Spring is here! It is time to enjoy 70° weather at the Newport Beach International Boat Show at Lido Marina Village from April 16th-19th, 2026. Incorporating stunning yachts from top builders and brokerages, the event offers attendees a one-of-a-kind experience that captures the essence of Newport Beach’s elevated lifestyle. |
We are working on preserving Newport Beach’s history. The City will be celebrating its 120th anniversary this September. This photo captures a 1940s Bal Week also called Easter Week when spring break took place at Balboa. This crowd at the Fun Zone shows how thousands visited the area to rent beach cottages during their college years.
This exhibition is a collaborative event for artists of the Orange County Chapter of the California Art Club in a gallery/museum setting. Forty Artists, Signature and Mentor members of the Club have either been invited or applied to unveil one of their masterworks as part of this new exhibition in the main gallery. Join us at Casa Romantica for Art Lecture with Art Historian, Jean Stern, Thursday, April 2nd at 6 p.m.
The Irvine Ranch By Robert Glass Cleland
The Irvine Ranch in Orange County is one of the largest properties remaining from California’s Rancho Era. In 1952 the Huntington Library first published the history of this gigantic ranch–from the days of the Gabrielino Indians, through the rule by Spain and Mexico, to the ownership and administration by four generations of the Irvine family. The ranch was a combination of three large land grants that went, wholly or in part, into the making of the Irvine property. Dr. Cleland tells the history of these grants and provides reproductions of old maps and portraits of early owners. This book was published by The Huntington Library.
According to historian Robert Glass Cleland, the Irvine house cost approximately $25,000 with furnishings when it was originally constructed. Today, it has been rebuilt as Katie Wheeler Library. Jennifer attended the ribbon cutting dedication with the Irvine family as shown with Helene Wheeler, Katie Wheeler’s daughter, who signed her copy of The Irvine Ranch of Orange County book.
The Newport Beach Historical Society is hosting a dinner at the Harborside Pavilion on Wednesday, April 15th. Purchase your tickets today for this sure to sell-out dinner. Centennial Mayor Don Webb will moderate “The Story of the Last 20 Years of Newport Beach by Its Mayors.” The speakers include Ed Selich, Nancy Gardner, Diane Dixon, and Joe Stapleton.
The United States of America will be celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2026. Mission San Juan Capistrano—the birthplace of Orange County is also honoring its 250th anniversary. This historic milestone offers an incredible opportunity to celebrate, not only our country’s birth but also the rich cultural heritage, resilient spirit, and diverse community that define the City of San Juan Capistrano. All of the Speaker Events will be held at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center. There will be a trolley tour on April 7, 2026. Learn more and RSVP at: sjc250.org
At Home in Sunlight: A State in Motion, 1897–1940
January 31 – May 16, 2026
UC Irvine Langson Museum Interim Gallery
18881 Von Karman Ave., Irvine
Curated by: SeeVa Dawne Kitslis
At Home in Sunlight: A State in Motion explores California during a transformative period of unprecedented growth when its industrial infrastructure and cultural identity were rapidly changing. At the turn of the 20th Century, California was a state in motion. Its major urban centers—San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego—competed to establish themselves as dominant Pacific trade hubs open to Asia. Simultaneously, waves of artists arriving westward from Europe and the US Midwest sought to capture the state’s landscape and new way of life.
Route 66 – Happy 100th Birthday to America’s Mother Road: Paintings by Joan Gladstone
December 13, 2025 – May 30, 2026 at the Hilbert Art Museum in Orange
Celebrate the centennial of America’s most iconic highway as artist Joan Gladstone captures the spirit and nostalgia of historic Route 66 – the “Mother Road” that stretches 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica – across eight states. This exhibition showcases eighteen vivid contemporary oil paintings of the legendary road and its bold, colorful signage, inspired by Gladstone’s travels, archival images and imaginative reinterpretations.
We recommend storing your archive at 70° inside in air-conditioned environment. Keep those photograph memories safe in an acid-free box. You can purchase this High-Capacity Photo Storage Kit that can store up to 1,700 photos 4 x 6″ in size. You are the guardian of your family history.