partnered with KultureCity to make all of our programs and events sensory inclusive. As the first Aquarium in California to be certified, the Aquarium is now better prepared to assist guests with sensory sensitivities and to ensure the most comfortable, accommodating experience possible when visiting the facility. Sensory sensitivities or challenges with sensory regulation are often experienced by individuals with autism, dementia, PTSD and other similar conditions (1 in 6 individuals). One of the major barriers for these individuals is sensitivity to over stimulation and noise, which is part of the environment in a venue like the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. Prior to attending the Aquarium, families can download the free KultureCity App to view the available sensory features and where they can be accessed. Also on the App is the Social Story which will provide a preview of what to expect while enjoying the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.
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2026's best places to take kids in the Orange County, CA area. Each May-June, thousands of parents vote in the KidsOutAndAbout survey of the Top 20 Places to Take Kids. Who won the top spot? An indoor play center, museum, farm, nature center, sports team?
Click through to find out!
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Nothing says SUMMER quite like going to an amusement park with your family! We've put together a great list of ones you can visit within driving distance of Orange County. So, pack the sunscreen, load up the car and head out on a grand adventure!
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in The OC is back! You can search by date, age, or categories like day/overnight, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool, & more. Our guide
puts summer fun right at your fingertips!
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Orange County, CA Area's Pick-Your-Own Fruit Listed below are farms in and near San Diego that offer pick your own fruits, berries, and vegetables. And... to make the most of your experience, check
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Have a great weekend!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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