The Golden Cities state began attracting travelers from faraway lands back in the 16th century. Many tourists come to California to visit historical sites and stroll along picturesque boulevards where you can meet world celebrities. Others are attracted to California by the colorful holidays and festivals, the cultural traditions of the state are very rich and interesting. During the year there are various festivals: historical and gastronomic, theatrical and musical, devoted to art and problems of modern ecology – all of them are very interesting and deserve the attention of adherents of event tourism.
In the immediate vicinity of San Francisco is a picturesque town of Petaluma, it is a permanent venue for the Cheese Festival. This interesting gastronomic event takes place in the second half of March, it is attended by the best cheese factories in California, as well as world-famous wineries and farms. The Cheese Festival will be of interest to those who follow a healthy diet, as well as those who love simple and delicious food.
One of the most famous events in Baja California is the Wildlife Festival. It takes place every year during the whale migration period, festival goers are invited to observe these amazing animals. Every day they organize trips to the best places for observation, and very interesting entertainment events and concerts are held on the coast.
Speaking of musical traditions, we should mention the Jazz Festival, which has been held in Monterey for over 50 years. The festival takes place in the second half of September and lasts for three days, with world-famous performers and aspiring musicians taking part. In addition to grandiose open-air concerts, the festival offers interesting seminars and exhibitions, master classes and gastronomic events, as well as festive fairs.
Downtown Los AngelesThose who are partial to historical festivals will love the Aztec Cultural Festival. Long Beach is the permanent site of this festival, where you can meet people in the most unusual costumes, attend interesting dance performances and learn about Aztec art. Within the festival there are always interesting actions devoted to ecological problems and environmental protection, everyone can take part in them.
But the next festival needs no introduction at all – during the festival, the attention of everyone on the planet is riveted to the event, and even those who are not into movies follow the festival. As you can guess, we are talking about the Oscars, which is held in the capital of the film industry in Los Angeles in late February. In addition, it is also the oldest media award, held annually since 1929 and has already gained the respect of movie fans. The venue is traditionally Dolby Theatre, one of the largest in the country. It is here in late February you can see all the popular actors, directors, producers of Hollywood, and before the ceremony there is always a fashion show on the Red Carpet.
Another film festival – Golden Globe Awards – is considered a kind of “rehearsal” before the above-mentioned large-scale event, because it is held just before the Oscars ceremony. It is also watched all over the world, – not for nothing it is recognized as the third in the number of world TV viewers after, of course, Oscars and Grammy. Initially, the Golden Globe Awards film festival was planned to be independent from the Oscars, a film event that had already become iconic in 1943, but today it is considered a kind of “younger brother of the Oscars”, which just “sets the tone”. The Golden Globe is awarded at the beginning of January at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Coit Tower – San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco has long been synonymous with the best music festivals on the planet, as proven back in that 1967 Summer of Love. Today, one of the most famous music festivals is Outside Lands, which takes place in the middle of the third summer month. The venue is no less iconic than the festival itself – it is Golden Gate Park. The festival, like the city, is “diverse” – you can listen to all genres, from country to pop music. There are almost more people wishing to visit the festival than the guests themselves (about two hundred thousand music lovers come to the event every year). Of course, this is not least because of the famous headliners, including Elton John, Lana del Rey, Metallica, Kanye West.
Also interesting is the street festival called How Weird Street Faire, which also takes place in San Francisco. The idea is that the “city by the bay” can boast of “its own Mardi Gras” – and it is worth noting that it is realized perfectly. The program includes a colorful procession, in which everyone tries to surprise visitors by dressing the most bright, unusual and colorful. This is a real show, which is accompanied by musical concerts with jam sessions, circus, theatrical and acrobatic performances, performances, hand-made fair.
San Francisco enjoys another wonderful festival, which is celebrated in mid-April and is dedicated to that magical time when cherry blossoms bloom. It is called Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival, and it is not inferior to its Japanese counterpart (or rather, its ancestor). It is held, of course, in the appropriate place – the Japantown district, which at this time is filled, it seems, with all the locals and visiting tourists who want to get aesthetic pleasure. The festival program is supplemented with musical concerts, master classes in traditional Japanese arts (tea ceremony, calligraphy, ikebana), craft fairs and exhibitions, and gastronomic component.