What's On In Corona del Mar This July: The Village At Its Summer Pace
July 9, 2026
July 9, 2026
By mid-July, Corona del Mar has found its summer rhythm. The beach draws the earliest arrivals. The farmers market shapes Saturday morning. Gardens and public art offer a quieter interval before the village becomes more social in the evening.
That rhythm is the useful story behind things to do in Corona del Mar this summer. July is not organized around one major festival. It works in layers, with recurring local rituals and a handful of dates that genuinely change the pace of the village.
For residents deciding what deserves a place on the calendar, July 16 is the clear starting point.
The short version: Reserve July 16 for the village, July 19 for afternoon tea, July 23 for a community mixer, and Saturday mornings for the certified farmers market. Fit the beach, gardens and tide pools around the quieter hours rather than the midday rush.
3rd Thursdays returns to Corona del Mar Village on Thursday, July 16, from 5 to 8 p.m. The seasonal series extends business hours along Pacific Coast Highway and brings together food, music, pop-ups, activities, raffles and a walkable passport experience.
More than 70 local businesses have supported the series. That breadth matters because the evening is less like a single street fair and more like a collection of small events unfolding along the village corridor.
For July 16, the program includes:
This is an evening that rewards walking rather than trying to cover every activation. Choose one or two stops in advance, leave time for the music and treat the rest as discovery.
The event also offers a reason to pause at Jasmine Avenue and PCH. Sherman Library & Gardens is celebrating a new mural at Crown Ace Hardware honoring Duke Kahanamoku and the Great Rescue of 1925. The mural is part of Sherman’s Murals Beyond the Garden Walls initiative and was developed with support from local organizations, civic partners and the Newport Beach Lifeguard Department.
That connection between village commerce, public art and local coastal history gives July 16 more substance than a conventional shopping night.
Once 3rd Thursdays passes, the month becomes quieter without becoming empty. Two established Corona del Mar garden destinations provide much of that continuity.
A Hummingbird Summer is now running at Roger’s Gardens through August 23, daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission to the seasonal installation is free.
The display at 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road centers on a living hummingbird garden, with water-wise nectar plants, California natives, feeders and guidance from the horticultural team. It is practical as well as visual. Residents can see how plant choices support hummingbirds and other pollinators, then translate those ideas to a patio or garden at home.
The program also supports Sea & Sage Audubon. Customers can round up purchases during the campaign, and Roger’s Gardens will match the collected donations.
At Sherman Library & Gardens, the summer installation takes a more playful turn. Dog Days of Sherman features six larger-than-life mosaic dog sculptures by mixed-media artist Elizabeth Laul Healey.
Healey has created more than 250 works in the larger collection. The six pieces at Sherman are placed throughout the open-air garden and remain on view through September 7, included with regular admission.
The exhibit gives a familiar local institution a different visual character for summer. It also provides the setting for several of Sherman’s July classes and gatherings.
The remainder of the month offers a mix of ticketed experiences, free recurring programs and small workshops. Rather than treating every event as equal, it helps to sort them by how much planning they require.
| Date | Event | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| July 17 | Watercolor Flower Fields with local artist Erna Van Dyk | Check registration availability |
| July 17 | Little Seedlings Story Time | Free for preschool children and caregivers |
| July 18 | Watercolor Cactus | Check ticket and registration details |
| July 19 | Hazeltine’s Afternoon Tea | Advance reservation and payment required |
| July 23 | Summer Sunset Networking Mixer | RSVP strongly suggested |
| July 24 | Little Seedlings Story Time | Free for preschool children and caregivers |
| July 30 | Air Plant Himmeli workshop with Stacy Wong | Check registration availability |
| July 31 | Little Seedlings Story Time | Free for preschool children and caregivers |
| July 31 | Staghorn Fern class | Check registration availability |
Event availability may change, particularly for limited workshops and ticketed programs. Confirm details directly before making plans.
The most distinctive reservation on the calendar is Hazeltine’s Afternoon Tea on Sunday, July 19, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Sherman Library & Gardens.
The service includes tea, strawberries and cream, a seasonal scone, tea sandwiches and petit fours. The listed price is $79 per adult and $49 per child, before tax and gratuity. Nonmembers also pay garden admission. Advance reservations and payment are required.
The experience carries extra local interest because it previews Sherman’s forthcoming restaurant. Hazeltine’s was announced in May 2026 and is planned for the reconstructed building facing PCH, with an opening anticipated in 2027. Damian Orozco, owner of The Tea House on Los Rios, will manage the restaurant. Current plans call for brunch, lunch, dinner, a full-service bar and monthly afternoon tea.
For now, the July tea provides a limited look at the hospitality concept before full dining service begins.
Special events give the month definition, but the Corona del Mar Certified Farmers Market supplies its weekly routine.
The market operates every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine, at PCH and Marguerite Avenue. Its emphasis is certified, locally grown agricultural products rather than crafts.
That focus keeps the market straightforward. It is a place to shop for produce and then continue into the village, rather than an all-day festival requiring an elaborate plan.
One parking detail deserves attention. The Bayside Lot at Marguerite and Larkspur hosts the market during those hours, so it should not be treated as dependable Saturday overflow parking. East Coast Highway street spaces are free, but the city enforces a two-hour limit from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
Corona del Mar State Beach is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the Main Beach Lot at Jasmine Street and Ocean Boulevard has 545 first-come, first-served spaces.
The city’s current summer schedule lists lower hourly parking rates before 9 a.m. than during the middle of the day. From May through September, the listed rate is $5.90 per hour from 6 to 9 a.m., increasing to $9.40 per hour from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The daily maximum is listed at $35.40. Because rates can change, review the city’s current parking page before heading down.
The practical point is simpler than the rate table. An early arrival offers a calmer start and avoids relying on midday parking availability.
For an evening gathering, city fire rings and public barbecues are available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on a first-come basis. Portable grills are not permitted. Green-painted rings are reserved for charcoal, while unpainted rings permit clean wood or charcoal. The city identifies four accessible fire rings at Corona del Mar State Beach.
A few other rules help keep plans clear:
These are small details, but they often decide whether a casual beach plan stays casual.
A low-tide walk at Little Corona fits naturally into the month’s quieter hours. The area is part of a Marine Protected Area that includes beaches south of and including Corona del Mar State Beach.
The city’s guidance is direct: observe, but do not remove shells, animals or other tide-pool materials, even temporarily. Empty-looking shells can still serve a purpose within the habitat.
That restraint suits Corona del Mar’s broader July pace. The best local experiences often require less production, not more. A garden visit, an early beach walk, a market stop and one well-chosen village evening can be more satisfying than trying to fill every date.
For residents and local professionals who prefer a smaller gathering, the Corona del Mar Chamber’s Summer Sunset Networking Mixer is scheduled for Thursday, July 23, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the patio at Corona del Mar Community Church.
The evening includes live music by Don Covel, appetizers, wine and refreshments. Admission is listed as free for Chamber members and guests, with an RSVP strongly suggested.
It offers a useful contrast to 3rd Thursdays. July 16 belongs to the full village corridor. July 23 is more contained and conversational. Together, they show how Corona del Mar moves through summer without depending on one event format.
Corona del Mar in July is best understood as a sequence rather than a checklist. The village steps forward on July 16. The gardens maintain interest through the month. Saturday belongs to the market. The beach is most manageable early, while the fire rings extend the day toward evening.
That is the local advantage of the month. There is enough happening to make plans feel intentional, but no need to force the calendar.
For questions about Corona del Mar, coastal Orange County property or the details that shape life near the village and ocean, Connie Maxsenti offers experienced, boutique representation informed by more than five decades in the local market.
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