Latest Marine Corps Air Station El Toro Stories

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- History and art collide to provide a unique interpretive experience at the Orange County Great Park's Palm Court Arts Complex with a pair of exhibitions that contrast first-person story-telling and historical perspective with emotional interpretations of a time gone by. Contemporary Artists Conceptualize the Year 1942 showcases the work of 19 contemporary Southern California-based artists who have each artistically conceptualized the...

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Orange County Great Park will host a special reception to showcase the thought-provoking exhibition memorializing Marine Corps Air Station El Toro's 50-year tradition of service and sacrifice titled, Farmers to Flyers: Marine Corps Air Station El Toro and Mid-Century Orange County. The special reception will take place at the Great Park Gallery in the Palm Court Arts Complex on Saturday, September 22 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m....

IRVINE, Calif., June 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Orange County Great Park hosts this summer's premier free family event to mark the Park's 7th anniversary at the Growing the Park celebration, a mid-afternoon through evening community festival on Saturday, July 14 from 3:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The event offers families the opportunity to watch vintage military planes honoring 100 years of Marine aviation and the daring Silver Wings Wingwalking team soar through the...

IRVINE, Calif., June 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Orange County Great Park will present the free Movie on the Lawn showing of the action-packed blockbuster hit Captain America: The First Avenger on Saturday, June 16. A brave, yet mild-mannered young soldier, Steve Rogers, volunteers to undergo a series of experiments for a U.S. Army Super Soldier program and becomes a human weapon. When a Nazi plot is revealed, Rogers must rise up and become Captain America in order to save his...

IRVINE, Calif., May 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Orange County's urban oasis took a huge step forward this week when the last of fifty-four full-size Canary Island Date Palms were seated at the Orange Country Great Park's new Palm Court Arts Complex. The Palm Court Arts Complex is located near Hangar 244 and comprises two rehabilitated and repurposed former MCAS El Toro military buildings that will now be devoted to art and historical exhibitions, art production by resident artists plus indoor...

IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Whether your piano talents are closer to Chopin or Chopsticks, the Great Park wants to know: OC, Can You Play? Come play the piano and participate in a public arts happening at the Orange County Great Park, presented by the Pacific Symphony Orchestra. OC Can You Play? is a free interactive installation that encourages visitors to tickle the ivories on one of 20 artistically enhanced pianos placed at iconic destination locations across the...

IRVINE, Calif, Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Marines are trained to value "the unit" over the individual. This mindset is critical in the field, but during day-to-day life on the base, some artistically-minded Marines found ways to express themselves by using just about any flat surface as blank canvas. The buildings of the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro revealed a history of rebellious creativity to a group of photographers documenting the base closure. A special exhibition at the...

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 6, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Veterans Day was celebrated early for Marines and others who were among the first to live and work at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) El Toro. World War II-era Marines, families and base workers gathered today at the Orange County Great Park to be honored at the 2010 El Toro Homecoming. The event paid tribute to those who shared and documented their lives and memories through the Great Park Oral History Project, a collaboration between the Orange...

IRVINE, Calif., July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Vintage World War II airplanes flying overhead will pay tribute to the Orange County Great Park's rich military heritage as the Great Park showcases its transformation from El Toro Marine Corps Air Station to the first great metropolitan park of the 21st Century. Growing the Park marks the fifth anniversary of the Orange County Great Park. This wide-ranging family event features five themed activity areas. In the "Sky's the Limit" area, the Irvine...

IRVINE, Calif., June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The Orange County Great Park Corporation announced today that the Schematic Design Contract for the Orange County Great Park has been completed and closed out with a cost savings of at least $5.4 million. This cost savings represents more than 12% of the total Schematic Design Contract. The approval was part of several significant actions taken today by unanimous vote, representing the transition from design to construction of the Great Park. The...