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Explore Irvine’s San Joaquin Marsh on a Free Guided Tour with IRWD

Issue # 0588

Author

Joshua Tjia
13 Mar

In this Irvine Insider Issue . . .

😁 Laugh of the Day

🌤️ Irvine Weather

🌳💧🌾 Explore Irvine’s San Joaquin Marsh on a Free Guided Tour with IRWD

🐍🚲 25-Year-Old Mountain Biker Dies Weeks After Rattlesnake Bite in Irvine

🍣🥢 Sushi Rev Brings Conveyor-Belt Sushi Dining to The Market Place

🍕🍕 Blaze Pizza Celebrates Pi Day with Buy One Pizza, Get One for $3.14

✈️🛠️ Engineering Meets History: UCI Students Build Historic WWI Aircraft Replica at Great Park

🫧🌱 Breathe Easier This Spring: Simple Tips for Managing Allergies

🐍⚠️ Rattlesnakes in Irvine’s Open Spaces: What Hikers Should Know

🪭🩰 Festival Ballet Theatre Presents Don Quixote at Irvine Barclay Theatre March 21–22

🎼🎼 Upcoming High School Music Calendar

♻️ Pick Up Free Reusable Paint, Oil & More Through OC’s Material Exchange Program

🤽‍♀️UC Irvine Women’s Water Polo Dominates Cal State Fullerton 17–5

🏀🏐🎾⚽️ UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

🏀 IVC Women’s Basketball Coach Claire Gocke Earns Coach of the Year Honors

🏀🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS

🏈🎾 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

What do you call a dog that sneezes?

A-choo-wawa.

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

Explore Irvine’s San Joaquin Marsh on a Free Guided Tour with IRWD

Irvine Ranch Water District is hosting a free community tour of the San Joaquin Marsh on March 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m..

  • Participants will take a 3-mile guided walk to learn about the marsh’s history and how its Natural Treatment System cleans urban runoff, while enjoying wildlife, scenic views, and the peaceful habitat.

  • The event also includes presentations, a Q&A with water experts, water-saving tips, and a free lunch.

  • Register at IRWD.com/events.

25-Year-Old Mountain Biker Dies Weeks After Rattlesnake Bite in Irvine

A 25-year-old Costa Mesa resident, Julian Hernandez passed away after being bitten by a venomous rattlesnake while mountain biking at Quail Hill Trailhead in Irvine on Feb. 1. He was transported to a hospital, where he later fell into a coma and remained in intensive care before his family confirmed his passing on March 4. Medical experts explain that rattlesnake venom can spread quickly and cause severe complications, including organ failure, and stress the importance of seeking immediate emergency care and antivenom treatment. While deaths from rattlesnake bites are rare in the United States, the incident reminds trail users to remain attentive to wildlife when enjoying local open spaces.

Sushi Rev Brings Conveyor-Belt Sushi Dining to The Market Place

Sushi Rev at The Market Place offers a modern conveyor-belt dining experience featuring a steady rotation of handcrafted sushi, specialty rolls, and Izakaya-style sides.

  • The menu includes about 30 varieties of nigiri such as yuzu tuna, truffle seaweed salmon, yellowtail jalapeño, garlic mackerel, and strawberry eel, along with signature rolls like the Hawaiian Harmony and Rose Roll.

  • Additional dishes include items like organic agedashi tofu and Japanese scallop carpaccio.

  • Many plates circulate on the belt for $3.75 (typically two pieces), while guests can also order any menu item to be delivered directly to their table on a second belt.

Blaze Pizza Celebrates Pi Day with Buy One Pizza, Get One for $3.14

Celebrate Pi Day (March 14) at Blaze Pizza with a special offer: buy one 11-inch pizza at regular price and get a second 11-inch pizza for $3.14. The deal is valid March 14 only, for original dough pizzas of equal or lesser value

Engineering Meets History: UCI Students Build Historic WWI Aircraft Replica at Great Park

Engineering students from the UC Irvine Henry Samueli School of Engineering are building a full-scale replica of the historic Curtiss JN-4D Jenny World War I training aircraft at the Great Park. Working from original blueprints and loose parts inside the park’s C-130 hangar, the students are reconstructing the plane in partnership with the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum. The hangar is also being used to restore more than 50 aircraft that will eventually be displayed in the museum’s new 150,000-square-foot facility scheduled to open at the park in 2027.

Breathe Easier This Spring: Simple Tips for Managing Allergies

Spring brings blooming flowers, warmer weather, and more time outdoors—but it also brings higher pollen levels that can trigger seasonal allergies. Understanding common pollen triggers and taking simple preventive steps can help reduce exposure and make allergy season more manageable.

Quick Tips to Reduce Pollen Exposure:

• Check daily pollen forecasts: Pollen counts are often highest in the morning and mid-afternoon, so plan outdoor activities for lower-pollen times.

• Keep indoor air clean: Close windows and doors during high-pollen days and use air conditioning or HEPA filters to trap allergens.

• Clean regularly: Dust surfaces, vacuum with a HEPA filter, and wash bedding often to remove pollen that enters the home.

• Shower after being outdoors: Pollen can cling to hair, skin, and clothing, so showering and changing clothes helps prevent spreading it indoors.

• Wear protective gear outside: Sunglasses and hats can reduce pollen contact with your eyes and hair.

• Avoid drying clothes outside: Pollen can stick to fabrics and worsen allergy symptoms.

• Try simple remedies: Saline nasal rinses, staying hydrated, and eating anti-inflammatory foods may help relieve symptoms.

• See a healthcare provider if needed: Persistent symptoms, breathing difficulties, or little relief from over-the-counter medications may require professional evaluation and treatment.

Rattlesnakes in Irvine’s Open Spaces: What Hikers Should Know

Irvine’s open spaces are home to many types of wildlife, including rattlesnakes. While bites are rare, being aware of surroundings and taking simple precautions can help keep everyone safe while enjoying local trails and parks.

Helpful safety tips for the trails:

  • Stay on designated trails whenever possible.

  • Watch where you step or place your hands, especially near rocks, brush, or shaded areas.

  • Keep dogs on a leash so they don’t wander too close to wildlife.

  • If you see a snake, give it plenty of space and allow it to move away on its own.

If a rattlesnake bite happens:

  • Stay calm, remain where you are, and call 911 for help.

  • Do not apply ice or heat to the bite.

  • Do not cut the bite or try to remove venom.

  • Do not use a tourniquet.

  • Avoid alcohol, caffeine, or medications.

Festival Ballet Theatre Presents Don Quixote at Irvine Barclay Theatre March 21–22

Festival Ballet Theatre presents Don Quixote on Saturday, March 21 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 22 at 2 p.m. at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. Based on the classic novel by Miguel de Cervantes and set to the lively score by Ludwig Minkus, the full-length ballet brings the adventure, romance, and Spanish flair of 17th-century Spain to the stage. The production features guest artists Jeraldine Mendoza and Dylan Gutierrez of the Joffrey Ballet.

Upcoming Northwood High School’s Music Calendar

  1. March 13: Night of the Arts – Jazz Ensemble I, Wind Symphony, Philharmonic, NHS Theater

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

Upcoming Woodbridge High School's Music Calendar

  1. March 13: Band Music Festival Concert, WHS Performing Arts Center

  2. March 16: Wind Ensemble & Philharmonic Festival, IHS Performing Arts Center

  3. March 20: 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 13: Spring Rally

  2. March 15, 3:00 PM: Plotkin Foundation Performance, Plotkin Art Gallery

  3. March 17, 7:00 PM: Spring Concert, Irvine High PAC

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

Upcoming Portola High School Music’s Calendar

  1. March 13, 4:00 - 6:00 PM: Chords and Coffee, PHS student union

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

Pick Up Free Reusable Paint, Oil & More Through OC’s Material Exchange Program

OC Waste & Recycling’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Sites offer a Material Exchange Program where Orange County residents can pick up free recycled items such as paint, oil, and other usable materials that are still in good condition. Community members can visit to check out available items and give these materials a second life instead of sending them to waste.

Locations:
📍 Anaheim – 1071 N. Blue Gum St, 92806
📍 Huntington Beach – 17121 Nichols Ln, Gate 6, 92647
📍 Irvine – 6411 Oak Canyon, 92618
📍 San Juan Capistrano – 32250 Avenida La Pata, 92675

UC Irvine Women’s Water Polo Dominates Cal State Fullerton 17–5

UC Irvine women’s water polo beat Cal State Fullerton 17–5 to improve to 3–2 in Big West play. Lauren Hett scored four early goals, and the Anteaters’ defense held Fullerton scoreless for more than 24 minutes.

UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

Women’s Water Polo

  • Fri, Mar 13 – vs California Baptist, 6:00 PM

Men’s Tennis

  • Fri, Mar 13 – vs Navy, 10:00 AM

  • Fri, Mar 13 – vs Army, 2:30 PM

  • Sat, Mar 14 – vs Air Force, 12:00 PM

IVC Women’s Basketball Coach Claire Gocke Earns Coach of the Year Honors

Irvine Valley College women’s basketball coach Claire Gocke was named the 2025–26 Colleen Riley South Coach of the Year by the California Community College Women’s Basketball Coaches Association after leading the Lasers to the Orange Empire Conference title, a 24–4 regular-season record, and the No. 2 seed in the SoCal Regionals.

🏐⚽🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS 

Women’s Beach Volleyball

  • Fri, Mar 13 – vs Santa Ana, 10:00 AM

Women’s Flag Football

  • Sat, Mar 14 – vs Long Beach State, 12:00 PM

Baseball

  • Fri, Mar 13 – vs Riverside, 1:00 PM

Men’s Volleyball

  • Fri, Mar 13 – vs Orange Coast, 6:00 PM

High School Athletics Calendar

**

Updated With March Schedule

Upcoming Irvine High School’s Varsity home games:

March 2026

Friday, March 13

  • Swimming and Diving, Girls - 3:30 PM vs El Toro

  • Swimming and Diving, Boys - 3:30 PM vs El Toro

  • Beach Volleyball, Girls - 3:30 PM vs Montebello

  • Baseball - 3:30 PM vs Northwood

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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