Best of the Fests 2019

Here comes festival season!

There’s something for everyone, from gatherings for beer lovers to music fests to celebrations of the myriad of human-powered summer sports. If you know of a festival not on this list, let us know and we’ll add it! ASJ partners are FULLY in bold — we appreciate their support of adventure enthusiasts throughout California, western Nevada and beyond.

Music

>> Coachella – April 12-14 & 19-21 • Indio // Music and Arts Festival in the Coachella Valley. // coachella.com

>> Lucidity Festival – April 12-14 • Santa Ynez  // An open-source transformational arts and music festival. // lucidityfestival.com

>> Desert Hearts – April 26-29 • Los Coyotes Indian Reservation // A tribute to House, Techno, & Love with intimate gatherings focused on art, music and community. // festival.deserthearts.us

>> Back to the Beach – April 27-28 • Huntington Beach // Enjoy two days in the sand experiencing great music by the ocean.  // backtothebeachfest.com

>> West Coast Weekender – May 2-6 • San Diego County // A celebration of music, dance, and culture in Southern California. // westcoastweekender.net

>> Lightning in a Bottle – May 8-13 • Buena Vista Lake // A collaborative community of musicians, fans, artists, adventurers. // lightninginabottle.org

>> Shakti Fest: Yoga and Sacred Music Festival – May 9-13 • Joshua Tree // Celebrating the devotional paths of yoga, Kirtan (sacred music) and meditation, with a special emphasis on the Divine Feminine. // bhaktifest.com/shaktifest

>> Joshua Tree Music Festival (Spring) – May 16-19 • Joshua Tree // An intimate, family friendly festival with an eclectic line-up that draws a diverse crowd of discerning live music fans who love the outdoors. // joshuatreemusicfestival.com

> Strawberry Music Festival – May 23-27 • Grass Valley // Normally a biannual music festival, this year’s Fall Festival in Tuolumne is cancelled (for the restoration of the Westside’s historic millpond), so make sure to not miss the spring Strawberry Music Festival, in Grass Valley, over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. // strawberrymusic.com

>> Bottlerock Napa Valley – May 24-26 • Napa // Experience the first taste of summer with live music, wine, food and brew. // bottlerocknapavalley.com

>> Kate Wolf Music Festival – Jun 27-30 • Laytonville // Relax and enjoy a great weekend with friends, family and lovers of fabulous music. // katewolfmusicfestival.com

>> High Sierra Music Festival – July 4-7 • Quincy // A family-friendly, community oriented music festival amid the big pines of the Plumas-Sierra County Fairgrounds featuring an eclectic mix of genres including jamband, newgrass, funk, bluegrass, roots rock, electronica, reggae, jazz and afrobeat. Attend playshops such as yoga, AcroYoga, pilates, stretching, and hoopdance. Hike and bike in the picturesque surrounding area. Vendor stalls, arts and crafts, and gourmet food and drink round out an epic weekend of fun. // highsierramusic.com

>> California WorldFest – July 11-14 • Grass Valley // Honoring Native Peoples with an emphasis on conscious living and sustainability practices. // worldfest.net

>> Bear Valley Music Festival – Jul 19-Aug 4 • Bear Valley // Enjoy a variety of music including classical, rock, country and jazz. //bearvalleymusicfestival.org

>> Guitarfish Music Festival – July 25-28 • Cisco Grove // Funk-tastic musical line up, music playshops, yoga classes, access to world class mountain biking, hiking, and swimming. // guitarfishfestival.com

>> Reggae on the River Festival – August 2-4 • French’s Camp // Reggae’s greatest songwriters, singers and musicians; benefits Mateel Community Center. // reggaeontheriver.com

>> SF Outside Lands – August 9-11 • San Francisco // A Bay Area celebration of music, food, wine, beer, art and comedy, in beautiful Golden Gate Park. // sfoutsidelands.com

>> Monterey Jazz Festival – September 27-29 • Monterey // The longest continuously-running annual jazz event in the world. // montereyjazzfestival.org

>> Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival – October 4-6 • San Francisco // This free festival at Golden Gate Park delivers the best bluegrass money cannot buy. // strictlybluegrass.com

>> Dirtybird Campout – October 4-6 • Waterford // Summer camp for adults with music, art, culture, and creativity. // dirtybirdcampout.com/west

Joshua Tree Music Festival (Fall) – October 10-13 • Joshua Tree // See JTMF Spring (May 16-19) on this page for more info. // joshuatreemusicfestival.com

Beer & Music

>> Mammoth Festival of Beers & Bluesapalooza – August 1-4 •  Mammoth Lakes // Mammoth’s biggest party of the summer will delight all outdoor enthusiasts looking for a cool brew, blues and a good time. // mammothbluesbrewsfest.com

> Beerfest & Bluegrass – July 6 • Northstar Village // The Village comes alive with al fresco roots jams and fresh brews. Special activities for the kids, and food stations boasting relaxed summer fare. // northstarcalifornia.com

Beer

>> Beerfest – The Good One! – June 8 • Santa Rosa // Taste a variety of brands and styles of regional craft beer and cider. Net proceeds benefit Face to Face, whose mission is to end HIV in Sonoma County while supporting the health and well-being of people living with HIV/AIDS. // beerfestthegoodone.com

>> Truckee Optimist Brew Fest – June 9 • Truckee // This fun event is an annual fundraiser to support programs, sponsorships, grants and scholarships for the youth of Truckee. Over 40 brews, brats, BBQ, and silent auction. // truckeeoptimist.publishpath.com/brew-fest

>> Monterey Beer Festival – July 6 • Monterey // A great assortment of beer will be available at this festival; sample ales, lagers and ciders. // montereybeerfestival.com

Santa Cruz Hop ‘N Barley Beer Festival – July 13 • Scotts Valley // 50+ craft breweries, 12 cideries, two stages of live music, food, lawn games, and a fun, family- and dog-friendly atmosphere. // hopnbarley.org

Cycling

>> Sea Otter Classic – April 11-14 • Monterey // Enjoy a wide range of cycling activities including races, demos, kids’ events, shopping, and more. // seaotterclassic.com

>> Ales and Trails – May 4 • San Rafael // This fundraiser for Access4Bikes offers demos, group rides, skills clinics, vendor booths, live music, kids’ races, and beer. // access4bikes.com/ales

>> Ensenada Bike Fest – May 24-26 • Ensensada, Mexico // Bike racing, music, local beer and wine, under the Baja sunshine. California Enduro Series kick off. // californiaenduroseries.com

>>The Little Big Bike Festival & Skills Clinics – May 25-26 • Truckee // A fun-filled cycling festival with a focus on learning and progression. // truckeebikepark.org/thelittlebig

>> Lost & Found Gravel Grinder Festival – June 1 • Lake Davis // Fun for riders, families and friends. Camping, gravel grinding events, kids’ races, live music, food & adult beverage garden. //  lostandfoundbikeride.com

>> Tahoe Mountain Bike Festival – June 22-23 • Meyers // Participate in the Triple Crown Ride, bike demos, bands, vendors, beer garden and food to kick off the riding season in Tahoe with TAMBA and help support future trail projects. // tahoemtbfestival.com

> Downieville Classic – August 1-4 • Downieville // Race or challenge yourself to ride to the Sierra Crest and back to town. Or just come to enjoy the bike festival for the weekend. Either way, you win. River jump. Live music. Fun! // downievilleclassic.com

Biketoberfest Marin – October 12 • Fairfax // An annual bike festival with over 70 exhibitors, a handmade bike show, beer, live music, food, group bike rides. // marinbike.org/biketoberfest

Adventure

>> Adventure Sports Week Tahoe – June 21-30 • Lake Tahoe // Come for the clean air, clear water, scenic single track, and an elevated heart rate. Challenge yourself in one of the many competitive events, catch a live concert by the lake or bring the family out for swim or SUP. // adventuresportsweek.com

Yoga

>> Wanderlust Squaw Valley – July 18-21 • North Lake Tahoe // Yoga, music, organic food and wine, inspirational speakers, meditation, SUP, hiking, biking, running. // wanderlust.com

Celtic

>> Monterey Scottish Games & Celtic Festival – August 3-4 • Monterey // Music, athletic games, whiskey-tasting and more. // montereyscotgames.com

On the Water

>> Kern River Festival – April 27-28 • Kernville // Celebrating the sport of kayaking, the paddling community, and the river that provides for it all. // kernfestival.com

>> Reno River Festival – May 11-12 • Reno, NV // Experience two days of hardcore leisure and wet and wild fun. // renoriverfestival.com

> Pier360 Beach Festival – June 22-23 • Santa Monica // Celebrating the birthplace of SoCal’s iconic beach culture through competition, awareness, and entertainment. // santamonicapier.org/pier360

>> Ta-Hoe Nalu SUP Festival – August 10-11 • Kings Beach // SUP racing and clinics on beautiful Lake Tahoe. Plus, enjoy a vendor expo, food, drink and more. Presented with Aloha. // tahoenalu.com

>> The Jay Race – TBD • Capitola // This ocean paddleboard race in the beautiful waters of the Monterey Bay, and post-race festival is held in memory of Santa Cruz Waterman Jay Moriarity. // facebook.com/jaymoriarityfoundation