Ed. note: As of Jan. 28, 2025, 98 percent of Los Angeles remains unaffected by wildfires. The Eaton Fire in the Altadena area is now controlled, with nearly 100 percent containment as of press time. Visit the Travel Alerts page for resources to monitor the situation and the FAQs: Traveling to Los Angeles Right Now page to answer any travel-related questions.
February in California offers its own form of early spring: Wildflowers start to bloom in the desert, fruit and nut trees blossom all over the Central Valley, and a mysterious “firefall” lights up Yosemite’s El Capitan.
The shortest month of the year is also action-packed around the Golden State. In February, you can enjoy wine-and-chocolate pairings in Lodi, watch celebrities golf in Pebble Beach, and catch Oscar contenders in Santa Barbara. Here are more than 20 reasons to plan a Golden State getaway.
Jan. 30–Feb. 2: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Pebble Beach
Watch as an all-star lineup of top golfers and A-list celebrities take to the manicured, ocean-hugging greens of Spyglass Hill and other classic courses along the Central Coast’s Monterey Peninsula. As of press time, the roster of celebrities at this annual tournament was still pending, but in recent years has included notable amateur golfers such as Jason Bateman, Darius Rucker, and Kevin Costner.
All Month: Black History Month
Plan a trip around the museums, monuments, and events that celebrate African-American history this month. In Los Angeles, check out the current exhibits at the California African American Museum or listen to speakers at the Los Angeles Black History Month Festival (Feb. 23) at Pan Pacific Park, next door to The Grove. In Glendale, Forest Lawn–Glendale celebrates Black History Month with a free, family-friendly evening of music, dance, poetry, and special-guest speeches. The lineup includes speakers, a troupe of singers and dancers, and a five-piece band.
In San Francisco, explore the city’s African-American Freedom Trail, which includes stops at the Museum of the African Diaspora, The MLK Memorial, and a statue of Willie Mays, as well as many great Black-owned restaurants, bakeries, and shops. You can also support these notable Black-owned businesses across California throughout the year.
All Month: San Diego Museum Month
The Southern California city has a treasure trove of museums—from the Fleet Science Center to the floating Maritime Museum of San Diego. Throughout February, pick up a printed or digital pass (available at San Diego city and county libraries) to get half off entry at more than 70 of them, including the Comic-Con Museum, the Mingei International Museum, the Museum of Us, and the San Diego Model Railroad Museum. Note that a few museums have rules about which days the passes can be used.
Feb. 1–2: Temecula Valley Wines Barrel Tasting Weekend, Temecula
Sample newly released wines along with the unfinished barrel and tank wines from dozens of wineries at this annual event in Temecula Valley. Each one-day ticket includes a one-time visit to each participating winery, and tastings typically include light bites as well.
Feb 1–16: Lunar New Year Festivities
The Year of the Snake begins on Jan. 29, but the parties and parades will continue through much of February around California. The Vietnamese community in Orange County celebrates its USVA Tet Festival from Jan. 31–Feb. 2 in Garden Grove. San Francisco hosts the huge Alaska Airlines Chinese New Year Festival & Parade on Feb. 15—the world’s biggest Chinese New Year party outside of China.
Some Golden State theme parks throw their own parties. SeaWorld San Diego hosts a celebration (Feb. 1–9) with special menus, strolling characters, and live performances, while Disneyland Resort celebrates through Feb. 16 with the Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession parade, the Hurry Home—A Lunar New Year Celebration nighttime water show, and limited-time cuisine and merchandise.
Feb. 2: Surf City USA Marathon & Half Marathon, Huntington Beach
Choose from the marathon, half marathon, or 5K at this event along the Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach. The marathon is a qualifier for the Boston Marathon but you can also draw motivation from the scenic and flat route that passes by the Huntington Beach Pier and features live bands cranking out the tunes to energize the runners. To warm up, do the one-mile, soft-sand Beach Mile run on Saturday, Feb. 1.
Starting early February: Almond Blossom Cruise, Modesto
Embark on your own self-guided drive to see Modesto’s flowering almond orchards which start blooming in February, with stops at spots such as Oakdale Cheese & Specialties, Rodin Ranch, and shops where you can peruse all things almond—including milkshakes, brittle, and chocolate-covered. Consider a package that includes your hotel and a tour, or download the audio tour to drive yourself.
Feb. 4–15: Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Santa Barbara
Hollywood A-listers love getaways to Santa Barbara, and this prestigious annual festival with 200-plus films, tributes, and panels gives anyone extra incentive. This year’s honorees include Angelina Jolie, Ralph Fiennes, Zoe Saldaña, Ariana Grande, and Timothée Chalamet. Choose from different levels of tickets and passes to attend various screenings and special events. The film lineup will be announced Jan. 14.
Feb. 7–9: 57th California International Antiquarian Book Fair, Pasadena
The convention center in Pasadena will host this year’s festival, one of the world’s largest antiquarian book fairs. The gathering boasts nearly 200 booksellers offering up manuscripts, children’s books, ephemera, and even “incunabula” literature (meaning books printed before 1501). Note: Students with a valid ID get free admission to the book fair.
Feb. 8–23: Yosemite Firefall, Yosemite National Park
For about two weeks every February, the setting sun reflects off the waters of Yosemite National Park’s Horsetail Fall, creating the twilight illusion of fire cascading down El Capitan. This year, the national park’s experts are predicting a date range roughly from Feb. 8–23.
This phenomenon always draws crowds, so if you want to go, please do so responsibly—check out these tips on how to see the firefall.
Begins Feb 8: Knott’s Peanuts Celebration, Buena Park
The Buena Park theme park salutes the Peanuts gang on winter weekends. See Snoopy and friends in live shows, then take part in activities such as cartoon-sketching classes, a silent disco, and lots of character meet-and-greets. Runs weekends through March 9.
Feb. 10–16: Laguna Beach Music Festival, Laguna Beach
Enjoy the music presented by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and Laguna Beach Live at this week-long event in the arts-loving beach town. The full lineup of classical and contemporary concerts was still in the works at press time, but this year’s concerts feature Grammy- and Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Caroline Shaw.
Feb. 13–16: Humboldt Marble Weekend, Eureka
Admire these tiny works of contemporary glass art—which have long had a following in Humboldt County—at this annual event for artisans, collectors, and enthusiasts. The four-day event in Eureka includes a party with live music and glassblowing, an expo showcasing glass artists from around the U.S., and a highly-anticipated annual scavenger hunt around Eureka’s Old Town, with prizes totaling $10,000.
Feb. 13–16: Genesis Invitational, La Jolla
Tiger Woods’ PGA golf tournament, originally slated to take place at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades, will now be held at the famed the Torrey Pines course just north of La Jolla; the elite tournament is moving out of respect for the recovery efforts in the Pacific Palisades area, but plans to return there in 2026. The Lodge at Torrey Pines will act as a hub for this year's tournament. One more reason to go: All fees from Genesis Invitational tickets will be donated to Los Angeles relief efforts.
Feb. 13–23: Palm Springs Modernism Week, Palm Springs
The desert city celebrates its midcentury modern architecture during this annual festival of tours, exhibits, and cocktail parties. This year’s home tours include the personal residence of famed Desert Modernist architect William F. Cody and a home once owned by Adam West, television's Batman. While many of the activities are films, presentations, or bus or walking tours, there are other unique experiences like bike rides and pasta-making classes.
Feb. 13–March 2: Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival, Indio
Festival food is accented with local dates at Riverside County’s fair, located in the Coachella Valley, and kicks off with the annual blessing of the beloved local crop. Activities include concerts, midway rides, and competitions—such as monster trucks, camel races, and, of course, recipes using dates.
Starting mid-February: Fresno Blossom Trail, Fresno County
From mid-February until late March, Fresno County’s miles of fruit and nut orchards pop with a blaze of pink and white blossoms. Drive the 60-mile route yourself, or take part in festivities, such as March weekend excursions on the Blossom Trail Train.
Feb. 14–17: Whiskey Flat Days, Kernville
When this Kern County town was first settled during the Gold Rush, it went by the name of Whiskey Flat. It took on the more respectable name of Kernville in 1864, but the town still celebrates its wilder days at this annual festival held every Presidents’ Day weekend, which includes a parade, a rodeo, carnival rides, and period costume and “whiskerino” contests.
Feb. 14–17: Cloverdale Citrus Fair, Cloverdale
In the 19th century, the little Sonoma County town of Cloverdale was lined with sawmills and citrus groves. Today, it hosts a nostalgic fair that offers plenty of classic rides and food along with citrus-based treats, orange-juicing contests, and a “citrus art” contest.
Feb. 15–16: Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekend, Lodi
Celebrate your love—or just your love of wine and chocolate—at this annual weekend that pairs sweets with Lodi’s big, bold Zinfandels. Saturday features self-guided winery tours and treats at more than 35 participating wineries and Sunday offers a Winemaker’s Toast with tastings and small bites at Wine & Roses Hotel, Restaurant and Spa. Winery participants include St. Amant Winery, Mettler Family Vineyards, and GoodMills Family Winery.
Feb. 15–16: International White Wine Festival, Anderson Valley
Taste the Anderson Valley white wines that put this Mendocino County wine region on the map: Alsace-style varietals such as Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Riesling. The weekend includes a Grand Tasting on Saturday at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds, and then open houses at wineries on Sunday. Participating wineries and producers include Domaine Anderson, Navarro Vineyards, and Pennyroyal Farm.
Feb. 20–26: Slamdance Film Festival, Los Angeles
See the work of emerging artists at this festival of feature films, documentaries, and shorts held at two theaters in West Hollywood. This year’s spotlight films include a documentary about punk rocker Harley Flanagan and a short film about psychedelic drug treatment for first responders with PTSD. Your $50 pass grants you access to any screenings and offers some bragging rights too: The festival is a qualifier for nominees in short films for both the BAFTAs and Academy Awards. You can also take part in a virtual version of the festival from Feb. 24–March 7.
Feb. 21–23: Riverside Dickens Festival, Riverside
Immerse yourself in Victorian culture and the work of the British author at this annual festival, held in Riverside’s White Park. There are readings, discussions, characters, and events such as An Evening in a Victorian Pub, where you can watch Pickwick on trial or take part in a game of “throwing bones” with Miss Havisham. Don your Victorian or steampunk cosplay and feast on meat pies, scones, and plenty of tea. This year’s literary discussions will focus in part on Dickens’ The Old Curiosity Shop.
Feb. 21–Mar. 2: SF Beer Week, San Francisco
Beer nerds will delight in these events at breweries around San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area, including Silicon Valley and the East Bay. The event’s web site will list up-to-date activities as they develop, such as release parties, trivia nights, pinball parties, and food pairings.
Feb. 22: Winter Wine Adventure, Placerville
Combine wine tastings, small bites, and a scavenger hunt during this weekend in El Dorado County. Taste your way through eight boutique wineries along Placerville’s Carson Road, known for its Zinfandel, Barbera, Syrah, and Rhône varietals.
Feb. 22–23: Clam Chowder Cook-Off, Santa Cruz
This competition at Santa Cruz’s boardwalk, featuring both professional chefs and amateurs, boasts of being the longest-running clam chowder contest in the U.S. Admission to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is free, and your event ticket grants you six tasting tickets and a ballot to vote in the people’s choice awards. Amateurs cook on Saturday, and pros on Sunday.
Feb. 22–23: Capay Valley Almond Parade & Festival, Yolo County
This almond-themed festival in Yolo County dates back to 1915. Check out the pink blossoms lighting up the local almond groves, watch the parade, then enjoy goodies at the almond-themed bake-off.
Feb. 23: Almond Blossom Run, Durham
See the almond blossoms in Butte County on this fun run through blooming orchards. Choose from a 5K or 10K, as well as a virtual run. Afterward, taste another local crop—grapes—at the nearby Durham Wine District.
Feb. 24–March 2: Sonoma County Restaurant Week, Sonoma County
Taste your way through this foodie haven by way of special prix fixe dinners and deals. Just a few of the great options include the $70 fried-chicken dinner for four at Spoonbar in Healdsburg or the $6 chocolate fondue with a view at the nearby Rooftop at Harmon Guest House. Elevate your experience by downloading the Sonoma County Tourism App; use the app to check in while dining and you could win a gift card.
Feb. 24–March 2: SF Music Week, San Francisco
Immerse yourself in San Francisco’s rich musical history and culture during this week of tours, panel discussions, parties, and even record store crawls. As of press time, the lineup of activities was still developing, but some tours include up close looks at Hyde Street Studios (where acts including Santana, CCR, Dead Kennedys, Green Day, and Tupac have recorded) and the Fillmore Theater, the historic music venue that has hosted acts such as the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Jimi Hendrix.