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New Pickleball Courts Set to Open in January at Mike Ward Park

Issue # 0526

Author

Joshua Tjia
01 Dec

In this Irvine Insider Issue . . .

😁 Laugh of the Day

🌤️ Irvine Weather

🏗️🏓 New Pickleball Courts Set to Open in January at Mike Ward Park

🎄🎊🎄 Celebrate the Season Together at Crime Survivor's Holiday Open House

🪀🧸 Irvine Hosts Drive-Thru Holiday Toy Drive for 2/11 Marines on Dec. 7

🌲🌲Fresh Christmas Trees Now Available at Tanaka Farms — From Mini to 12 Feet

❄️⛸️ Bring the Kids for a Holiday Skate with Santa at Irvine Spectrum, Dec. 6

🦃♻️ Make the Most of Your Feast: Easy Thanksgiving Food Leftovers and Waste Tips

🌿🧤 Help Native Plants Thrive: Join the December 11 Garden Keepers Workday

🍯🍶 Shop One-of-a-Kind Holiday Ceramics at the Irvine Fine Arts Center

🎼🎼 Upcoming High School Music Calendar

🐾🩺 Low-Cost Pet Wellness Clinics in Irvine This December

🏀 UCI Women's Basketball Roll Past Colgate, 82–48, for Fifth Straight Victory

🏀🏐🎾⚽️ UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

🏀🏀 Upcoming home games for the IVC LASERS

🏈 Woodbridge Football Stuns Montebello 24–23 to Capture CIF Division 13 Championship

🏈🎾 High School Athletics Calendar

🚔👕 IPD Arrests Suspect After Lululemon Theft Caught on Drone and Surveillance

🍏🥭🍑 Local Farmers Markets

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

📅📅 Lots of Local Events

📞💡 Useful Contact Information

When does a loaf of bread rise?

When you yeast expect it.

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

New Pickleball Courts Set to Open in January at Mike Ward Park

The City of Irvine is nearing completion on eight new dedicated pickleball courts at Mike Ward Community Park — Woodbridge, with an anticipated opening this January. Construction is moving ahead of schedule, with concrete work, site furnishings, and landscaping already well underway.

Celebrate the Season Together at Crime Survivor's Holiday Open House

Celebrate the season with Crime Survivors, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting victims and survivors of crime, at their cozy Holiday Open House — a relaxed evening with dinner, treats, and warm holiday cheer.

  • Date: Thursday, December 4

  • Time: 5:30–8:30 PM (drop by whenever you can)

  • Optional Giving: Bring a small gift—like a toy, stuffed animal, blanket, diapers, hygiene items, or a gift card—to brighten a survivor’s holiday

Let the team know you’re coming so they can prepare a warm welcome by:
📧 [email protected]
📞 (844) 853-HOPE

Irvine Hosts Drive-Thru Holiday Toy Drive for 2/11 Marines on Dec. 7

The Irvine 2/11 Marine Adoption Committee is hosting a Holiday Toy Drive drive-thru drop-off on Sunday, December 7, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Irvine Civic Center.

Community members can donate new, unwrapped toys, games, books, holiday gift sets, stocking stuffers, warm clothing, and gift cards to support local military families.

Fresh Christmas Trees Now Available at Tanaka Farms — From Mini to 12 Feet

Fresh Christmas trees are now at Tanaka Farms! You can pick from Douglas and Noble firs in all sizes—from tiny tabletop trees to big 12-foot beauties. Every tree gets a fresh cut so it stays healthy and festive through the holidays. Don’t forget to grab a real wreath and some poinsettias while you’re there.

Hours are Mon–Tue 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and Thu–Sun 9 a.m.–9 p.m.

Bring the Kids for a Holiday Skate with Santa at Irvine Spectrum, Dec. 6

Enjoy a festive morning on the ice at Skate with Santa on Saturday, December 6, from 10–11:30 a.m. at Irvine Spectrum Center. Families can skate alongside Santa, soak in the holiday magic, and enjoy special goodies included with the $45 ticket—skate rentals, reindeer antlers, festive socks, and treats. Spaces are limited, so be sure to grab tickets early for this cheerful holiday experience.

Make the Most of Your Feast: Easy Thanksgiving Food Leftover and Waste Tips

OC Waste & Recycling is sharing some ways to enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers and keep food waste low. Here are some of their food-saving tips:

  • 🦃 Repurpose leftover turkey into soups, sandwiches, or tacos.

  • 🧁 Bake stuffing in muffin cups for quick, easy portions.

  • 🥗 Add roasted veggies to omelets or salads for a fresh meal twist.

  • ♻️ Compost peels, bones, and spoiled leftovers in your green organics bin.

Help Native Plants Thrive: Join the December 11 Garden Keepers Workday

Join the Garden Keepers: Demo Garden Workday on Thursday, December 11, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Native Seed Farm, where volunteers help with weeding, digging, watering, and supporting native plants — while learning simple ways to care for native landscapes.

Shop One-of-a-Kind Holiday Ceramics at the Irvine Fine Arts Center

The Arts in Irvine ceramic sale is now happening at the Irvine Fine Arts Center store, offering a beautiful selection of handmade, one-of-a-kind ceramic bowls, mugs, vases, and more crafted by local studio volunteers and staff. Each piece is unique and makes a great holiday gift or home addition. The sale runs through December 31, and shoppers can check store hours at cityofirvine.org/arts.

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

  1. December 12, 7 - 9 PM: PHS Choir Concert – SPIRIT OF THE SEASON

  2. December 13, 3 PM: PHS Choir Concert – SPIRIT OF THE SEASON Matinee

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

Low-Cost Pet Wellness Clinics in Irvine This December

Give your pets a boost of wellness this holiday season with Irvine’s upcoming low-cost vaccine and microchipping clinics.

Clinic Details

  • 🩺 Sunday, December 7 | 9–11 a.m.
    Clinic: Vet Care Vaccination Services
    Type: First come, first served

  • 🩺 Tuesday, December 23 | 5:30–8:30 p.m.
    Clinic: HEART
    Type: Reservations required
    Info & Reservations: cityofirvine.org/animals

UCI Women's Basketball Roll Past Colgate, 82–48, for Fifth Straight Victory

UC Irvine women’s basketball cruised to an 82–48 win over Colgate, marking their fifth straight victory and largest margin of the season. All 10 active players scored, and the ’Eaters posted season highs in shooting, assists, steals, and points off turnovers.

UCI Anteaters Upcoming Home Games

Men’s Basketball

  • Thur, Dec 4 – vs UC Riverside, 7:00 PM

  • Sat, Dec 6 – vs CSUN, 7:00 PM

Women’s Basketball

  • Sat, Dec 13 – vs California Baptist, 2:00 PM

🏐⚽🏀 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

Woodbridge Football Stuns Montebello 24–23 to Capture CIF Division 13 Championship

Woodbridge completed a remarkable worst-to-first turnaround, going from an 0-7 start to winning the CIF Division 13 championship with a dramatic 24–23 victory over Montebello. The win marks Woodbridge’s first CIF football title since 1998 and caps a playoff run built on resilience, belief, and timely performances on both sides of the ball.

High School Athletics Calendar

**

Updated With December 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

IPD Arrests Suspect After Lululemon Theft Caught on Drone and Surveillance

Irvine Police officers responded to a retail theft at Lululemon after security observed a suspect stealing merchandise and returning to his vehicle. Surveillance and drone footage helped officers identify and apprehend Luis Alfredo Monjarret Orozco, 33, of Huntington Park, who was also found to have an outstanding warrant for organized retail theft in Georgia.

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

November 28 - December 30 Santa's Village

November 28 - December 28 Hikari: Festival of Lights

December 4 - 6 Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake 8 PM

December 6 Annual Trout Fishing Derby 6 AM - 1 PM

December 6 Skate with Santa 10 - 11:30 AM

December 9 Holiday Organ Spectacular 7:30 PM

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