Things to Do in Orange County This Weekend: November 13 to 15, 2026

This is the weekend the holidays quietly start in Orange County, and you do not need a big plan to feel it.

Friday brings the first night of Holidays at the Disneyland Resort. Saturday stacks a beach music festival, a free powwow, a book fair in Old Town Tustin, and a vintage market in Costa Mesa, all on the same day. Sunday slows down with a lantern parade at sunset in Huntington Beach. Pick one anchor each day and build around it. That is the whole trick.

If you want a backup plan that works any weekend of the year, keep our evergreen weekend guide handy too: The Orange County Weekend Guide That Never Expires

Friday, November 13

Holidays at the Disneyland Resort opens, Anaheim

The holiday season at Disneyland Resort starts Friday, November 13, 2026 and runs through January 6, 2027. Disneyland Park brings back A Christmas Fantasy Parade and the holiday fireworks. Disney California Adventure brings back Disney Festival of Holidays, with food marketplaces and live entertainment inspired by Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Navidad, and Three Kings Day, plus Disney ¡Viva Navidad!.

Santa meet and greets run November 13 through December 24. You still need a valid ticket and a park reservation for the day you visit, and showtimes change, so check the Disneyland app that morning before you go.

Want the planning version before you book? Start with our guide: Disneyland Holidays: What to Expect This Season

The Great Junk Hunt, Costa Mesa

If you would rather shop than queue, head to the OC Fair and Event Center at 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa. The Great Junk Hunt runs Friday, November 13 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday, November 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Expect four buildings of vintage, farmhouse, handmade, and repurposed finds, plus food and music on site. Tickets are sold by entry time, and children 12 and under enter free. Parking at the fairgrounds is charged, so check the organizer site for the current ticket and parking details before you drive over.

Friday night entry is the move if you want first pick. Saturday morning is better if you want to browse with coffee in hand and no rush.

Water for Elephants at Segerstrom Hall, Costa Mesa

The Broadway musical Water for Elephants is in the middle of its Costa Mesa run at Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, from November 10 through November 22, 2026, with performances through the weekend. The show adapts Sara Gruen's novel about a young man who joins a traveling circus during the Great Depression, and the staging leans hard into acrobatics and puppetry.

Check SCFTA.org for the exact Friday, Saturday, and Sunday showtimes and for remaining seats. This is a good pick for a date night that is not just dinner.

Saturday, November 14

Saturday is the crowded day. You cannot do all of these well, so choose by mood.

For music on the sand: Darker Waves Festival, Huntington Beach

Darker Waves returns to Huntington City Beach on Saturday, November 14, 2026 for one day only. More than 35 artists play across three stages, headlined by Morrissey and The Smashing Pumpkins, with a bill built around new wave, post punk, and alternative rock.

The festival site is at Huntington City Beach, 21301 Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach. Gates and set times are posted on the official festival site at DarkerWavesFest.com, so check there for entry rules, bag policy, and the final schedule before you go. Plan parking and rideshare early. Beach festivals back up Pacific Coast Highway fast.

Pair it with a morning in town first using our local picks: 10 Things to Do in Huntington Beach

For families and a free day out: Powwow at Heritage Museum, Santa Ana

The Heritage Museum of Orange County at 3101 West Harvard Street in Santa Ana hosts its third annual free powwow with RedBoy Productions on Saturday, November 14 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is a Native American Heritage Month celebration and it is free to attend, family friendly, and set on the museum's historic grounds.

Go in the morning if you want an easier pace with kids, then stay for the museum grounds afterward.

For readers: OC Book Fair, Old Town Tustin

The OC Book Fair takes over Old Town Tustin on Saturday, November 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is free. Independent booksellers and publishers line the closed streets around El Camino Real from Main Street to Second Street, and Third Street from C Street to Prospect Avenue, with author talks, signings, workshops, and kids activities on three stages.

Free parking is available around Old Town, at the Tustin Library and Civic Center lots, and in the C Street parking structure. Arrive before noon for the best browsing, then grab lunch in Old Town and make a day of it. If you are staying longer in the area, our guide can help: Things to Do in Tustin

Still want the vintage market?

The Great Junk Hunt is on again Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Costa Mesa, listed in the Friday section above. It pairs well with the Book Fair if you start in Costa Mesa in the morning and head to Tustin after lunch. Both are inland, both are easy to park for if you go early, and neither needs a ticket reservation spiral.

Sunday, November 15

Saint Martin Lantern Parade, Old World Village, Huntington Beach

Close the weekend with the quietest event on the list. The Saint Martin Lantern Parade runs Sunday, November 15 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Old World Village, 7561 Center Avenue in Huntington Beach. It is organized by GERMAN SCHOOL campus and it is free.

Families carry lanterns through the village after a short St. Martin play. Festivities start at 5 p.m., the play is around 5:45 p.m., and the parade itself starts around 6 p.m. Bring your own lantern, because lanterns will not be sold at the event. Organizers ask you to reserve a free child ticket for each participating child so they can plan the parade. Check the German School Campus event page for the RSVP link.

Arrive a little early, grab something warm from the village bakery, and let the kids lead.

A slower Sunday option

If you did Disneyland on Friday, use Sunday to actually enjoy the leftovers of the weekend at your own pace. A beach walk at sunset in Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, or Dana Point costs nothing and still counts. For more ideas that do not need a ticket, see: Free Things to Do at Night in Orange County

How to choose your weekend

Short on time? Do Friday night at the Great Junk Hunt and Saturday morning at the OC Book Fair. Both are close, both are easy, and you are home for dinner.

Traveling with kids? Do the powwow on Saturday morning and the lantern parade on Sunday at sunset. Both are free, both are outdoors, and neither asks a small child to sit still for two hours.

Here for the music? Darker Waves is your Saturday. Give it the full day and do not try to stack the Book Fair on top of it.

Here for the holidays? Friday at Disneyland is opening night energy, crowds included. If you hate opening weekend crowds, wait a week or two and use our Disneyland holidays guide to pick a calmer date in late November or early December.

However you split it, check the organizer page one more time on the morning you go. Times and entry rules can change, especially for festivals and parades.

Have a good weekend out there.