Costa Mesa is widely recognized as the heart of Orange County, and it’s no surprise with the plethora of restaurants, bars, shopping, outdoor activities, and close proximity to some of the best beaches in the state. Community events for local Orange County residents are also an important part of the Costa Mesa culture, many of which are hosted on a weekly basis at the Orange County Fairgrounds.
However, this weekend Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park is the place to be for the Costa Mesa- Newport Harbor Lions Club’s 69th annual Fish Fry & Carnival! Guests are invited to enjoy free admission to three days of music, carnival rides and games, local vendors, and, of course, the famous fish dinners! This family friendly event is also presenting a Battle of the Bands, the Fish Fry’s first annual Car Show, and the traditional Baby Contest!
Each year, the Costa Mesa- Newport Harbor Lions Club hosts thousands of Orange County residents at their Fish Fry event to help raise money for local schools, clubs, and other community organizations. These Lions have been crowned “The Fish Fry Club” because of their fish-shaped hats and traditional fish fry recipe that goes back to the 1920’s. You definitely won’t want to miss out on the flaky, golden, perfectly battered fish!
Swim on over to Fairview Park on Friday, June 3rd from 5:30-7:30 pm to check out local classic cars at the inaugural Car Show, sponsored by First Friday RoadShow. Stand-Up comedy by Lions Club member Bob Ooten and Friends will also be featured in the Beer Garden from 6:45-7:00pm and 7:45-8:00pm. The fish starts frying at 5 pm, and keeps on cooking until 9 pm! Over the course of the weekend, several local bands will be filling the air with a variety of music for guests to enjoy throughout the festivities.
Lions Club members will continue the fish fry on Saturday and Sunday from 12pm-9pm, and with over 68 years of experience frying fish you definitely won’t want to miss out. Check out the Costa Mesa Fish Fry Facebook page to print out a coupon to receive $1 off your fish dinner at the event! Of course, the Lions Club asks that you only bring one per family since the Fish Fry is a non-profit event and every little bit helps!
Sunday’s highlight is undoubtedly the annual Baby Contest, where parents can register their babies aged 6-24 months to win a number of categories including best personality, most beautiful and overall appearance. Of course, the judges are impartial and this is a light-hearted contest not to be taken too seriously. All of the adorable babies will be presented with some kind of a special award! Registration fees are $5 and interested parents should bring proof of birth date to register their baby.
Outside of this weekend’s awesome Fish Fry fiesta, the park has also recently seen several improvements to the wetland habitats, including new dog-friendly walking paths and the planting of thousands of new plants, trees, and native shrubs. Families can visit every day before sundown to enjoy fun in the sun riding bikes, playing Frisbee, testing out remote controlled toys, or simply having a picnic.
Join us this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for one of Costa Mesa’s favorite summertime events where the fish will be frying and the sun will be shining! Fairview Park in Costa Mesa is located right next to Estancia High School at 2525 Placentia Avenue. We’ll see you there!
