Dream Glow Festival Returns to Celebrate the Beauty of Chinese Culture

Sweet Arrival: Levain Bakery Opens First Orange County Location at Fashion Island

Orange County is about to get a little sweeter. Levain Bakery, the legendary New York City bakery famous for its six-ounce cookies, is opening its first Orange County location in early September at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. The new shop will bring the brand's signature cookies, breads, pastries and coffee to the community, marking Levain's fourth Southern California location and the next step in its steady retail expansion.

Levain celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, and this opening introduces its handcrafted cookies, breads, pastries and neighborhood bakery feel to a new group of fans. The bakery will sit inside Fashion Island, joining the center's lineup of well-known retailers and restaurants.

Co-founders and best friends Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald say Levain has always brought people together, and their Los Angeles bakeries have shown them Southern California agrees. Newport Beach, they say, feels like the natural next step, and they're eager to open the doors at Fashion Island.

Weekes and McDonald founded Levain in New York City in 1995. Their breads and baked goods won over the neighborhood almost immediately, and locals started lining up for the daily offerings. When the pair quietly began selling cookies on the side, those cookies took off, and an icon was born.

Today, Levain's cookies, crisp on the outside and gooey in the middle, have become a cultural phenomenon with devoted fans around the world. Even with that kind of following, the bakery has stayed close to its roots, still hand-crafting its signature breads, pastries and six-ounce cookies every day with the same high-quality ingredients that built its reputation.

At the Newport Beach location, guests can expect the full lineup of Levain favorites: signature cookies, artisan breads, savory sandwiches, muffins and pastries. The bakery will also offer full barista service, including cappuccinos, cold-foam drinks, matcha, lattes and its viral Cookie Milk Latte. This opening brings Levain to 20 locations nationwide, joining bakeries in New York, Washington, D.C., Bethesda, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia.

Longtime fans and newcomers alike will get their first taste of Levain's cookies, breads, pastries and coffee when the Newport Beach bakery opens in early September. 

Levain also offers catering and event services for corporate meetings, weddings and private celebrations, with table-ready packages featuring its cookies, breads, pastries and sandwiches.

The new location will be at 315 Newport Center Drive in Fashion Island, near Macy's and Sushi Roku.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Returns to Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Segerstrom Center for the Arts and Disney Theatrical Group, led by Andrew Flatt and Anne Quart, are teaming up to bring Disney's Beauty and the Beast to Costa Mesa, marking the first North American tour of the musical presented by Disney in more than 25 years.

The beloved Broadway musical opens Sept. 22 for a three-week run through Oct. 11, 2026.

A quick reminder for ticket buyers: Segerstrom Center for the Arts is the only official retail outlet for tickets to its performances. If you buy from a broker or third party, the center cannot reprint or replace lost or stolen tickets, and it won't be able to reach you with updates like time changes.

Beauty and the Beast is based on the 1991 Academy Award winning animated film and first hit Broadway in 1994, where it became one of the longest-running shows in theater history. It earned nine Tony nominations and won for best costume design, and it remains one of the highest-grossing Broadway productions ever. The story's reach has only grown since, thanks to stage productions around the world and the 2017 live-action film, which was nominated for an Oscar and grossed more than $1 billion globally.

Tickets start at $44 and can be purchased online at scfta.org, in person at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, or by phone at 714-556-2787. Groups of 10 or more can call 714-755-0236 for discount pricing.

Photo by Matthew Murphy. (c) Disney.jpg