Every year from winter to spring the California coast sees a huge migration of gray whales, commuting between their breeding grounds off Baja California, Mexico, to their feeding spots in the Arctic. To celebrate the passing of these big creatures, California holds big whale festivals in the spring where you can enjoy chowder, good wine, live music and, with luck, see whales blowing spouts on the ocean horizon. (Fun fact: Gray-whale spouts look like hearts.)
The dates for several of Northern California’s whale fests for 2024 include three great ones within striking distance of the Bay Area. With COVID rising and dipping all the time, it’s best to check the status of the fests before hitting the road; but without ado, here are the cetacean celebrations scheduled so far:
Fort Bragg Whale Fest: March 15-17, 2024
This Mendocino city has a fully loaded schedule for this year’s Whale Fest – “like the migrating leviathans we celebrate, bigger and better than ever,” the organizers say on their website. On March 16, there’s a Downtown Wine Walk with more than a dozen merchants hosting wineries and offering free food to pair with your vino. Also on March 16 is the Fort Bragg Rotary Club’s Beer Fest ($40) featuring NorCal’s famous craft brews and live music. On March 16-17 is the Town Hall Craft Fair, with local artisans selling gifts, and throughout March the Noyo Center for Marine Science is holding special events and exhibits to celebrate the Whale Fest — and the titular animals chugging by just offshore for your whale-watching enjoyment.
Details: visitfortbraggca.com/whalefest
Whalefest Monterey: April 13-14, 2024
The granddaddy of all Whale Fests is set by the pristine Monterey Bay that’s home to diverse wildlife from white sharks to playful sea otters. Past festivals have featured a weekend packed with live music and dancers, symposiums from renowned marine scientists and odder attractions like abalone races (it’s like a tortoise-and-the-hare situation, but without the hare) and “Dee,” a 43-foot inflatable humpback whale that people can enter to learn about its organs. If that’s not enough, there’s the unbeatable Monterey Bay Aquarium nearby and many outfits offering whale-watching tours to observe orcas and dolphins.
Details: whalefest.org
Sonoma Mendocino Whale and Jazz Festival: various dates in April, 2024
The Sonoma town of Gualala way up by Sea Ranch celebrates whales, music and more every April to coincide with the Smithsonian’s Jazz Appreciation Month. While not as well known as other whale fests, it’s a great excuse to get out on the wild Pacific coast and see what’s cooking in this funky destination for arts and nature lovers. The fest will feature a main celebration among the redwood trees at the Gualala Arts Center and various events around the area – expect a Chowder Challenge, experts giving whale talks, maybe poetry and films and plenty of live music, especially from local heroes Barnebey’s Hot Four Plus One. There are also places to explore on the Pacific Coast’s Whale Trail, including Pelican Bluffs with perfect ocean-vantage points and the Point Arena Light Station with lofty views of killer, humpback and gray whales.
Details: gualalaarts.org
