New Monsoon playing at Guitarfish Music Fesitval. Photo: Susan J Weiand

New Monsoon playing at Guitarfish Music Festival 2013. Photo: Susan J Weiand. We’re proud to introduce Guitarfish Music Festival as our featured festy this year! Learn more at guitarfishfestival.com.

Santa Monica Pier Paddleboard & Ocean Festival
June 7 โ€ข Santa Monica
Ocean swim, paddleboard, SUP and dory races, plus hula dancing, live music, speakers, surf and paddleboard VIPs, a giant watermanโ€™s history exhibition and a board and gear expo.
santamonicapier.org/pier-paddle

Beerfest The Good One!
June 7 โ€ข Santa Rosa
Microbrew and food tasting benefit for Face to Face, and features more than 50 of Northern Californiaโ€™s best microbreweries and gourmet food from Sonoma County.
f2f.org/beer_fest2012.html

Zoo Brew
June 7 โ€ข Santa Barbara
Tastings from a whole herd of breweries out of the Central Coast region and hosted by the Santa Barbara Zoo, with special animal encounters. Ticket price includes admission, a commemorative tasting glass, and unlimited tastings. sbzoo.org/zoo-brew

Truckee Brew Fest
June 14 โ€ข Truckee
Benefits youth programs in Truckee and features live music by Drop Theory. truckeeoptimist.com/truckbrewfest.htm

Monterey Beer Fest
June 14 โ€ข Monterey
The greatest assortment of beer ever assembled on the Central Coast. Sample varied styles of ales, lagers and ciders from several breweries with hundreds of beers to taste. montereybeerfestival.com

Alpenglow Mountain Festival
June 21-29 โ€ข Tahoe City
A celebration of human-powered events, demos, presentations, film and more. Participants can hike, trail run, enjoy lakeshore yoga and more. alpenglowsports.com

Kate Wolf Music Festival
June 27-29 โ€ข Laytonville
Three hours north of San Francisco, this three-day, three-night camping jamboree among the oaks boasts a tremendous lineup. katewolfmusicfestival.com

California Beer Festival MARIN
June 28 โ€ข Novato
Craft brew on tap, live music and mouth-watering food. californiabeerfestival.com/marin.php

Santa Cruz Hop-n-Barley Fest
June 28-29 โ€ข Scotts Valley
This event benefits the Community Housing Land Trust of Santa Cruz County and the California Craft Brewers Association, andl features the best of local brews, bands and food. hopnbarley.org

High Sierra Music Festival
July 3-6 โ€ข Quincy
Four days amid the sunshine and big pines of the Plumas-Sierra County Fairgrounds. Performers including jam bands, bluegrass, newgrass, jazz, funk, electronica and world beats play on four stages. Workshops, activities, crafts and food vendors, plus access to swimming holes and biking and hiking trails. highsierramusic.com

Beerfest & Bluegrass
July 5 โ€ข Northstar Village
Itโ€™s hard to argue with this combination, especially when itโ€™ll be at Northstar-at-Tahoeโ€™s mountain village with childrenโ€™s treats and activities. northstarattahoe.com

California WorldFest
July 10-13 โ€ข Grass Valley
Features music and dance from around the world, camping, workshops, international food, fine crafts, and a renowned childrenโ€™s program. worldfest.net

Seven Sisters Craft Beer & Music Fest
July 11-13 โ€ข San Luis Obispo
Eclectic, nonstop music, onsite camping, craft breweries and artisan wine, food, retail and art vendors, and outdoor activities at El Chorro Regional Park and Campground. sevensistersfest.com

Ales & Trails
July 12 โ€ข San Rafael
A mountain biking celebration that includes riding, clinics, live music, beer, BBQ, expo vendors and more, to benefit International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA). alesandtrails.com

Reggae on the River Festival
July 31-Aug 3 โ€ข French’s Camp
A weekend of the best reggae and world music the globe has to offer, plus expo vendors, and a lively kids zone. Located in Humboldt County on the banks of the beautiful Eel River. reggaeontheriver.com

Wanderlust Festival. Photo: Alex Wang/Wanderlust

Wanderlust Festival. Photo: Alex Wang/Wanderlust

Wanderlust
July 17-20 โ€ข North Lake Tahoe
Yoga, music by top performers, organic food and wine, an inspirational speaker program, meditation and outdoor activities like paddle boarding, hiking, biking and running, at Squaw Valley. squaw.wanderlustfestival.com

Sierra Nevada Beer Camps Across America, CA stops
July 19 โ€ข Chico / July 20 โ€ข San Diego
Beer lovers across the country are packing their bags for this epic traveling beer festival. beercamp.sierranevada.com

Big Bear Cycling Festival
July 25-Aug 3 โ€ข Big Bear Lake
This new and exciting family oriented cycling festival will be a great biking vacation with two major events as โ€œbookendsโ€ and rides and activities daily for all levels. bigbeargranfondo.com/festival-week

Bear Valley Music Festival
July 25-Aug 10 โ€ข Bear Valley
Classical, jazz and opera music have been coming to this alpine wonderland since 1967 at the Bear Valley Lodgeโ€™s Cathedral Lounge. bearvalleymusicfestival.org

Downieville Classic
July 31-Aug 3 โ€ข Downieville
Proudly featuring a weekend of semi-organized anarchy in the mountains. 4 days of fun including world-class race courses, a big air river jump, live music, log pull competition, beer, swimming. downievilleclassic.com

Mammoth Festival of Beers & Bluesapalooza
July 31-Aug 3 โ€ข Mammoth Lakes
Mammothโ€™s biggest party of the summer will delight all outdoor enthusiasts looking for a cool brew, blues and a good time. mammothbluesbrewsfest.com

Guitarfish Music Festival โ€“ SEE FEATURED FESTY BELOW
Aug 1-3 โ€ข Cisco Grove
Featuring a stellar musical lineup, nightly light shows, festival-style tent camping and a kidsโ€™ activities area High in the Sierras, this venue offers a beautiful setting in which to enjoy summer fun with family and friends.
Complimentary mountian biking shuttle service is included in festival ticket.
See sidebar page 21 for more info on this featured festival. guitarfishfestival.com

SF Outside Lands
Aug 8-10 โ€ข San Francisco
This event located in Golden Gate Park is the best tasting music festival around, with a long list of contributing restaurants. Featuring fermented grape juice from dozens of wineries and impressive, diverse music. sfoutsidelands.com

Brew, Jazz and Funk Fest
Aug 9-10 โ€ข North Lake Tahoe
Benefiting the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe, this festival takes place in the stunning mountain setting of Squaw Valley and features fun bands, a great selection of beer, many activities including a ropes course, climbing wall, disc golf course and kids zip line. squaw.com

California Beer Festival SANTA CRUZ
Aug 9-10 โ€ข Aptos
Craft brew on tap, live music and mouth-watering food. californiabeerfestival.com/santacruz.php

OC Music Festival
Aug 9-10 โ€ข Silverado
Two days of continuous great music and camping at Orange Countyโ€™s Lake Irvine. oc-musicfest.com

Ta-Hoe Nalu SUP Fesitval. Photo courtesy Ta-Hoe Nalu

Ta-Hoe Nalu SUP Fesitval. Photo courtesy Ta-Hoe Nalu

Ta-Hoe Nalu SUP Festival
Aug 15-17 โ€ข Kings Beach
Take the most beautiful lake in the world, gather the best SUP athletes on the planet, mix in a little Aloha, and you have the perfect recipe known as the Ta-Hoe Nalu. Clinics, races, vendors and more. tahoenalu.com

Mendocino MTB Madness shenanigans. Photo: Ted Ketai

Mendocino MTB Madness shenanigans. Photo: Ted Ketai

Mendocino Mountain Bike Madness
DATE TBD โ€ข Mendocino
3 days, 3 nights, this event offers cabin accomodations, farm-to-table catered meals, gourmet coffee, craft beer, every type of mountain bike ride you can imagine, kidsโ€™ activities, demo bikes and more. superproracing.com/dirt/mendocino-mtb-madness

Bhaktifest West
September 4-7 โ€ข Joshua Tree
A yoga/dance/music festival celebrating the devotional path with roots in yoga, kirtan, and meditation.
bhaktifest.com

California Beer Festival SAN DIMAS
September 6 โ€ข San Dimas
Craft brew on tap, live music and mouth-watering food. californiabeerfestival.com/sandimas.php

California Beer Festival VENTURA
September 9-10 โ€ข Ventura
Craft brew on tap, live music and mouth-watering food. californiabeerfestival.com/ventura.php

Strawberry Music Festival
September 11-14 โ€ข Grass Valley
4 days of music, camping and recreation draws thousands of musicians and music enthusiasts from across the United States each year. The festival features a wide range of musical acts, representing many different musical genres, including Americana, bluegrass, blues, folk, swing, rock, Cajun, Celtic and gospel. strawberrymusic.com

American River Music Festival
September 12-14 โ€ข Coloma
Live music performances by renowned musicians in several locations throughout this friendly river town, this festival features three days/nights of beautiful riverfront camping, a whitewater river trip, a musical river walk, live art, great food and beverages, jams, dance, join-In-shops, fun artistic vendors and tons of kidโ€™s activities. americanrivermusic.org

Tour De Fat San Francisco
September 13 โ€ข Golden Gate Park, SF
A celebration of bikes, beer and community in 12 U.S. cities spreading the good word about the radness of the mighty bicycle and a simple, honest way of living. newbelgium.com/events/tour-de-fat.aspx

Sunset Strip Music Festival
September 20-21 โ€ข Los Angeles
This rock icon explosion kicks off with a tribute event at the House of Blues and culminates in an epic street festival. sunsetstripmusicfestival.com

Monterey Jazz Festival
September 19-21 โ€ข Monterey
3 nights and 2 days of the worldโ€™s best jazz on magnificent oak-studded grounds. Featuring films, exhibitions, food and beverages, an international shopping bazaar, and 8 stages of live jazz entertainment spread throughout the grounds. montereyjazzfestival.org

Tour de Fat San Diego
September 27 โ€ข Golden Hill Park
A celebration of bikes, beer and community in 12 U.S. cities spreading the good word about the radness of the mighty bicycle and a simple, honest way of living. newbelgium.com/events/tour-de-fat.aspx

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
October 3-5 โ€ข Golden Gate Park, SF
This free festival supplies the best bluegrass money cannot buy, with six stages featuring a multitude of musicians to choose fromโ€”well worth maneuvering the swarming crowds. strictlybluegrass.com

The Rainbow Sandals Gerry Lopez Battle of the Paddle
October 4-5 โ€ข Salt Creek Beach
Featuring a SUP expo, new and challenging race courses, and a stadium arena layout for spectators on one of the most beautiful beaches in California, located just south of Laguna Beach. battleofthepaddle.com

Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival
October 10-12 โ€ข Joshua Tree
A rootsicana folkadelic newgrassy experience in the magical Mojave Desert. joshuatreemusicfestival.com

Festival revelers at Biketoberfest Marin. Photo courtesy Biketoberfest

Festival revelers at Biketoberfest Marin. Photo courtesy Biketoberfest

Biketoberfest Marin
October 11 โ€ข Fairfax
This free festival features 70 bike exhibitors, a handmade bike show, over 35 varieties of beer from 20 west coast brewers, live musi, group road & mountain bike rides. biketoberfestmarin.com

Kernville Fat Tire Festival
October 17-19 โ€ข Kernville
Total immersion in biking activities for all riding abilities. Shuttles and camping included. mtnriver.com/fat_tire_festival.htm

Visit our event calendar on-line for more festivals & other exciting events. Spring 2015 guide will be featured in Dec/Jan issue.


Featured Festy: GUITARFISH MUSIC FESTIVAL

Hole in the Ground trail. Photo: Kevin Joel, TAMBA

Hole in the Ground trail. Photo: Kevin Joel, TAMBA

The 4th annual Guitarfish Music Festival is a three-day family-friendly arts & music festival held Friday August 1 through Sunday August 3, 2014 at Cisco Grove Campground just west of Truckee. High in the Sierra, this venue offers a beautiful setting in which to enjoy summer fun with family and friends.

This yearโ€™s event features a stellar musical lineup on 2 stages, light shows nightly, Andrea Brook from Burning Man on the โ€œSonic Butterfly,โ€ stilt walkers, fire spinners, festival-style tent camping, kid-friendly family camp with activities daily for the young-uns. RV/camper and private tent sites can be reserved for an additional charge. A wide variety of food and craft vendors are available, plus beer, wine and really good coffee.

World-class mountain and road biking, river swimming, rock climbing and hiking are some of the outdoor adventure activities available in the immediate area.

Mountain biking enthusiasts will appreciate Guitarfish Music Festivalโ€™s ideal setting in the North Tahoe area. After an epic ride on high Sierra terrain, riders can relax back at the festival with great music, refreshments and camaraderie.

Shuttle service to the popular Hole in the Ground trailhead is offered throughout each day at no charge. Hole in the Ground is a 17 mile intermediate/advanced ride that offers a bit of everything including challenging climbs, technical downhill, and smooth, swoopy sections. After experiencing an epic day riding Hole in the Ground, itโ€™s an easy paved downhill grade back to camp.

Shuttle service and guides are also available for other rides of varying difficulty levels.

Guitarfish Music Festival was created to raise awareness about overfishing and ocean pollution, and to support watershed, river and stream preservation. Guitarfish objectives place high importance on supporting other community efforts to โ€œgive backโ€ and make a positive impact for the good of our planet. Recognizing that the mountain biking community is dedicated to stewardship of our forests and other public lands, Guitarfish will donate 10% of each festival ticket purchased by a mountain biker to the mountain biking advocacy organization of that riderโ€™s choice.

guitarfishfestival.com