Harborside Grand Ballroom 400 Main Street • Newport Beach • California 92661

Few beach towns on the West Coast can rival Balboa, annexed to Newport Beach on a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and Newport Bay. Everything about this small community is in perfect balance and proportion. The compact downtown is thriving, but not colonized by chain stores. The neighborhoods range from neatly trimmed cottages to the understated houses of the wealthy. The beach is wide, the municipal pier has a great burger shack and there's a classic bayside strand of amusement parlors, harbor tours and quaint shops that evoke all the heady sights and smells of life at the beach.

At the heart of town is the historic Balboa Pavilion, a majestic Victorian structure overlooking Newport Harbor that was built in 1905 at the foot of Main Street. From the water, the distinctive shape of this two-story building's steeply sloped roof has always made the Pavilion an instantly recognizable landmark.

The Harborside Grand Ballroom, which is on the second floor of the Pavilion, has the best views of the bay in the harbor. Originally designed as America's answer to the palatial dance halls of early 20th-century Europe, the room is about 140 feet wide and has a huge dance floor and two bars. Floor-to-ceiling windows line every inch of the ballroom on three sides, framing sweeping views out to Newport Bay. Just outside the larger of the bars there's a glass-protected terrace—perfect for catching a breath of fresh air. The elegant, wide staircase that climbs from the front entryway to the ballroom makes a beautiful stage for a photogenic entrance.

When you reserve the ballroom, the experienced Harborside staff will assist you with every aspect of your event, from customizing your menu to helping you choose the right linens. They're also skilled at bringing to life whatever celebration you have in mind, be it a formal black-tie affair, a contemporary beach-themed wedding or a rousing casino night. As the Banquet Manager says, "There isn't anything we can't do."

The Harborside Grand Ballroom is unquestionably one of the best waterfront locations in Newport Beach. But for all its majesty, this splendid event space never upstages the bride and groom—it quietly serves as a memorable backdrop.