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Experience Irvine under Moonlight: Full Moon Hike on Hicks Haul Road, Mar. 30

Issue # 0593

Author

Joshua Tjia
20 Mar

In this Irvine Insider Issue . . .

😁 Laugh of the Day

🌤️ Irvine Weather

🎻🎶🎸 Celebrating 25 Years: Irvine Art & Music Continues to Inspire Local Musicians

🗑️♻️ Residents Invited to Share Input on Bowerman Landfill at March 26 Meeting

🚕🔋 Uber Invests Up to $1.25B in Irvine’s Rivian to Launch Robotaxi Fleet by 2031

🎻🎵 Soar Into a Night of Music & Magic with Pacific Symphony, Mar. 26–28

🌳🛝 A Creative Community Gem: Discover Irvine Adventure Playground

🏃🏽🤸🏻 Move More, Feel Better: Easy Ways to Stay Active Every Day

🌕🥾 Experience Irvine under Moonlight: Full Moon Hike on Hicks Haul Road, Mar. 30

🖌️ Discover Chinese Painting & Calligraphy at Irvine Fine Arts Center

🎼🎼 Upcoming High School Music Calendar

🐈🦴 Pet Nutrition Month: Simple Nutrition Tips to Keep Your Pet Happy & Healthy

🎾 UCI's Max Fardanesh Named Big West Men’s Tennis Player of the Week

🏀🏐🎾⚽️ UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

🎾 IVC Men’s Tennis Secures Share of OEC Title with 5–3 Win Over Riverside

🏀🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS

🥎 Alan Dugard Softball Classic Begins Saturday in Irvine

🏈🎾 High School Athletics Calendar

🚓🚨 Suspect Arrested in Attempted Home Burglary on Morning Breeze

🍏🥭🍑 Local Farmers Markets

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

📅📅 Lots of Local Events

📞💡 Useful Contact Information

Why are radishes smart?

Because they’re so well-red!

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

Celebrating 25 Years: Irvine Art & Music Continues to Inspire Local Musicians

Irvine Art & Music, a family-run shop in Culver Plaza, is celebrating 25 years of serving the community with music lessons, instrument sales, rentals, and repairs. What began as small lessons in Gloria Chang’s family home has grown into a thriving business with over 400 students ages 5–80 and a team of skilled instructors. Founded by Jennifer Wang and Howard Chang after immigrating from Taiwan, the shop endured challenges like the 2008 recession through hard work and strong community ties. Now managed in part by their daughter Gloria, the business continues to evolve with new outreach efforts while remaining a welcoming space where generations of students build lasting musical memories.

Residents Invited to Share Input on Bowerman Landfill at March 26 Meeting

Orange County Waste & Recycling will host a public virtual meeting on the Frank R. Bowerman Landfill on Thursday, March 26, from 6–7 p.m. Residents are encouraged to attend to ask questions and share concerns, or submit questions in advance if they can’t join live. The Zoom session will be recorded and available for later viewing.

Uber Invests Up to $1.25B in Irvine’s Rivian to Launch Robotaxi Fleet by 2031

Uber plans to invest up to $1.25 billion over the next five years in Irvine-based electric vehicle company Rivian to support the launch of a fully autonomous robotaxi fleet. The partnership will introduce Rivian R2 vehicles exclusively on the Uber platform, with $300 million already committed pending regulatory approval, and aims to expand to thousands of robotaxis across 25 cities in North America and Europe by 2031.

Soar Into a Night of Music & Magic with Pacific Symphony, Mar. 26–28

The Pacific Symphony presents a cinematic concert experience March 26–28 at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, featuring music by Brahms, John Williams, and Michael Daugherty. The performance highlights GRAMMY®-winning violinist Anne Akiko Meyers in Daugherty’s Blue Electra, inspired by aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, and is led by Music Director Laureate Carl St.Clair.

Find tickets here

A Creative Community Gem: Discover Irvine Adventure Playground

The Irvine Adventure Playground at University Park is a free, one-of-a-kind space where kids use their imagination to build, explore, and play. It’s a safe, enclosed area designed for unstructured, child-led play, making every visit a little different.

⭐ Highlights

  • 🎨 Creative play: Kids build and explore freely

  • 🧱 Loose parts: Blocks, tools, and materials for fort-making

  • 💧 Water & sand play: Expect fun (and mess!)

  • 🛝 Unique features: Slides, climbing areas, and open spaces

  • 🌱 Quiet corners: Sensory garden and shaded spots

📍 Quick Info

  • 🕒 Hours: 10 AM–6 PM (Mar–Oct) | 10 AM–Dusk (Nov–Feb)

  • 💲 Free admission

  • 📍 Location: 1 Beech Tree Lane, Irvine

  • 🚫 Closed on holidays & rainy days

Move More, Feel Better: Easy Ways to Stay Active Every Day

A sedentary lifestyle—spending long hours sitting with little movement—can increase the risk of serious health issues like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even certain cancers. Even if you exercise regularly, too much sitting can still negatively impact your health, affecting everything from mood to how your body processes fats and sugars. The good news: simple daily habits like walking more, taking breaks from sitting, and staying active throughout the day can significantly improve your overall health and well-being.

💡 Simple Tips to Stay Active

  • 🚶‍♂️ Walk more – Take short walks during the day, after meals, or while on calls

  • 🪜 Take the stairs – Skip elevators when possible for an easy activity boost

  • ⏰ Stand up often – Aim to move or stretch every 30 minutes

  • 🧹 Stay active at home – Household chores count as movement too

  • 🏋️ Follow a routine – Mix cardio, strength, and flexibility exercises each week

Experience Irvine under Moonlight: Full Moon Hike on Hicks Haul Road, Mar. 30

Join a Full Moon Hike on Hicks Haul Road on Monday, March 30 from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at the Irvine Open Space Preserve. This easy-paced, 3.5-mile round-trip hike leads to scenic Loma Ridge, featuring rock formations, native plants, and nighttime nature sounds.

Discover Chinese Painting & Calligraphy at Irvine Fine Arts Center

The Irvine Fine Arts Center is offering beginner-friendly classes and workshops in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy, where participants learn basic brush techniques, composition, and regular script writing. Open to families, teens, and youth ages 7–12, the programs guide students step-by-step to create their own artwork on Xuan paper or fans—making it a fun and creative way to explore this timeless art form together.

Register for a class here

Upcoming Northwood High School’s Music Calendar

  1. March 21: Irvine Jazz Festival

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

Upcoming Woodbridge High School's Music Calendar

  1. March 26, 4:00 PM: WHS Carnival

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

Upcoming Woodbridge High School’s Vocal Music Calendar

  1. March 20, 7:00 PM: Spring 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. March 27 - April 2: Hawaii Choir Tour

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

Upcoming Portola High School Music’s Calendar

No further events scheduled for this month.

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

Pet Nutrition Month: Simple Nutrition Tips to Keep Your Pet Happy & Healthy

Here are some tips to help support your pet’s nutrition and help them maintain a healthy weight while ensuring they feel their best at every stage of life.

  • 🐾 Adjust for age
    Puppies and kittens burn lots of energy, but as pets get older, their metabolism slows—so their food needs may change too.

  • 🥣 Measure portions accurately
    It’s easy to overfeed by guessing—using a measuring cup helps keep portions just right.

  • 🚫 Skip the table scraps
    Sharing leftovers may seem harmless, but it can add unnecessary calories and lead to weight gain.

  • 🍖 Be mindful with treats
    Break treats into smaller pieces so your pet can still enjoy them without overdoing it.

UCI's Max Fardanesh Named Big West Men’s Tennis Player of the Week

Max Fardanesh earned Big West Men’s Tennis Player of the Week after leading UC Irvine to a 4-0 homestand, posting a 3-1 singles record and a perfect 3-0 in doubles. He delivered a clutch three-set win against Army after more than five hours of play.

UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

Baseball

  • Fri, Mar 20 – vs Oregon State, 6:00 PM

  • Sat, Mar 21 – vs Oregon State, 1:00 PM

  • Sun, Mar 22 – vs Oregon State, 1:00 PM

IVC Men’s Tennis Secures Share of OEC Title with 5–3 Win Over Riverside

Irvine Valley College men’s tennis defeated Riverside 5–3 in a delayed, heat-impacted road match that was ultimately called when the lights went out, improving to 8–1 overall and 6–0 in conference play. The win secures at least a share of the Orange Empire Conference title.

🏐⚽🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS 

Women’s Beach Volleyball

  • Fri, Mar 20 – vs Saddleback, 10:00 AM

  • Fri, Mar 20 – vs Riverside, 12:00 PM

Alan Dugard Softball Classic Begins Saturday in Irvine

The annual Alan Dugard Softball Classic kicks off Saturday at Colonel Bill Barber Park in Irvine, featuring top Orange County teams competing in eight three-team pools across multiple fields, including Deanna Manning Stadium. Woodbridge opens play vs. Capistrano Valley, with pool games continuing March 23 and the championship set for March 28.

High School Athletics Calendar

**

Updated With March Schedule

Upcoming Irvine High School’s Varsity home games:

March 2026

Friday, March 20

  • Baseball- 3:30 PM vs University

Suspect Arrested in Attempted Home Burglary on Morning Breeze

Irvine Police investigated an attempted residential burglary on Morning Breeze and, with help from crime analysts and the Orange County Crime Lab, identified a suspect. On Tuesday, detectives arrested 44-year-old Gary Robert Gregory of Norco, who was booked into Orange County Jail on attempted burglary charges.

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

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