☀️ Free Summer Events in Costa Mesa 2025

Kendra Fisher
Jul 7
2 min read

Costa Mesa bursts with community energy when summer rolls around—with free concerts, movies, festivals, and more. Here are the must-attend events to add to your calendar:

1. Concerts in the Park

Dates: Tuesdays, July 8, 15, 22 & 29, 2025
Venue: Fairview Park (2525 Placentia Ave)
Details: Pre-show family-friendly activities begin at 5 pm; live bands start at 6 pm. Expect gourmet food trucks, a beer & wine garden, and kids’ fun zones. Highlights include Family Style, Flashback Heart Attack, Tijuana Dogs, and a special performance by Symphony in the Cities ocparks.com +5costamesaca.gov +5costamesaca.gov +5.

2. Segerstrom Center’s “Plaza Pass” Summer Series

Summer Sounds concerts: Fridays in June & July—featuring genres from reggae (Upstream, June 20) to Afro-Latin dance beats (QUITAPENAS, July 25) scfta.org +2reddit.com +2oconthetown.com +2.
Movie Mondays: Free outdoor films like Coco, Crazy Rich Asians, and A League of Their Own on the SCFTA Plaza scfta.org +2reddit.com +2scfta.org +2.

3. Make Music Costa Mesa

Date: Saturday, June 21, 2025
Time: 11 am–2 pm
Venue: Lions Park Event Lawn & Stage
Overview: A worldwide “Make Music Day” tradition—anyone can perform, and all are welcome to enjoy free live music reddit.com +4makemusicday.org +4orangecounty.net +4.

4. Free Park Performances

Keep an eye out for spontaneous, small concerts popping up at parks around town—offered by Costa Mesa’s Parks & Community Services reddit.com +5costamesaca.gov +5facebook.com +5.

5. OC Parks Concert & Sunset Cinema Series

Right nearby, OC Parks runs 9 free concerts and 12 outdoor movie nights across county parks—such as Mile Square, Irvine Regional Park, and Salt Creek Beach—through August 29th ocparks.com +1sandytoesandpopsicles.com +1.

7. Orange County Fair

Dates: July 18–August 17, 2025
Venue: OC Fair & Event Center, Costa Mesa
Note: While general admission is ticketed, the annual fair often features free community performances and activities—so it's worth checking out even on the flip side of the fence en.wikipedia.org +2en.wikipedia.org +2en.wikipedia.org +2.