Orange County's Art Scene This October

Orange County gets a lot of credit for its beaches, but one of the things I love most about living here is the art. Laguna Beach has been an artists' colony for generations, and our theaters and galleries stay busy year-round. For this October however, I've round up a few art events I think are worth visiting. Check them out and let me know how you like them!

Newport Beach Film Festival, 27th Annual

Thursday, October 15 - Thursday, October 22, 2026

Screenings in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, with parties and events at Fashion Island. Tickets and passes at newportbeachfilmfest.com

The Newport Beach Film Festival is the largest international cinema event in coastal Southern California, featuring more than 100 feature films and 250 shorts from 21 countries, plus filmmaker Q&As and parties with tastings from local restaurants. The programming reaches well beyond traditional features, with categories for art, architecture and design, music, fashion, animation, and culinary films. Organizers expect more than 50,000 people to attend. Screenings take place at the Lido Theater, Regal Edwards Big Newport, The Lot, and Triangle Square Cinemas in Costa Mesa. The festival goes on for the whole week, so tune in when you feel like it.

The festival opens on October 15 with Frampton, a documentary about rock icon Peter Frampton, followed by a live Q&A with Frampton and the director. Centerpiece features include James Gray's Paper Tiger with Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller, and Danny Boyle's Ink, about Rupert Murdoch's takeover of a British newspaper. Closing night on October 22 features Tony Gilroy's Behemoth at Regal Edwards Big Newport and a documentary on the Hollywood Vampires at the Lido Theater. The festival's Honors event and Variety's "10 Actors to Watch" take place October 18 at Balboa Bay Resort, but that one is invite-only.

You do not have to splurge to take part. Most feature films and shorts programs start at $20, and Centerpiece features start at $30. There are more indulgent options; the opening night film and party is $250, and the Premier Insider pass is $950 for anyone who wants the full experience.

A local note: Regal Edwards Big Newport, the festival's home for 26 years, is set to close by mid-2027 to make way for a residential redevelopment, so this may be one of your last chances to catch a festival screening there.

Check out their film guide here.

Coast Film & Music Festival, 8th Annual

Friday, October 16 - Sunday, October 25, 2026

Venues throughout Laguna Beach. Tickets at coastfilmfestival.com

If any city in Orange County is defined by its art, it is Laguna Beach. Coast Film & Music Festival focuses entirely on documentaries, with about 80 features and shorts about adventure, conservation, culture, and people doing remarkable things, from the mountains to the sea. It also weaves in live music, filmmaker talks, and community events, so the whole town feels like part of the program.

Opening night is Surfilmusic, a film about Jack Johnson's path from surfer and filmmaker to global musician, at the Rivian South Coast Theater ($35). There are three nights of live music at the historic Irvine Bowl, including Ben Harper and Amos Lee (concert tickets start at $80). The festival also uses the new Surfing Heritage and Culture Center as a venue, a museum that has been called the Smithsonian of surfing.

There are a good amount of activities you can do for free. Filmmaker coffee talks are free, as is a night of outdoor films at The Forest Promenade on October 22 (first-come, first-served). Some free reservation-only activities include a surf sessions, community beach clean-up, yoga class, and community run. Feature screenings run $20 to $35, and shorts programs start at $20.

Female Maker Harvest Market, Newport Beach

Saturday, October 24, 2026, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Lido Deck at Lido Marina Village, 3434 Via Lido, Newport Beach, CA 92663

The Female Maker Harvest Market on the Lido Deck is a curated market featuring more than 30 female artists and artisans, selling handcrafted goods on the Newport Beach waterfront.

There is live music by Lexi Algar all day, and the first 40 shoppers receive a complimentary fall beverage from Noble Nectar. For families, kids in costume can trick-or-treat from market merchants from 10 a.m. to noon, while supplies last. It is a relaxed, small-scale event, and a lovely way to support local makers before the holiday season starts. Parking at Lido tends to fill up on event days, so plan to arrive early.

More Art to Explore This Month

If you want to keep going, there is plenty more. The Old Towne Film Festival runs October 23 to 25 at the Orange Masonic Lodge in Old Towne Orange, with a community storytelling night and a focus on independent filmmakers. The Dana Point Film Festival runs October 29 through November 1 with ocean-themed documentaries. And Laguna Beach hosts its First Thursdays Art Walk every month, when galleries stay open late for artist demonstrations and evening receptions, so it is worth planning a gallery night while you are in town for the festival.

Why Orange County Is Such a Good Place for Art

A premiere in Newport Beach, a surf documentary in Laguna Beach, and a market of local makers on the harbor are all within roughly twenty minutes of each other. I love that OC consistently give us so much to do in a single week.

That is the part of Orange County I love sharing with people. It is not only the coastline, although these activities by the coastline is great, it is a community that shows up for its artists, filmmakers, and makers, and makes it easy to be part of it. If you have a favorite October event I missed, send it my way, I am awlays looking for the next thing to try.

Event details are accurate as of publication. Always check the organizer's website before heading out.