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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: the Gilroy Garlic Festival is one garlic-infused weekend that creatures of the night may want to avoid. Everyone...
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, part classic country-fair fun, the annual mid-May Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee stands out as...
Lucas Himovitz
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 three-and-a-half kilometres off the Northern California...
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...
Mooshuu/Flickr
October
Pack a blanket, some snacks and your dancing shoes for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, a massive, free, three-day...
David McSpadde/Flickr
Joey Hernandez/SD Bay Wine & Food Fest
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 and 18 miles south to Monterey, the two-day Castroville Artichoke...
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: Outdoor
What started as a fad in the late 1950s and early '60s has morphed into a global phenomenon–and a multibillion-pound business that’s now recognised across the planet. But...
California: Luxury
Head to the heart of California’s cities for luxurious stays at world-class accommodations. From San Francisco’s historic hotels to celebrity hot spots in Hollywood and...
California: Culinary
California cuisine has long been celebrated for its use of extraordinary ingredients, from sustainably-farmed produce and meats to artisanal cheeses. The state’s edible...