California
Places in California worth the detour, from town festivals, factory tours, and scenic drives, each compiled from its own sources with season, fees, and directions.
Towns: Nevada City, Grass Valley, Oroville, Placerville, Sebastopol, Clovis, Crescent City, Dunsmuir, Mammoth Lakes, Benicia. All the towns of California.
Point at a dot to see the place.Tap a dot to see the place. Road map of California.
Hot Springs
- Buckeye Hot SpringsBridgeport · Natural hot springA free, undeveloped natural geothermal hot spring on Buckeye Creek in the eastern Sierra, with a 140-degree pool that comes out of a rock overhang above the creek.
- Cabot's Pueblo MuseumDesert Hot Springs · Hopi-pueblo revival homestead museumA four-story Hopi-Pueblo Revival house and museum in Desert Hot Springs, California, hand-built by homesteader Cabot Yerxa from salvaged cabins, telephone poles, and straightened nails.
- Long Valley Recreational Hot SpringsMammoth Lakes · Natural hot springsUndeveloped natural hot springs on public land off Benton Crossing Road in California's Long Valley, a caldera left by a supereruption about 760,000 years ago.
Swimming Holes
- Auburn State Recreation AreaAuburn · CA state parkA state recreation area along forty miles of the North and Middle Forks of the American River near Auburn, California, on land set aside for a dam begun and never finished.
- Blue Hole River AccessSomes Bar · Swimming holeA Forest Service river access on the lower Salmon River near Somes Bar, California, where a short trail drops to a sandy beach and a very deep swimming hole.
- Brannan Island State Recreation AreaRio Vista · State recreation areaServes as an entryway to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, with opportunities for camping, boating, swimming, walking, and great fishing.
- D. L. Bliss State Park (Lester Beach)South Lake Tahoe · State parkA California state park on Lake Tahoe's west shore just north of Emerald Bay, with two swimming beaches, a 130-ton balanced granite rock, and a lighthouse first lit about 1919.
- Del Valle Swim BeachesLivermore · Regional park with two swimming beachesTwo lifeguarded swim beaches on Lake Del Valle, a State Water Project reservoir south of Livermore, California, whose level rises for summer and drops each autumn.
- Diana Pools/Diana FallsGroveland · Swimming holeA cliff-walled swimming hole on the North Fork of the Merced River in Stanislaus National Forest, reached by a flat 1.4-mile trail and fed by a waterfall of roughly 20 feet.
- Folsom Lake State Recreation Area swim areasFolsom · State recreation areaFive named swim beaches on Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma east of Sacramento, one of them facing the dredged-over site of a Gold Rush camp worked by Black miners.
- Gallatin Beach, Eagle LakeSusanville · Day use area near aspen campgroundA free sand beach on the pine-forested south shore of Eagle Lake in Lassen County, California, named for the family whose 1913 summer house still stands nearby.
- Jones Beach Picnic and River AccessFort Jones · Nice day use area with a small beach along the scott river.Nice day use area with a small beach along the Scott River. Popular for swimming, water play and fishing.
- Kings Beach State Recreation AreaKings Beach · Day-use only areaKings Beach State Recreation Area features 979 feet of beautiful frontage property along the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. This day-use only area has a large sandy beach and multiple picnic tables under the shade of Jeffery pines.
- Medicine Lake swim beachMedicine Lake · Designated swimming areaThe popular Medicine Lake Recreation Area and adjacent Medicine Lake are located in the Medicine Lake Highlands in northeastern California. The Recreation Area is located in the Modoc National Forest at an elevation of 6,770 feet.
- Rainbow Pool Day Use AreaGroveland · Day use areaAlong Highway 120 at the South Fork Tuolumne River bridge. Originally a toll stop in the stagecoach days, later a popular resort until 1958 when fire burned the resort. Now, a popular picnic area. Vault toilets, limited parking.
- Red Rock PoolsSanta Barbara · Swimming holes on the santa ynez riverRed Rock / Gibraltar trail is accessed from this parking lot; from the main trailhead it is about 0.5 miles to the main Red Rock pools, and the trail continues towards Gibraltar dam as about a 7-mile loop.
- Shadow Cliffs Swim BeachPleasanton · Regional recreation areaA haven for swimming and fishing can be found at Shadow Cliffs, only a mile from downtown Pleasanton on Stanley Boulevard.
- Silverwood Lake State Recreation AreaHesperia · State recreation areaHigh in the heart of the San Bernardino National Forest and formed by Cedar Springs Dam, the highest reservoir in the State Water Project offers views of snow-capped mountain peaks and features hiking trails, swimming beaches and designated areas for boating, waterskiing and fishing.
- South Yuba Recreation AreaNevada City · Accessible swimmingThe South Yuba Recreation Area and National Trail is located approximately 10 miles northeast of Nevada City, California.
- Stoney Creek Swim AreaWeaverville · Swimming and picnic areaLocated on the Stuart Fork Arm of Trinity Lake, 14 miles north of Weaverville on State Route 3; a popular swimming and picnic area with a beach, two picnic sites with brick patios, tables, pedestal grills, a paved path to the beach and a paved parking lot.
Gardens
- Mendocino Coast Botanical GardensFort Bragg · Nonprofit botanical garden47-acre nonprofit botanical garden
- The Ruth Bancroft GardenWalnut Creek · Botanical garden and plant nurseryThe Ruth Bancroft Garden houses a unique and diverse collection of cacti, succulents and drought tolerant plants from around the world. The many large mature specimens located throughout the 3.5 acre garden serve as an excellent example of just how stunning a dry garden can be.
Trailheads
- Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest (Schulman Grove Discovery Trail)Big Pine · Day use onlyThe Schulman Grove of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, in the White Mountains above Big Pine, California, where Edmund Schulman cored the first trees known to exceed 4,000 years.
- Devils Postpile National Monument (Devils Postpile Trailhead)Mammoth Lakes · National monumentA 798-acre national monument in the Reds Meadow Valley near Mammoth Lakes, California, protecting a cliff of glacier-polished basalt columns up to 60 feet tall.
- McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State ParkBurney · Premier waterfallThe park's centerpiece is the thundering 129-foot white-water falls on Burney Creek, complemented by the voluminous springs emanating from the basalt cliff face.
- Mono Lake South Tufa TrailheadLee Vining · State natural reserveAncient lake in the eastern Sierra Nevada, with spectacular views of the tufa towers formed over many years when the calcium-bearing freshwater springs and carbonate-rich lake water combined and precicipitated out as limestone.
- Natural Bridges Day Use Area TrailheadVallecito · Day use onlyModerate 0.7-mile trail leads to a unique series of limestone caves with Coyote Creek running through them, an outstanding but sensitive geologic resource at New Melones Lake; pets not permitted on the trail; vault toilets at the parking area, no drinking water.
Rockhounding
- Chambless Rock Collecting AreaChambless · Rock collecting areaA Bureau of Land Management rockhounding ground off National Trails Highway near Chambless, California, where green epidote carrying metallic hematite blades lies along the Trilobite Wilderness boundary.
- Clear Creek Management Area gem collectingBLM management areaThe Bureau of Land Management's Clear Creek tract in southern San Benito County holds more than 150 minerals, among them the state gem benitoite, in serpentine that is also an asbestos deposit.
- Flattop Mountain Rock Collecting AreaNeedles · Rock collecting areaA Bureau of Land Management rock collecting area west of Needles, California, where jasper lies on both sides of a dirt route at the base of Flattop Mountain.
- Inyo NF obsidian digs (Glass Creek, Obsidian Dome, Deadman Creek)Highway 395 Corridor June Lake · Observation siteThree young lava domes of black obsidian and gray pumice on the Inyo National Forest north of Mammoth Lakes, California, dated by tree rings to a single eruption in 1350 CE.
- Savahia Peak Rock Collecting AreaVidal Junction · Rock collecting areaThe large wash north of U.S. Highway 62 just 2 miles east of Vidal Junction is an excellent site for collecting chalcedony, which can be found from Highway 95 extending east approximately 1 mile.
- South Yuba River SP gold panningPenn Valley · Gold panningModern-day gold seekers can play out the story of the gold rush using only bare hands and shallow gold pans. Visitors may keep any gold they find.
- Wiley Well District Geode BedsBlythe · Geode bedsBeautiful desert country of the Little Chuckawalla, Mule, and Palo Verde Mountains and the Black Hills; rich in history from gold rush days to General Patton's tank training during World War II; contains ancient fossils and artifacts from early Native Americans, pioneers, conquistadors, ranchers, and military troops.
Gem Mining
- Benitoite Mining Company gem huntsCoalinga · Gem huntA pay-to-dig gem hunt outside Coalinga, California, where visitors screen ore from the San Benito County mine where benitoite, the state gem, was found in 1907.
- California Gold PanningJamestown · Guide or outfitterA family-run gold claim on Woods Creek outside Jamestown, California, where three generations of Prebalicks teach visitors to shovel, sluice and pan the creek where Tuolumne County's gold rush began.
- Himalaya Tourmaline Mine digSanta Ysabel · Gem and crystal digA pay-to-dig tourmaline screen at Lake Henshaw near Santa Ysabel, California, worked from ore of the Himalaya Mine, which once sent pink stone to China's imperial court.
- OceanView MinePala · Underground mineVisit for a chance to find your own gems—tourmalines, kunzites, morganites and more—with a unique view of the only actively working underground mine in the world famous Pala Gem mining district.
- Pala Chief MinePala · DigThis dig held only twice a month from October to June is best described as a free style bring your own tools and dig your own way
- Roaring Camp Mining Company gold campPine Grove · Operating gold mine and gold panning campRoaring Camp was once a camp for Forty Niners, but since it was so inaccessible, most of the gold still remains. Visitors can see our operating gold mine and can mine their own gold by panning, sluicing, metal detecting, and dry washing.
Spring Water
- Adobe SpringsPatterson · Mineral spring (free public fill)A free public spring spigot about eighteen miles up Del Puerto Canyon west of Patterson, California, where water rising through mantle rock carries some 110 milligrams of magnesium per liter.
- Bitney SpringsNevada City · Natural springA roadside spring on Bitney Springs Road in rural Nevada County, California, where three spouts run under a small canopy built by a local Lions Club.
- Headwaters SpringMt. Shasta · 26 acre city parkA cold spring at the foot of Spring Hill in Mt. Shasta City Park, called the headwaters of the Upper Sacramento, where people fill jugs beside a warning sign.
- National City Free Water StationNational City · Free water stationThe free well-water station on East Fourth Avenue delivers an average of about 728 gallons a day, drawn from a well a few hundred yards away; the public, even those from outside National City, fill jugs here.
- Upper Soda Springs / Tauhindauli ParkDunsmuir · Natural resource parkTauhindauli Park is a 15-acre public park with over one-half mile of rare public access to the Sacramento River, and a network of trails and bike paths.
Scenic Drives
- Ancient Bristlecone Scenic Byway (Route 168)Big Pine · Scenic byways or routesA 34-mile Forest Service byway climbs from the Owens Valley at Big Pine into California's White Mountains, ending among bristlecone pines that have been alive for more than 4,000 years.
- Angeles Crest Scenic Byway (SR 2)La Cañada-Flintridge · Scenic bywayThe scenic byway ascends up and winds its way through 66 miles of the Angeles National Forest, through chaparral, and montane forest habitats, along the highest and most scenic ridges of the San Gabriel mountain range.
- Arroyo Seco Historic Parkway (Route 110)Los Angeles · California historic parkwayThe Arroyo Seco Parkway, Route 110 between downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena, opened in 1940 as what California calls the nation's first freeway.
- Big Sur Coast Highway (Route 1)Monterey · All-american roadRoute 1 along the Big Sur coast, California's first official scenic highway, opened in 1937 after San Quentin convict crews helped cut it from the Santa Lucia cliffs.
- Bigfoot Scenic BywayWillow Creek · Scenic bywayThe Bigfoot Scenic Byway, Highway 96 from Willow Creek up the Klamath River to Happy Camp in northwestern California, passes close to where the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot film was shot.
- Bradshaw Trail Back Country BywayBlythe · Back country bywayA 70-mile graded dirt road across the Colorado Desert of Riverside County, California, following the stage road William Bradshaw opened to the La Paz gold fields in 1862.
- Buckhorn Back Country BywayGerlach · BLM bywayA 31-mile single-lane gravel road kept by the BLM from Duck Flat, Nevada, to Ravendale, California, crossing wild-horse range and passing ponderosa pines rooted in sand.
- Carson Pass Highway (Route 88)Woodfords · All-season roadwayCalifornia's Highway 88 crosses the Sierra Nevada at Carson Pass, 8,573 feet, on a line Washoe and Miwok traders walked long before Mormon wagons opened it in 1848.
- Chimney Peak Back Country BywayLake Isabella · BLM bywayA graded dirt road north from Highway 178 in Kern County, California, running along the Chimney Peak Wilderness where Sierra Nevada pinyon country gives way to the Mojave.
- Death Valley Scenic BywayFurnace Creek · National parkThe Death Valley Scenic Byway follows 81.5 miles of California Highway 190 through Death Valley National Park, partly on a 1926 toll road built to reach a desert hotel.
- Ebbetts Pass Scenic BywayArnold · National scenic bywayThe Ebbetts Pass Scenic Byway runs 61 miles over the Sierra Nevada from Arnold to Markleeville, narrowing near its 8,700-foot crest to a road with no center line.
- Feather River Scenic Byway (Highway 70)Quincy · Scenic bywayThe Feather River Scenic Byway runs 130 miles on Highway 70 from above Oroville over Beckwourth Pass, sharing its North Fork canyon with a 1909 railroad and seven powerhouses.
- Historic Route 66 (California segment)Victorville · National scenic bywayRoute 66 across the Mojave from Needles to Barstow, California, a National Scenic Byway since 2021, where the old highway crosses washes on timber trestles more than eight decades old.
- Jacinto Reyes Scenic Byway (Route 33)Ojai · Forest service bywayThirty-eight miles of State Highway 33 north from Ojai through Los Padres National Forest, on a route the Reyes cattle family mapped to reach the sea.
- Kings Canyon Scenic Byway (Highway 180)Dunlap · Scenic byways or routesBeginning in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Dunlap, the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway traverses 50 spectacular miles leading to Roads End, all along Highway 180. The byway begins in the foothills outside of Fresno and then enters the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park. It then descends through Sequoia National Forest, then ends at the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park.
- Lassen Scenic BywayOld Station · National forest scenic bywayWinding through both Lassen National Forest and Lassen Volcanic National Park, the Lassen Scenic Byway is one of the most scenic drives in California. The 185-mile loop can be traveled in only a day, but it s best to take the time to appreciate its beauty and diversity by making frequent stops to hike, take photos, fish, camp, and just enjoy the fascinating nature that surrounds you.
- Lee Vining Canyon Scenic BywayLee Vining · National forest scenic bywayThe Lee Vining Canyon Scenic Byway is located in east-central California and travels along California State Route 120 through theInyo National Forest to the Tioga Pass entrance of Yosemite National Park.
- Modoc Volcanic Scenic BywayMcCloud · Scenic bywayTraversing an area unrivaled in North America for its volcanic features, the Modoc Volcanic Scenic Byway provides a rich mixture of geology, wildlife viewing and native American history.
- Palms to Pines Scenic BywayPalm Desert · Scenic driveThis 67-mile route will take you from Palm Desert past snow-peaked mountains to Banning Pass.
- Rim of the World Scenic BywayLake Arrowhead · Scenic drivesThe Rim of the World Scenic Byway travels through some of the most naturally beautiful areas in Southern California. Spectacular vistas and panoramas exist everywhere along the route.
- Saline Valley Road Back Country BywayLone Pine · 4-wheel drive trailThis popular 4-wheel drive trail takes you through some of Death Valley's most intriguing terrain. At the bottom of the Saline Valley you'll find a salt marsh, hosting a variety of wildlife and plants standing out in the otherwise sparse terrain.
- San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway (Route 1)San Luis Obispo · All-american roadOcean-view adventures along the byway: whales migrating in the distance, rugged coastal trails, a hilltop mansion, a historic pier, quaint beach towns, and wine tasting in the vineyards of Edna Valley.
- Sierra Heritage Scenic Byway (Route 168)Clovis · Scenic byways or routesThe Sierra Heritage Scenic Byway (California Route 168) features a range of recreation opportunities, historic tours, and scenic views of mountains and valleys.
- Sierra Vista Scenic BywayNorth Fork · National scenic bywayLocated in the Sierra National Forest, the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway is a designated member of the National Scenic Byway System. The entire route meanders along National Forest roads, from North Fork to the exit point on Highway 41 past Nelder Grove, and without stopping takes about five hours to drive.
- Smith River Scenic Byway (Highway 199)Gasquet · U.s. forest service scenic bywayHighlighted by white-water rapids on the Smith River, redwoods, rhododendrons, ferns and diverse geological land forms and ecosystems
- State of Jefferson Scenic Byway (Highway 96/263)Happy Camp · Scenic bywaysState of Jefferson Scenic Byway is managed by Department of Transportation. From the 1941 state capitol of Yreka, California, take Hwy. 263 North over five Pioneer bridges to Hwy. 96. Meander along the Klamath River West to the remote, friendly town of Happy Camp.
- Surprise Valley / Barrel Springs Back Country BywayCedarville · BLM back country bywayThis 93-mile loop begins and ends in Cedarville, California, and like other BLM back country byways it transports visitors through both space and time.
- Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road Scenic BywayYosemite Village · National parkTioga Road (continuation of Highway 120 through the park)
- Trinity Heritage National Scenic BywayWeaverville · Scenic drivesTrinity Heritage Scenic Byway follows Highway 3 south from Montague in Siskiyou County through the Scott River Valley and enters Trinity County over the Scott Mountain Summit, north of Weaverville. The Oregon-California Trade Route. Also known as the Siskiyou-Trinity Scenic Byway. Features travel through the Trinity Alps to Trinity Lake, with a loop through Lewiston before continuing on to Weaverville, then south through Hayfork to the end of the highway at its junction with Highway 36.
- Wild Horse Canyon Scenic Backcountry BywayEssex · Wild horse canyon roadsJust north of the junction of Black Canyon and the south end of Wild Horse Canyon Roads, rhyolite cliffs riddled with holes and hollows are the backdrop for Hole-in-the-Wall.
- Yuba-Donner Scenic BywayTruckee · Scenic bywayThis Scenic Byway makes a 160-mile driving loop route through the Sierra foothills and mountains west and east of the Sierra Crest, highlighting small communities located north of I-80, including Nevada City, Downieville, Sierra City, Sierraville and Truckee.
Small Ferries
- Balboa Island FerryNewport Beach · Boat/ferry companyAn 800-foot, cash-fare ferry across Newport Harbor between Balboa Island and the Balboa Peninsula, run by the Beek family since 1919 on wooden hulls from the early 1950s.
- J-Mack FerryCable drawn ferryA free, cable-drawn Caltrans ferry that carries Highway 220 about 400 feet across Steamboat Slough, from Grand Island to East Ryer Island in the Sacramento Delta, day and night.
- Real McCoy II FerryRio Vista · FerryThe Real McCoy II is classified as an extension of Highway 84. It provides service to Ryer Island residents and its visitors by crossing the Cache Slough to Rio Vista.
Train Rides
- Niles Canyon RailwaySunol · Railroad museum where the exhibits come to lifeThe Niles Canyon Transcontinental Railroad Historic District is made up of the 11 mile-long section of the First Transcontinental Railroad that passes through Niles Canyon between the towns of Sunol and Fremont (Niles), north of San Jose, California.
- Railtown 1897 State Historic Park (Sierra Railway)Jamestown · State parkA working steam-era railroad from California's past with historic trains, maintenance shops, roundhouse, and stories that span industry, communities, and film history.
- Roaring Camp RailroadsFelton · 19th century steam trainsTravel over trestles, through towering redwood groves and up a winding narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain as conductors narrate the history of Roaring Camp, the railroad and the forest.
- Sacramento Southern Railroad (California State Railroad Museum)Sacramento · Vintage excursion trainA 45-minute, 6-mile round trip from Old Sacramento Waterfront along the Sacramento River in our fleet of historic railroad cars.
- Skunk Train (California Western Railroad)
- Western Railway MuseumSuisun City · History museumA museum dedicated to preserving trains from California's past! Come visit us in Suisun City, CA.
- Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine RailroadFish Camp · Landmark & historical placeA California State Historic Landmark. Ride on a steam train and learn about the local history!
Roadside Attractions
- Cabazon DinosaursCabazon · Roadside attractionTwo concrete dinosaurs beside Interstate 10 in Cabazon, California, raised from cast-off freeway steel by a Knott's Berry Farm artist who began the first in 1964.
- Desert Christ ParkYucca Valley · Sculpture parkA hillside sculpture park above Yucca Valley, California, where a retired aircraft patternmaker set more than forty white concrete figures from Christ's life, meant to survive atomic war.
- East JesusNiland · Art museumEast Jesus, a 30-acre off-grid art museum built from discards on the edge of Slab City near Niland, California, keeps its founder's ashes in its music room.
- Elmer's Bottle Tree RanchOro Grande · Two-acre ranchElmer's Bottle Tree Ranch, on old Route 66 near Oro Grande, California, is a two-acre forest of 200 welded pipe trees hung with bottles and topped with salvaged signs.
- Galleta Meadows Sky ArtBorrego Springs · Metal sky art sculpturesRicardo Breceda's 130-odd welded scrap-steel creatures stand across Galleta Meadows outside Borrego Springs, California, among them a 350-foot serpent that dives under Borrego Springs Road.
- Grandma Prisbrey's Bottle VillageSimi ValleyA one-third-acre folk art environment in Simi Valley, California, built from dump bottles by Tressa "Grandma" Prisbrey, who began at 60 to house 17,000 pencils.
- Olancha Sculpture GardenOlancha · Sculpture gardenMade up of a dozen or so large, and often darkly humorous metal sculptures, the garden is the work of artist Jael Hoffmann.
- Salvation MountainNiland, California · Folk-art hillsideSalvation Mountain is a literal man-made mountain 28 years in the making, covered in half a million gallons of latex paint.
- The Mystery SpotSanta Cruz · Gravitational anomalyA gravitational anomaly located in the redwood forests just outside of Santa Cruz, California.
- Watts Towers of Simon RodiaLos Angeles · Masterpiece of folk artThe Watts Towers is a masterpiece of folk art; the only public access is a guided tour, with rotating exhibitions at the Watts Towers Arts Center.
- World's Largest ArtichokeCastroville · Concrete sculpture20-foot tall, 12-foot wide concrete version of an artichoke, erected at the front of the fruit stand and restaurant called the Giant Artichoke in Castroville.
Lookouts & Cabins
- Bear Basin Lookout and CabinGasquet · Historic fire lookout and 1930s-style cabin rentalA 1930s Forest Service fire lookout, taken down on French Hill and rebuilt atop Bear Basin Butte above Gasquet, California, rented each summer with a cedar-shake cabin.
- Big Meadows CabinCabinA 900-square-foot Forest Service guard station built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, rented by the night at the edge of Big Meadows, Sequoia National Forest, California.
- Black Mountain LookoutBlairsden · National campgroundA 1934 Civilian Conservation Corps fire lookout on Black Mountain near Milford, California, rented by the night, its one room set ten feet up at 7,161 feet.
- Calpine LookoutCalpine · Forest fire lookout towerA 1934 Civilian Conservation Corps fire lookout on Calpine Hill in the Tahoe National Forest, rented by the night and one of three windmill-style lookouts left in California.
- Camp Four And Half CabinKings River · CabinA 1957 Forest Service ranger's cabin on the south bank of the Kings River at 1,100 feet, now rented by the night, reached by a dirt road past a one-lane bridge.
- Crocker Guard StationPortola · CabinA 1912 Forest Service guard station in an aspen meadow ten miles northeast of Portola, California, restored by Forest Service retirees and rented with propane lamps and no drinking water.
- Forest Glen Guard StationForest Glen · Forest glen cabin (guard station)A two-story Forest Service guard station of 1916 beside the South Fork Trinity River at Forest Glen, rented by the night, the oldest building on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
- Girard Ridge LookoutDunsmuir · LookoutA 1931 fire lookout on Girard Ridge above the Sacramento River Canyon near Dunsmuir, California, rented by the night and reportedly the oldest of its design in the state.
- Harvey West CabinCamino · CabinA 1930s lumber-company office on the Silver Fork of the American River near Kyburz, now an Eldorado National Forest rental cabin reached across a combination-locked bridge.
- Hirz CabinLakehead · CabinA three-bedroom Forest Service rental cabin on a hilltop above the McCloud Arm of Shasta Lake, near Lakehead, where vandalism has left only the fridge, oven and water heater running.
- Hirz Mountain LookoutLakehead · Fire lookoutA 1937 Civilian Conservation Corps fire lookout above the McCloud Arm of Shasta Lake near Lakehead, California, rented by the night and reached on foot for the last quarter mile.
- Little Mt. Hoffman LookoutMcCloud · LookoutFrom a height of 7,309 feet, Little Mount Hoffman offers a spectacular view of Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen, Mt. McLoughlin, and a variety of other interesting landforms.
- Oak Flat LookoutBakersfield · Fire lookout rentalOn the Greenhorn Mountains at 4,900 feet, the tower overlooks the scenic Kern River and Kern River Valley with panoramic views of the mountains, river and valley.
- Patterson Guard StationLikely · Guard stationBuilt in 1921, Patterson Guard Station supported the Modoc National Forest's fire program until 1981. With recent renovations completed, the guard station is now available for overnight rentals.
- Pine Mountain LookoutUpper Lake · Fire lookoutRustic Pine Mountain Lookout was constructed in 1933 and used for fire detection until 1942.
- Post Creek Guard StationHayfork · Guard stationPost Creek Guard Station was built in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. This comfortable cabin accommodates up to six people, has two rooms, and measures 19x30 feet.
- Quaking Aspen CabinSpringville · CabinQuaking Aspen Cabin is situated in the Sequoia National Forest, about an hour from Springville, California. The cabin was originally built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and was used by the Forest Service to house fire patrol, recreation workers and other personnel. Located just inside Quaking Aspen Campground, the cabin is available to rent from mid-May through mid-October.
- Robbs HutCabinRobbs Hut offers a peaceful, rustic getaway with phenomenal views of the Sierra Nevada. The cozy, yet minimalistic cabin is open year-round and can be accessed by car in warmer months.
- Sardine Peak LookoutSierraville · LookoutA 1935 Civilian Conservation Corps three-story enclosed tower with external stairs; the top observation cab is the only rentable space. Sits at an elevation of 8,138 feet in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of Tahoe National Forest, approximately 20 miles from Truckee, California.
- Sly Guard CabinPollock Pines · Recreation siteThe Sly Guard Cabin is less remote than other cabins on the Eldorado National forest and is a great choice for families with children. The cabin is near Sly Park Reservoir, also called Jenkinson Lake, the tourist area of Apple Hill, a variety of wineries, a number of hiking trails, and the historic mining towns of Coloma and Placerville.
- Van Vleck BunkhouseCabinVan Vleck Bunkhouse overlooks a 40-acre meadow and the Tells Peak portion of the Crystal Range of the Sierra Nevada, providing a rustic camping experience year-round. Built in 1957, the bunkhouse is the last remaining building at the Van Vleck Ranch site. The area was operated as a cattle ranch from the 1860s to the 1960s.
- Wishon CabinSpringville · Two-bedroom cabinWishon Cabin sits amid oaks and pines in the Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains in the Sequoia National Forest. The cabin, perched at an elevation of 3,900 feet, is located at the entrance of the Wishon Campground, about an hour drive from Springville, California.
Ghost Towns
- Aguereberry Camp & Eureka Mine (Harrisburg townsite)Ghost townOriginally the town of Harrisburg was to be named Harrisberry after the two men who found the gold that launched it in 1905. Shorty Harris later took credit for the strike and changed the name of the town to Harrisburg after himself.
- Amargosa Opera House & Hotel (Death Valley Junction)Death Valley Junction
- Amboy (Roy's Motel & Cafe)Amboy · Ghost townRoy's Motel and Café is a historic site on the National Trails Highway of U.S. Route 66 in the Mojave Desert town of Amboy in San Bernardino County, California. Roy's Motel and Café is a 24-hour gas station, gift shop, and famous tourist attraction, due to its 1950s Googie-Style neon sign that can be seen for miles approaching the town.
- North Bloomfield Ghost Town (Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park)Nevada City · State historic park, ghost townThe 3,000-acre park encompasses the town of North Bloomfield and the historic Diggins site, where visitors can step back in time and experience the boom and bust of the California Gold Rush; it offers a Saturday tour of the historic mining town.
- Panamint CityBallarat · Ghost town, NPS ruinSilver boom town founded by outlaws in Surprise Canyon, peak population 2,000 in 1874; a flash flood later destroyed most of the town. The smelter chimney is the most prominent remnant. Added to Death Valley National Park.
- Shasta State Historic ParkRedding · State historic park preserving the ruins of a gold-rush townA row of old, half-ruined brick buildings lines the old main street where Shasta City stood, with nearby roads, cottages, and cemeteries left from the gold rush.
Historic Sites
Observatories
- Chabot Space & Science CenterOakland · Space and science centerOakland's home for STEAM education, located within Redwood Regional Park, with an Observatory, Planetarium, and exhibition galleries.
- Fujitsu Planetarium at De Anza CollegeCupertino · Immersive theater with a 50-foot domed screen and 139 seatsOne of the largest school planetariums west of the Rockies; a community resource for field trips, public astronomy shows, and laser music shows.
- Griffith ObservatoryLos Angeles
- Lick ObservatoryMount Hamilton
- Morrison PlanetariumSan Francisco · Planetarium75-foot-diameter all-digital dome at the California Academy of Sciences, presenting immersive planetarium shows fueled by scientific data of the latest observations and theories about the universe.
Drive-In Theaters
Factory Tours
- American River HatcheryGold River · Fish hatcheryA state fish hatchery on the American River below Nimbus Dam in Gold River, California, rearing trout and kokanee on Lake Natoma water that arrives by gravity.
- Bale Grist Mill State Historic ParkSaint Helena · State historic parkAn 1846 water-powered grist mill three miles north of St. Helena, California, where weekend millers still grind corn and wheat beside a wooden wheel 36 feet across.
- barrio glassworksCarlsbad · Public glassblowing studio and retail galleryA family-run public glassblowing studio, gallery and shop on Roosevelt Street in Carlsbad's Barrio, where anyone may walk in to watch the hot shop or shape a paperweight.
- Black Rock Trout HatcheryIndependence · Trout hatcheryA state trout hatchery east of US 395 near Independence, California, that grew from rearing ponds below a 1941 Los Angeles diversion dam at Black Rock Springs.
- Bodie State Historic ParkBridgeport · Historic ghost town and once thriving mining camp preserved in a state of "arrested decay"A genuine California gold-mining ghost town; visitors walk the deserted streets of a town that once had around 2,000 structures and roughly 8,000 people.
- Coleman National Fish HatcheryAnderson · Fish hatchery and parkWorking federal hatchery releasing approximately 12,000,000 fall Chinook Salmon, 1,000,000 late-fall Chinook Salmon, and 600,000 steelhead trout each year.
- Columbia State Historic ParkColumbia · State historic parkColumbia State Historic Park, three miles north of Sonora, California, keeps a gold-rush town in daily use, where the City Hotel's cherrywood bar came around the Horn in 1856.
- Coyote Valley Fish FacilityUkiah · Egg taking station and an imprinting facilityCoyote Valley Fish Facility operates as an egg taking station and an imprinting facility. The sorting of adult return steelhead occurs daily at 10:00 a.m. near the fish ladder January - mid-April.
- Crystal Lake HatcheryCassel · Fish hatcheryA state trout hatchery on Baum Lake at Cassel in eastern Shasta County, built in 1947 on Frank Baum's old ranch with the first Wildlife Conservation Board money.
- Darrah Springs Trout HatcheryManton · Trout hatcheryA state trout hatchery off Wildcat Road near Manton, California, whose spring water grows trout fast but runs too warm for their eggs.
- Empire Mine State Historic ParkGrass Valley · State historic parkA state historic park in Grass Valley, California, keeps the surface works of a gold mine worked from 1850 to 1956, whose 367 miles of flooded tunnels survive in a once-secret scale model.
- Feather River Fish HatcheryOroville · Fish hatcheryA state salmon and steelhead hatchery on the Feather River below Oroville Dam, where Chinook climb a fish ladder past an underwater window from mid-September on.
- Fillmore Trout HatcheryFillmore · Trout hatcheryA state trout hatchery on a former citrus grove beside the Santa Clara River near Fillmore, California, where visitors walk four 1,000-foot raceways under a net strung against herons.
- Fish Springs Trout HatcheryBig Pine · Trout hatcheryA state trout hatchery three miles south of Big Pine in the Owens Valley, built in 1952 on spring water that stopped flowing once wells were switched on.
- Folsom Powerhouse State Historic ParkFolsom · State historic parkA state historic park in Folsom, California, keeps the 1895 brick powerhouse whose General Electric generators, still in place, sent 11,000 volts 22 miles to Sacramento.
- Gold Bug Park / MinePlacerville · Historic mine and parkA city-owned hard rock gold mine on Big Canyon Creek in Placerville, California, where visitors walk a lit 352-foot drift dug mostly in the 1920s and 1930s.
- Harley FarmsPescadero · Small-scale farmstead goat dairyA farmstead goat dairy in a derelict 1910 cow dairy at Pescadero, California, now the only working dairy left in San Mateo County.
- Jelly Belly FactoryFairfield · Factory tourThe Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield, California, where an elevated quarter-mile tour lane runs above a candy plant the company says makes 1,680 jelly beans a second.
- MazAmar Art PotteryPioneertown · Open production, ceramics studioAn open production pottery studio on Pioneertown's Mane Street, where a crew throws and fires the Joshua tree mugs in the rooms behind the shop.
- Merced River HatcherySnelling · Chinook salmon facilityA state Chinook salmon hatchery at the foot of Crocker-Huffman Dam near Snelling, California, reached by a gravel canal road and begun in 1970 as a spawning channel.
- Michael Anthony, BootmakerSebastopol · One-man custom boot shopA one-man custom boot shop on North Main Street in Sebastopol, California, where Michael Anthony Carnacchi does all 372 steps himself and once measured Abraham Lincoln's boots.
- Moccasin Creek HatcheryMoccasin · Trout hatcheryA state trout hatchery at the Highway 49 and 120 junction in Moccasin, fed by Hetch Hetchy water, that hatches California golden trout for planting by airplane.
- Mojave River HatcheryVictorville · State fish hatcheryA California state trout hatchery on the lower campus of Victor Valley College in Victorville, where desert well water raises rainbow trout and a quarter buys a handful of feed.
- Mokelumne River HatcheryClements · HatcheryA state-operated salmon and steelhead hatchery at the foot of Camanche Dam near Clements, California, where visitors watch fall-run Chinook spawned through a viewing window.
- Mount Shasta Fish HatcheryMount Shasta · Trout hatcheryA state trout hatchery in Mount Shasta, California, raising fish since 1888 where an innkeeper once kept trout for his guests; its 1909 building now holds a town museum.
- Pennyroyal FarmBoonville · WineryRegenerative farm with vineyard and farmstead creamery, featuring wines, goat and sheep milk cheese, and farm fare from the estate kitchen.
- San Joaquin HatcheryFriant · Fish hatcheryA major producer of trout and inland salmon, San Joaquin Hatchery is also a great place to visit. Along the San Joaquin River, just downstream of the Friant dam, San Joaquin Hatchery has picnic grounds among the garden of California native vegetation. Take a photo with the enormous wood-carved rainbow trout!
- Shasta Dam and Powerplant TourShasta Lake · Guided dam tourA free Bureau of Reclamation tour of Shasta Dam near Redding, California, that walks the crest, rides an elevator 400 feet down, and looks out at the spillway from inside.
- Silverado Fisheries BaseNapa · HatcheryKnown as "the hatchery tucked between the grapes," Silverado Fisheries Base is located within the world famous wine producing Napa Valley, and is the main fish distribution facility for the San Francisco and Bay Area region.
- Trinity River HatcheryLewiston · HatcheryA state-run salmon and steelhead hatchery at the foot of Lewiston Dam on the Trinity River, where an underwater window shows migrating fish and the ladder opens after Labor Day.
- Warm Springs Fish HatcheryGeyserville · Fish hatcheryA Corps-built salmon and steelhead hatchery below Warm Springs Dam in Sonoma County, made to replace spawning grounds the dam cut off, where fish climb a seven-step ladder.
Flea Markets
- Alameda Point Antiques FaireAlameda · Antique showA monthly antiques faire on the old runways of Naval Air Station Alameda, where more than 800 dealers may sell only goods at least 20 years old.
- Berkeley Flea MarketBerkeley · Open-air marketplaceThe Berkeley Flea Market has been a Bay Area cultural landmark since the early 1970s, grown out of the community surrounding the Ashby BART station and known for global crafts, music, food, and strong roots in African American culture.
- Long Beach Antique MarketLong Beach · Antique flea market / swap meetMonthly open-air antiques and collectibles market: on the third Sunday, 20 acres of Veterans Stadium fill with antiques, collectibles, and vintage goods at bargain prices, drawing dealers, designers, and celebrities.
- Madera Flea MarketMaderaA Wednesday and Sunday swap meet on about 35 acres of the Madera, California, fairgrounds, family run since 1987, where Oaxacan produce shares lettered rows with work boots.
- Melrose Trading PostLos Angeles · Community marketA Sunday market of more than 250 makers at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, begun by two actors in 1997; its first proceeds bought books and desk chairs.
- Modesto Livestock Auction and Flea MarketModesto · Livestock auction and flea marketA family-owned livestock auction and three-day flea market on Modesto's South Seventh Street, where goats, hogs and rabbits have sold on Mondays since, by its own account, 1939.
- Nipomo Swapmeet & FleamarketNipomo · Outdoor swapmeet and fleamarketA Sunday open-air market of more than 300 vendors off Highway 101 in Nipomo, California, where a guitar store began in 1983 with $6,000 of broken horns and guitars.
- Oakland Coliseum Swap MeetOakland · Swap meet and public marketAn open-air swap meet on a former drive-in lot in East Oakland, open seven days a week, where the old movie screen still stands over the kiddy train.
- OCC Swap MeetCosta Mesa · Flea marketA weekend flea market in an Orange Coast College parking lot in Costa Mesa, California, whose stall fees paid for the college's community classes and performing-arts season.
- Pasadena City College Flea MarketPasadena · Flea marketA monthly antiques and collectibles flea market; over 400 vendors in the Pasadena City College parking lots along the West side of campus.
- Redwood Flea MarketEureka · Monthly flea marketA 14,000 sqft venue offering a wide variety of items such as antique furniture, vintage toys, video games, handmade crafts, jewelry, artwork, vintage clothing, books, comics, retro electronics, sports memorabilia, trinkets and more; self-styled Humboldt's Biggest indoor Flea Market!
- Rose Bowl Flea MarketPasadena · Monthly flea marketOutdoor mega flea market held the second Sunday of each month at the Rose Bowl stadium parking lot, with over 2,500 vendors and 20,000 buyers every month; called the world's most unusual flea market and the shopping place of the stars.
- San Joaquin County Fairgrounds Flea MarketStockton · Open air flea marketAn open-air flea market on the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds carnival lot in Stockton, California, held on weekday mornings since 1996, busiest on Thanksgiving with up to 10,000 visitors.
- San Jose Capitol Flea MarketSan Jose · Open-air marketVisit the San Jose Capitol Flea Market, a lively open-air market where you can shop for bargains, fresh produce, clothing, antiques, and more. Enjoy great food, unique finds, and a fun, family-friendly atmosphere every weekend.
- San Jose Flea MarketSan Jose · Flea marketThe San Jose Flea Market on Berryessa Road, open since March 1960 on a former slaughterhouse site, where a quarter-mile produce row and a 1950 Allan Herschell carousel share the grounds.
- Santa Fe Springs Swap MeetSanta Fe Springs · Swap meetA swap meet on Alondra Boulevard in Santa Fe Springs, California, spread over the grounds of the 1953 La Mirada Drive-In, with banda and tribute bands on its stage.
- Solano Swap MeetConcord · Open-air marketA lively open-air market where you can shop for bargains, fresh produce, clothing, antiques, and more, with great food, unique finds, and a fun, family-friendly atmosphere every weekend on the West Wind Solano Drive-In lot.
- The Big Fresno Flea MarketFresno · Swap meetA weekend swap meet in the Butler Parking Lot of the Big Fresno Fairgrounds, where the vendors of the Sunnyside Swap Meet went after that market's land was sold in 2021.
- Topanga Vintage MarketWoodland Hills · Flea marketA fourth-Sunday flea market in a Pierce College parking lot in Woodland Hills, California, where everything in the main aisles must be at least 20 years old.
- Tulare Sales YardTulare · Livestock auction marketA family-run cattle auction on South K Street in Tulare, California, dated to 1939, where the world livestock auctioneer contest held its first all-dairy sale in 2019.
U-Pick Farms
- 49er Farm TrailGrass Valley · Farm trail mapA free guide to Nevada County's farm stands, u-pick fields, vineyards and tree farms, issued from Grass Valley and descended from the 49er Fruit Trail of 1964.
- Alexandre Family Farm storeCrescent City · Farm storeThe farm store of Alexandre Family Farm, a grazing dairy on the Del Norte coast where Roosevelt elk share pasture with the milk cows.
- Apple Hill GrowersPlacerville, Pollock Pines · FarmApple Hill is a marketing association of more than 50 family farms near Camino, California, formed in 1964 when growers turned to apples after a pear blight.
- Capay Valley Grown Open Farm DayThe Capay Valley · Self-guided day of toursCapay Valley Grown's free, self-guided Sunday on six family farms off Highway 16 near Esparto, with olive-harvester demonstrations, ducklings, and stone-ground almond butter.
- China Ranch Date FarmTecopa · Date farmA family date farm in a spring-fed canyon near Tecopa, California, named for a Chinese farmer, Ah Foo or Quon Sing, who left the ranch in 1900.
- El Dorado County Farm TrailsPlacerville · The el dorado county farm trails is comprised of over 120 local farmsThe El Dorado County Farm Trails, a Placerville association of over 120 farms, orchards and businesses, whose maps lead to u-pick fields, cideries and quilt squares painted on barns.
- Farms of Amador Annual Farm TourJackson · Annual fundraising tour and dinnerFarms of Amador's annual tour of Amador County farms, which change every year, ending in a farm-to-fork dinner; in 2026 it was served at the Kennedy Gold Mine in Jackson.
- Fresno County Fruit TrailFresno County · Fruit trail loopA self-guided 60-mile loop of fruit stands, packing sheds, wineries and strawberry stands across Fresno County, California, its stops numbered 1 to 31 on a county map.
- Half Moon Bay coastside farmstands and u-picksHalf Moon Bay (Coastside) · Farm standFarmstands and u-pick fields along Highway 1 from Half Moon Bay south to Pescadero, where pick-your-own strawberries are carried back to a redwood barn to be weighed and paid for.
- Harvest Time in Brentwood u-pick loopBrentwood · AgritourismHarvest Time, a farmers' nonprofit founded in Brentwood, California, in 1976, maps more than 65 u-pick farms, stands, and wineries on a numbered trail through East Contra Costa County.
- Murray Family FarmsBakersfield · Fruit & vegetable storeMurray Family Farms is an family owned and operated farm in Bakersfield California.
- Oak Glen Apple Growers AssociationOak Glen · Historic agricultural communityA historic agricultural community in the San Bernardino Mountains centered on apple farming and related agritourism.
- PlacerGROWN Farm & Barn TourAuburn · Ticket-free & self-guided tour through the farms and ranches of placer countyChoose from 15-20 destinations with family-friendly activities, farm tours, and agricultural demonstrations while shopping local artisanal vendors and enjoying fresh, local foods, drinks, and fall produce.
- Pleasants Valley Agriculture Association Open Farm DayVacaville · Association of farmers in vacavilleEvery year the farmers in Vacaville open their doors to an Open Farm Days - meet the farmers, pet the animals, taste the goodies, and purchase directly from the farmers.
- San Diego County Farm Bureau Farm Tour DayEscondido · Nonprofit organizationFarm Tour Day is back! Enjoy guided walking tours led by local farmers through their unique operations. Bring the family, drive yourself, and follow our detailed tour map.
- Santa Barbara County Farm DayVentura · Agricultural serviceOn September 19th, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, more than 15 Santa Barbara County farms, ranches, and agricultural organizations will open their doors and invite the public to experience a day full of FREE agricultural activities and tours during the 8th Annual Santa Barbara County Farm Day!
- SLO County Farm Trail (FARMstead ED)Paso Robles · WeekendOpen Farm Days Weekend is an up-close chance to experience and learn about our local agriculture through farm visits, tours, demonstrations, tastings, workshops and more - at various farms across the SLO County Farm Trail.
- Sonoma County Farm TrailsSebastopol · Self-guided tourWe connect the public to Sonoma County farmers, ranchers, producers, and purveyors to ensure the economic viability of local agriculture and instill an appreciation of ag as a vital part of our community.
- Suisun Valley farm standsFairfield · Fruit & vegetable storeA fourth-generation farmer's stand, opened by Larry and Lisa Balestra in the summer of 1986 at the current location on Suisun Valley Rd. near Fairfield, CA.
- Tanaka FarmsIrvine · Fruit & vegetable storeFamily-owned and operated 30-acre farm in the heart of Irvine.
- Underwood Family FarmsMoorpark · Farm marketGrower of a wide variety of fresh vegetable and fruits in Ventura County, California, with pick-your-own produce, birthday parties at the Farm Animal Center, school tours, gift baskets, and the Springtime, Fall Harvest and Christmas on the Farm festivals.
- Ventura County Farm DayVentura · Signature community education and outreach initiativeAnnual self-guided Farm Day event where Ventura County growers open their doors to the public for agricultural tours, tastings, and kid-friendly exhibits.
Wineries
- Black Sheep WineryMurphys · Member of the calaveras winegrape allianceA Murphys tasting room in a converted Flying-A gas station, pouring Zinfandels and Rhône varietals from a winery begun on unsold Amador grapes in late October 1984.
- Boeger WineryPlacerville · Breweries/wineries/wine tastingA family winery and farm on Carson Road in Placerville, the first post-Prohibition winery in the El Dorado AVA, with an 1872 stone cellar open to sit in.
- Golden State CiderSebastopol · Taproom100% West Coast apples sourced from orchards in California and the Pacific Northwest, cold-pressed fresh to produce dry ciders
- Heidrun MeaderyPoint Reyes Station · Naturally sparkling varietal meadsHeidrun Meadery, on a former dairy farm half a mile north of Point Reyes Station, California, makes Champagne-method sparkling honey wine, partly from bees fed on flowers it grows itself.
- Nevada City WineryNevada City · The oldest operating winery in nevada countyNevada City Winery is located in the scenic Sierra Foothills of California, in the largest historic gold rush town established in the 1850s. We produce a diverse selection of award winning, low intervention wines right below our tasting room in downtown Nevada City.
- Sobon EstatePlymouth · Registered historic landmarkAmong the oldest wineries in California; site of the Shenandoah Valley Museum of early agriculture and winemaking.
Fairs & Rodeos
- Amador County FairPlymouth · County fairThe Amador County Fair, which began in 1887 and has been held in Plymouth since 1938, fires hot corndogs from a cannon into the grandstand before every arena event.
- Butte County FairGridley · County fairA four-day county fair in Gridley, California, on 26 acres that served as a military base in World War II, closing with a destruction derby that includes motorhomes.
- Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog JubileeAngels Camp · County fairThe Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee runs the third weekend of May outside Angels Camp, California, where bullfrogs still chase a 1986 record of 21 feet 5¾ inches.
- California Rodeo SalinasSalinas · PRCA/professional rodeoThe California Rodeo Salinas is one of the top 15 Professional Rodeos in the United States and the largest in California, a not-for-profit community rodeo held at the Salinas Sports Complex.
- Cattle Call RodeoBrawley · Western rodeo celebrationA November rodeo and celebration week in Brawley, in California's Imperial Valley, opening the PRCA season in an arena the town raised on the New River bottom in 1958.
- Clovis RodeoClovis · RodeoThe Clovis Rodeo, a five-day professional rodeo held the last full weekend in April in Clovis, California, began in 1914 as a festival of the Clovis Women's Club.
- Del Norte County FairCrescent City · FairgroundsCrescent City's four-day August county fair on state-owned grounds off Highway 101, begun in Smith River in 1892 and still closed by a junior livestock auction.
- Eastern Sierra Tri-County FairgroundsBishop · FairgroundsThe Eastern Sierra Tri-County Fairgrounds in Bishop, California, where the Tri-County Fair has met since 1953 and its Sunday Demolition Derby raises money for volunteer firefighters.
- Humboldt County Fair & Event CenterFerndale · County fair & event centerThe Humboldt County Fairgrounds at Ferndale, California, where the county fair has been held since 1896 and where, in 2026, a college rodeo took over the old racetrack.
- Inter-Mountain FairMcArthur · Fair & events centerShasta County's Labor Day fair at McArthur, held every year since 1918 but 1943, opening with a sheep show and closing with a junior livestock auction.
- Kern County FairBakersfield · County fairThe Kern County Fair fills its grounds in southeast Bakersfield for twelve days each fall, a fair that began in tents on Chester Avenue on August 5, 1916.
- Lassen County FairSusanville · County fairThe Lassen County Fair, held in Susanville, California, since about 1890, gives five July days to rodeo, carnival, and 4-H stock, ending with a junior livestock auction and demolition derby.
- Mariposa County FairgroundsMariposa · FairgroundMariposa's fairgrounds on Highway 49, set among WPA rubble walls, has held a Labor Day fair and homecoming since 1939 and in September 2026 became a Dome Fire camp.
- Mendocino County Fair & Apple ShowBoonville · Annual county fair and apple showA three-day old-time harvest festival each September showcasing Anderson Valley apples and other local produce.
- Modoc District FairgroundsCedarville · FairgroundsCedarville's 1933 fairgrounds in Surprise Valley, California, saved from closure by its community in 2015 and now run without paid staff, home to a free August district fair.
- Mother Lode FairSonora · County fairgrounds and year-round event centerThe Tuolumne County fair in Sonora, California, held on its Southgate Drive grounds since 1938, where a junior livestock auction and a destruction derby share one July weekend.
- Nevada County FairGrass Valley · FairgroundsThe Nevada County Fair fills a pine-shaded fairgrounds in Grass Valley each summer, and its nonprofit food booths on Treat Street raise more than $1 million a year.
- Plumas Sierra County FairQuincy · County fairThe 62-acre fairground is the premier meeting place for conferences, weddings, birthdays, trade shows and special events, and can accommodate everything from concerts to ropings.
- Red Bluff Round-UpRed Bluff · RodeoAmerica's largest three-day rodeo, founded in 1921 as an adjunct to the Tehama County Fair; the first Northern California rodeo to join the Cowboys' Turtle Association, a precursor to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).
- Siskiyou Golden FairgroundsYreka, CA · FairgroundYreka's Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds, bought by public subscription in 1925, holds a June county fair whose line runs back to an 1859 agricultural show at Fort Jones.
- Springville Sierra RodeoSpringville · Professional rodeo within the professional rodeo cowboys association (PRCA)A PRCA rodeo held each April since 1949 in the Sierra foothills at Springville, California, on an old sawmill site whose arena and bleachers four town clubs own.
- Stonyford RodeoStonyford · Rodeo groundsThe Stonyford Rodeo is a three-day PRCA rodeo in Colusa County, California, run since 1943 by the Stony Creek Horsemen's Association on grounds volunteers rebuilt after two fires.
- Trinity County FairHayfork · County fairThe Trinity County Fair in Hayfork, California, held since 1921, began when one rancher entered a booth for the whole county at a neighboring fair and won.
- Tulelake-Butte Valley FairTulelake · FairgroundsThe Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair is a four-day September fair in Tulelake, California, built on a Bureau of Reclamation alfalfa field that took an act of Congress to acquire.
- Willits Frontier DaysWillits · RodeoWillits Frontier Days, a volunteer-run rodeo and summer celebration in Willits, California, held its 100th edition in 2026; it began as a fundraiser for a hospital.
Town Festivals
- 20 Mule Team DaysBoron · Parade and festivalBoron, California, holds an annual parade and park festival for the Death Valley borax wagons, and crowns an honorary mayor elected with charity dollars.
- Almond FestivalEsparto · Family-friendly two-day eventAn almond festival, first held in 1915, that opens each late February at Esparto Community Park in Yolo County, California, and runs up Highway 16 to Rumsey.
- Annual Street FairMoss Landing · Street fairA one-day Sunday street fair of nearly two hundred antique and vintage booths on Moss Landing Road, whose gate money is the town chamber of commerce's main yearly income.
- Apple Blossom Parade and FestivalSebastopol · Parade and festivalSebastopol's spring parade and two-day festival in Ives Park, run by the chamber of commerce since 1947, ends its Main Street march with fire hoses turned on the youngest spectators.
- Avocado FestivalFallbrook · Annual avocado festivalA one-day April street fair on Main Avenue in Fallbrook, San Diego County, held since 1987, where guacamole is judged in amateur and professional divisions.
- Big Hat DaysClovis · Two-day street festivalA free two-day April street festival on Pollasky Avenue in Old Town Clovis, California, begun in 1938 and named for the sun hats of Clovis farmers and cowboys.
- Bigfoot DazeWillow Creek · FestivalBigfoot Daze is a free one-day summer festival in Willow Creek, Humboldt County, California, held for the 64th time in 2026, with a parade on Highway 299 and a Bigfoot Calling Contest.
- Bigfoot JamboreeHappy Camp · Annual town celebrationThe Bigfoot Jamboree is Happy Camp's three-day Labor Day festival at River Park on the Klamath, named for a neighbor who, organizers say, has turned down every invitation.
- Blossom DaysSanger · Fest & car showThe Sanger District Chamber of Commerce's free spring street festival in downtown Sanger, Fresno County, where nearly 400 cars filled the Webber Realty Car Show in 2026.
- Blue Mountain Festival & City ParadeGrand Terrace · Festival and city paradeGrand Terrace, California's free one-day May festival, opened by a city parade down Mt. Vernon Avenue and featuring a battle of the bands in Richard Rollins Community Park.
- Bodega Bay Fisherman's FestivalBodega Bay · Annual fishing-community festivalA two-day spring festival at Westside Regional Park in Bodega Bay, California, where the Sunday Blessing of the Fleet ends with a wreath cast for fishermen lost at sea.
- Bok Kai Festival and ParadeMarysville · Annual parade and festivalAn annual parade and Bomb Day in Marysville, California, for Bok Eye, the Chinese water god, ending with numbered good-fortune rings fired over Chinatown.
- Borrego Days Desert FestivalBorrego Springs · Desert festivalThe Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce's free desert festival at Christmas Circle, which opens the season each October with a multi-plane flyover down Palm Canyon Drive.
- Buellton Fall FestivalBuellton · FestivalThe Buellton Fall Festival is a free three-day street carnival on Avenue of the Flags each November, where adults may carry a drink from the Ferris wheel to either bandstand.
- Butter & Egg Days Parade and FestivalPetaluma · Parade and festivalPetaluma's April parade and street festival, revived in 1982 from the Egg Days of the "Egg Basket of the World," where babies compete dressed as chicks.
- California Avocado FestivalCarpinteria · Three-day avocadoA free three-day festival on Linden Avenue in downtown Carpinteria each October, opened when the honorary chairs balance an avocado on the nose of the Seal Fountain's seal.
- Carrot FestivalHoltville · Parade & street fairHoltville's Carrot Festival fills the town square of this Imperial Valley town each February, and its Saturday parade ends with carrots handed out to the crowd.
- Castro Valley Fall FestivalCastro Valley · Community traditionA free two-day street festival in Castro Valley, California, held since 1972, whose stages one local musician has booked for nearly 30 years.
- Cherry FestivalLinden · Cherry festivalThe Linden Cherry Festival, a one-day May gathering on the elementary school grounds in Linden, California, where the high school Future Farmers who started it still run a cow plop.
- Cherry FestivalSan Leandro · FestivalA one-day street festival and parade in downtown San Leandro, California, dating to a 1909 bumper crop of cherries, where every food vendor must put a cherry item on the menu.
- Cherry Parade and FestivalLeona Valley · Cherry parade & festivalThe annual Cherry Parade and Festival in Leona Valley, northern Los Angeles County, ends at the Community Building, where food booths sell deep-fried cherry burritos with whipped cream.
- Clam FestivalPismo Beach · Clam festivalPismo Beach has held its Clam Festival every October since 1946, the city's founding year, with a parade down Price Street and a chowder cook-off on the pier.
- Colfax Railroad DaysColfax · Celebration of colfax's role in the construction of the transcontinental railroadA free September weekend in downtown Colfax, California, where Union Pacific parks working engines beside the Fruit Shed in the town that supplied the Central Pacific's climb over the Sierra.
- Colony DaysAtascadero · Annual community celebrationAtascadero Colony Days, the town's community celebration since 1973, sends floats over the Arch Bridge and up El Camino Real before a carnival fills the Sunken Gardens.
- Community Arts FestivalRancho Cucamonga · Annual community arts festivalA spring day of performing and visual arts in Rancho Cucamonga's Central Park, where ballet folklorico, hula, a school choir and a drum academy share one outdoor stage.
- Constitution Day WeekendNevada City · Constitution observance weekendA September weekend of parade, encampment, and band concert in Nevada City, California, held since 1967, where costumed Masons sign the Constitution and every president marches down Broad Street.
- Corning Olive Festival and Car ShowCorning · Destination event for all agesCorning, California's annual October olive festival and car show, two parks joined by a footbridge, begun by women of the Catholic church raising money for a hall.
- Cotton FestivalCorcoran · Harvest celebrationCorcoran's October harvest festival in Kings County, California, opens with a parade down Whitley Avenue to mark the start of the cotton harvest, then moves to the park.
- Country FaireRio Linda · Annual country faireA volunteer-run September faire in Rio Linda, California, held since 2013 and moved in 2026 to the Dry Creek Ranch House, where entrants race zucchinis fitted with wheels.
- Days of 49 Celebration and Wagon TrainJackson · Annual wagon trainA horse-drawn covered-wagon train of the Kit Carson Mountain Men spends days crossing Amador County's back roads each April before rolling down Main Street in Jackson.
- Downtown Hayward Street PartiesHayward · Summer celebrationFree summer street parties on B and Main streets in downtown Hayward, California, held third Thursdays from June through August, with a marketplace of businesses run by local youth.
- Dunsmuir Railroad DaysDunsmuir · FestivalDunsmuir Railroad Days is a June weekend in a Siskiyou County rail town, held since 1941, with a noon parade down Dunsmuir Avenue and a button made for every celebration.
- Durham Parade and PicnicDurham · Community celebrationA parade and picnic held in Durham, Butte County, California, every May since 1917, said to have begun as a way to bring grown children home for Mother's Day.
- Enchilada Dinner and CelebrationHornitos · Annual enchilada dinnerThe Hornitos Patrons Club's enchilada dinner, held each March at Stag Hall in Hornitos, California, since 1949 and still made, the club says, from its founders' recipes.
- Fairfax FestivalFairfax · Annual music, food, and arts eventA free June weekend of parade and three music stages in downtown Fairfax, California, run by a volunteer committee and once cancelled, in 1970, for rowdiness.
- Feather Fiesta DaysOroville · Hometown celebrationCelebrate over 70 years of tradition during Feather Fiesta Days in Oroville, California! This beloved hometown celebration brings together community festivals, live entertainment, classic cars, family activities, local vendors, food, and Downtown Oroville traditions throughout an exciting week of events.
- Fiesta DaysFrazier Park · Annual three-day celebrationFrazier Park's free three-day festival in Frazier Mountain Park, held the first weekend of August since 1968 and begun to pay for emergency medical care on the mountain.
- Fiesta HermosaHermosa Beach · Three-day festivalA Chamber-run street fair in downtown Hermosa Beach, California, begun in the 1970s as a one-day arts show on Pier Avenue, whose Labor Day edition returned in 2026.
- Fontana Days ParadeFontana · Annual paradeAn annual May parade through downtown Fontana, California, part of Fontana Days, a celebration that began in 1913 when a bottle of grape juice struck a flagpole.
- Fortuna Apple Harvest FestivalFortuna · Annual fortuna apple harvest festivalFortuna's town-wide apple festival, held the first Saturday of October since 1985, began at Clendenen's Cider Works, where the family keeps a 1916 cider press in working order.
- Foster City Summer DaysFoster City · Community eventFoster City's free August weekend at Leo J. Ryan Park, held to celebrate the city's birthday, with a carnival, a classic car show, and rubber ducks hidden across the grounds.
- Founder's DayGeorgetown · Annual celebrationFounder's Day closes Main Street in Georgetown, California, each September for a Rotary-run parade, street booths, and the town's stamp mill set to working.
- Founder's Day Parade and Sawdust FestivalShingletown · Founders day community eventShingletown's annual Founder's Day Parade and Sawdust Festival, held on the grounds of the town's all-volunteer library in California, with candy thrown from the floats and duck races in the creek.
- Fourth of July Parade and FestivalCrescent City · FestivalCrescent City's two-day Independence Day celebration on the Del Norte coast, where a downtown parade honors its grand marshals and fireworks go up over Battery Point Lighthouse.
- Gold Digger DaysGreenville · Annual town celebrationGreenville's one-day July celebration on Main Street in Plumas County, held since 1962, whose parade now runs through a downtown the 2021 Dixie Fire largely destroyed.
- Gold Nugget DaysParadise · Annual town celebrationParadise, California's late-April celebration of the 54-pound Dogtown Nugget of 1859, held since 1959, with a queen in a 1968 gold crown and a donkey derby.
- Golden DaysAzusa · Annual parade and carnivalAzusa Golden Days, a parade, carnival and week of club events held each October since 1949 in Azusa, California, returns in 2026 to Route 66 for the road's centennial.
- Golden History Days and Wagon Train ArrivalPlacerville · CelebrationGolden History Days, a June Saturday on Placerville's Main Street, ends when the Highway 50 Wagon Train rolls up to the Bell Tower after a week's crossing from Nevada.
- Good Old Days Street FestivalPacific Grove · Street festivalA free two-day spring street festival on Lighthouse Avenue in Pacific Grove, California, with five stages and a quilt show in an 1881 meeting hall.
- Grape Day FestivalEscondido · FestivalEscondido's Grape Day Festival, a free September afternoon in Grape Day Park since 1908, grew out of the burning of the bonds that paid for the town's dam.
- Graton Day FestivalGraton · FestivalGraton Day, a free afternoon of homemade pies, zucchini racing, and chicken bingo in Graton, Sonoma County, revived in 2024 on a former gas-station lot turned town square.
- Grover Beach Night OutGrover Beach · Night out and drone showA free summer evening at 16th Street Park in Grover Beach, California, put on by the city's police department and closed after dark by a drone light show.
- Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin FestivalHalf Moon Bay · Art & pumpkin festivalHalf Moon Bay's two-day Art & Pumpkin Festival fills Main Street each October, the weekend after a weigh-off begun in 1974, when a local pumpkin outweighed Ohio's by one pound.
- Harvest FestivalGreenfield · Annual greenfield harvest festivalA free one-day street festival on El Camino Real in Greenfield, South Monterey County, that grew out of a 1980s Broccoli Festival and now names student scholarship winners.
- Harvest Parade & FestivalJurupa Valley · Parade & festivalA city-run fall parade on Limonite Avenue in Jurupa Valley, California, first held in 2025, that ends at City Hall with a free pumpkin patch.
- Hercules Cultural FestivalHercules · Cultural festivalAn annual free cultural festival in Hercules, California, revived in 2023 after a decade's hiatus, where a Polynesian troupe dances a haka to live drums.
- Heritage FestivalMontebelloA free October festival in Montebello, California, that begins with a 7:30 a.m. footrace, moves to a parade on Whittier Boulevard, and ends with carnival rides in City Park.
- Hesperia DaysHesperiaHesperia Days, a fall celebration in Hesperia, California, runs from a 5K on Main Street to fireworks over Hesperia Lake and dates to 1948 and a 13-year-old rodeo queen.
- Hilmar Dairy & Farm FestivalHilmar · FestivalA free June evening in Hilmar, California, of antique tractors, a sheriff's helicopter and fireworks, built around a stage contest that crowns a Little Milkman and Milkmaid aged three to six.
- Honey FestivalWestmorland · Annual honey festivalA one-day festival in Westmorland, an Imperial Valley town that calls itself the honey capital of the world per capita, where local beekeepers sell from their own hives.
- International Street FairOrange · International celebrationOPT's largest signature event, about 300,000 visitors over Labor Day weekend; the streets around the historic Orange Plaza become an international celebration of cultural food streets, live entertainment, arts and crafts, commercial exhibitors and community organizations.
- Ione HomecomingIone · Annual celebrationA two-day May celebration at Howard Park in Ione, Amador County, California, begun with the 1876 centennial and the railroad's arrival, now with mutton bustin' and lawnmower races.
- Italian Picnic and ParadeSutter Creek · Annual picnic and paradeThe Italian Benevolent Society's three-day June picnic in Sutter Creek, California, held since 1882, ending with a Sunday parade down Old Highway 49 and a salami toss.
- Johnny Appleseed DaysParadise · Harvest festivalBilled as California's oldest harvest festival, Johnny Appleseed Days fills Paradise's Terry Ashe Park each October and began in 1888 as a temperance party over an acquired saloon.
- Kelseyville Pear FestivalKelseyville · FestivalPear Square - Enjoy a collection of local photos and history, vintage tools and packing box labels as well as pear tasting and pear products.
- Kingsburg Swedish FestivalKingsburg · Swedish festivalThe Kingsburg Swedish Festival fills downtown Kingsburg, California, every third weekend in May with pea soup, a Maypole and a parade, beneath a water tower shaped like a coffee pot.
- Klamath Salmon FestivalKlamath · Annual salmon festivalThe Yurok Tribe's August festival on Klamath Boulevard in Klamath, California, where in 2026 salmon cooked over open fire returned to the lunch plates after four years without it.
- Lamb DerbyWillows · ParadeA week-long celebration in Willows, California, held since 1934, when fifty lambs raced down Butte Street. The parade still starts there each May.
- Los Alamos Old DaysLos Alamos · Festival held on the last full weekend of septemberThe Los Alamos Valley Men's Club's three-day September celebration in Los Alamos, Santa Barbara County, held since 1946 and closing each year with a Sunday parade down Bell Street.
- Los Olivos Day in the CountryLos Olivos · Annual town celebrationLos Olivos Day in the Country is a one-day October festival in the Santa Ynez Valley town, where riders, farm animals and family-owned vintage tractors parade down Grand Avenue.
- Lower Lake Daze Parade and Street FairLower Lake · Parade and street fairA Memorial Day weekend parade and street fair on Main Street in Lower Lake, Lake County, California, led by fire engines and fed by the football team's oysters.
- Lumberjack DayWest Point · Street parade and family dayLumberjack Day fills Main Street in West Point, Calaveras County, every first Saturday in October with a horsemen's parade, a downhill soap box derby, and a logging show paying over $5,000.
- Mardi Gras Parade and Street FairNevada City · Annual parade and street fairA Mardi Gras parade and street fair down Broad Street in Nevada City, California, begun in 1996 as Joe Cain Day, a custom carried west from Mobile, Alabama.
- Mariposa Butterfly FestivalMariposa · Annual community festivalAn annual May weekend at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds in California where each child is handed a classroom-raised butterfly perched on a slice of orange.
- Marysville Peach FestivalMarysville · FestivalA two-day peach festival on D Street in downtown Marysville, California, held the third weekend of July, where every food vendor must sell something made with peaches.
- Mid-Sierra Loggers JamboreeNorth Fork · Annual mid-sierra loggers jamboreeNorth Fork's own Nate Hodges was again named Champion Logger at the 66th Annual Mid-Sierra Loggers Jamboree held July 4-5 at the North Fork Recreation Center; this marks the 17th time Hodges has captured the Champion Logger title.
- Middletown DaysMiddletown · Middletown days celebrationMiddletown Days, a three-day western celebration in Lake County, California, has raised money since 1961 to build and keep up the park it is held in.
- Monrovia DaysMonrovia · Annual community birthday partyMonrovia Days of Yesteryear exhibit in the Community Center multi-purpose room.
- Montague Hot Air Balloon FairMontague · EventParade welcomes UTVs, tractors, classic cars, clubs, businesses, schools and marching bands.
- Moorpark Country DaysMoorparkThe Country Days parade and street fair takes over Historic High Street in Moorpark, California, each fall, an event the Jaycees began in 1979 as "Country Daze."
- Morgan Hill Mushroom FestivalMorgan Hill · Food, art, entertainment festivalAn annual Memorial Day weekend mushroom festival in downtown Morgan Hill, California, begun in 1980 by a fire chief to buy equipment and now raising scholarships for local seniors.
- Mule Days CelebrationBishop · Mule days celebrationBishop Mule Days fills the Tri-County Fairgrounds in Bishop, California, every Memorial Day week with mule shows, packing contests, and a Main Street parade in which nothing runs on a motor.
- Murphys Irish DayMurphys · Celebration of the irishA free street festival on Main Street in Murphys, Calaveras County, held the third Saturday in March, that began in 1993 as a children's parade with no announcers.
- Oakhurst Fall FestivalOakhurst · Annual oakhurst fall festivalThe Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce's October festival in the Sierra foothills began as a one-day wine-and-chocolate soiree and in 2026 brought rescue camels to new grounds.
- Old Lewiston Peddlers' FaireLewiston · Annual street faireAn annual street faire in historic downtown Lewiston, California, held the first Saturday in June, with food and beer vendors on both sides of an old one-lane bridge.
- Old Timers Day Parade and CelebrationMadera · Parade and festivalMadera, California, has paraded stagecoaches, fire trucks, and bands down Yosemite Avenue since 1931, when the day honored anyone living in the county by 1890.
- Old West DaysRandsburg · Annual old west daysRandsburg Old West Days is a one-day street festival on Butte Avenue in a Kern County mining town, staged each September to pay for the Rand Desert Museum.
- Oroville Salmon FestivalOroville · Community-wide celebrationThe Oroville Salmon Festival, a free September day in Oroville, California, when crowds watch Chinook salmon climb the Feather River Fish Hatchery's half-mile fish ladder.
- Pacific Coast Fog FestPacifica · FestivalA free two-day street festival on Palmetto Avenue in Pacifica, California, named in 1986 to mock the town's foggy reputation and timed for what founders judged its sunniest weekend.
- Patterson Apricot FiestaPatterson · Annual festival celebrating agriculture & apricotsPatterson's Apricot Fiesta fills downtown Plaza Circle on the weekend after Memorial Day, and it began in 1971 as a business promotion first planned as Western Daze.
- Paul Bunyan DaysFort Bragg · FestivalFort Bragg's Labor Day weekend festival, held since 1939, where Mendocino Coast loggers race double buck saws on the Skunk Train lot and a six-foot-six Paul Bunyan walks the streets.
- Paul Bunyan Mountain and Blues FestivalWestwood · CommunityA July weekend in Westwood, California, the Red River Lumber Company's old mill town, where lumberjacks chop and saw in a pine-shaded park between blues sets.
- Pear and Wine FestivalMoraga · Community eventCelebrates the Moraga Valley’s pear-orchard heritage.
- Pear FairCourtland · Annual agricultural fairCelebrates the Sacramento River Delta's Bartlett pear harvest.
- Pescadero Arts & Fun FestivalPescadero · Coastal country festivalA free two-day arts and music festival held each August on the I.D.E.S. grounds in Pescadero, California, where school parents and teachers hand-make the tamales sold beside the stage.
- Phelan Phamily Phun DaysPhelan · Community traditionLong-standing tradition in the Tri-Community of Phelan, Pinon Hills, Wrightwood and surrounding areas, with parade, car show, contests, vendors, food, and the Phun Zone on Phelan Road.
- Pinedorado DaysCambria · Annual community celebrationA Labor Day weekend celebration in Cambria, California, run by the Lions Club since 1949 to pay for a youth hall cut from an Army camp's theater.
- Pioneer DayPaso Robles · Annual pioneer day paradePaso Robles's free Pioneer Day parade and bean feed, held each October since 1931, where a clean-shaven man without a $1 badge can still be paraded in a jail wagon.
- Pistachio FestivalAvenal · Annual pistachio festivalMusic, food, vendors and family activities at Rice Park.
- Poway Rotary ParadePoway · ParadeA September parade east along Poway Road in San Diego County, held since 1962, where Victorian-dressed riders, vintage tractors and General Atomics drones pass three announcer stations.
- Pumpkin FairManteca · Free community eventCar show for adults. A Kids Zone with art and crafts, games, rides and a playground. Pumpkin growing contest and more. A variety of unique vendors. A large assortment of foods to feast on. A beer garden, great music and room to dance. A real hometown feel - come join us!
- Pumpkin FestivalArbuckle · FestivalA pumpkin festival held the first Sunday of October in LaVanche Hursh Park, Arbuckle, California, that raises money to rebuild the old train depot across the street.
- Ramona Country FairRamona · Country fairA free three-day country fair run by the Ramona Chamber of Commerce in Ramona, California, since 1971, where Saturday brings an off-road car show and Sunday a blues brunch.
- Raymond ParadeRaymond · Parade and craft fairRaymond's parade, held the third Saturday of April in the Madera County foothills, began in 1986 as a learners' parade and still steps off at high noon.
- Red Suspenders DayGridley · Community-wide celebrationGridley, California's May celebration of its volunteer firefighters, run by the Chamber of Commerce, where teams push decorated beds down Virginia Street before the noon parade.
- Reedley FiestaReedley · Annual two-day community celebrationEntertainment and booths at Pioneer Park, a community art show, coronation, live music, pancake breakfast, run/walk, Rotary parade and frog jump contest.
- Rio Vista Bass Derby and FestivalRio Vista · FestivalA three-day striped bass and salmon derby on the Sacramento River at Rio Vista, California, first held in 1933, with every fish weighed at the foot of Main Street.
- Round Valley Blackberry FestivalCovelo · Blackberry festivalA free two-day blackberry festival held each August since 1983 under a wisteria-covered arbor in Covelo, where one woman has made the blackberry slush from the first year on.
- Solvang Danish DaysSolvang · Annual danish heritage festivalA three-day September festival of Danish heritage in Solvang, California, begun in 1936, where æbleskiver breakfast is served in the street at Copenhagen Drive and First Street.
- Stagecoach DaysBanning · Annual eventAn annual event in the city of Banning since 1957 that consists of PRCA Rodeo, beer garden, vendors, concerts.
- Stone Soup Music Festival & Street FairGrover Beach · Music festival & street fairA free two-day music festival and street fair held each August around Ramona Garden Park in Grover Beach, California, named for the folk tale of a soup made from a single stone.
- Street Festival and Car ShowHollister · Street festival and car showA free downtown street festival and classic-car show on San Benito Street in Hollister, California, that began as a sidewalk sale with free watermelon.
- Swallows Day Parade and Mercado Street FairSan Juan Capistrano · Non-motorized paradeA March parade and street fair in San Juan Capistrano marking the swallows' return to the Mission, in which every entry walks, marches, or rides behind horses.
- Sweet Potato FestivalLivingston · Annual community festivalA three-day harvest festival in Livingston, California, where every food vendor must sell a sweet potato dish and local growers' varieties go for a dollar a pound.
- Tehachapi Apple FestivalTehachapi · FestivalThe Tehachapi Apple Festival is a one-day October street fair on Green Street in Tehachapi, California, where every vendor must offer something made from or about apples.
- Tehachapi Mountain FestivalTehachapi · Arts & crafts festivalThe Tehachapi Mountain Festival, held in Kern County every third August weekend since 1963, closes its Saturday with a street dance recalling the town's 1915 electric lights.
- Tolowa Dee-ni’ DaySmith River · Family-friendly annual eventTolowa Dee-ni' Nation invites the community to join the annual Dee-ni' Day celebration in Smith River, California — only a few miles from Crescent City!
- TomalesFestTomales · Town festivalLive music with the Blues Defenders, beer booth, oysters, and more.
- Topanga DaysTopanga · FestivalTopanga Days, a three-day Memorial Day fair at the Topanga Community Center in Topanga, California, raises money for a hall that canyon women began building with a nickel-a-brick drive.
- Tuolumne Lumber JubileeTuolumne · Community driven eventThree-day community event with logging competitions, parade, queen contest, carnival, vendors and tug-of-war.
- Tustin Tiller DaysTustin · Annual tustin tiller days eventA free three-day festival held the first weekend of October at Columbus Tustin Park in Tustin, California, named for the farmers who once made up much of the town.
- Wasco Rose FestivalWasco · FestivalLocal floats, vendors and family festivities celebrate Wasco’s agricultural heritage.
- Western Days ParadeLakeside · ParadeThe Lakeside Chamber of Commerce's Western Days Parade runs down Woodside and Maine avenues in San Diego County each April on rodeo weekend, and reached its sixtieth year in 2025.
- Western WeekendPoint Reyes Station · Community celebrationAn annual June parade, barn dance, and chicken barbecue in Point Reyes Station, begun by a women's group with a cake walk in 1949, or 1948 by its organizers' count.
- Whiskey Flat DaysKernville · Town celebrationEach Presidents' Day weekend since 1957, Kernville, California, takes back its mining-camp name, Whiskey Flat, for four days of rodeo, parade, encampment, and a race for Whiskey Flat mayor.
- World’s Largest Salmon BarbecueFort Bragg · Salmon BBQAll proceeds are used to improve salmon populations on the Northern California coast.
- Yreka Golden City DaysYreka · Gold rush celebrationA two-day street festival on Miner Street in Yreka, California, held each Father's Day weekend, once called Gold Rush Days, with Sunday opened by a Native American drum group.
Holiday Celebrations
- 4th of July ParadeIdyllwild · Independence day paradeIdyllwild's Fourth of July parade, run by the Rotary Club down North Circle Drive in the San Jacinto Mountains, began in 1966 with children, pets, and a baby burro.
- Benicia Torchlight Parade and Fourth of July PicnicBenicia · Annual torchlight paradeAn evening parade down First Street in Benicia, California, each July 3, begun by the volunteer fire department when handheld torches were its only light.
- Burney Basin DaysBurney · ParadeBurney's Fourth of July celebration in Shasta County, California, run by the chamber of commerce, with a Main Street parade, a deep-pit barbecue and a burro race.
- Felton Remembers Parade and Covered Bridge FestivalFelton · FestivalA parade honoring military service followed by live music and food, drink and specialty vendors at Covered Bridge Park.
- Fourth of July Block PartyCloverdale · Community eventA free Independence Day afternoon on the carnival lot of the Cloverdale Citrus Fair, where townspeople bring their own Safe & Sane fireworks to light after dark.
- Fourth of July ParadeNovato · ParadeNovato's Fourth of July parade, run by volunteers along seven-tenths of a mile of Grant Avenue in Marin County, descends from township parades documented as early as 1908.
- Fourth of July Parade and CelebrationsMammoth Lakes · Fourth of july parade & celebrationsA Fourth of July parade in Mammoth Lakes, California, down Old Mammoth Road and Main Street, where in 2026 a record field of floats followed Olympic medalist Deena Kastor.
- Fourth of July Parade, Festival & FireworksConcord · July 4th celebrationConcord's Fourth of July in Contra Costa County, California: pancakes and a parade looping Todos Santos Plaza, then a free, alcohol-free festival and fireworks at Mt. Diablo High School.
- Graeagle Independence Day CelebrationGraeagle · Independence day celebrationA three-day Fourth of July celebration in Graeagle, Plumas County, California, held for more than fifty years, paid for by donations, with fireworks over the old mill-town Mill Pond.
- Holiday Parade and MarketBenicia · Holiday parade & marketBenicia's downtown Christmas parade and holiday market, staged on First Street by Benicia Main Street, where in 2025 Santa rode an Army Jeep handing out candy canes.
- Independence WeekendPoint Arena · Independence day parade and fireworks festivalFireworks festival at the Point Arena Pier and a downtown Main Street parade over the Independence weekend.
- Los Molinos 4th of July Parade and PlaydayLos Molinos · Annual parade and playday at the parkTehama County's longest-running Fourth of July parade comes down Highway 99E in Los Molinos behind an honorary mayor elected by fundraiser, then breaks for sack races in Mill Creek Park.
- Moke Hill Fourth of July ParadeMokelumne Hill · Annual 4th of july independence day celebrationThe Fourth of July on Main Street in Mokelumne Hill, a Calaveras County Gold Rush town, where pancakes at the Town Hall precede an eleven o'clock parade past rhyolite buildings.
- Ojai Independence Day Parade and FireworksOjai · Independence day celebrationOjai, California's volunteer-run Independence Day: a free Libbey Bowl concert on July 3, a morning parade down Ojai Avenue, and stadium fireworks, all paid for without city money.
- Old Fashioned Fourth of JulyBridgeport · Annual 4th of july celebrationBridgeport's Old Fashioned Fourth of July, a multi-day celebration in the Mono County seat, held its 164th edition in 2026, with a grease-pole climb and a ranch rodeo.
- Tree Lighting FestivalDixon · Christmas tree lighting festivalDowntown Dixon's December festival in Solano County, California, lights the business association's Christmas tree, and in 2025 the city closed downtown streets and Highway 113 for it.
- Truckee 4th of July ParadeTruckee · Independence day paradeTruckee, California's Fourth of July parade runs 1.5 miles down Donner Pass Road into downtown, where in 1882 a stagecoach called the Big Bonanza carried the organizers.
- Weaverville Old Fashioned Fourth of July CelebrationWeaverville · 4th of july celebrationA four-day Fourth of July in Weaverville, Trinity County, California, run by the Lions Club from Lowden Park, where an anvil fired at 6 a.m. wakes the town.
- Winters Tractor Parade and Tree LightingWinters · Holiday traditionDecorated tractors and floats, tree lighting and a holiday celebration for the whole community.
Old-Time Music
- Berkeley Old-Time Music ConventionBerkeley · Old-time music conventionAn annual five-day old-time music convention spread across Berkeley, California, whose string band contest still pays in agricultural prizes, as its 1968 ancestor paid in rutabagas.
- California State Old Time Open Fiddle & Picking Championships (Lodi)Lodi · Fiddle & picking championshipsCalifornia's state old-time fiddle and picking contest, held each April in Jackson Hall at Lodi's Grape Festival Fairgrounds, with a 2026 field expected to span ages 7 to 93.
- Contra Dance Nevada County (Grass Valley)Grass Valley · Contra dancingA volunteer-run contra dance in Grass Valley, California, called to live music on third Saturdays on what is reportedly the oldest sprung floor west of the Mississippi.
- Fiddletown Fiddlers' JamFiddletown · Performance and event venueAn annual old-time fiddle contest and street jam in Fiddletown, California, held the third Saturday of September beneath a giant fiddle bolted to the community hall roof.
- Humboldt Folklife Festival (Blue Lake)Blue Lake · Barn danceAn eight-day summer folk festival at Dell'Arte in Blue Lake, California, begun in 1978 at a Fickle Hill dude ranch and booked with Humboldt County's own musicians.
- Oroville Old-Time Fiddlers monthly jam (CSOTFA District 1)Oroville · Circle jams & open mic performancesCalifornia non-profit corporation formed to educate about and perpetuate fiddling as an art form and cultural treasure.
- Santa Cruz Contra Dance at Live Oak GrangeSanta Cruz · Traditional social dancing eventContra Dance is a traditional social dancing event with origins in New England and Appalachia. Each dance is taught beforehand and prompted by a caller using gender neutral terms (Larks / Robins). No dancing experience or dance partner is necessary.
- Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest and Folk FestivalCalabasas · Music festival and competitionAn annual Sunday contest and folk festival at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas, begun in 1961 by two housewives raising money for their church building fund.
