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🛶 A Newport Beach escape most locals drive right past

🛶 A Newport Beach escape most locals drive right past

Also inside: Balboa Island’s new art space, wood-fired magic at Il Barone, and 90s hip-hop reimagined.

July 16, 2026

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Summer has a funny way of making even ordinary weekdays feel like a vacation in Newport Beach.

Maybe it's dinner on a patio after work. Maybe it's catching live music without making big plans, or taking the long way home along the harbor just because the weather is too nice to waste indoors. Those little moments are what we love most about living here.

Inside you'll find a mix of new openings, local favorites, and events happening over the next several days. Hopefully one of them turns into your favorite memory of the week.

🎨 A contemporary Art Gallery is setting up

The Gist: Kennedy Contemporary, the gallery Victoria Kennedy opened on Westcliff Drive back in 2021, is opening a second space on Balboa Island at 323 Marine Avenue. The debut show, "Boundless Palette: Three Voices," brings together three Sausalito painters and runs through August 15. The original Westcliff location stays open by appointment through the end of the year.

Why It Matters: Marine Avenue keeps adding independent shops and galleries, and a contemporary art space gives locals one more reason to linger on the island beyond an ice cream cone.

What's Next: An opening celebration runs July 17 from 5 to 8 p.m.

🌴 Big golf news heading to our coast

The Gist: Newport Beach Country Club is officially becoming the new home of the Senior Players Championship starting in late March 2027. Under a new five-year agreement running through 2031, the tournament will be renamed the Hoag Senior Players Championship. The massive PGA Tour Champions event is moving out West after spending 72 years at Firestone Country Club in Ohio.

Why It Matters: Not only will we get to see legends like Ernie Els swing through town, but the week-long event promises to bring a fantastic boost to our local shops, restaurants, and neighborhood energy.

🍕 Sun-drenched patio and wood-fired magic

6700 West Coast Hwy, Newport Beach

Il Barone Ristorante brings effortless coastal Milanese warmth to the West Coast Highway. Perfect after a day on the water, the space centers around Chef Franco’s brick oven.

Skip straight to the Facci ri Veccia, a crisp flatbread layered with imported crescenza, prosciutto, and white truffle oil. Between Jonathan’s three-day fermented pizzas and the bright, citrusy Taglioline Al Limon tossed with fresh seafood, it is the ultimate casual-chic neighborhood hangout.

🛶 Where the quiet marsh meets the yachts

100 N Bayside Dr, Newport Beach

Southwind Kayak Center has spent thirty years launching paddlers straight from their little spot under the Pacific Coast Highway bridge. You simply walk up, sign a waiver, grab your gear, and head out on the water.

Paddle south to cruise past the Newport Harbor yachts and sea lions, or drift north into the peaceful salt marshes of the Upper Newport Bay nature reserve. At sixteen dollars an hour, even your dog is welcome to climb aboard.

Click here to be the business everyone hears about next week!

Remember Cashew, the cheerful Akita mix with the tricolor coat?

This active, medium-sized companion is still bringing her bright personality to the Newport Beach Animal Shelter. Now nearly three, she loves zooming around and showing off her sit and lay down skills.

While a jaw condition makes grabbing toys tricky, she eats and drinks comfortably, but needs an understanding home. An adoption fee applies.

To learn more about this energetic gal,

🎲 The Week of Play: Library BINGO | Corona del Mar & Crean Mariners Branch | 07/16 & 07/18 | More
Engaging, prize-winning library game sessions perfect for children ages 3-11.

✨ Stars, Stripes & Summer | Via Lido Plaza | 07/17–07/18 | More
Community festivities: live music, face painting, games, and local mural tours.

🌸 The Art of Newport Beach Wildlife: Pollinators & Native Plants | Back Bay Science Center | 07/18 | More
Outdoor painting experience exploring local coastal ecology and conservation.

🌅 Concerts on the Green: Redneck Rodeo | Civic Center Green | 07/19 | More
Country hits, local food trucks, and lawn seating under the sun.

🪃 The Week of Music: The Ben Band | Multiple Branches | 07/21–07/25 | More Interactive Australian outback musical adventures with stuffed animal friends!

🫧 Summer Sunset Concert | VEA Newport Beach | 07/16 | More
Country rhythms paired with artisan food specials. Music by Daniel Bonte.

🎷 Live on the Lawn: Alex Schwarz Trio | Fashion Island | 07/18 | More
Sophisticated jazz drifting over the sun-dappled coastal grass. Free.

🤠 It Came From Bakersfield! | Campus JAX | 07/19 | More
Twangy telecaster grooves and driving backbeats delivering West Coast honky-tonk.

🎤 Candlelight Concert: 90s Hip-Hop on Strings | Hyatt Regency | 07/19 | More Range Ensemble reimagines urban rap anthems with a glowing string quartet.

💍 Valuables Buying Event | Diamond Wish | 07/21-07/23 | More
Professional estate evaluations offering transparent on-the-spot assessments.

🎸 Led Zepagain: Led Zeppelin Tribute | Campus JAX | 07/24 | More
Thundering drums and iconic heavy blues riffs channel epic classic rock history.