It’s that time of year, when beautiful, barnacle-covered behemoths migrate right off the coast of California. To celebrate the passage of gray whales, Northern California will hold several whale festivals this spring, complete with whale watching, live music and hiking, tasty treats and something called “abalone races” (Rumor is last year’s contenders are just now reaching the finish line.)
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Mendocino County is throwing four different whale fests, on the four weekends of March, each in a separate coastal community. After that comes Monterey, in April, with its big annual celebration full of science and wharf fun. Here is an abbreviated schedule for each festival, in chronological order; for detailed information, check the events websites for Mendocino (mendoparks.org/whale-festival) and Monterey (whalefest.org).
Mendocino: March 7-8
The charming enclave of Mendocino, perched on the roaring ocean like a history-soaked village in a (non-scary) Stephen King novel, will fire up the start of the whale festivities. Note that most of the events are scheduled for Saturday, March 7.
The festival will feature a chowder-tasting event from local restaurants, with samples, until the “chowder runs out.” There’s a wine walk through town, a storytime-and-crafts family event and a screening of a movie called “The Boy Who Talks to Whales” ($10). Plus, a whale-watching station at Mendocino Headlands State Park.
Little River: March 14-15
Just south of Mendocino, the community of Little River will hold free guided hikes at Spring Ranch in Van Damme State Park, with the chance to spot migrating gray whales. Email director@mendoparks.org to reserve your spot, as space is limited. Also on Saturday is a margarita-making contest and parks fundraiser at the historic Little River Inn, in which audience members can taste and vote for their favorite drinks ($50). That same day will have a self-guided jaunt of a “Mocktail Trail” at local watering holes ($25).
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Fort Bragg: March 21-22
The biggie of Mendocino County’s festivals, Fort Bragg’s celebration will feature a downtown wine walk, a chowder-tasting competition, a 10K/5K “whale run and walk,” a whale swim, live music and food trucks and more. It’s also the Fort Bragg Beer Festival on Saturday, March 21 ($40 at the door), with beer-and-cider tastings and free “safe rides” within the city limit.
A Soroptimist Craft Fair will take over downtown Fort Bragg on both days with handmade gifts, jewelry, pottery and ironworks. On Friday, the county parks district will stage a campfire storytelling evening with hot cocoa and trivia at MacKerricher State Park. Saturday will see free guided walks at MacKerricher to scout for the migrating leviathans, and on Sunday kids can help paint a giant gray-whale skeleton there.
Point Arena: March 28-29
A new addition this year is Point Arena’s fest, with guided hikes of the shoreline and crafts at the Point Arena Library. Note that most of the events are on Saturday, March 28. The Point Arena Lighthouse will have marine-science talks with binoculars for lending ($5). In town, a Talking Heads tribute band will rock the Arena Theater (an old vaudeville joint) for $25-$30, and local bars and restaurants will offer special whale- and seafood-themed delicacies.
Whalefest Monterey: April 11-12
The 16th annual Whalefest will center on Monterey’s historic Old Fisherman’s Wharf and the Custom House Plaza. For serious whale enthusiasts, it’s a must-attend, with marine scientists sharing their fascinating research and conservation tales. (Previous talks have included “Whale Entanglement: Risks, Responses and Prevention” and “The Unseen and Unsung Heroes of Monterey Bay: the Beautiful, Amazing Microscopic Plankton!”)
There will also be live music, interactive marine exhibits, sea-themed crafts like scrimshaw and gyotaku — the traditional Japanese method of “printing fish” — and the chance to tour research and rescue vessels. And don’t forget (or accidentally step on) the crowd-favorite Abalone Races, featuring the iridescent-shelled sea snails crawling their way to a photo finish.
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