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Must-See Festivals & Events
Californians know how to throw a party—especially outdoors. That’s the mood at these premier festivals, fairs, and celebrations statewide. While some might include dress-up affairs indoors, such as gala dinners pairing celebrity chefs with top winemakers, most are casual affairs out in the sun, where you can relax California-style, and really get a taste of what it’s like to live, work, and play in the Golden State.
Love food? Time your visit to include a top food, wine, or craft beer event, such as Pebble Beach Food & Wine along the Central Coast. Music fan? Head for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival near Palm Springs, or rollicking (and free) Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Or target an event that is 100-percent California, such as the U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, the iconic Gilroy Garlic Festival, jumping frogs in the Gold Country, or San Diego’s new arts and entertainment phenom, Comic-Con.
May 11 - May 20
May
America's largest and most prestigious cycling event brings many of the world’s top riders to the Golden State. The 8-stage race changes it up every year, with new courses connecting cities and...
Amgen Tour of California
July
Vampires beware: this is one garlic-infused weekend that you’ll want to miss. Everyone else—go, at least once, to this unforgettably odiferous and one-of-a-kind event. See how creative chefs can...
Bill Strange Photography
Apr 20 - Apr 23
April
Get ready for the Central Coast’s ultimate gathering of the culinary world. First launched in 2008, Pebble Beach Food & Wine is one of those...
Courtesy of Coastal Luxury Management
May
Part frog-filled folklore, party classic country-fair fun, this annual event stands out as one of those wacky crowd-pleasers that everyone should see at least once in their lives. This competition...
Lucas Himovitz
March
Get into the checkered-flag spirit at this big and loud NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. Cheer for your favourite drivers as they zoom for the front in this 5-wide race event. The action kicks off...
Courtesy of Auto Club Speedway
January
Countdowns don’t get any more exciting than this. When conditions are just right, ocean swells pile up against an offshore reef, about 2 miles/3.2 kilometres off Northern California coastline near...
Dennis Yang/ Flickr
July
From its humble origins as a fringe gathering of comic book fans in 1970, when barely 100 participants attended, Comic-Con has grown into one of the world’s biggest pop culture extravaganzas....
Mooshuu/Flickr
October
Put on your dancing shoes for this massive three-day music festival, taking over much of San Francisco's lush Golden Gate Park each October. More than 100 artists from assorted...
David McSpadde/Flickr
November
Local and international talent gathers at the gustatory tribute to all that’s good about wine & food (and there’s beer too); the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival is San Diego’s largest ...
San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival by Kevin Hulett
July - August
Arguably one of the most unique events in the world, this eye-popping pageant presents tableaux vivants ("living pictures"), ultra-detailed recreations of classical and contemporary works of art,...
June
So amazingly popular that it has had to move out of its namesake town, the Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival is a longtime favourite along the Central Coast. Cool fog and warm sun are...
Jan 19 - Jan 28
January
Dive into over a week’s worth of all-you-can-eat crab feeds, winemaker's dinners, wine competitions, crab cruises, cooking classes, and family-style cioppino feeds at this regional celebration of...
Gianni Dominici/Flickr
California: Entertainment
From High Sierra mountains to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park; from wine country splendour to dramatic deserts, California’s music festivals take place in wow-worthy...
California: Entertainment
Considering the Golden State’s abundance of thriving artistic communities and culturally diverse neighbourhoods, the California Arts Council had plenty of...
Spotlight: SeaWorld San Diego
Wiggle into a wetsuit and step into the Wild Arctic exhibit to touch and interact with snowy white beluga whales (FYI, they feel a bit like cold, wet hot dogs). Also get...