Events in California
Everyone loves a party, and there’s nothing like the good-time atmosphere at California’s top events. Here, you’ll find festivals, fairs, competitions, and championships worth adding to your itinerary, or making destinations in themselves. Escape to food and wine extravaganzas in bucket-list destinations like Napa Valley and Yosemite.
Take part in rock-the-world music festivals like Coachella near Palm Springs or Outside Lands in San Francisco.
Take part in rock-the-world music festivals like Coachella near Palm Springs or Outside Lands in San Francisco. See the stars walk by at film festivals and awards shows in Los Angeles, whoop it up with the kids at classic country fairs in the Central Valley, and watch ultimate athletes take on monster waves at Maverick’s or zoom across the state in Amgen Tour of California.
While many events have plenty of space for all, some, such as Laguna Beach’s Pageant of the Masters, often sell out well in advance, so pre-planning is essential (check websites for details on tickets and dates). But some of California’s signature events, like the wacky Kinetic Grand Championship along the North Coast, are walk-on-up-it’s-free gatherings of locals and lucky travelers. So come, join the party, California style.
Experience one of California’s most magical winter settings, the Majestic Yosemite Hotel (formerly...
Want a date? You’re guaranteed to get one at the Riverside County Fair & Date Festival, the Indio extravaganza honoring the sweet, sticky...
Majestic Yosemite Winter Events
Heading the bill each winter at the Majestic Yosemite Hotel (formerly Ahwahnee) are the annual Bracebridge Dinners, lavish Christmas celebrations featuring more than 100 performers and a seven-course feast, all of it prepared, served, and presented in a way that will transport you to 18th-century England. The December show, a loose adaptation of an episode from Washington Irving's Sketch Book, has been held every year at the Majestic Yosemite since 1927. The four-hour program features music from the Middle Ages, Renaissance rituals, traditional yuletide decorations, and plentiful food, song, and mirth. The event is held for less than a dozen nights in mid- to late December, so tickets tend to sell out fast.
Other winter events at the Majestic Yosemite include the New Year’s Eve gala, which features a six-course meal, live music , and dancing; celebrations are also held that night at sister Yosemite venues Yosemite Valley Lodge and Big Trees Lodge.
Two annual winter events revel in the region’s excellence in the realm of the delectable: the Grand Grape Celebration and Taste of Yosemite. For both, the hotel’s Great Lounge is transformed into a culinary classroom. The Grand Grape Celebration—a toast to winemakers’ fall harvests with two-day sessions of wine tastings, seminars, and a gala five-course dinner—is held in November and December. At Taste of Yosemite in November, California's finest chefs strut their stuff during an hour-long skills demonstration; the master culinarians then prepare a dinner for all. One of the perks for attendees is insider access to the Majestic Yosemite's kitchen. Beneath its 35-foot ceilings are food-related antiques like the original 1927 walk-in refrigerators, which were kept cool with 500-pound blocks of ice from nearby Mirror Lake, and the 80-plus-year-old oven, where all the hotel’s bread is still baked.
Paris too far? New York too crowded? No worries—lovers of the latest in designer looks can get their fashion fix at this chic event, centered around the luxurious...
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...
Every spring, the world’s best players—Federer, Osaka, Sharapova, Nadal, Del Potro—flock to the BNP Paribas Open, the largest...
If you ever thought cheese was meant to come in rubbery, precut slices packaged in plastic wrap, then do yourself a favor and experience this extraordinary event showcasing some of the world’s...
Events
Throughout the year, special events offer a great way to wine, dine, listen, play, and mingle with locals. The summer season kicks off in early May with Flavor of SLO, where local chefs, vintners, and craft beer makers showcase their talents on the grounds of the historic Jack House and Gardens in downtown San Luis Obispo. Summer also brings the annual Roll Out the Barrels celebration, featuring local wines and food pairings at an al fresco event at Mission Plaza (attendance also gets you a two-day passport to visit local wineries). In October, Madonna Inn, the incomparable temple to kitsch, teams up with Firestone Walker Brewing Company to present the Central Coast’s own ranch-country take on Oktoberfest, with delicious brews and classic German fare paired with plenty of live music, dusty cowboy boots, and high spirits.
Events in Monterey and Carmel
The region’s Mediterranean climate means anytime is time for a party—or festival. One of the biggest—and splashiest—is Pebble Beach Food & Wine, a dress-up fancy multi-day affair showcasing celebrity chefs (Thomas Keller, Tyler Florence) and winemakers for a decadent weekend of feasting, toasting, and learning. Beautiful cars, exclusive settings, luxurious atmosphere—sure it’s a splurge, but it’s worth it, at least once. Another premier event is September’s Monterey Jazz Festival, a 3-day party of sound. The world’s best jazz performers (think Herbie Hancock and Booker T. Jones) take part, bee-bopping, boogying, swinging, and syncopating on eight local stages.
Other events round out the calendar. Two premier fall festivals are the Carmel Mission Fiesta, celebrating the region’s Spanish and Mexican heritage, and Taste of Carmel, with local restaurants and food purveyors serving their culinary creations at a series of events, including a swanky soiree at the Carmel Mission.
Each April, the University of California, Davis, invites the public to its annual and unabashedly friendly...
Known as the ultimate “celebration of cycling,” this four-day event in the rolling coastal hills near Monterey brings more than 10,000 athletes and 65,000 fans together for an action-packed series...
Timed to coincide with the springtime blossoming of delicate cherry trees, the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival is a long-...
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...
Contraptions, creations, and creativity—those are the mantras for this wacky three-day event on an out-there stretch of the North Coast. Contestants must maneuver their handmade, people-powered...
So amazingly popular that it has had to move out of its namesake town, the Castroville Artichoke Food & Wine Festival is a longtime favorite along the Central Coast. Cool fog and warm sun are...
Part frog-filled folklore, part 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...
Rock rolls into the wine country with BottleRock Napa Valley, a three-day event that features 2019 headliners Imagine Dragons,...
Saddle up for Stagecoach, the country cousin held in the same venue—the Indio Polo Grounds south of Palm Springs—as the...
Centipedes in sneakers, running garbage cans and tray-balancing waiters—they’re all part of what’s undoubtedly one of the wackiest foot races in the world. This annual jaunt, the oldest...
Hot-air ballooning is a popular activity in Temecula year-round—but every June, it becomes just a...
Events in Oakland
Need something to do? Oakland’s event calendar is packed with a wide array of ways to learn and experience the character of this dynamic city, first hand. In summer, take part in Art + Soul Oakland, with live music and dance parties, barbecue face-offs, poetry slams, and an eclectic, multicultural artisan marketplace.
September’s Eat Real Fest feels like a state fair in the streets—an urban celebration that aims to help people understand where their food comes from, and who grew, raised, or made it. It’s all about delicious, regionally sourced, sustainably grown foods, and you’ll find plenty of ways to eat and learn about the ultra-fresh food showcased here.
Oakland also offers cultural events throughout the year, including performances by the Oakland Ballet and Oakland East Bay Symphony, at the Paramount Theatre, an Art Deco masterpiece in downtown Oakland (guided tours, the first and third Saturdays of the month, are well worth it).
Here’s a film festival with an entertaining twist—it’s got music videos too. This long-running weeklong event, presented at downtown’s Nokia Theatre/L.A. Live complex, includes a diverse mix of...
The city of San Francisco looms large in jazz history. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, the Fillmore district was known as “the Harlem of the West,”...
Loud, raucous, and irreverent, this rainbow-hued extravaganza becomes a citywide celebration of LGBT. The last weekend of June includes the outrageous parade, and it can be way, way over the top—...
Get the Spanish spirit at this colorful event. Stroll the grounds of Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyards with a glass of bubbly, and take in a whirl of passionate music, flamenco dancing, and food....
Yoga meets alpine wow at this ohm-filled, 5-day event. Daytimes are filled with workshops and workouts lead by eminent yoga instructors, all taking place in indoor and outdoor settings that...
Back in 1854, the first California State Fair was held in San Francisco, with the cows standing on display in ...
Holiday Events at LEGOLAND
LEGOLAND California makes things extra-lively for events and holidays throughout the year—whether it’s annual celebrations or special occasions, like a week highlighting a new Star Wars display in Miniland, or perhaps celebrating the enigmatic LEGO Batman. The Carlsbad theme park shows its national pride in July for its patriotic Red, White & Boom celebration, with games, dance contests, and early-evening fireworks for July 4. For Halloween, the goal is to entertain—not frighten—the smaller set. There’s a “Brick-Or-Treat” party Saturday nights leading up to Halloween, with special entertainment, costume contests, giant LEGO Halloween models, fireworks, and of course plenty of sweet treats.
At Christmastime, the park is aglow with twinkle lights and music. Marvel at the world’s largest all-LEGO Christmas tree (a cool fact, but how much competition does it have?), take a family photo with a life-sized LEGO Brick Santa and Reindeer, sing carols with elves, and stock up on LEGO brick gifts too. Come right after Christmas and you can take part in a family-friendly version of New Year’s Eve, with live music and a bedtime-friendly “brick drop” at 6 p.m. On special nights in December, add holiday fireworks and light shows to the mix.
From its humble origins as a fringe gathering of comic book fans in 1970, when barely 100 participants attended, Comic-Con has grown into...
Revel in the flavors of the ultimate foodie city as San Francisco’s premier chefs—many of them movers and shakers in the sustainability movement—strut their stuff at the...
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,...
It makes sense that the 1960s home to flower children, rock concerts, and the summer of love is home to Outside Lands, a multi-stage...
With a nickname like “Surf City, U.S.A.,” Huntington Beach is the obvious place for this 9-day, sun-and-wave extravaganza, the world’s largest surf event. Top pros including Kelly Slater and Rob...
Enjoy three days of world-class jazz at the lauded Monterey Jazz Festival, alleged to be the world’s longest-running jazz fest....
Get dressed up and party at special events all over this beautiful beach town in “the O.C.” Special chefs’ dinners at area restaurants, live cooking demonstrations, and other special experiences...
Winter rains signal the beginning of the North Coast’s astounding mushroom season: the Mendocino region is home to some 3,000 varieties, many of them edible, like the rare candy cap mushroom with...
Honor the harvest season at this remarkable, family-friendly event, hosted at the beautiful Full Belly Farm in the fertile Capay Valley. The valley, just north of Sacramento, has one of the world’...
Rated by The New York Times as one of the country's top holiday happenings, the Newport Beach Boat Parade is a must-...
Holidays at the Disneyland Resort
Southern California is known for sunshine and beaches, even in December. But you can experience a winter wonderland when “the happiest place on Earth” transforms into “the merriest place on Earth” for the holidays.
Holidays at the Disneyland Resort is a special time, with magic around every corner. In Disneyland Park, there’s a 60-foot Christmas tree in Town Square complete with 70,000 lights and 2,000 custom ornaments. Stroll down Main Street, U.S.A. with the smell of candy canes and gingerbread hanging in the air and decorations adorning the buildings.
Classic attractions take on a whole different feeling. Sleeping Beauty Castle sparkles with snow-capped towers, countless lights and a giant wreath. It’s a Small World Holiday dazzles with a spectacular light show and a holiday version of the classic song. And the Haunted Mansion gets a holiday makeover, courtesy of Jack Skellington and friends, for the Haunted Mansion Holiday. Fan favorites like A Christmas Fantasy Parade and Believe...in Holiday Magic make this time of year extra special.
Over in Disney California Adventure Park, a 50-foot tree sits on Buena Vista Street, and the spirit of the season is in full swing with the Festival of Holidays, featuring delicious foods and entertainment from many diverse cultures. And of course, Santa and his elves have turned up at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail for some seasonal fun and games.
There are holiday treats throughout the resort as well, from holiday-themed beignets and gingerbread men to decorated candy apples and the always-popular candy canes. Only a limited number of candy canes are made, so be sure to line up at park opening at the Candy Palace in Disneyland and Trolley Treats in California Adventure for a chance at this tasty treat. You can find out more by calling the Disneyland Candy Hotline at (714) 781-0112.
Insider tip: While the parks’ Christmas trees are first lit for the year in early-to-mid-November, both Disneyland and California Adventure have tree-lighting ceremonies every day during the holidays at 5 p.m. Carolers roam the parks singing holiday favorites while the giant trees come to life.
Combine top performers, top skiing and snowboarding, and a final-party-of-the-year spirit, and you know you’re in for a one-of-a-kind happening at the...
Enter Yosemite Valley to travel back in time to Christmas Past. Heraldic horns sound throughout Yosemite National Park's elegant...
As autumn gives way to winter, slip away to this signature event, presented at the Majestic Yosemite (formerly Ahwahnee) in incomparable Yosemite Valley. Leading winemakers celebrate the fall...
Often seen as a precursor to who’ll nab an Oscar, the Golden Globes event hands out awards to actors, directors, and other artists in...
One of the biggest nights for dress-up in the desert, the star-studded Palm Springs International Film Festival attracts not just big...
This swanky but intimate awards show feels a bit like the coolest party in town—and for one night in winter, it is. Focusing on the acting part of television and movies, these awards, presented by...
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 off the Northern California coastline near...
Whether you bang your head to rock and roll, groove out to classic jazz, or crank up the hip-hop in your car, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Science’s ...
The American Riviera rolls out the red carpet for this glittering event, which brings A-list actors, directors, producers, and others from...
See an all-star lineup of top golfers and A-list celebrities take to the manicured, ocean-hugging greens at this premier golf event. This ultra-prestigious tournament, held annually at Spyglass...
Every February (or early March), film buffs, entertainment industry VIPS, celebrity-spotters, the press, and of course the paparazzi descend upon the...
