En garde – Popular free Fencing Demos, hands-on experiences return this month
With Mission Viejo’s sport tourism efforts and rich Olympic history, the City has partnered with USA Fencing and its “Fencing Across America” campaign for the second straight year to host a free fencing opportunity for the community September 26-28 at The Shops at Mission Viejo.
This innovative fan endeavor for all ages includes USA Fencing offering fencing demos by Olympic and Paralympic legends and learning opportunities at different places across the country. In Mission Viejo, the City is teaming up with the Laguna Fencing Center to host this distinctive three-day opportunity from 1-5 pm on the mall’s first floor just outside Build-a-Bear.
“As the City continues its sports tourism efforts to secure different Olympic teams to use Mission Viejo as their primary training sites in preparation for LA28, the City is looking for unique ways to introduce different sports to the community while also getting our residents excited for the Olympic Movement,” said Mission Viejo Director of Recreation & Community Services Mark Nix. “This was a popular activity last year that allowed our residents to view fencing demonstrations and try it out for themselves. We believe it will be equally popular this year and are thrilled to be able to offer this experience to our residents.”
The fencing activity complements the current efforts by the City’s Sports & Events Tourism Committee (SET) to secure partnerships with National Olympic Committees, National Sports Federations, and Continental Sports Organizations for pre-game training in Mission Viejo before and during the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. To date, the City has already secured both the Dutch Olympic and Paralympic teams as well as the U.S. Diving team and various Oceania teams.
“Last summer, we proved that when you bring fencing to the people, the people get hooked,” says USA Fencing CEO Phil Andrews, referring to last year’s edition of Fencing Across America, which brought the sport to places like Grand Central Terminal in New York. “By empowering our clubs to host their own activations in 2025, we’re growing the sport one neighborhood at a time.”
Learn more about USA Fencing at usafencing.org. For more information about Mission Viejo’s fencing demos, contact the Laguna Fencing Center at 949-215-4112.
