It’s easy to plan a classic summer vacation in California, whether that means visiting beaches, exploring national parks, or playing at theme parks.
This year, June brings the beginning of the world’s largest soccer tournament to Los Angeles and the Bay Area, but the month also offers dozens of other special events around the state. Think unique festivals, summer-only experiences, and seasonal blooms, from the sunflowers in Yolo County to the peach-and-berry stands along the Fresno County Fruit Trail.
Here’s a guide to an action-packed month in the Golden State.
Around the State
All Month: Pride Month, various locations
The month of June brings plenty of parties and parades to both big cities and small towns across California. Here are a few of the rainbow-decked events:
- June 5–7: Sonoma County Pride, Santa Rosa
- June 5–7: WeHo Pride, West Hollywood
- June 13–14: Sacramento Pride, Sacramento
- June 14: LA Pride, Hollywood
- June 27–28: San Francisco Pride, San Francisco
June 10–14: California State Parks Week, various locations
Celebrate the Golden State’s array of state parks—280 of them—with fun events spread over five days. Check out the lineup of events such as birding in Gold Country, fishing lessons in the Central Valley, or learning about elephant seals in San Simeon, along with lots of fun volunteer opportunities.
June 11–14: National Outlet Shopping Day
Scoop up the best deals in retail and enjoy festivities at Carlsbad Premium Outlets in San Diego County, as well as other great outlet malls across California. Look for freebies, photo ops, and fun local vendors. These malls also tend to be near major highways, so they make nice stretch-your-legs stops on any road trip.
Northern California Events
June 5–6: Hangtown Motocross Classic, Rancho Cordova
This year marks the 57th year of this racing weekend in Rancho Cordova. Friday at Prairie City OHV Park will feature amateur racers, then the pros will hit the track for the main event on Saturday. Choose from general admission and VIP-style tickets, some with Pro Pit Access Passes. Check out the hotel deals in Folsom or peruse Visit Rancho Cordova’s hotel selection.
June 5–14: San Mateo County Fair, San Mateo
Admire the huge floral creations, livestock, and classic attractions at this San Francisco Peninsula fair that has been running for nearly a century. Plan your visit around events such as Day of the Lion (June 7), Family Pride Day (June 6), and Dia de la Feria (June 14); be sure to check out the fair’s Domini Hoskins Black History Museum.
June 6: Big Time Logging Jamboree, Chester
Participate in Native culture in Plumas County as the Maidu Summit Consortium hosts this annual logging competition. The afternoon begins with a Maidu song and prayer, then features 13 competitive events with cash prizes—such as an axe-throw contest for local businesses—as well as a lineup of local food and craft vendors. Admission is free.
June 6–7: 20th Annual Lake County Wine Adventure, Lake County
Explore Lake County’s hidden-gem wine scene during this self-paced weekend of tastings and fun. Your ticket ($27 for one day, $52 for both) grants you admission to 12 wineries. Turn it into a game by picking up the festival’s bingo card, collecting initials as you visit wineries, then turning it in for a chance at a prize. Stops include Chacewater Winery & Olive Mill, Six Sigma Ranch & Winery, and Smiling Dogs Ranch Tasting Room.
June 12–14: 27th Annual Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival, Mendocino County
Taste your way through Anderson Valley wineries in Mendocino County during this weekend devoted to Pinot Noir as well as sparkling wines, rosé and White Pinot. Buy à la carte tickets for different events—such as a vineyard seminar with barbecue on Friday—then stroll the main Grand Tasting of wines and small bites on Saturday at Scharffenberger Cellars in Philo. On Sunday, follow the self-guided tour of tastings and tours at wineries along Highway 128.
June 12–14: American Graffiti Festival and Car Show, Modesto
Embrace vintage car culture through “park-and-shine” events and a parade through downtown Modesto. This Central Valley town has serious street cred too: it inspired former resident George Lucas to create the 1973 film American Graffiti.
June 12–21: Healdsburg Jazz Festival, Healdsburg
Who says Healdsburg is just about food and wine? Now in its third decade, this Sonoma County jazz fest will be headlined by acts such as Charles Lloyd, Brandford Marsalis, and Cécile McLorin Salvant. Performances are held at various locations around town, including Healdsburg Plaza and the pub Elephant in the Room.
June 12–14: Santa Rosa Country Summer, Sonoma County
First launched in 2014, this country music festival at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa has a Southern-fried spirit: The lineup features Nate Smith, Keith Urban, and Koe Wetzel. Choose from a variety of passes and consider booking an onsite RV camping spot.
June 12–28: Broadway Under the Stars, Sonoma
Love showtunes? In Sonoma, the Transcendence Theatre Company kicks off its annual summer series of pop- and showtune-filled shows with its salute to the Temptations. Bring your picnic blanket to the shows at Jack London State Historic Park and purchase food and local wine from onsite vendors. Late summer shows include The Radio Recall show and Mamma Mia!
Begins June 12: Movie Nights and Music on the Colonnade, Santa Cruz
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk goes all in on summer fun, with activities that complement the classic boardwalk rides and cuisine. This summer there are magicians and acrobats on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, local live music on Thursdays, free movies on Fridays, and a DJ dance party on Saturday and Sunday nights. Movies run through July 31 and live music runs through Aug. 6.
This year’s movie lineup kicks off June 12 with The Lost Boys (see how it features Santa Cruz) and also includes Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Back to the Future, and Jurassic Park.
June 13: Big Blue Adventures Half Marathon & 8-Miler, Palisades Tahoe
Choose from a half marathon, 8-mile, or 5K race starting from the Village at Palisades Tahoe. Courses feature a mostly paved trail through the valley and along the Truckee River. While pausing at refreshment stations along the route, keep an eye out for local bald eagles and mule deer.
June 13: Lost & Found Gravel Grinder, Portola
Cyclists will love both the challenge and scenery of this Plumas County event that features mostly-dirt courses, ranging between 40 and 99 miles, through a rugged area of the northeastern Sierra Nevada known as the Lost Sierra. All routes start and end in Portola and wind through mountains and alpine valleys. The finish line area offers the incentives of food, beer, live music, and dancing.
June 18–21: Petaluma Fair, Petaluma
This annual event at Petaluma’s Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds celebrates both classic livestock and local makers of wine, cheese, and chocolate. This year’s festivities—with the theme “Past, Present, and Future Luma”—will celebrate the town’s agricultural and river-trade roots and include livestock, exhibits, and classic rides.
June 20–21, 27–28: Lavender Blue Harvest Days, Placerville
A certain red fruit abounds during autumn in the Apple Hill area of El Dorado County, but during summer the scene here is all about lavender, berries, and cherries.
On the last two weekends of June, come see how local farms and wineries offer their own takes on this season, with lavender-infused drinks or creative berry treats. Or try your hand at lavender wreath-making at Bluestone Meadow Farm.
June 25–28: Woodies on the Wharf, Santa Cruz
Enjoy a unique car show and soak up Santa Cruz’s historic surf culture at this display of more than 200 “woodies,” mostly pre-1950s cars that featured wood-paneled bodies. Stroll past the cars along the Santa Cruz Wharf, stopping to enjoy the shops, restaurants, and ocean views.
June 27: Black Miners Bar Juneteenth Festival, Folsom
Join in commemorating the Emancipation Proclamation at this party on the lakeside beach known as Black Miners Bar, a historic part of the Folsom Lake Recreation Area. Festivities include live music as well as a kids' zone, a petting zoo, horseback riding, and a beer and wine garden. Beyond the $10 day-use fee to enter the state park, admission is free.
June 27: Truckee Dirt Fondo, Truckee
Bring your bike or at least cheer on the competitors at this off-road cycling race and family festival in Tahoe National Forest near Truckee. The three routes—best traversed with gravel bikes or hardtail mountain bikes—range from 30 to more than 100 miles, all beginning at Riverview Sports Park.
Central California Events
June 4–7: SoulPlay Festival, Ahwahnee
“Come as you are, leave a little more sparkly” is the invitation for this adults-only weekend at the Sierra Meadows Campground in Ahwahnee, 10 minutes from the Yosemite gateway of Oakhurst, which includes workshops and freeform activities that focus on yoga, somatic healing, and dance parties.
June 5–13: Carmel Culinary Week, Carmel-by-the–Sea
The Central Coast town of Carmel-by-the-Sea celebrates its rich food-and-wine scene with an extended week of specials and offerings at more than 30 participating restaurants. Check out specific events like an aperitivo class and a Caribbean dinner.
June 19–21: Summer Solstice Parade & Festival, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara enjoys its own version of the midnight sun at this annual festival with a Mardi Gras vibe. Take part in the live music, food, wine, and kids’ activities in Alameda Park during the whole weekend and see the colorful parade down Santa Barbara St. on June 20.
June 20–21: Old Santa Ynez Days, Santa Ynez
Watch a massive line dance in the streets, see authentic stagecoaches, and wear your best cowboy fashions to celebrate this 19th-century Central Coast town that has an Old West spirit and great wine. The event also features music, carriage rides, and Indian fry-bread tacos.
June 25–28: Lompoc Valley Flower Festival, Lompoc
The Santa Barbara County town is nicknamed Flower City USA thanks to its long heritage of flower-growing—like Larkspur, Delphinium, Sweet Pea, and Bells of Ireland. This annual festival, which goes back to the 1950s, features a carnival, arts and crafts and, as the centerpiece, a parade with floats adorned with local flowers.
Southern California Events
May 29–June 7: Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week, various locations
Dine your way around the desert hub’s nine towns during this extended week of prix fixe menus and exclusive offers. The 100-plus options include Copley’s on Palm Canyon, Kestrel at Indian Wells Golf Resort, and Peaks Restaurant at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
Book your table on the Restaurant Week page and $1 per reservation will be donated to the local FIND Food Bank.
June 5–7: Outloud Music Festival, West Hollywood
Enjoy West Hollywood’s pride festivities at this two-day music festival that features The Pussycat Dolls, Jade, and Blue Man Group. Choose from a variety of passes, from one-day admission to full-weekend passes.
June 6: Los Angeles Independent Beer Festival, Long Beach
Sample more than 75 L.A.-based independent craft brewers. Bring your own blanket or lawn chairs for the event at Shoreline Aquatic Park, neighboring the Queen Mary in Long Beach, and pair your beer with cuisine from a dozen local food trucks.
June 6–7: Watermelon Festival, Lakeview Terrace
Nothing says summer quite like watermelon and this weekend festival at Hansen Dam Recreation Area in Los Angeles County.
Your admission includes access to all-you-can-eat watermelon as well as creative dishes such as watermelon ice cream, watermelon-accented fish tacos, and (of course) deep-fried watermelon. The beer tent, meanwhile, features craft brews and a Jack Daniel’s Watermelon Punch.
June 7: Tustin Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off, Tustin
This Orange County town south of Anaheim boasts the world’s largest one-day chili cook-off. The annual festivities play out on the streets of Tustin’s Old Town with live bands, a family fun zone, and beer and wine gardens, all against the backdrop of the chili-fueled showdown.
June 13–14: L.A. WineFest, Burbank
Los Angeles County is home to a passionate wine scene, and this annual event showcases some great local wines—such as Aja Vineyards and Warson—alongside bottles from elsewhere in California and around the globe. Pair the wines with food-truck cuisine at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank.
June 15–19: Native American Arts Festival Week, Idyllwild
Explore the visual and literary work of different Native American artists at this festival at the Native American Arts Center in Idyllwild. Walk through an exhibition showcasing four artists’ murals and mixed media, listen to talks, and don’t miss the reading by Hopi silversmith, painter, sculptor, and poet Michael Kabotie.
June 18–28: Conejo Valley Days, Thousand Oaks
This classic fair in Ventura County’s Thousand Oaks started in the 1940s as a “community circus” and has grown over the years to include carnival rides, games, live music, and lots of fair cuisine.
June 19–21: NASCAR San Diego Weekend, Coronado
Experience NASCAR’s first-ever event on an active military base at this three-day street-race weekend on San Diego County’s Coronado Island. The weekend schedule begins with the Craftsman Truck Series (June 19) followed by the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Race (June 20) and ends with the NASCAR Cup Series race.
June 20: Two Harbors Beach BBQ & Art Fest, Catalina Island
Enjoy the beach at Catalina’s Two Harbors while enjoying unlimited BBQ tastings from eight SoCal vendors including Avalon Smoke House, Saucy Luke's Craft BBQ, and OC Smokehouse. The party on the beach also features live music, food demonstrations, and art vendors.
June 23–29: Palm Springs International Short Fest, Palm Springs
Watch short films and panel discussions at Greater Palm Springs’ acclaimed festival, with screenings typically at Festival Theaters and panels, parties, and karaoke nights at more hotels around Palm Springs. Top films win either cash prizes or five qualification spots for next year’s Academy Awards.
June 27–28: Pier 360 Beach Festival, Santa Monica
Embrace summer in Santa Monica at this event that is part contest, part beach party. From the Santa Monica Pier, watch competitors in paddleboard races, ocean swimming, beach volleyball, and skateboard tricks. On the sidelines, enjoy hula dancers and a beer garden.