Hello Back Bay bonbons, happy Friday!

We hope you had a nice short week. The humidity has dropped a scootch, making the 80° days more bearable as we head into a high 70s weekend. We know it still feels like summer (and it is), but we had to add upcoming pumpkin patches opening this month in OC. Dog friendly meetups, DJs and night markets combine for a great little weekend to kick off September. Cheers!

CORRECTION: The Hazmat scare in CDM was previously reported to be a chlorine gas leak, but it was in fact a mixture of ammonia and chlorine bleach, a potentially fatal combination.

To the 100ish new readers since our last send—welcome! The Back Bay Buzz delivers just the right amount of news and events for locals in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. No crime, no politics, no spam—just the good stuff. We scan newspapers, blogs, social media, business journals, and Google alerts so you don’t have to.

In today’s Buzz:

• Rooftop Bar Coming to Mariner’s Mile

• Good Boy Social Club @ Almond Surf

• Sunset Sessions @ Milligram

• Pumpkin Patches Opening in OC

— Jon Dougher, Publisher, Back Bay Buzz

ARC Carne & Cantina Coming to Mariners’ Mile

Newport Beach’s Planning Commission has given the green light to ARC Carne & Cantina, a new three-story restaurant with rooftop dining set for 2902 West Coast Highway. The project, backed by local restaurateurs Noah and Marin Blom (of ARC Butcher & Baker and ARC Food & Libations), promises a high-end Mexican and Central/South American concept designed as both a community gathering spot and a catalyst for the corridor.

Plans call for a 6,874-square-foot buildout featuring a ground-floor dining room, mezzanine bar, and a 1,700-square-foot rooftop complete with an oyster bar and ocean views. Parking will be handled with a mix of on-site and valet spaces, and city staff said traffic impacts will be minimal. While a few neighbors raised concerns about rooftop noise and parking overflow, commissioners emphasized that the restaurant is not a bar—no live entertainment or amplified sound is planned—and that ambient PCH traffic will likely drown out any chatter.

The commission voted unanimously in favor, praising the project’s design, local ownership, and ability to reenergize Mariners’ Mile with a new destination dining spot. It is about time Starfish had some competition.

• Porron Society Pickup - Semi Tropic Wines
  (I/we/our editor doesn’t know what a porron is and at this point we are afraid to ask…)
  Friday
  Info

• Sunset Sessions: Aaron Tebay - Milligram CM
  Fri Sep 5
  5:30-7:30pm
  Info
  

• After Hours in the Garden at Sherman Library and Gardens in Corona Del Mar

  Friday, 05 September

  5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
  Info

• Makers Hive Market - The Camp
  Sat Sep 6th
  11-4pm
  Info

• School Spirit Weekend - Buffalo Exchange (The Lab)
  Sat Sep 6th- Sun Sep 7th
  Info

• Canines & Coffee - Almond Surf
  Dog-centric meetup hosted by Good Boys Social Club
  Sat Sep 6th
  9-12pm
  Info

• Songs of Summer After Party Singalong - Wayfarer CM
  Hosted by Beer & Hymns OC
  Sunday Sep 7th
  Info

• 626 Night Market at OC Fair and Event Center

  Fri-Sunday, 5th-7th September

  4:00 pm - 11:00 pm
  Info

UPCOMING:

• REDO Vintage Market - OC Fairgrounds
  Sep 12-13th
  Info

• Pacific Wine and Food Classic - Newport Dunes

  Sat Sep 20th 1pm-5pm

  Tickets

• Art in the Park - Newport Beach Civic Center Green
  Live Music, Artwork, Sculpture, food & wine pavilion, kids activity
  Sat Sep 20th 10-5pm
  Info

• Sparks & S’mores - Urban Workshop Costa Mesa
  free s’mores, blacksmithing
  Monday Sep 22nd
  6pm-9pm
  RSVP

• Art Walk - The Camp
  Fri Sep 26th
  4-8pm
  Info

• Chili Cook Off - Estancia Park (CM)
  Sun Sep 28th
  11am-4pm
  Info

• Newport Beach Volleyball Invitational - NB
  October 7-11
  Info

WHAT’S GOING ON IN SOUTH OC?

Check out our great partner newsletters:

FRIDAY
66🌡️ 76 I 🌤️ I 14% Rain I 🌬️ ➡️ SW 10mph

SATURDAY
67🌡️ 76 I 🌤️ I 12% Rain I 🌬️ ➡️ SW 10mph

SUNDAY
68🌡️ 79 I 🌤️ I 7% Rain I 🌬️ ➡️ SW 10mph

🌊 Water temp = 71º
Suit Rec: Shorty

THIS WEEKEND:

• Midnight Market Halloween Boutique at Rogers Gardens
  All Week

  9:00 am - 6:00 pm
  Info

• After Hours in the Garden at Sherman Library and Gardens in Corona Del Mar

  Friday, 05 September

  5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
  Info

• $5 Games and Inflatable Slides at The Layover in the Great Park (Irvine)
  Saturday, 06 September

  10:00 am - 5:00 pm
  Info

• Barnes and Noble Storytime at Fashion Island

  Saturday, 06 September

  11:30 am - 12:00 pm
  info

• Biodiversity Bash at Back Bay Science Center

  Saturday, 06 September

  1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
  Info

• Public Tour of Orange County Museum of Art

  Sunday, 07 September

  1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
  Info

• 626 Night Market at OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa

  Fri-Sunday, 5th-7th September

  4:00 pm - 11:00 pm
  Info

FAMILY PLAN AHEAD:

• School for Scallywags - Ocean Institute (Dana Point)
  “…master maritime skills, and find out if you have what it takes to become a true pirate”
  Sat-Sun Aug 13th-14th
  9:15am, 11:15am, 12:15pm
  Info

• REDO Vintage Market in Costa Mesa ($10-$20)

  Saturday, 13 September

  9:00 am - 4:00 pm
  Info

• Little Lido Kids Club: Music Class with Magic Steps - Lido Village
  Thurs Sep 18th
  10:30am
  RSVP
  
  

• $5 Movies at AMC - AMC Tustin, Irvine
  “Get a steal of a deal on tickets to some of your favorite past animated films every week with Summer Movie Camp, now through 8/13”
  Info

  
  

• Art Walk - The Camp
  Fri Sep 26th
  4-8pm
  Info

Bands in Town(s):

🎵 ⏩️ PLAN AHEAD

• Young the Giant - Pac Amp - Fri Sep 12th

• ZZ TOP - FOGHAT - Pacific Ampitheatre - Sat Aug 30th - Tickets

• Mickey Avalon (yes That Mickey Avalon)- Wayfarer
  Sat October 18th

Thanks! Please ignore any typos, our editor is busy arguing about the differences between a ‘panaché’ lager’, a radler, and a shandy. We told him there isn’t one. This is not the first time he has threatened to quit.

PS: Feel free to let me know any feedback or inside scoops you have for the newsletter. Just reply to this email, I read every one. Thanks!