• Irvine Insider
  • Posts
  • Discover Birds by Ear: Join a Bommer Canyon Sound Walk, Dec. 6

Discover Birds by Ear: Join a Bommer Canyon Sound Walk, Dec. 6

Issue # 0524

Author

Joshua Tjia
25 Nov

In this Irvine Insider Issue . . .

😁 Laugh of the Day

🌤️ Irvine Weather

🎄✨🎄 Illuminate Irvine Returns: A Sparkling Night of Holiday Magic at the Great Park

🩰❄️ Festival Ballet Theatre Returns with The Nutcracker Dec. 6–24

🚦 Temporary Traffic Light Shutdown Near Kaiser/Hoag Irvine

🍦 $4 Tuesdays at Handel’s Irvine Spectrum — Sweeten Your Week

📖📚 Library Volunteer Opportunities for Teens and Adults

🏥⚡️ UCI Health - Irvine Opens Nation’s First All-Electric Acute Care Hospital This December

🎶🐦‍⬛ Discover Birds by Ear: Join a Bommer Canyon Sound Walk, Dec. 6

❄️👕❄️ Join the Ugly Sweater Decorating Party at Heritage Park Library, Dec. 1

🎼🎼 Upcoming High School Music Calendar

🐕🐈 A Week of Happy Tails: 11 New Adoptions and Sweet Reunions

🏀 UCI Women's Basketball Wins Great Alaska Shootout Championship

🏀🏐🎾⚽️ UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

🏀 IVC Women's Basketball Grabs Another Win at El Camino Crossover

🏀🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS

🏈 Beckman Football Advances to CIF Division 8 Finals After 28–14 Win Over Palm Desert

🏈🎾 High School Athletics Calendar

🍏🥭🍑 Local Farmers Markets

🌟🏪🎉Irvine’s Best Kept Secrets: Is Your Business One of Them?

📅📅 Lots of Local Events

📞💡 Useful Contact Information

Who is the leader of the corn army?

The kernel!

We hope this joke brings come laughter to your day! 😁

Illuminate Irvine Returns: A Sparkling Night of Holiday Magic at the Great Park

Illuminate Irvine returns to the Great Park on Saturday, December 6, from 3–8 p.m., transforming the Palm Court Arts Complex into a sparkling winter wonderland filled with twinkling lights, festive music, photo ops, games, kids’ crafts, and the beloved tree lighting with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

  • Families can explore Tinsel Town, enjoy live entertainment, and take part in hands-on holiday fun.

  • Admission and parking are free

  • Guests may bring a new, unwrapped gift for children 12 and under to support the Irvine 2/11 Marine Adoption Committee Holiday Toy Drive

  • More information

Festival Ballet Theatre Returns with The Nutcracker Dec. 6–24

Festival Ballet Theatre brings its beloved full-length production of The Nutcracker to the Irvine Barclay Theatre December 6–24, featuring vibrant sets, dazzling costumes, and Tchaikovsky’s iconic score. With choreography by Artistic Director Salwa Rizkalla, the show includes world-renowned guest dancers from major ballet companies and showcases exceptional young talent.

Temporary Traffic Light Shutdown Near Kaiser/Hoag Irvine

The traffic signal at Alton Parkway and Kaiser Permanente/Hoag Irvine will be shut down or switched to red-flash mode today, Tuesday, November 25, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a signal synchronization project. Drivers can expect possible delays while crews work to improve traffic flow along Alton, and the Irvine Police Department will help manage the area.

$4 Tuesdays at Handel’s Irvine Spectrum — Sweeten Your Week

Handel’s Ice Cream at the Irvine Spectrum is offering $4 Tuesdays now through December 31. Guests can treat themselves to a small dish or cone for $4. Scoop these sweet treats at a sweet price this season!

Library Volunteer Opportunities for Teens and Adults

Irvine Public Library offers volunteer opportunities for teens and adults, providing a chance to support library services, learn new skills, and earn community service credit. While current positions are full, joining the waitlist is a great way to secure a spot when new openings become available.

  • Who Can Volunteer:

    • Teens ages 14 and older; adults ages 18 and older.

    • Suitable for individuals interested in libraries, community service, or assisting others.

  • Teen Opportunities:

    • Teen Advisory Group (TAG): Monthly meetings, service projects, and feedback on teen programs.

    • Program Assistance: Support staff with craft preparation for children, teen, and adult programs.

    • Toy Cleaning: Help sanitize and organize Stay & Play toys for young children.

  • Adult Opportunities:

    • Shelving: Assist with returning materials to shelves and keeping collections organized.

  • How to Get Involved:

UCI Health - Irvine Opens Nation’s First All-Electric Acute Care Hospital This December

UCI Health–Irvine will open the nation’s first all-electric acute care hospital this December, offering a modern and technology-forward facility adjacent to the UC Irvine campus.

  • 144-bed, seven-story hospital supporting medical, nursing, pharmacy, and public health education.

  • Patient rooms averaging 250 sq ft with 75-inch smart TVs for meal ordering, care communication, instructions, and educational or entertainment content.

  • Design features include nature-inspired artwork, outdoor terraces, and gardens with native plants.

  • All-electric kitchen and sustainable furnishings free of harmful chemicals and materials.

  • Hospital services include a 24-hour ER, cardiology and epilepsy monitoring units, bone marrow transplant/cellular therapy, interventional radiology, catheterization, advanced imaging, inpatient/outpatient pharmacy, blood bank, laboratory, pathology, and a gift shop.

Discover Birds by Ear: Join a Bommer Canyon Sound Walk, Dec. 6

Join a sound-focused birding experience at Bommer Canyon on Saturday, December 6, from 7:30–9:30 a.m. This relaxed, beginner-friendly outing invites participants to enjoy bird songs and calls, learn how to recognize different vocal patterns, and take a gentle 0.5-mile walk along a maintained trail.

Join the Ugly Sweater Decorating Party at Heritage Park Library, Dec. 1

Join the Ugly Sweater Decorating Party at Heritage Park Library on Monday, December 1, from 6–7:30 p.m. This free adult drop-in event invites you to bring your own sweater and decorate it with provided supplies. No registration is required, and walk-ins are welcome while supplies last.

Upcoming Northwood High School’s Music Calendar

  1. December 3, 7 - 8:30 PM: Instrumental Winter Concert - Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, NHS Theater

  2. December 4, 7 - 8:30 PM: Instrumental Winter Concert - Guitar, Symphonic Strings, Concert Orchestra, NHS Theater

  3. December 9, 7 - 8:30 PM: Vocal Music Winter Concert, NHS Theater

  4. December 12 , 7 - 8:30 PM: Winter Gala Concert – Jazz Ensemble I, Wind Symphony, Philharmonic, and Vocal Music, NHS Theater

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://timbmusic.org/events/

Upcoming Woodbridge High School's Music Calendar

  1. December 11 - 12, 6:30 - 8:30 PM: Winter Concerts, WHS Performing Arts Center

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.whs-music.org/

Upcoming Woodbridge High School’s Vocal Music Calendar

  1. December 5, 7 PM: Winter Celebration Concert, WHS Performing Arts Center

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://woodbridgechoirs.weebly.com/calendar.html

Upcoming Irvine High Choral’s Music Calendar

  1. December 16, 7 PM: Jazz the Halls, TBD

  2. December 18, 7 PM: Holiday Concert, IHS PAC

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.ihschoralmusic.org/calendar.html 

Upcoming Portola High School Music’s Calendar

No events scheduled for the rest of this month.

For the latest updates or additional details, please visit https://www.phsmusicbooster.org/buy-ticket

A Week of Happy Tails: 11 New Adoptions and Sweet Reunions

From November 17–23, the Irvine Animal Care Center celebrated 11 successful adoptions —

  • 2 dogs (Hershey and Reina)

  • 9 cats (Adeline, Ash, Astro, Binx, Juju, Mary, Melo, Pusheen, and Rey)

  • 1 dog was transferred to rescue, and 2 dogs and 3 cats were happily reunited with their owners. 

Learn more about adopting or visiting at cityofirvine.org/animals.

UCI Women's Basketball Wins Great Alaska Shootout Championship

UC Irvine women’s basketball raced to a strong 24–6 opening and held off multiple St. Thomas runs to win the Great Alaska Shootout, 63–55. Jada Wynn led the Anteaters with 20 points and nine rebounds to earn Tournament MVP honors. Hunter Hernandez added 15 points and made the All-Tournament Team.

UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

Women’s Basketball

  • Fri, Nov 28 – vs Wichita State, 2:00 PM

  • Sat, Nov 29 – vs Colgate, 4:30 PM

IVC Women's Basketball Grabs Another Win at El Camino Crossover

IVC moved to 6–1 with a 65–58 win over Rio Hondo, powered by strong shooting and 17 forced turnovers. Kivonni Williams led with 14 points, with Symantha Barnett and Neryah Lokeni close behind. Multiple players added key scoring to secure the Lasers’ second straight victory.

🏐⚽🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS 

Women’s Basketball

  • Tue, Dec 9 - vs LA Mission, 5:00 PM

Men's Basketball

  • Sat, Dec 13 - vs San Diego Miramar, 5:00 PM

  • Tue, Dec 30 - vs LA Valley, 5:00 PM

Beckman Football Advances to CIF Division 8 Finals After 28–14 Win Over Palm Desert

Beckman High School is heading to the CIF Division 8 finals after a 28–14 semifinal win over Palm Desert. The Patriots were powered by standout performances from Makhi Czaykowski, quarterback Noah Nam, and a defense that delivered key interceptions and sacks.

High School Athletics Calendar

**

Updated With November Schedule

Upcoming Irvine High School’s Varsity home games:

December 2025

Tuesday, December 2

  • Soccer, Girls - 5:00 PM vs Laguna Hills

  • Basketball, Girls - 5:30 PM vs Trabuco Hills

Wednesday, December 3

  • Water Polo, Girls - 4:00 PM vs Canyon/Anahiem

  • Wrestling, Girls - 5:00 PM vs Laguna Beach

  • Wrestling, boys - 5:00 PM vs Laguna Beach

Irvine’s Best Kept Secrets: Is Your Business One of Them?

We know our community is brimming with businesses that have fascinating stories and big hearts. If you’re a local business owner making waves, crafting unique experiences, or simply putting a smile on our faces, we want to chat with you! “Irvine Insider” is eager to shine a light on the unsung heroes of our city. Let’s collaborate and let the community know what makes your business special.

Click the link below and fill out the Local Business Spotlight Application Form to be featured and let’s celebrate the spirit of Irvine together!

Irvine Insider is sent to a local audience of Irvine residence Monday through Friday with 50% - 60% open rate. Our newsletter is a great way to reach Irvine residents.

  • Kaiser Permanente Irvine Farmers Market

  • Saturday Farmers Market at Mariners Church Irvine

    • When: Saturday, 8 AM - 12 PM

    • Where: 5428 Bonita Canyon Dr, Irvine, CA 92603

  • Great Park Certified Farmers Market

  • Manassero Farmers

    • When: Daily, 9 AM - 4:30 PM

    • Where: 33 Irvine Valley, Irvine, CA 92604

  • Tanaka Farms

    • When: Daily, 9 AM - 5 PM

    • Where: 5380 3/4 University Dr, Irvine, CA 92612

    • More Info:Tanaka Farms

We could use your help

We’ve got big plans as we get up to speed! But we need your help!

One huge way that you can help us is to spread the word for us.

Know somebody who lives in the Irvine and surrounding areas and would benefit from being kept in the know?

Please share Irvine Insider with them! It’s simple!