<\/p>\n
It\u2019s easy to plan a classic summer vacation in California, whether that means visiting beaches, exploring\u00a0national parks<\/a>, or playing at\u00a0theme parks<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n This year, June brings the beginning of the world\u2019s largest soccer tournament<\/a> to Los Angeles and the Bay Area, but the month also offers dozens of other special events around the state. Think unique festivals, summer-only experiences, and seasonal blooms, from the sunflowers in Yolo County to the peach-and-berry stands along the\u00a0Fresno County Fruit Trail<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a guide to an action-packed month in the Golden State.<\/p>\n The month of June brings plenty of parties and parades to both big cities and small towns across California. Here are a few of the rainbow-decked events:<\/p>\n Celebrate the Golden State\u2019s array of state parks\u2014280 of them<\/a>\u2014with fun events spread over five days. Check out the\u00a0lineup of events<\/a> such as birding in Gold Country, fishing lessons in the Central Valley, or learning about elephant seals in San Simeon, along with lots of fun volunteer opportunities.<\/p>\n Scoop up the best deals in retail and enjoy festivities at Carlsbad Premium Outlets in San Diego County, as well as other great\u00a0outlet malls across California<\/a>. Look for freebies, photo ops, and fun local vendors. These malls also tend to be near major highways, so they make nice stretch-your-legs stops on any road trip.<\/p>\n This year marks the 57th year of this racing weekend in\u00a0Rancho Cordova<\/a>. Friday at\u00a0Prairie City OHV Park will feature amateur racers, then the pros will hit the track for the main event on Saturday. Choose from general admission and VIP-style tickets, some with Pro Pit Access Passes. Check out the\u00a0hotel deals in Folsom<\/a> or peruse\u00a0Visit Rancho Cordova\u2019s hotel selection.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n Admire the huge floral creations, livestock, and classic attractions at this\u00a0San Francisco Peninsula<\/a> fair that has been running for nearly a century. Plan your visit around events such as Day of the Lion (June 7), Family Pride Day (June 6), and Dia de la Feria (June 14); be sure to check out the fair\u2019s\u00a0Domini Hoskins Black History Museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n Participate in Native culture in\u00a0Plumas County<\/a> as the\u00a0Maidu Summit Consortium<\/a> hosts this annual logging competition.\u00a0 The afternoon begins with a Maidu song and prayer, then features 13 competitive events with cash prizes\u2014such as an axe-throw contest for local businesses\u2014as well as a lineup of local food and craft vendors. Admission is free.<\/p>\n Explore\u00a0Lake County<\/a>\u2019s hidden-gem wine scene during this self-paced weekend of tastings and fun. Your ticket ($27 for one day, $52 for both) grants you admission to 12 wineries. Turn it into a game by picking up the festival\u2019s bingo card, collecting initials as you visit wineries, then turning it in for a chance at a prize. Stops include Chacewater Winery & Olive Mill, Six Sigma Ranch & Winery, and Smiling Dogs Ranch Tasting Room.<\/p>\n Taste your way through Anderson Valley wineries in\u00a0Mendocino County<\/a> during this weekend devoted to Pinot Noir as well as sparkling wines, ros\u00e9 and White Pinot. Buy \u00e0 la carte tickets for different events\u2014such as a vineyard seminar with barbecue on Friday\u2014then stroll the main Grand Tasting of wines and small bites on Saturday at\u00a0Scharffenberger Cellars in Philo. On Sunday, follow the self-guided tour of tastings and tours at wineries along Highway 128.<\/p>\n Embrace vintage car culture through \u201cpark-and-shine\u201d events and a parade through downtown\u00a0Modesto<\/a>. This Central Valley town has serious street cred too: it inspired former resident George Lucas to create the 1973 film\u00a0American Graffiti<\/em>.<\/p>\n Who says\u00a0Healdsburg<\/a> is just about food and wine? Now in its third decade, this Sonoma County jazz fest will be headlined by acts such as Charles Lloyd, Brandford Marsalis, and C\u00e9cile McLorin Salvant. Performances are held at various locations around town, including Healdsburg Plaza and the pub Elephant in the Room.<\/p>\n First launched in 2014, this country music festival at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in\u00a0Santa Rosa<\/a> has a Southern-fried spirit: The lineup features Nate Smith, Keith Urban, and Koe Wetzel. Choose from a variety of passes and consider booking an onsite RV camping spot.<\/p>\n Love showtunes? In\u00a0Sonoma<\/a>, the Transcendence Theatre Company kicks off its annual summer series of pop- and showtune-filled shows with its salute to the Temptations. Bring your picnic blanket to the shows at Jack London State Historic Park and purchase food and local wine from onsite vendors. Late summer shows include The Radio Recall show and\u00a0Mamma Mia!<\/p>\n The\u00a0Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk<\/a>\u00a0goes all in on summer fun, with activities that complement the classic boardwalk rides and cuisine. This summer there are magicians and acrobats on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, local live music on Thursdays, free movies on Fridays, and\u00a0a DJ dance party on\u00a0Saturday and Sunday nights.\u00a0Movies run through July 31\u00a0and live music runs through Aug. 6.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s movie lineup kicks off June 12 with The Lost Boys<\/em> (see how it features Santa Cruz<\/a>) and also includes Ferris Bueller\u2019s Day Off<\/em>, Back to the Future<\/em>, and Jurassic Park<\/em>.<\/p>\n Choose from a half marathon, 8-mile, or 5K race starting from the Village at\u00a0Palisades Tahoe<\/a>. Courses feature a mostly paved trail through the valley and along the Truckee River. While pausing at refreshment stations along the route, keep an eye out for local bald eagles and mule deer.<\/p>\n Cyclists will love both the challenge and scenery of this Plumas County event that features mostly-dirt courses, ranging between 40 and 99 miles, through a rugged area of the northeastern Sierra Nevada known as the\u00a0Lost Sierra<\/a>. All routes start and end in Portola and wind through mountains and alpine valleys. The finish line area offers the incentives of food, beer, live music, and dancing.<\/p>\n This annual event at\u00a0Petaluma<\/a>\u2019s Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds celebrates both classic livestock and local makers of wine, cheese, and chocolate. This year\u2019s festivities\u2014with the theme \u201cPast, Present, and Future Luma\u201d\u2014will celebrate the town\u2019s\u00a0agricultural and river-trade roots and include livestock, exhibits,\u00a0and classic rides.<\/p>\n A certain red fruit abounds during autumn in the\u00a0Apple Hill<\/a> area of El Dorado County, but during summer the scene here is all about lavender, berries, and cherries.<\/p>\n On the last two weekends of June, come see how local farms and wineries offer their own takes on this season, with lavender-infused drinks or creative berry treats. Or try your hand at lavender wreath-making at\u00a0Bluestone Meadow Farm<\/a>.<\/p>\n Enjoy a unique car show and soak up\u00a0Santa Cruz<\/a>\u2019s historic surf culture at this display of more than 200 \u201cwoodies,\u201d mostly pre-1950s cars that featured wood-paneled bodies. Stroll past the cars along the Santa Cruz Wharf, stopping to enjoy the shops, restaurants, and ocean views.<\/p>\n Join in commemorating the Emancipation Proclamation at this party on the lakeside beach known as Black Miners Bar, a historic part of the\u00a0Folsom<\/a> Lake Recreation Area. Festivities include live music as well as a kids’ zone, a petting zoo, horseback riding, and a beer and wine garden. Beyond the $10 day-use fee to enter the state park, admission is free.<\/p>\n Bring your bike or at least cheer on the competitors at this off-road cycling race and family festival in Tahoe National Forest near\u00a0Truckee<\/a>. The three routes\u2014best traversed with gravel bikes or hardtail mountain bikes\u2014range from 30 to more than 100 miles, all beginning at Riverview Sports Park.<\/p>\n \u201cCome as you are, leave a little more sparkly\u201d is the invitation for this adults-only weekend at the\u00a0Sierra Meadows Campground in Ahwahnee, 10 minutes from the\u00a0Yosemite gateway of Oakhurst<\/a>, which includes workshops and freeform activities that focus on yoga, somatic healing, and dance parties.<\/p>\n The Central Coast town of\u00a0Carmel-by-the-Sea<\/a> celebrates its rich food-and-wine scene with an extended week of specials and offerings at more than 30 participating restaurants. Check out specific events like an aperitivo class and a Caribbean dinner.<\/p>\n Santa Barbara<\/a> enjoys its own version of the midnight sun at this annual festival with a Mardi Gras vibe. Take part in the live music, food, wine, and kids\u2019 activities in Alameda Park during the whole weekend and see the colorful parade down Santa Barbara St. on June 20.<\/p>\n Watch a massive line dance in the streets, see authentic stagecoaches, and wear your best cowboy fashions to celebrate this 19th-century\u00a0Central Coast town<\/a> that has an Old West spirit and great wine. The event also features music, carriage rides, and Indian fry-bread tacos.<\/p>\n The Santa Barbara County town is nicknamed Flower City USA thanks to its long heritage of flower-growing\u2014like\u00a0Larkspur, Delphinium, Sweet Pea, and\u00a0Bells of Ireland.\u00a0This annual festival, which goes back to the 1950s, features a carnival, arts and crafts and, as the centerpiece, a parade with floats adorned with local flowers.<\/p>\n Dine your way around the desert hub\u2019s nine towns during this extended week of prix fixe menus and exclusive offers. The 100-plus options include Copley\u2019s on Palm Canyon, Kestrel at Indian Wells Golf Resort, and Peaks Restaurant at the\u00a0Palm Springs Aerial Tramway<\/a>.<\/p>\n Book your table on the Restaurant Week page and $1 per reservation will be donated to the local FIND Food Bank.<\/p>\n Enjoy\u00a0West Hollywood<\/a>\u2019s\u00a0pride festivities at this two-day music festival that features The Pussycat Dolls, Jade, and Blue Man Group. Choose from a variety of passes, from one-day admission to full-weekend passes.<\/p>\n June 6:\u00a0Los Angeles Independent Beer Festival<\/a>, Long Beach<\/p>\n Sample more than 75 L.A.-based independent craft brewers. Bring your own blanket or lawn chairs for the event at Shoreline Aquatic Park, neighboring the\u00a0Queen Mary in Long Beach<\/a>, and pair your beer with cuisine from a dozen local food trucks.<\/p>\n Nothing says summer quite like watermelon and this weekend festival at Hansen Dam Recreation Area in\u00a0Los Angeles County<\/a>.<\/p>\n Your admission includes access to all-you-can-eat watermelon as well as creative dishes such as watermelon ice cream, watermelon-accented fish tacos, and (of course) deep-fried watermelon. The beer tent, meanwhile, features craft brews and a Jack Daniel\u2019s Watermelon Punch.<\/p>\n This Orange County town south of\u00a0Anaheim<\/a> boasts the world\u2019s largest one-day chili cook-off. The annual festivities play out on the streets of Tustin\u2019s Old Town with live bands, a family fun zone, and beer and wine gardens, all against the backdrop of the chili-fueled showdown.<\/p>\n Los Angeles County is home to a passionate wine scene, and this annual event showcases some great local wines\u2014such as Aja Vineyards and Warson\u2014alongside bottles from elsewhere in California and around the globe. Pair the wines with food-truck cuisine at the\u00a0Los Angeles Equestrian Center in\u00a0Burbank<\/a>.<\/p>\n Explore the visual and literary work of different Native American artists at this festival at the\u00a0Native American Arts Center in\u00a0Idyllwild<\/a>. Walk through an exhibition showcasing four artists\u2019 murals and mixed media, listen to talks, and don\u2019t miss the reading by\u00a0Hopi silversmith, painter, sculptor, and poet Michael Kabotie.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n This classic fair in Ventura County\u2019s\u00a0Thousand Oaks<\/a> started in the 1940s as a \u201ccommunity circus\u201d and has grown over the years to include carnival rides, games, live music, and lots of fair cuisine.<\/p>\n Experience NASCAR\u2019s first-ever event on an active military base at this three-day street-race weekend on San Diego County\u2019s\u00a0Coronado Island<\/a>. The\u00a0weekend schedule<\/a> begins with the Craftsman Truck Series (June 19) followed by the\u00a0O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race\u00a0(June 20) and ends with the NASCAR Cup Series race.<\/p>\n Enjoy the beach at\u00a0Catalina<\/a>\u2019s\u00a0Two Harbors while enjoying unlimited BBQ tastings from eight SoCal vendors including Avalon Smoke House, Saucy Luke’s Craft BBQ, and OC Smokehouse. The party on the beach also features live music, food demonstrations, and art vendors.<\/p>\n Watch short films and panel discussions at\u00a0Greater Palm Springs<\/a>\u2019 acclaimed festival, with screenings typically at\u00a0Festival Theaters<\/a> and panels, parties, and karaoke nights at more hotels around Palm Springs. Top films win either cash prizes or five qualification spots for next year\u2019s Academy Awards.<\/p>\nAround the State<\/h2>\n
All Month: Pride Month<\/a>, various locations<\/h3>\n
June 10\u201314:\u00a0California State Parks Week<\/a>, various locations<\/h3>\n
June 11\u201314:\u00a0National Outlet Shopping Day<\/a><\/h3>\n
Northern California Events<\/h2>\n
June 5\u20136:\u00a0Hangtown Motocross Classic<\/a>, Rancho Cordova<\/h3>\n
June 5\u201314:\u00a0San Mateo County Fair<\/a>, San Mateo<\/h3>\n
June 6:\u00a0Big Time Logging Jamboree<\/a>, Chester<\/h3>\n
June 6\u20137:\u00a020th Annual Lake County Wine Adventure<\/a>, Lake County<\/h3>\n
June 12\u201314:\u00a027th Annual Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival<\/a>, Mendocino County<\/h3>\n
June 12\u201314:\u00a0American Graffiti Festival and Car Show<\/a>, Modesto<\/h3>\n
June 12\u201321:\u00a0Healdsburg Jazz Festival,<\/a> Healdsburg<\/h3>\n
June 12\u201314:\u00a0Santa Rosa Country Summer<\/a>, Sonoma County<\/h3>\n
June 12\u201328:\u00a0Broadway Under the Stars<\/a>, Sonoma<\/h3>\n
Begins June 12:\u00a0Movie Nights<\/a> and Music on the Colonnade<\/a>, Santa Cruz<\/h4>\n
June 13:\u00a0Big Blue Adventures Half Marathon & 8-Miler<\/a>, Palisades Tahoe<\/h4>\n
June 13:\u00a0Lost & Found Gravel Grinder<\/a>, Portola<\/h3>\n
June 18\u201321:\u00a0Petaluma Fair<\/a>, Petaluma<\/h3>\n
\n
June 20\u201321, 27\u201328:\u00a0Lavender Blue Harvest Days<\/a>, Placerville<\/h3>\n
June 25\u201328:\u00a0Woodies on the Wharf<\/a>, Santa Cruz<\/h3>\n
June 27:\u00a0Black Miners Bar Juneteenth Festival<\/a>, Folsom<\/h3>\n
June 27:\u00a0Truckee Dirt Fondo<\/a>, Truckee<\/h3>\n
Central California Events<\/h2>\n
June 4\u00ad\u20137:\u00a0SoulPlay Festival<\/a>, Ahwahnee<\/h3>\n
June 5\u201313:\u00a0Carmel Culinary Week<\/a>, Carmel-by-the\u2013Sea<\/h3>\n
June 19\u201321:\u00a0Summer Solstice Parade & Festival<\/a>, Santa Barbara<\/h3>\n
June 20\u201321:\u00a0Old Santa Ynez Days<\/a>, Santa Ynez<\/h3>\n
June 25\u201328:\u00a0Lompoc Valley Flower Festival<\/a>, Lompoc<\/h3>\n
Southern California Events<\/h2>\n
May 29\u2013June 7:\u00a0Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week<\/a>, various locations<\/h3>\n
June 5\u20137:\u00a0Outloud Music Festival<\/a>, West Hollywood<\/h3>\n
\n
June 6\u20137:\u00a0Watermelon Festival<\/a>, Lakeview Terrace<\/h3>\n
June 7:\u00a0Tustin Street Fair and Chili Cook-Off<\/a>, Tustin<\/h3>\n
June 13\u201314:\u00a0L.A. WineFest<\/a>, Burbank<\/h3>\n
June 15\u201319:\u00a0Native American Arts Festival Week<\/a>, Idyllwild<\/h3>\n
June 18\u201328:\u00a0Conejo Valley Days<\/a>, Thousand Oaks<\/h3>\n
June 19\u201321:\u00a0NASCAR San Diego Weekend<\/a>, Coronado<\/h3>\n
June 20:\u00a0Two Harbors Beach BBQ & Art Fest<\/a>, Catalina Island<\/h3>\n
June 23\u201329:\u00a0Palm Springs International Short Fest<\/a>, Palm Springs<\/h3>\n
June 27\u201328:\u00a0Pier 360 Beach Festival<\/a>, Santa Monica<\/h3>\n