9 Of The Most Unique Festivals And Events In California
CALIFORNIA — The land of flakes, fruits and nuts. It’s an appellation sometimes lobbed at Californians by those from more buttoned-up parts of the country, who see our laid-back, fun-loving ways as laughable.
But here in the Golden State, we know the quirky, the weird and the unusual are all things worth celebrating. For decades, California has been a bastion for offbeat expression, and it’s a tradition that continues vibrantly to this day.
As proof, take a look at these nine festivals and events. From recreating scenes of 19th Century pioneers in Death Valley to a canine surfing competition, the events offer a window into the richly colorful culture of California — and the passionate people who uphold it.
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Mule Days
Bishop — Memorial Day weekend
Since 1970, this six-day festival has attracted “mule people” to the gorgeous Eastern Sierra who are “determined to prove that anything a good horse can do, a good mule can do better.”
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It’s an event so singular, even organizers concede “there is no way to actually describe Mule Days.” The event includes 14 shows, and features over 700 mules and their trainers, riders, and packers displaying skills including cattle working, coon jumping, racing, musical tires, gymkhana, chariot racing, and more.
Mule Days also features plenty of other events, including barbecues, music and what organizers call the longest-running non-motorized parade in the U.S. — naturally featuring mules and an array of wagons.
Yosemite Goddess Festival
Mariposa — Oct. 5-6, 2024
Located just outside Yosemite National Park in the foothill community of Mariposa, the mighty Sierra Nevada provide an awe-inspiring backdrop for this festival, which organizers say is all about awakening your “inner goddess.”
The two-day spiritual wellness event features ecstatic dance, cacao ceremonies, sound baths and a range of eclectic talks meant to help participants achieve connection, transformation and celebration.
World Dog Surfing Championships
Pacifica — August
Surfing and dog ownership are two extremely California things, so it makes sense that Golden Staters would be interested to see what happens if they put their canine companions on a surfboard. Amazing things, as it turns out, which gave way to an entire competitive day dedicated to the sport of dog surfing.
The event also features a pet wellness fair, a frisbee-catching competition, a ball-fetch-in-water competition , costume contest and mobile pet adoptions.
Doo Dah Parade
Pasadena — Nov. 24, 2024
With all its pomp and circumstance, the Rose Parade is a civilized display of artistry, music and tradition put on display each year for nationwide audiences. Pasadena’s other parade is much different.
The self-proclaimed “twisted sister” of the elegant Rose Parade, the Doo Dah parade takes itself much less seriously. Participants of the not-quite-annual parade love the absurd, unconventional and flamboyant, but it’s not just for silliness. The parade’s celebration of offbeat expression offers a concentrated display of originality that’s far from ordinary.
Death Valley ’49ers Encampment
Death Valley — Nov. 6-10, 2024
Celebrating its 75th Anniversary, the Death Valley ’49ers is an organization dedicated to the celebration and preservation of Death Valley. Its biggest annual event, the Encampment, commemorates the 19th Century pioneers who traversed the treacherous desert in covered wagons on the way to settle in the west.
Events include music, wagon trains, historical programs, gold panning, a wheelbarrow race, pioneer costume contest and the world’s lowest 1849 poker tournament.
Bigfoot Daze
Willow Creek — July
One of the most famous pieces of footage claiming to capture Bigfoot was shot in far northern California, about 50 miles north of Humboldt County’s Willow Creek — which now calls itself the Bigfoot Capital of the World.
For over six decades, Willow Creek’s Bigfoot Daze festival has served as a daylong celebration of the mythical creature, featuring a themed parade, logging contest and more.
Pageant of the Masters
Summer — Laguna Beach
Make no mistake, this nearly-century-old Orange County tradition is a distinctly highbrow endeavor. But its extraordinary uniqueness comes from making the most famous of artworks more accessible by giving them flesh.
Works of art, both old and new, are painstakingly recreated on stage with actors, a narrator and music creating tableaux vivants — living pictures. “There is nothing else in the world like it,” the New York Times wrote.
Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee
Angels Camp — May
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The long-running event gets its namesake from Mark Twain’s “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Just like the short story that put Twain on the map, the fair features plenty of frog jump challenges, where frogs are coaxed into jumping by “jockeys” who sing, dance, whistle and employ plenty of other interventions to inspire their amphibians into action.
The fair also includes a carnival, rodeo and destruction derby.
Cotati Accordion Festival
Cotati — Aug. 16-17, 2025
The accordion might not be the most popular instrument among popular audiences, but the organizers of this Sonoma County festival celebrate the unusal instrument each year with dozens of accordion acts, vendors, a zydeco dance party, a polka tent and more.
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