Orange County Great Park

Since we’re in the middle of a lazy President’s Day holiday weekend with no real plans, my wife and I decided to check out Orange County Great Park in Irvine on Sunday to visit the Sunday Farmers Market. Located pretty much in the center of Irvine, not far from the Spectrum, Orange County Great Park is a transformation of the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro into a massive metropolitan park.

The Certified Farmers Market is held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Sunday. Fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables, handcrafted artisan products, and food trucks are on site to buy from. The weather was kind of crummy so the turnout was sparse but we bought some good food to take home to enjoy. We also walked a lot of the park which is dog and child friendly. It’s a great place to let them run loose and drain their energy.

Orange County Great Park has “The Great Park Balloon” which is the park’s main attraction. With the ability to hold up to 25 to 30 passengers, and soar 400 feet above the surrounding landscape, it serves as a public observation deck for the Great Park’s development and offers a 360° view that spans 40 miles on a clear day. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a clear day and the weather wasn’t ideal, so the balloon was closed . All good though.

Overall, it was a fun inexpensive way to get out to enjoy the weekend. I highly recommend it if you have kids or dogs and are looking for inexpensive family entertainment. Here are a handful of Orange County Great Park:

Hangar Museum

The Great Baloon

Cool Walkway

Farmers Market

Friends and us at the hangar mini museum at the site.

For more information including hours and activities, visit Orange County Great Park.

-JK