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Join Irvine’s Open Space Celebration for Pancakes, Family Fun, and a Scenic Hike

Issue # 0605

Author

Joshua Tjia
07 Apr

In this Irvine Insider Issue . . .

😁 Laugh of the Day

🌤️ Irvine Weather

🥞🍳☕️ Irvine Brunch Spots for Pancakes, Coffee, and More

🍊🍽️🥾 Join the Walk to Feed OC at Tanaka Farms on April 18

🌳🥞 Join Irvine’s Open Space Celebration for Pancakes, Family Fun, and a Scenic Hike

🚶🏻‍♀️📚 Walk, Listen, and Connect at Heritage Park Library’s Audiobook Club Meetup

🚌📝 IVC Preview Night Returns April 15 with Free Food, Campus Info, and Student Support

🩺🩻 UCI Health Advances Spine Care With Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Surgery

🌱🧤 Join the Native Seed Farm Garden Workday This Thursday

🩰 ABT Gillespie School Presents The Future of Dance on April 12 at Samueli Theater

🎼🎼 Upcoming High School Music Calendar

🐈🐢 Irvine Animal Care Center Celebrates 5 Pet Adoptions and More Happy Reunions

🎾 UC Irvine Men’s Tennis Sweeps UC Riverside 7-0 at Home

🏀🏐🎾⚽️ UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

⚾️ Irvine Valley Baseball Storms Back From 3-0 Deficit to Beat Fullerton

🏀🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS

🏈🎾 High School Athletics Calendar

🚔⛽️ Man Arrested After Refusing to Pay for Gas at Irvine Station

🍏🥭🍑 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 duck that breaks into people’s houses?

A robber ducky!

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

Irvine Brunch Spots for Pancakes, Coffee, and More

Irvine offers a wide range of brunch options, from classic breakfast favorites to globally inspired dishes. Whether you’re planning a weekend outing or a casual morning meal, these spots offer a variety of flavors to explore.

  • Aloha Stacks – A local favorite serving Hawaiian-inspired dishes such as ube pancakes, loco moco, and guava French toast.

  • Dandelion Cafe – Offers brunch options including avocado toast, breakfast burritos, and other café favorites.

  • W Cafe – A café featuring brunch dishes and specialty coffee.

  • Bluberry Social – A modern café known for creative takes on American brunch staples, including pancakes, savory plates, and coffee.

  • Gram Cafe & Pancakes – Best known for its signature Japanese soufflé pancakes.

Join the Walk to Feed OC at Tanaka Farms on April 18

Join the community for the Fourth Annual Walk to Feed OC on Saturday, April 18, at Tanaka Farms in Irvine. Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. and the 1.5-mile walk starts at 8:30 a.m. This free, family-friendly fundraising event supports Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County’s mission to fight food insecurity, with a goal of raising $300,000, which could provide nearly 120,000 bags of groceries to people in need across Orange County through its network of nearly 400 distribution sites.

Join Irvine’s Open Space Celebration for Pancakes, Family Fun, and a Scenic Hike

Join the City of Irvine and the Irvine Ranch Conservancy for the 2026 Open Space Celebration on Saturday, April 18, from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Quail Hill Trailhead. Enjoy a free pancake breakfast, family-friendly activities, interactive educational exhibits, and a guided 1.8-mile hike on the Quail Hill Loop Trail.

Walk, Listen, and Connect at Heritage Park Library’s Audiobook Club Meetup

Join the Irvine Public Library’s Audiobook Walking Club for a relaxing morning walk around Heritage Community Park on Tuesday, April 14, at 10:30 a.m. The group meets on the second Tuesday of each month at Heritage Park Library, where participants can enjoy any audiobook of their choice while walking, then gather afterward to share book recommendations with fellow readers.

Register at yourirvine.org.

IVC Preview Night Returns April 15 with Free Food, Campus Info, and Student Support

Irvine Valley College is hosting Preview Night on Wednesday, April 15, from 4–8 p.m., inviting students and families to explore academic programs, career pathways, and campus resources. Attendees can meet faculty and staff, visit 60+ information booths, and learn about admissions, transfer opportunities, the Honors Program, and the Irvine Valley Promise Program, which offers two years of free tuition.

Registration is available at ivc.edu/outreach/preview.

UCI Health Advances Spine Care With Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Surgery

UCI Health is advancing spine care through minimally invasive endoscopic surgery, helping patients experience less pain, quicker recovery, and faster mobility after procedures. According to orthopaedic spine surgeon Dr. Don Y. Park, the technique has improved safety, reduced complications such as surgical site infections, and made outcomes more predictable through standardized pain management and recovery protocols. Dr. Park, an internationally recognized leader in spinal endoscopy, is also the first surgeon in the world to perform an augmented reality-assisted biportal endoscopic lumbar fusion.

Join the Native Seed Farm Garden Workday This Thursday

Join the Garden Keepers: Demo Garden Workday on Thursday, April 9, at IRC’s Native Seed Farm. Volunteers will help care for the Demonstration Garden with hands-on tasks like weeding, watering, digging, and general garden upkeep while supporting a healthy local ecosystem filled with native plants. It’s a great chance to get outdoors and help this beautiful space thrive.

ABT Gillespie School Presents The Future of Dance on April 12 at Samueli Theater

The Future of Dance takes the stage on April 12, at Samueli Theater, featuring a performance by the ABT William J. Gillespie School’s Performance Ensembles and pre-professional dancers. The show highlights the result of months of training, artistic growth, and dedication, while showcasing the next generation of talented young dancers. The evening also features original choreography created by faculty members.

Upcoming Northwood High School’s Music Calendar

  1. April 7, 7:00 - 9:00 PM: IUSD Honor Orchestra Concert

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

Upcoming Woodbridge High School's Music Calendar

  1. April 7: 42nd Annual Donald Bren Honors Concert, Segerstrom Concert Hall

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

Upcoming Woodbridge High School’s Vocal Music Calendar

  1. April 7, 7:00 PM: IUSD Honors Concert, Segerstrom Concert Hall

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

Upcoming Irvine High Choral’s Music Calendar

  1. April 7, 7:00 PM: IUSD Honors Concert, OCPAC

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

Upcoming Portola High School Music’s Calendar

No further upcoming events for this month

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

Irvine Animal Care Center Celebrates 5 Pet Adoptions and More Happy Reunions

From March 30 to April 5, the Irvine Animal Care Center celebrated 5 adoptions, including 3 dogs (Curly, Mr. Sanchez, and Rocky), 1 cat (Clover), and 1 tortoise (Tortellini) finding new homes. During the same week, 3 cats were transferred to rescue, while 5 dogs, 3 cats, and 1 bird were successfully reunited with their owners.

For adoption details and shelter hours, visit https://cityofirvine.org/irvine-animal-care-center

UC Irvine Men’s Tennis Sweeps UC Riverside 7-0 at Home

UC Irvine men’s tennis cruised to a dominant 7-0 sweep over UC Riverside on Monday, improving to 10-6 overall and 2-0 in Big West play while extending its win streak to three matches. The Anteaters won the doubles match point and then won all six singles matches without losing a set.

UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

Baseball

  • Tue, Apr 7 - San Diego, 6:00 PM

Men’s Volleyball

  • Thur, Apr 9 - CSUN, 6:00 PM

Men’s Tennis

  • Fri, Apr 10 - Cal Poly, 12:00 PM

Irvine Valley Baseball Storms Back From 3-0 Deficit to Beat Fullerton

Irvine Valley baseball rallied from a 3-0 deficit to defeat Fullerton 5-3, improving to 17-14 overall and earning its second Orange Empire Conference win. Luke Acuna was strong in relief, while John Uchytil, Lucas Scott, and Aimer each had two hits as the Lasers scored five unanswered runs.

🏐⚽🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS 

Baseball

  • Tue, April 7 – Golden West, 2:00 PM

High School Athletics Calendar

**

Updated With April Schedule

Upcoming Irvine High School’s Varsity home games:

April 2026

Tuesday, April 7

  • Tennis, Boys - 3:15 PM vs Laguna Beach

  • Beach Volleyball, Girls - 3:30 PM vs Sage Hill

Wednesday, April 8

  • Tennis, Boys - 3:15 PM vs Fairmont Prep

  • Baseball - 3:30 PM vs Portola

  • Lacrosse, Boys - 4:00 PM vs University

Man Arrested After Refusing to Pay for Gas at Irvine Station

Irvine Police Department reported that last week a man entered a gas station, demanded $55 worth of gas without paying, and then remained at the pump waiting for the fuel. Officers responded and used patience and negotiation skills while asking him to leave, but after he refused to comply, he was ultimately arrested.

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

April 9 Free Grocery Food Box 9 AM - 12 PM

April 9 Jeremy Denk, piano 8 PM

April 11 Used Oil Filter Exchange 8 AM - 2 PM

April 11 Jazz in the Palm Court 1 - 3 PM

April 16 - April 21 Puccini's Turandot 8 PM

April 25 Silent Disco 6 - 9 PM

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