Happy Friday, neighbors 👋
Our slide of South County is buzzing this weekend — a carnival lands in RSM, two free concerts fire up, and the markets are stacked with summer produce. Here’s your 3-minute rundown.
📅 This weekend
🎡 Fiesta de Solano — the big one. San Francisco Solano’s carnival takes over the RSM campus on Antonio Pkwy with rides, games, food, live music and vendors. Fri & Sat, July 10–11, 5–10pm; Sun, July 12, 11:30am–8pm. It’s free to walk in and open to everyone — you don’t have to be a parishioner or of the Catholic faith to join. Park at Solano’s lot or Santa Margarita Catholic High. → Fiesta de Solano details
🎸 Free concerts, two nights:
Ladera Ranch — Fri 7/10: Sega Genecide plays all-live ’90s hits on the Town Green (Sienna Pkwy), 6:30–8:30pm. Bring a blanket, grab dinner from the shops.
RSM — Sun 7/12: The Reflexx headline Central Park’s amphitheater, 6–8pm — food trucks + the Rotary del Sol beer & wine garden.
(Mission Viejo’s Concerts on the Green take this week off — back Fri 7/17 with the Tijuana Dogs.)
🥕 Farmers markets: Mission Viejo, Saturday morning at Marguerite (25282 Marguerite Pkwy); Ladera Ranch, Sunday 9am–1pm at Avendale by Founders Park.
🍴 Open & shut
On the way to Plaza El Paseo (RSM): two new tenants at 22312 El Paseo — Redshift Coffee (house-roasted coffee + breakfast, from the Lake Forest original), aiming to open this summer, and The Goldfinch (California cuisine + a real cocktail program, from Irvine), targeting late summer. Neither’s open yet — but worth watching that corner.
💬 Around town — your July live-music cheat sheet
Free concerts run all summer across the valley. Beyond this weekend:
Ladera Town Green (Fridays): James Kelly Band 7/17 · Mighty Untouchables 7/24
RSM Central Park (Sundays): Pistol Blonde 7/19 · Wayward Sons 7/26
MV Concerts on the Green (Fridays): Tijuana Dogs 7/17 · Common Sense 7/31
Screenshot this one.
💎 One good thing
The Oso Creek Trail (Mission Viejo). A flat, paved, tree-shaded path along the creek, dotted with community mosaic art, a butterfly garden, a little hedge maze and a peace obelisk — one of the most underrated free spots in South County. Start at Oso Viejo Park (24932 Veterans Way); free parking. Perfect for a cooler morning or a golden-hour stroll.
That’s the week. What’s the one summer spot your family keeps going back to — a pool, a taco window, a shady trail? Hit reply and tell us; we’re collecting local favorites to share.
Enjoy it out there 🐻
— OSO
Forward this to a neighbor who’d like it. And if someone sent you this — subscribe free at osoweekly.com.