Travel Costa Mesa Blog
Lunar New Year Celebrations in Costa Mesa
In Costa Mesa, we celebrate the Lunar New Year almost as much as the traditional American New Year’s Eve is celebrated! Whether you’re planning a visit for a day or multiple days, there are many reasons why you won’t want to miss celebrating the Year of the Rooster here. Stay and relax with us for a few days while you enjoy the beginning of a New Year!
The Westin South Coast Plaza wants to make your visit to Costa Mesa extra special with this special Lunar New Year Package. With all the comforts you enjoy at home, you can stay in Costa Mesa and receive complimentary breakfast, a $100 gift certificate to South Coast Plaza and in-room tea service, plus other special amenities. Book a room at Westin today and celebrate the Lunar New Year with us.
Just across the way, you can walk to South Coast Plaza where the Lunar New Year celebration begins January 28 and hosts a robust schedule of events through February 12, 2017. Celebrate the New Year with traditional cultural performances, live entertainment, and crafts and activities for the whole family. Many of the stores sell Lunar New Year-inspired merchandise like the Oscar de la Renta red silk dress with gold belt created especially for South Coast Plaza, a Ferragamo shoulder and hand bag, or the Rooster embossed writing instrument at Montblanc.
With more than 250 unique boutiques, designer retailers and nearly 30 restaurants under one roof, you can spend the day shopping with plenty of options for dining. AnQi Asian Bistro located near Bloomingdales serves some of the best garlic noodles around and features a menu of items from Southeast Asia. Din Tai Fung is a casual restaurant famous for xiao long bao (Asian pork dumpling) and was named one of the “top ten gourmet restaurants in the world“ by New York Times. Also nearby, East Borough prepares Vietnamese favorites like banh mi and spring rolls.
Getting into the festive mood will be easy with the dazzling Year of the Rooster decorations found throughout South Coast Plaza. Be sure to visit Jewel Court as it is transformed with a custom-built display into a vibrant exhibit of decorations filled with symbols of luck and good fortune to welcome the New Year.
Each day during the three-week celebration, scheduled performances will take place throughout South Coast Plaza. There are many opportunities to bring good luck for the New Year through prize giveaways for shopping extravaganzas and special gifts-with-purchase commemorating the 2017 Lunar New Year.
Children will enjoy scheduled entertainment by Bing Bing’s Magic House and an activity to assemble their very own lanterns.
Families can explore a variety of experiences including weekend entertainment by Wu Fei, a native of Beijing and a current Nashville resident, and a master of the guzheng, the ancient 21-string Chinese zither.
“Lucky Eight” Promotion January 28 to February 4, 2017
Users of Weibo and WeChat will have daily opportunities to participate and win prizes from popular South Coast Plaza boutiques. Enter to win a shopping spree by visiting one of the concierge desks throughout South Coast Plaza, and visit the ACCESS VIP Suite near Saks Fifth Avenue on Level 2 to see this year’s exclusive gift with purchase – a commemorative LIULI vase.
2017 TET FESTIVAL AT OC FAIR & EVENT CENTER
One of the largest Lunar New Year festivals in the world will happen again this year in Costa Mesa, the weekend of January 27-28, 2017, at the OC Fair & Event Center. Beginning Friday evening, visitors will be immersed in a vibrant array of traditional foods, contests, live entertainment, cultural displays, festive games and rides and a fireworks show celebrating the New Year.
The 36th Annual Tet Festival is presented by the nonprofit organization Union of Vietnamese Student Associations, and is coordinated entirely by student and adult volunteers. The Tet Festival is an entertainment event where family and friends can celebrate the Lunar New Year and share hope and prosperity for a new year. Admission is just $6 and children 2 and under are free. Proceeds from this event help to serve the Vietnamese community by building leadership skills and cultural awareness as well as support for strong civic responsibility.
What Lunar New Year events do you plan to attend? Let us know in the comments!
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Project: Time Off – Get to Work Planning Your Vacation!
It’s a new year, and while you may be returning to work from a holiday break, do you still feel like you need a vacation? Did you actually use all of your vacation time last year? If you’re thinking about some changes you hope to make in the new year, along with traditional goals of eating better and exercising, you might want to consider using some of those vacation hours – time off is proven to help you feel better in many ways, including improved health and well being. Why not resolve to work less, play more? That’s right, you and 49% of Americans leave hundreds of vacation hours on the table each year by not planning for vacation time off. Make it a 2017 resolution!
Here in Costa Mesa, one of Southern California’s top cities for shopping, dining and the arts, we host millions of travelers each year as they vacation with their friends and families. We want to help you accomplish whatever you’re set out to achieve in 2017, but that starts with taking time off. Give yourself a break!
Costa Mesa can take you to the next level of relaxation or whatever level of vacation experience you’re looking to accomplish, because you know you’re going to need one at some point. Start your day enjoying breakfast at a local outdoor café or on the patio of one of our hotel’s full-service restaurants; enjoy a serene walk around Segerstrom Center for the Arts and the 33,000-square-foot arts plaza; or make your way to world-renowned South Coast Plaza, with hundreds of boutique shops and 30 restaurants, all within walking distance.
If you’d prefer something off the beaten path, where the locals hang out, visit one of our outdoor malls with a host of locally-owned businesses and quaint dining experiences at The LAB or The CAMP. Grab a cup of coffee or fresh-squeezed juice and enjoy the outdoor seating and soak up some sun at SOCO and The OC Mix.
If you’re looking to be entertained, take in the latest Broadway production, enjoy the mild weather and year-round sunshine by the pool, or take a trip just a few minutes down the road to our miles of coastline and Orange County beaches. We want to help you live out your New Year’s resolutions, and if that means sticking to your exercise routine, most of our hotels have complimentary gyms open 24 hours a day to help keep you on track.
We say it’s time to take back your calendar, and before filling the days and weeks ahead with meetings, select some time for yourself to use those vacation days owed to you. You work hard for them, after all! You know how much better you feel when you leave the office, set down and turn off electronic devices for a while, so we suggest you prioritize “time off” in your schedule for the entire year. Vacation time is valuable for relationships, and our personal and professional success. One very important step that could help you get vacation on the books sooner than later is planning.
Here are 5 ways to start planning your vacation time for the year.
Don’t wait, January 31 is the U. S. Travel Association’s National “Plan for Vacation Day” – part of Project: Time Off. Together, we want to see more Americans get their vacation plans on the books this month. Won’t that give you so much to look forward for the rest of the year? Take control of your schedule and improve your productivity and success in 2017.
Learn more about Project: Time Off and National Plan For Vacation Day.
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Posted in Hotels, Misc, Music & Art, Play, Shopping
Get Away for the Holidays in Costa Mesa
The holidays are upon us and while we begin to prepare for festive gatherings, office parties and catching up with family and friends, a little R&R is always welcome this time of year. If you’re intrigued by the idea of getting away before or after the winter holidays, we have another reason that should help entice you – a gift certificate for $100 to use for dining, theater tickets, or to finish up your shopping at Costa Mesa’s world-renowned shopping destination – South Coast Plaza.
How do you get in on this great deal? It’s easy:
First, select one of 10 hotel properties to settle in for a few days – whether you’re looking for 4-diamond luxury or something more economical, we have venues for all budgets.
Second, book your trip to stay two days through January 7, 2017.
Third, decide how to spend your $100 gift certificate while in the City of the Arts™.
Costa Mesa offers experiences for couples, friends as well as the whole family so you can take a break and enjoy the winter season in the year-round sunshine with mild temperatures averaging mid-60s in the winter.
We invite you to spend your holidays in Costa Mesa. Getting here is easy, with just over an hour drive from Los Angeles, Inland Empire and San Diego. Or, fly into John Wayne Airport, just minutes from Costa Mesa where most hotels offer complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport.
Here are some of our ideas on how you can enjoy your stay with a little extra cash in your pocket:
There is always something new in Costa Mesa, especially when it comes to setting the trend for the season. Whether looking for a gift, or shopping for yourself, you’ll find the latest styles at newly opened stores like Max Mara Weekend with their ready-to-wear accessories and lifestyle collection. Stop by White Lilac, a boutique offering a unique, whimsical collection of gifts, housewares, accessories, furniture and décor. These and many other luxury brands, like Harry Winston, Hermes and Prada are exclusive to South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.
To make your visit extra special, South Coast Plaza offers concierge service in four locations to provide you assistance with all of your shopping and dining needs. Complimentary gift wrapping is also available.
If you’re a theatergoer, Costa Mesa has it all. From world-renowned symphonies and chamber music to Broadway musicals, and some of the best ballets in the country, the stage is always set at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Purchase tickets at the box office centrally located to hotels in the heart of Costa Mesa. December brings the sites and sounds of performances including American Ballet Theater featuring The Nutcracker; Elf the Musical; The Klezmatics Eastern European Jewish Music; Fiesta Navidad featuring Grammy Award-winning Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano in this festive performance.
If you have sophisticated dining experience, Costa Mesa has you covered. Try Din Tai Fung with their gourmet dumplings, or Mastro’s Steakhouse for your prime favorites. AnQi by Crustacean prepares California-Asian tapas for a dining experience for your whole group.
Traveling with family or friends, look no further than Wolfgang Puck Bistro, Quattro Café for traditional Italian cuisine or Water Grill with the freshest seafood and menu updated with daily specials.
PLAY IN COSTA MESA
Around town you’ll find Costa Mesa buzzing with holiday activities. Visit Santa at South Coast Plaza and enjoy the holiday décor and festive retailers featuring all the latest trends.
Visit The OC Mix at South Coast Collection Sunday, December 4, 11, and 18 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Enjoy free, family-friendly days filled with photos with Santa, Party Karacters, a festive photo booth, live music, and holiday activities like complimentary gift wrapping and arts and crafts.
The Triangle has the whole family engaged in its entertainment and retail center. Catch the latest movie on the big screen, stake out a lane at Tavern + Bowl then grab dinner at La Vida Cantina or quick treat at Creamistry – made-to-order ice cream using liquid nitrogen. On December 10 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Triangle invites families to enjoy the holidays. Activities include visits with Santa, face painting and holiday-themed music performed by MONTAGE – a musical group from Orange County School of the Arts.
If you’re seeking more adventure, Anaheim is only a 20-minute shuttle ride where you can spend a day at Disneyland. Or, head to the Pacific Ocean, just about 10 minutes to Southern California’s coast. Between December 14 and18, you can view the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade featuring nearly 100 decorated boats as they cruise the Newport Harbor.
We look forward to seeing you and hope you enjoy the experience Costa Mesa offers. Check with the participating hotels as well as our website for dining specials through Christmas and New Year’s Day.
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Posted in Events, Food, Hotels, Locals, Misc, Music & Art, News, Play, Shopping
Chinese New Year Celebration 2016
Celebrate the Year of the Monkey during the Chinese New Year at South Coast Plaza with live entertainment, promotions, traditional music, cultural exhibits and more.
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Posted in Events, Misc, Music & Art, Shopping
