Free Things To Do: Orange County

There are plenty of things to do, Orange County, as summer is not too far down the line, but what if you’re not exactly wealthy? We came up with our best picks for activities for those of us who are scrambling to pay rent instead of making it rain in the club.

First up is the Shipley Nature Center, in Huntington Beach. During the summer, it hosts its annual free open house, which features live music, a selection of local vendors showing off their wares, a butterfly house, and maypole dancing. The Center also features several “Cool Summer Nights” events, so check out their website for the full details on those. This is a fun way to get a little nature and culture, absolutely free of charge.

The Orange County Parks and Recreation Department has free movies during the summer, so bring your beach blanket and your favorite snacks. In 2017, there was a wide array of newer selections as well as older classics, and 2018 should be no different. The movie lineup will be announced shortly, as well as the dates. There’s something magical about seeing a movie outdoors, so take advantage of these opportunities.

The Old Town Tustin chili cook-off and street festival is free, and it’ll be going down this year on Sunday, June 3rd. Tustin calls this is the “largest one-day Chili Cook-Off in the world,” so if the smell of ground chuck and cumin makes your mouth water, this is for you. There are wine and beer booths, a family plaza, a salsa competition, craft booths, and all sorts of other live entertainment that should keep you busy all afternoon.

Our final selection is the weekly street festival at Huntington Beach, or, as the locals call it, Surf City. This isn’t exclusive to summer, as it happens year-round, every Tuesday evening. They close down three Main Street blocks so that over ninety different vendors and artists can show off their crafts. There’s also live musical entertainment, and a farmer’s market, and you’ll find some of the friendliest people there in all of Southern California.

That’s it for now, fellow broke people. You don’t have to be in the money to enjoy some excellent events and activities, and with so much happening this summer, there’s no reason to be stuck indoors riding the couch.