Welcome to the Holiday Edition! Below you will find a sampling of what’s happening in different areas of the Golden State during the holiday season. (Many venues host similar events from year to year, although the dates of the events may change. Web addresses are provided so you can check for current dates and times.)
If you’re looking for events in a different season, please see the “Related Posts” links at the bottom of this article.
North Coast
Dine-Out Nights at the MacCallum House Inn and Restaurant, Mendocino, are a great way to enjoy a fabulous meal while supporting a worthy cause. Upcoming dinners will benefit the Mendocino Land Trust (11/14/07), the Mendocino Coast Humane Society (11/28/07), College of the Redwoods Community Choir (12/5/07) and Project Sanctuary (12/12/07). The first Dine-Out Night was on St. Patrick’s Day 2004 (benefiting KOZT), and co-owner Jed Ayres explains, “We have tried to make it part of our culture and now do several events every month during the slower season. It is a great way for us to connect with the community.” November and December are good times for you to connect with them, too. Check out the “GM’s Fall Getaway Special” in the “Internet Specials” section of inn’s website. (maccallumhouse.com/pages/restaurant/events.html)
St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, also in Mendocino, hosts its second-annual Mushroom Fest on Saturday, 11/17/07, from 1-5pm. Cost is $25, and you can enjoy Mendocino wines paired with Little River Inn’s mushroom appetizers as well as some silent auction shopping. (stanthonysofmendocino.com)
Plan now to attend the 26th annual Mendocino Whale Festival, 3/1 & 2/08, with whale watching, games for kids, informative presentations, wine tastings and more. As California events go, this one is a whopper! (MendoWhale.com)
Shasta & Cascades
Head to Turtle Bay Exploration Park, Redding, to enjoy What’s Up Doc? The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons through 1/6/08. Presented by North State doctors and free with park admission, the exhibit pays tribute to some of America’s favorite cartoon characters in rare drawings and paintings produced by industry greats like Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, Fritz Freleng and Bob Clampett. (turtlebay.org)
Wine Country
Yountville’s 19th annual Festival of Lights runs through 12/31/07, and it transforms the town into a winter wonderland with elves, horse-drawn carriage rides, Santa and more. (yountville.com)
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Jose Fairmont hosts a Holiday Train Exhibit through 12/26/07, with electric trains traversing scenic landscapes. Across the street from the hotel, you can revel in the city’s “Christmas in the Park” display (through 1/1/08), with animated displays, hundreds of decorated trees, nightly entertainment, visits with Santa and more. (christmasinthepark.com)
Central Coast
There’s a new fun thing to do in the Santa Barbara area! Sustainable Vine Wine Tours offers guided tours of Santa Ynez Valley organic and biodynamic wineries in a biodiesel-powered van. The tour includes tastings, an organic picnic lunch and door-to-door pick-up/drop-off. (sustainablevine.com)
The Solvang Winterfest Celebration runs through 12/31/07 with light displays, decorations, live entertainment, a Christmas parade, tree lighting and more. (solvangusa.com)
Central Valley
The Mountain Mandarin Festival in Auburn on 11/17 & 18/07 celebrates the favored fruit, only available from late November through January. This year’s bountiful harvest will be put to good use in a multitude of foods enhanced with mandarin oranges – beverages, salads, pulled pork and BBQ sauce, ice-creams, glazed nuts, chocolate-dipped mandarins, fudge, jams, jellies, olive oils, marinades and syrups. Day-long activities include free crafts and contests for children and live entertainment on three stages. (mandarinfestival.com)
Charles E. Lee of the tiny town of Sanger successfully petitioned President Coolidge to have the giant sequoia in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon designated “the nation’s Christmas tree,” and Sanger residents have led hundreds of people every year since on a winter trek to the tree. It has no tinsel or lights, just the tree as it has stood for 2,000 years. The 82nd Trek to the Tree is on 12/9/07. You can drive to Grant Grove or take a chartered bus from Sanger for $23 to $42.50 (some rides include meals). (sanger.org)
Sacramento’s “Holidays at the State Capitol” festivities run through 12/23/07, with live musical performances, holiday decorations and more. Events take place noon-1pm, Mondays-Fridays, and at various times Saturdays-Sundays. (capitolmuseum.ca.gov)
Old Sacramento’s “Heritage Holidays” include Christmas-tree-lined streets, visits from Father Christmas, the Polar Express, gingerbread houses and more. It runs through 12/31/07. (oldsacramento.com)
Sierras & Gold Country
The 26th annual Vintners’ Holidays will be offered this year at Yosemite’s Ahwahnee hotel during 11/4-12/6/07. This celebration of the season’s bounty includes seminars, panel discussions and wine tastings that complement a five-course Gala Vintners’ Dinner. Hotel packages are available for this and other California holiday events at the park. (yosemitepark.com)
Just in time for ski season, ExpressJet Airlines began daily service from the Reno-Tahoe airport on 11/11/07, offering daily nonstop service to Long Beach and Ontario airports in California, plus Spokane, WA and Tucson, AZ. (xjet.com)
Squaw Valley’s “Festival of Lights” runs through 12/24/07 and features visits with Santa, holiday caroling, a torchlight parade and more. (thevillageatsquaw.com)
Orange County
On 11/17-18/07, the Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach hosts The American Cheese Awards, where you can taste over 100 artisan cheeses from all across the country and sample dozens of wines from across the globe. The event will celebrate Orange County’s food traditions as well as the nation’s cheese artisans, culminating in an awards dinner on Friday evening. (cheeseawards.com)
Los Angeles
Chef, Inc. will host two Kid’s Cooking Camps during the winter school break. Both will convene from 10am-1pm, the first one on 12/17-21/07 (focusing on “Holiday Foods”) and the second from 12/31/07-1/4/08 (with topics such as “Foods of the World” and “Cooking like a food network Star”). Give them a call for all the registration details. (chefsinc.net/kids_camp/camp_intro.html)
A Winter Solstice Concert with harpist Peter Sterling will be presented at Ojai’s Meditation Mount on Saturday, 12/22/07, at 7pm. This celebration of the Oneness of Humanity and the Solstice will include a blazing fire, tea, cider and community feasting. Feel free to bring a snack to share, and tickets are $15 at the door. (meditation.com)
Hop aboard for Fillmore’s “North Pole Express” train rides, offered through 12/23/07 at Ventura County’s picturesque Heritage Valley from 6-7 and 7:30-8:30pm, Wednesdays-Sundays. Tickets are $15-$24, and reservations can be made by calling 800-773-TRAIN (800-773-8724). (fwry.com)
Through 12/31/07, you can sail the waters of Ventura Keys and Ventura Harbor to enjoy the sparkling Christmas lights of shoreline homes and holiday refreshments. These California-style “Sleigh Rides” are offered 6-7:30 and 8-9:30pm nightly, and tickets are $5-$12. For reservations, call 805-642-7753. (venturaboatrentals.com)
The area has another contribution to California holiday events, as well. Ventura Harbor’s Holiday Parade of Lights, 12/14-15/07, includes a fireworks display, a family carnival and lighted boats, of course! (venturaharborvillage.com)
Inland Empire & Deserts
Riley’s at Los Rio Rancho is hosting the Oak Glen (Yucaipa) Apple Butter Festival 11/23-25/07 (Thanksgiving weekend). Saturday’s festivities include the “Lighting of the Ranch” at dusk (when the giant pines at the entrance are illuminated to welcome in the Christmas season) and an old-fashioned hoedown with a Pumpkin Bread and Harvest Soup supper and music by the Riley’s Mountaineer Band. Admission to the ranch is free, although there is a small fee for some activities and tickets are required for the hoedown. (losriosrancho.com)
If you’re going to be near the Coachella Valley city of Indio on 12/1-2/07, you’ll want to check out the decidedly untraditional offerings at the International Tamale Festival. Come and feast on “gourmet tamales” with flavors like lobster, smoked salmon, mahi-mahi with teriyaki sauce, spinach, sweet potato, strawberry, chocolate, pumpkin and Belgian chocolate with raspberries and caramelized walnut tamales. (tamalefestival.net)
On 12/2/07, Pechanga Resort & Casino welcomes composer and pianist David Benoit to the Grand Ballroom for “An Evening of Hope, Harmony & Holidays.” In addition to the entertainment, the benefit (for Jacob’s House, Oak Grove and Armed Services YMCA) will include a gourmet three-course dinner as well as silent and live auctions. Tickets may be purchased online. (lotusmusicproductions.com)
San Diego
The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival runs 11/14-18/07 and will feature cooking classes by local and celebrity chefs (including some at the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center), an olive oil competition and special wine-paired dinners at some of the city’s finest restaurants. This is Southern California’s largest wine and culinary event of the year. (worldofwineevents.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 holiday events might be occurring during your visit.
Related posts:
California Current Events – Winter
California Current Events – Spring
California Culinary Events – Summer Food Festivals
California Current Events – Fall
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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