We have a full schedule of social activities each month, ranging from lunches and happy hours to games nights, discussion groups, trivia, and our Speakers Forum.
All events are open to all Mensa members, and to guests who accompany Mensa members. Events in public places (restaurants, theaters, etc.) are also open to prospective members. RSVPs are not required, except as noted.
The calendar of activities in the Oracle (our monthly newsletter) may include additional events that are open only to Mensa members and their guests. To view the Calendar in the Oracle, please visit American Mensa’s local group newsletters webpage. Have your Mensa log-in info (email address and password) ready.
Once a week, we send an Email Blast — “This Week in OC Mensa” — that lists the activities for the next seven days to each member with an email address on file with American Mensa.
Mensa members: You can schedule your own activity or get-together in next month’s calendar by submitting a Calendar entry to our Calendar Editor at: calendar@ocmensa.org
Note: To protect the privacy of our hosts, home addresses, personal email addresses, and phone numbers are not listed on this website. Current members of Orange County Mensa can access this information in the current Oracle newsletter or the weekly eBlast.
Tuesday, August 18
6:30 PM Book Chat
We will discuss Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen. This 2004 novel mixes humor and crime in a wild Florida setting. The New York Times described it as “A screwball delight so full of bright, deft, beautifully honed humor… you’d follow (Hiaasen) anywhere.”
Location: Angie Mattson’s home, Orange.
Wednesday, August 19
12:30 PM (almost) FREE LUNCH
(almost) FREE LUNCH – We are going to Chicago but right here at home. Jim’s Original has been in Chicago since 1939 but their 3rd location is in Orange. Join us for hot dogs, Polish sausage, pork chop sandwiches, hamburgers, fish and chicken.
Location: Jim’s Original, 214 N Tustin St, Orange, CA 92867
Contact: John Olsen.
1:00 PM South of the Border Lunch
Join us south of the border (the border being the El Toro Y) for a south-county lunch. RSVP not required. Look for the black-and-yellow “M” sign on the table. Important notes: (1) Bring a credit card; they don’t take cash. (2) Bring a cell phone; they text you when your order is ready. (3) Wear a hat; fresh air and sunshine on the fabulous patio are real.
Location: Miramar Food Hall, 1720 N El Camino Real, San Clemente.
Directions: Exit I-5 at Pico and head toward the beach. At the light at the bottom of the hill, look left. We’re at the SW corner of Pico and El Camino Real. Cheap parking is available at the straight-ahead Metrolink station.
Contact: Tom Streeter.
Sunday, August 23
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM San Diego Mensa Games SIG
Join the San Diego Mensa Games SIG for an afternoon of games at Mikara Cafe. I will have games, but feel free to bring your own games as well.
Location: 10330 Friars Rd. San Diego CA 92120
Contact: RSVP/Questions: Theresa Kasel.
Wednesday August 26
8:00 PM Mensa Dinner at the World Science Fiction Convention
Join fellow Mensans the night before the start of the Worldcon in Anaheim. For Worldcon information check https://www.lacon.org. Please try to let me know if you are coming.
Location: The restaurant is in the Anaheim Hilton. Poppy’s Restaurant Anaheim https://www.meetatpoppys.com, 777 W Convention Way, Anaheim, CA 92802
Contact: Andrew Dyer.
Thursday, August 27
5:00 PM LOT – Last Odd Thursday
LOT – Last Odd Thursday meets again. It’s our al fresco Happy Hour which we try to hold in our front yard. Bring a snack to share if you are so moved, but we have plenty of beer.
Location: Orange.
Contact: John Olsen.
Sunday, August 30
10:45 AM Brunch Buddies
Join us for brunch! This month we are going to Culinary Dropout. They have inventive takes on food and beverage. They also have a complimentary valet. Please RSPV by Saturday morning.
Location: Culinary Dropout, 191 N Orange St, Orange CA
Contact: Valerie Spear or John Olsen.
Tuesday, September 1
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM Parent Support Zoom
Just as our gifted children may struggle finding their place and tribe, parents of gifted children can struggle with trying to help them. Join other parents of gifted youth on Zoom every first Tuesday to ask questions, share advice or just feel validated that you aren’t alone in this journey.
This month we will be joined by Dr. Gayle Bentley, President of SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted). and gifted youth mother, who will also be speaking at the Regional Gathering.
Contact: OC Mensa Gifted Youth Coordinator, Jennifer Colucci. (The link is included in the Gifted Youth weekly emails on Monday — if you don’t get the email, reach out to Jennifer to get added.)
Wednesday, September 2
12:30 PM LuncH with a Capital H
We’ve been coming here since the last Ice Age. Join us for sandwiches and conversation and maybe a beer. Look for us at the big round table (if we get it).
Location: Hollingshead’s Deli, 368 S. Main St., Orange. Behind Victory Diner. North of the 22 Fwy, south of Chapman. Look for Deli sign in the corner of a small shopping center.
Contact: John Olsen.
Thursday, September 3
12:00 Noon First Thursday Lunch
Please join us at Cafe Rose Express. Typical full lunches priced from about $8 to $25. Fresh salads & pastries. Full lunch menu with daily specials. We’re welcoming, good-natured and friendly. If the weather is nice, we may be outside in the shade. Look for the M on a yellow background.
Location: Cafe Rose Express, 1570 Scenic Ave., Costa Mesa, 949-478-8777.
Contact: John Kerr.
Friday-Sunday, September 4-6
OC MENSA REGIONAL GATHERING
It’s a Gathering of Bohemians! Join us for food, drink, fun and education at our biggest longest event of the year. We may already be sold out. To see whether we are still accepting registrations, check: https://ocmensa.org/2026-regional-gathering/
Location: MainStay Suites Orange County John Wayne Airport, 2701 Hotel Terrace, Santa Ana, CA 92705
Contact: John Olsen.
Thursday, September 10
5:00 PM South County Happy Hour
We’re on Nancy and Greg’s patio for more conversation covering whatever topics may interest us. We’ll provide beer, wine, and water. Bring a snack to share if you’re so inclined, but don’t feel obligated.
Location: Laguna Hills.
Contact: Greg De Hoogh.
Sunday, September 13
10:30 AM Atheists Brunch
The conversation is enjoyable and unstructured among like-minded friends. We order brunch from the menu. We are open to the public, free parking at the hotel. An RSVP is appreciated but not necessary.
Location: The restaurant inside the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 4545 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach. (The cross street is Birch, near the airport).
Contact: Joyce Farmer.
Monday, September 14
10:00 PM Calendar and Oracle Deadlines
Submit October 2026 calendar entries to the Calendar Editor.
Submit October 2026 Oracle entries (articles & photos) to the Oracle Editor.
Wednesday, September 16
1:00 PM South of the Border Lunch
Join us south of the border (the border being the El Toro Y) for a south-county lunch. RSVP is not required. Look for the black-and-yellow “M” sign on the table. Location this month is Olamendi’s, Nixon’s old hangout! Yes, it really is on Wednesday — not Saturday — this month!!
Location: Olamendi’s, 34660 Pacific Coast Hwy, Dana Point. www.originalolamendis.com
Directions: Exit I-5 at Camino-Las-Ramblas/PCH/Exit-79, go west (toward the ocean) for a quarter of a mile, and take the Doheny Park Road exit. At Doheny Park Road, turn left (under the freeway). Doheny Park Road becomes PCH South. Go a third of a mile; the restaurant is on your left. Yes, there is a center turn lane.
Contact: Tom Streeter.
Saturday, September 19
7:00 PM Games, Puzzles, Origami, & Conversation
Join us for a fun and relaxing time hanging out with your fellow Mensans. There will be an assortment of things to do. We’ll have board games to play, as well as jigsaw puzzles for group puzzling. Or, challenge your mind with a variety of 3-dimensional brain-teaser puzzles. Or, try your hand at origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. Those who don’t want to get involved with puzzles or origami or a game can spend their time visiting and conversing.
Directions: At the home of Marti Reis, Garden Grove.
Contact: Marti.
Thursday, September 24
6:30 PM Book Chat
We will discuss Judge Stone by James Patterson and Viola Davis. This 2026 legal thriller centers on a Black female judge in rural Alabama who presides over a controversial abortion case that divides her small town and attracts national attention.
Location: Angie Mattson’s home, Orange.
Contact: Angie.
Sunday, September 27
12:30 PM Virtual Speaker Presentation: Theodore Talk (Zoom)
Topic: How to Communicate with Someone Who Disagrees with You
Speaker: Jenny Rankin, PhD (OC Mensa member)
In our highly polarized climate, chances are good that you have run across someone who disagrees with you. This presentation will help you understand what is happening in the brain of someone who disagrees with you and will arm you with surprising (yet practical) strategies for persuading even the most averse audience and achieving better discussions and relations in the process.
Register for this presentation to receive the Zoom link.
Even if you can’t attend the live Theodore Talk, as long as you register in advance you will receive a link to the Zoom recording that you can watch at your convenience.
Contact: Brad Lucht/Shirley Mouer, Theodore Talk Co-chairs.
