Welcome to the Spring 2011 edition of California Current Events! Here’s a sampling of what’s happening in various areas of the great Golden State this spring. If you’re looking for events in a different season, please see the “Related Posts” links at the bottom of this article.
North Coast
The Anderson Valley, renowned as one of the world’s finest pinot-growing regions, hosts the 14th Annual Pinot Noir Festival on May 20-22. Many area wineries are also hosting open house events on Sunday, May 22; check with individual venues for details. (avwines.com)
Shasta & Cascades
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A very unique exhibit — “Grossology” — is opening at Redding’s Turtle Bay Exploration Park on April 28. Based on Sylvia Branzei’s best-selling book of the same name and sponsored by the Shasta Region Medical Center, the exhibit includes 20+ interactive displays about the human body (e.g., a crawl-and-slide-through, 30-foot-long 3-D model of the digestive system). The exhibit runs through September 5, 2011. (turtlebay.org)
Wine Country
Do you plan to be in Wine Country on May 15? You might enjoy spending time Down the Garden Path, a tour of seven private Wine Country gardens, from Yountville to Calistoga. (cenapa.ucdavis.edu)
San Francisco Bay Area
Chocolate lovers will want to mark their calendars for the 5th Annual San Francisco International Chocolate Salon at fabulous Fort Mason on Sunday, April 17, 2011. The festival runs from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and offers “50,000 square feet of Chocolate, Wine and Confections.” (sfchocolatesalon.com)
If you’re 21 and older, come enjoy Sake San Jose on May 26 — a fundraiser that combines sake tasting with a walk through the city’s historic Japantown. The event benefits the neighborhood’s non-profit senior center, and a premium sake tasting option has been added this year. The fun begins at 5:00 p.m.! (sakesanjose.com)
Also, if you’re planning a San Francisco visit over the June 4 & 5 weekend, you may want to note that’s when the Escape From Alcatraz triathlon descends on The City this year. (escapefromalcatraztriathlon.com)
Central Coast
Santa Barbara celebrates Cinco de Mayo in a big way over the May 7 & 8 weekend in Plaza de la Guerra and at the Casa de la Guerra. This marks the 20th year for the festival! (cincodemayosb.com)
And, head to Castroville for the annual Artichoke Festival on May 21 & 22. You can enjoy field tours, cooking demonstrations, a parade, live entertainment and, of course, LOTS of artichokes! (artichoke-festival.org)
Central Valley
In Selma (near Fresno), the “Raisin Capital of the World,” the 30th annual Raisin Festival will be held May 4-8 this year. Come celebrate the raisin and agriculture industry and enjoy the community’s baking, art, floriculture, photography and poetry competitions, as well as entertainment, carnival rides, craft booths and delicious food. (cityofselma.com)
And, in Sacramento’s Fremont Park, you can enjoy the Sacramento Mobile Food Festival — SactoMofo for short — on Saturday, April 30. (www.sactomofo.com/)
Sierras & Gold Country
For over 50 years, the Chowchilla Western Stampede has celebrated the long-ago traditions of western life. This year’s festivities take place on May 18-22. (chowchillafair.org)
Orange County
You’ll want to be in Garden Grove over the Memorial Day Weekend (May 27-30) for the annual Strawberry Festival. It’s making my mouth water just thinking about it! (strawberryfestival.org)
Los Angeles
The 75th anniversary of the Queen Mary’s maiden voyage is May 27, 2011, and she had many years of seafaring service before retiring to her current home in Long Beach in 1967. To celebrate the occasion, the anniversary weekend (May 26-29) will be filled with pomp and ceremony, including distinguished guests, Big Band music, war stories, historic tours and elegant culinary creations. (queenmary.com)
If you’ve never been to Ojai, you should definitely check it out, and on Saturday, June 25, you could also enjoy the Ojai Valley Lavender Festival. Jennifer Vasich, author of The Lavender Gourmet, will be a featured speaker at the festival this year. (ojaivalleylavenderfestival.org)
Inland Empire & Deserts
Mark your calendar for May 7 & 8 and the Spring Bluegrass Festival at Calico Ghost Town near Yermo. There will be contests, games, treats and fun for the whole family! (calicotown.com)
And, over Father’s Day Weekend (June 17-19), you’ll find music and more family fun at the annual Huck Finn Jubilee in Victorville. (huckfinn.com)
San Diego
If you like Zydeco, Blues and Crawfish, you’ll want to check out Gator By the Bay, May 6-8 (Mother’s Day Weekend), at San Diego’s Spanish Landing Park, which is directly across from the airport, about three miles from downtown. How can you go wrong with rocking music and a Louisiana Food Court? (sandiegofestival.com)
For something completely different, though, be on hand May 21 & 22 for Old Town Temecula Western Days, which features music, gun fighting skits, gold panning, Civil War exhibits and more. (temeculacalifornia.com)
You may want to send an email to the visitor’s bureau where you plan to spend your California vacation, holiday or weekend getaway. Follow the link below to a list of the convention and visitor’s bureaus for some of the state’s major tourist destinations. This is a great way to learn what local California current events might be occurring during your visit.
Photo of the Redding Sundial Bridge (which links the north and south campuses of Turtle Bay Exploration Park) by Nathan Jongewaard via flickr (Creative Commons)
Related posts:
California Current Events – Winter
California Current Events – Fall
California Culinary Events – Summer Food Festivals
California Current Events – Holiday Edition
Note: Information in this article was accurate
when it was published, but hours, prices, etc.
change constantly. Please confirm details
with local contacts before traveling.
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