Greer's OC | The latest in Orange County fashion, dining, and trends.

Pacific Symphony Opens New Era with Joshua Bell, Celebrates Shelley’s First Season

By Greer Wylder

September 02, 2026

Alexander Shelley steps into his first season as Pacific Symphony's artistic and music director this fall, and he's bringing violinist Joshua Bell along for the ride. The two share the stage Saturday, September 24, at 8 p.m. at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall for a season-opening concert built around America's musical legacy.The timing isn't accidental. This season overlaps with the nation's 250th birthday and the approaching anniversaries of Segerstrom Center for the Arts and its concert hall, and Shelley has shaped his opening program around that convergence, pulling together works that trace where American orchestral music has been…

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

By Greer Wylder

August 29, 2026

Levain Bakery opens its first Orange County location at Fashion Island in Newport Beach on Friday, Sept. 4, at 8 a.m. The New York bakery, known for its six-ounce cookies, will bring its full lineup of cookies, breads, pastries and coffee to the fourth Southern California shop in its growing footprint. For longtime Levain fans and anyone with a soft spot for a good cookie, this is a big one. The wait for a taste of the cult favorite right here in OC is almost over.The first 100 people in line Friday will get a custom Levain Bakery Newport Beach…

Blind Boys of Alabama Bring Seven Decades of Gospel to Musco Center

By Greer Wylder

August 29, 2026

Musco Center welcomes the Blind Boys of Alabama, living legends whose reputation is well earned. Rolling Stone has called them "gospel titans," and after more than 70 years together, that title still fits.The group performs Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.Few acts in American music can claim the honors the Blind Boys have collected: Lifetime Achievement Awards from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Academy/GRAMMYs, induction into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and six GRAMMY Awards, most recently in 2024. What sets them apart, though, is how they've used that stature. Rather than stay within…

Chef Turned Author Launches New Thriller Series

By Greer Wylder

August 26, 2026

Thomas Curran is a friend of mine, and he's the kind of person who is always creative and always looking for a new challenge. He spent three decades as a chef before he decided to walk across the country. Ocean to ocean. 3,235 miles, 231 days, 12 states, all to raise money for the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. That story is part of why I featured him in my book, "Born in OC: The Artists, Entrepreneurs, and Visionaries of Orange County, California."His new book, "Dime Store Hitman," comes out Aug. 31. It's the first in a planned trilogy, and the…

OCAPICA’s Tastemakers of Orange County Celebrates 10 Years of Community-Driven Cuisine

By Greer Wylder

August 26, 2026

Tastemakers of Orange County returns for its 10th anniversary on Thursday, Sept. 3, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Julianne & George Argyros Plaza at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa.The annual event, produced by and benefiting the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA), brings together more than two dozen distinguished Orange County chefs to showcase Asian and Pacific Islander-inspired cuisine. Proceeds support OCAPICA's programs in mental health and health services, youth development, housing assistance, policy education and protecting immigrant communities.“Ten years ago, OCAPICA faced an uncertain future due to the financial crisis and…