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Photo courtesy of the Santa Barbara Kite Festival
  • By Alison Plummer

The Spring calendar is packed with events and festivals on California’s Central Coast.

Enjoy seasonal events in March including the Orchid Festival in Santa Barbara, go whale watching, and listen to the beautiful sounds of Ladysmith. Test your endurance, or watch others at the Lake San Antonio triathlon in April, save the dates for epicurean indulgence at Pebble Beach Food and Wine, Santa Barbara’s Illuminate Film Festival, and Earth Day. May brings the Carmel Art Festival, the Santa Cruz Wine Walk, Italian street art, and much more.

 

Events on California’s Central Coast: Worth planning around

 

Whale Watching
To April/May, 2024, Santa Barbara Channel

The Channel is a whale heritage area and Spring is the time when Pacific gray whales journey back from Baja California with their  calves, hugging the coast as they head for the Bering Strait. Late spring brings humpbacks, mighty blue whale, and more.

The Queen’s Cartoonists
March 8, 2024, San Luis Obispo

Bringing cartoons to life in a fusion of jazz and classical music, musicians recreate original music or add new compositions to match over 100 years of animation.

Stop and Smell the Orchids
March 8-10, 2024, Santa Barbara

76th Annual: See stunning displays in the Exhibit Pavilion, brush up your skills with potting demonstrations, see floral arrangements, and buy an orchid or two to take home from the Vendor Hall.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo
March 19, 2024, San Luis Obispo

Introduced to mainstream America in 1987 with Paul Simon’s  Graceland, this nine-member South African ensemble entertains with the polyrhythmic harmonies of their homeland.

Alpha Win Lake San Antonio Triathlon 
April 1, 2024, Bradley

Close to Paso Robles, beautiful Lake San Antonio and the surrounding hills and are the setting for Sprint, Olympic and 70.3 triathlon distances, aquabike and duathlon.

Pebble Beach Food & Wine 
April 4-7, 2024, Pebble Beach

Some 250 wineries and 100 celebrity chefs invite you to enjoy four days of iconic West Coast epicurean indulgence on Monterey’s stunning coast, with wine tastings, cooking demos, exclusive dining opportunities.

Illuminate Film Festival
April 5-7, 2024, Santa Barbara

10th Annual: Showcasing inspiring and transformational media for evolutionary cinema, this destination event is based on the premise that the language of film is universal and a dynamic force in carrying messages to the world. Virtual film festival April 8-14.

Santa Barbara Kite Festival 
April 14, 2024, Santa Barbara

38th Annual: Flying high from the Great Meadow of Santa Barbara City College, kites catch the ocean breezes from the Harbor at this  fun day for fliers and onlookers.

Santa Barbara Earth Day
April 27-28, 2024, Santa Barbara

All about the climate, featuring 200+ eco-conscious exhibitors, conversations with climate leaders, plus green car show, music, art, sustainable local food, and a beer and wine garden.

Big Sur International Marathon
April 28, 2024, Big Sur

Run from Big Sur to Carmel along scenic Highway 1 with a backdrop of the famous rugged coastline of the Monterey Peninsula, and with weekend events for participants to enjoy.

Carmel Art Festival
May 17-19, 2024, Carmel-by-the-Sea

31st Annual: Attracting collectors from around the country, the festival features the work of 60 plein air artists who gather in Carmel to paint over two days, after which their artworks are judged and sold.

Spring Wine Walk
May 19,2024, Santa Cruz

Grab your ticket, wineglass and wristband to sample top drops at Downtown tasting stations featuring winemakers from Northern California, including many from the Santa Cruz Mountains.

I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival
May 25-29,2024, Santa Barbara

37th Annual: Street painters (Madonnari) transform the Mission Plaza into a gallery of  large-scale pastel  images. See more than 150 scenes on the pavements throughout the weekend.

 

Full Calendars of Events

Central California

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