Michele StuevenRELISH, Orange County’s immersive food, wine and spirits experience returns for its second annual celebration Friday, Oct. 2 through Sunday, Oct. 4 at VEA Newport Beach and Park Club Costa Mesa.
Friday’s opening cocktail party and grand tasting will offer an opportunity to mingle with celebrated chefs like Geoffrey Zakarian, Scott Conant, James Beard award–winning pastry chef Sherry Yard, and Jamie Gwen.
Saturday kicks off with fashion and food at Bloomingdale’s South Coast Plaza, featuring an exclusive luncheon and meet-and-greet with Zakarian and Conant at ANQI. The afternoon continues at The Park Club with The Art of Cheese & Wine, led by Maître Fromager Afrim Pristine, alongside a limited-attendance knife class with Wolfe Cutlery, Master the Art of the Perfect Cut.
Sunday at VEA starts with the RELISH burgers and bubbles brunch with Yard and chef Kat Turner, and the weekend concludes with RELISH in Wellness, a retreat that brings together mindfulness, nourishing cuisine, and immersive activities led by leading wellness experts.
Courtesy Relish Orange County
Catalina Museum for Art & History celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with a family-friendly festival featuring tamales, live music, cultural experiences, and fun activities for all ages.
On Saturday, Oct. 3, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., the free-entry Hispanic Heritage & Tamale Festival will showcase an expanded lineup of local tamale vendors offering homemade specialties celebrating the flavor of Hispanic cuisine. Festival-goers can participate in tamale tastings, purchase tamales, and vote for their favorite.
In addition to the savory specialties, attendees can participate in games, face painting for children, learn from shared cultural experiences and traditions, and dance the afternoon away to the beat of live music. Local artisans and vendors will also be present, offering handmade goods, traditional snacks and desserts, and merchandise. Margarita flights and other refreshments will be available for purchase throughout the event. Free entry. Registration is encouraged.
Free pancakes (Courtesy Redbird)
On Saturday, Sept. 26, and Sunday, Sept. 27, to coincide with the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opening on Tuesday, Sept. 22, Redbird is offering complimentary pancakes.
Anyone who shows a ticket from their visit to the Lucas Museum can score a complimentary pancake short stack for the table. Guests who aren’t able to make it to the museum before weekend brunch service can also use the password “May the force be with you” to redeem a short stack for the table. Brunch service runs on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The 11th Annual Dumpling and Beer Fest returns to San Gabriel’s Historic Mission District on Friday, Oct. 2, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., with an expanded lineup of food, drinks, entertainment and interactive experiences expected to welcome more than 7,000 attendees. Admission to the festival is free, with food and beverages available for purchase from participating vendors and a ticketed beer garden and VIP experiences available throughout the evening.
For the first time this year, some of Southern California’s favorite dumpling makers will go head-to-head in the inaugural Dumpling Bowl, a new culinary competition hosted in partnership with Joysauce. Participating restaurants and vendors will serve their competing dumplings directly from their festival booths, allowing guests to purchase and try the entries throughout the evening.
A panel of special guest judges will taste their way through the competition before one dumpling is crowned the 2026 Dumpling Bowl Champion, with the winner revealed live on stage during the festival.
Smorgasburg LA will see changes to the market starting this Sunday, Sept. 20, including new vendors, more shade and seating, bigger misting tents, additional TVs in the beer garden for football season, and more non-beer options at the bar.
New vendors joining the weekly lineup include:
- Black Almond BBQ — Pitmaster Jakir Wenzel, who trained at Redbird BBQ in Texas and Moo’s Craft BBQ in LA, brings brisket and Texas-style barbecue after being a standout at Smorgasburg’s recent BBQ Day.
- Camello – Heirloom corn pita sandwiches inspired by Sonoran and Levantine flavors, with fillings including lamb neck, fava bean falafel, and more.
- Casa de Lola – Dominican and Puerto Rican dishes from siblings Victor and Gabriela Ramos, joining full-time following their pop-up at Smorgasburg’s World Cup launch party.
- Kreung LA – Bold Cambodian skewers and street food from the popular LA pop-up.
- Knockout Crêpes – Sweet and savory French crêpes from former professional boxer turned crêpier Simon Adde.
- Lindfors Farms – Farm-driven, ultra-thin-crust pizza made with ingredients they grow and forage themselves, including their signature oversized “squazza.”
- Sweet Lady Jane – The popular LA bakery joins every Sunday with its Triple Berry Cake, cupcakes, cookies, and more.
- Dear Neighbor Handrolls – Sushi hand rolls, iced matcha, and sweet mochi
- MasAmigos – Handcrafted family recipes featuring duck carnitas, barbacoa and breakfast tacos
What’s Popping Up is a column in the L.A. Weekly that explores everything new in food and drink
Courtesy Dumpling and Beer Fest