OC Fair

OC Fair & Event Center | Costa Mesa
Ends August 17, 2025

Send summer out with a bang at the OC Fair, packed with food, rides, farm animals, live music, shopping, and hands-on fun for all ages. This year’s “Find Your Happy” theme brings new carnival rides, outrageous eats, tribute bands, and quirky entertainment like lawn mower races—plus concerts, livestock exhibits, and plenty of family-friendly fun across the fairgrounds.

Sea Country Festival

Laguna Niguel
August 22-24, 2025

Celebrate the end of summer at Laguna Niguel’s three-day Sea Country Festival, packed with live music, rides, games, food, and themed fun. Enjoy free entry (with nominal fees for attractions) and join nightly themes—Glow Pop Party on Friday, Family Fun Night on Saturday, and Beach Party Bash on Sunday.

Located on Dorine and El Lazo between the Laguna Design Center and the Chet Holifield Federal Building, the festival also offers free shuttle service from the Sea Country Senior & Community Center.

Kidsguide Advertising Partner – Check them out!

Monster Jam: Freestyle Mania

Crypto.com Arena | Los Angeles
August 22-24, 2025

Monster Jam is going full-send with a brand-new twist! For the first time in Southern California, Monster Jam trucks are teaming up with Freestyle Motocross bikes for an epic mashup of high-flying stunts and team competition.

This live show is all about next-level action. Watch eight teams go head-to-head in jaw-dropping Freestyle, Racing, 2-Wheel Skills, Best Trick, and Best Whip competitions. Fans even get to score the athletes in real time and help crown the Team Event Champion.

Fiesta La Ballona

Culver City
August 22-24, 2025

Since 1951, Fiesta La Ballona has brought the Culver City community together for a weekend of music, rides, games, and food. Browse booths from local vendors, catch live performances, and explore the carnival midway.

Take a break from the heat at the Aquacade Luau, with free pool activities including recreational and lap swimming, inner tube fun, an inflatable obstacle course, and the Splash n’ Dive Movie. It’s a long-running summer tradition for all ages.

Maestro of the Movies: Celebrating the Music of John Williams

Hollywood Bowl | Los Angeles
August 22-24, 2025

End summer on a high note with a family night at the Hollywood Bowl! The LA Philharmonic and conductor David Newman bring John Williams’ most famous movie music—Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Superman, and more—to life, alongside epic film clips on the big screens. Grab the kids, pack a picnic, and get ready for a blockbuster evening under the stars.

La Habra Corn Festival

Portola Park | La Habra
August 22-24, 2025

Celebrate La Habra’s 100th birthday at the annual La Habra Corn Festival, a free community tradition hosted by the La Habra Host Lions Club. What started in 1947 as a neighborhood gathering has grown into a beloved weekend celebration filled with carnival rides, food, games, and hometown pride. This year’s festival returns to its traditional August dates and features a parade, live entertainment, corn-eating contests, and plenty of sweet corn on the cob.

Butterfly Pavilion

Natural History Museum | Los Angeles
Ends August 24, 2025

Step into a fluttering wonderland at the Butterfly Pavilion, where you can walk among hundreds of butterflies and enjoy vibrant native plants and plenty of natural light. See the entire butterfly life cycle up close, from eggs and caterpillars to chrysalises and fluttering adults.

Spot up to 30 different species, including California natives like the Mourning Cloak and Common Buckeye, and chat with museum educators and animal care specialists about these amazing insects. Don’t forget to stop by the Butterfly Pavilion store for nature-inspired souvenirs!

Pirates Dinner Adventure – Kids Free Thursdays

Pirates Dinner Adventure | Buena Park
Ends August 28, 2025

Make Thursdays an end-of-summer family night out! Kids ages 3-11 get in free with a paid adult ticket to Pirates Dinner Adventure—an action-packed evening of swashbuckling stunts, songs, and a feast fit for a pirate crew. Promotion is only valid by calling their reservations department at (714) 690-1497. Code: KIDTHURS

50% Off Kids: There’s also a half-off kids deal valid through 9/1/25!

Asian Garden Night Market

Asian Garden Mall | Westminster
Ends August 31, 2025

The popular Asian Garden Night Market is filled with food, shopping, and culture. Since 2011, this outdoor event has brought the energy of traditional Asian night markets to Westminster.

Families can stroll through vendor booths offering skincare, clothing, accessories, and toys—while the main draw remains the variety of tasty Vietnamese street food. Live music sets the scene for a lively evening outing.

The Circus

Bob Baker Marionette Theater | Los Angeles
Ends August 31, 2025

Step right up for a puppet spectacular as the Bob Baker Marionette Theater’s historic show, The Circus, takes the stage. Featuring over 100 handcrafted marionettes, this hour-long performance brings to life a lively cast of animal stars, daring acrobats, and laugh-out-loud clowns. First staged in 1948, The Circus remains a vibrant musical extravaganza the whole family can enjoy.

Sawdust Art Festival

Laguna Beach
Ends August 31, 2025

Celebrate six decades of Laguna Beach’s iconic summer tradition at the Sawdust Art Festival. Stroll through a vibrant outdoor setting featuring over 185 artists, live art demonstrations, and original works for purchase. Visitors can take free art classes, enjoy live music, sample food and drinks, and connect with the creative community during this 66-day celebration of art and summer.

Orange International Street Fair

Old Town Orange
August 29-31, 2025

Wrap up summer at this three-day celebration of food, music, and culture from around the globe. Explore 15 themed streets with more than 40 food and drink booths, shop handmade arts and crafts, and let the kids play in their own dedicated zone. Enjoy community booths, local vendors, and seven stages of live entertainment all weekend long.

Kidsguide Advertising Partner – Check them out!

Kidz Bop Live: Certified Bop Tour

Honda Center | Anaheim
August 30, 2025

Celebrate all things K-pop at this fan-hosted festival made for fans, by fans. Join fellow stans for photocard decorating and trading, random dance play sessions, K-pop creator meet-and-greets, and an Artist Alley packed with fan-made art. Plus, dive into even more ways to experience and enjoy Korean culture all weekend long.

K-PLAY! Fest

Anaheim Convention Center
August 30-31, 2025

Celebrate all things K-pop at this fan-hosted festival made for fans, by fans. Join fellow stans for photocard decorating and trading, random dance play sessions, K-pop creator meet-and-greets, and an Artist Alley packed with fan-made art. Plus, dive into even more ways to experience and enjoy Korean culture all weekend long.

Long Beach Greek Festival

5761 E. Colorado St. | Long Beach
August 30 – September 1, 2025

Spend Labor Day weekend soaking up Greek culture with three days of authentic food, live music, dancing, and cooking demos. Browse unique shopping, let the kids enjoy games and bounce houses, and take advantage of free parking and shuttle service. Admission is $5.

Tube-a-Palooza: Tunneling into Play

Pretend City Children’s Museum | Irvine
Ends September 1, 2025

Dive into the world of tubes of all shapes and sizes at Tube-a-Palooza, a limited-time, hands-on summer exhibit. Kids can experiment, build, and explore through STEAM-based activities that reveal the surprising science behind these simple structures.

This interactive space invites young scientists to lead the way in a fun, creative exploration of how tubes work in everyday life.

Rescue Exhibition

Discovery Cube | Los Angeles
Ends September 1, 2025

Experience the science and technology behind real-life rescue missions at The Rescue Exhibition! Get hands-on with land, sea, and air rescue tools, climb aboard a full-size helicopter simulator, spot heat signals with infrared cameras, and practice virtual firefighting and surf rescues.

Visitors can also learn about first responder gear, survival strategies, and life-saving medical techniques through interactive activities designed for all ages.

Ocean Encounter

Discovery Cube OC | Santa Ana
Ends September 1, 2025

Dive into an immersive journey through the ocean’s five zones, from the sunlit surface to the dark depths of the trenches. This interactive experience features massive LED walls, giant inflatables, demo labs, and hands-on exhibits like a full-scale submarine, all highlighting marine life, conservation challenges, and real-world solutions. Extend your visit at Sea Lab to touch live sharks and rays while learning how to protect California’s coastal habitats.

Tickets: Included with general admission.

Wired for Wonder

Kidspace Children’s Museum | Pasadena
Ends September 1, 2025

Explore a multi-sensory maze where you can touch, smell, listen, and discover new ways to experience the world. Navigate a color-changing maze, “see” with your hands, and test your nose at the Smell-o-Phone booth, all while immersing yourself in interactive artworks and experiments.

Wired for Wonder is presented in collaboration with Getty’s PST ART: Art & Science Collide, and can be added to your Kidspace visit for an additional fee.

Kidspace Campout

Kidspace Children’s Museum | Pasadena
Ends September 14, 2025

Kidspace Campout brings the best parts of summer to life with camping, fishing, campfire songs, and classic crafts. Explore native wildlife, splash through the Arroyo stream, and take a trike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge—complete with fun pit stops like Kirby’s Corner and the Little Bear Carwash.

Discover the Arroyo Seco’s ecosystem in the interactive Arroyo Pequeño exhibit, play in cool pools, and look for signs of local wildlife. End the day gathered around a whimsical “campfire” for traditional and silly songs and activities with the whole family.

Journey Through the Maze: 45 Years of PAC-MAN

Great Park Gallery at Great Park | Irvine
Ends September 28, 2025

Step into the iconic world of PAC-MAN and explore 45 years of gaming history, from its 1980s arcade debut to its lasting cultural impact. This interactive exhibition features original arcade cabinets, rare memorabilia, and behind-the-scenes looks at the game’s development, offering a nostalgic and insightful celebration of PAC-MAN’s enduring legacy in gaming and pop culture.

Admission: FREE!

SOAR – Tropical Butterflies

South Coast Botanic Garden | Palos Verdes Peninsula
Ends September 30, 2025

SOAR returns for its 5th year at South Coast Botanic Garden, bringing hundreds of tropical butterflies for an immersive nature experience.

Start your journey in the Host and Nectar Garden, where butterfly-friendly plants help set the stage. Swing by the Emergence Chamber to witness butterflies coming out of their pupae, then step inside the pavilion where butterflies freely flutter all around you.

Butterfly Feeding Experience also avilable.

Bamboozled: An Unexpected Bamboo Adventure

South Coast Botanic Garden | Palos Verdes Peninsula
Ends September 30, 2025

Explore a whimsical bamboo adventure across the Garden’s 87 acres with Bamboozled, a new exhibit featuring eight monumental bamboo bird sculptures. Created by artist duo The Myth Makers, each larger-than-life sculpture has its own personality, story, and interactive elements—from running through a Scrub Jay to sitting inside a Great Horned Owl.

Follow the sound of bamboo wind chimes to find each hidden sculpture, and for even more discovery, guests can upgrade with a Secret Adventure Ticket, which includes a special map, behind-the-scenes clues, and tools to enhance the experience.