Who says summer is almost over? There’s still plenty of time—and many compelling reasons—for a getaway to California this month.
A few annual festivals, including one in Sonoma County that honors an heirloom apple, straddle the line between summer fun and harvest season. Other events celebrate everything from surf culture and local wine to live music and quirky fandoms. Some even cater to dog owners or cat superfans.
The late-summer season also offers a wealth of ongoing festivities, including weekly free concerts and even an early start to Halloween season. Here are 20-plus events made for a summer escape in Northern, Central, and Southern California.
Northern California
July 28–Aug. 4: Lazy Bear Week, Guerneville
Summer’s LGBTQ+ pride parties continue at this annual event and fundraiser in western Sonoma County. This year’s festivities include pool parties, game nights, and ice cream socials.
July 31–Aug. 3 Mammoth Festival of Beers & Bluesapalooza, Mammoth Lakes
This classic music fest in Mammoth Lakes blends traditional blues with R&B, soul, and rock, featuring headliners such as The Robert Cray Band, The Marcus King Band, Steve Earle, and Samanatha Fish. The craft beer lineup, meanwhile, is more than 60 names strong, including local favorite Mammoth Brewing.
Aug. 1–24: Music in the Vineyards, Napa
Choose from more than three weeks’ worth of chamber-music concerts—featuring works by Beethoven, Bach, Schumann, and more—paired with lush Napa Valley scenery. Check the schedule for concerts combined with wine tastings, play-along concerts, and opportunities to mingle with musicians. Many events take place at wineries, including Domaine Carneros, Frog’s Leap Winery, and Silverado Vineyards.
Aug. 2: World Dog Surfing Championship 2025, Pacifica
See canine surf enthusiasts—from amateurs to veteran competitors—hang 10 on the waves at Linda Mar Beach in this seaside town on the San Francisco Peninsula. See who wins the "Golden Surfie Medal" at this free event and browse the Surf Dog Village for pooch-friendly merch.
Aug. 2: Stuck in Lodi Classic Car Show, Lodi
Walk the streets of historic downtown Lodi—perhaps while humming the Creedence Clearwater Revival song that inspired the festival’s name—at this car festival that has been running for nearly 30 years. Check out 300 classic cars and chat with gearheads while enjoying the food, drink, and merch from local vendors. If you have a car older than 1979, bring it along to show it off.
Aug. 2–3: Summer Harvest Days at Apple Hill, Placerville
Make the most of summer berry season at this fruit fest hosted by various farms in the Apple Hill area of El Dorado County. Harris Family Farm, for instance, will offer u-pick flowers, marionberries, and blackberries along with live music, plus gem mining and a scavenger hunt for kids. Don’t miss the bake shop stocked with pies, jams, and summer fruit slushies.
Aug. 8–10: Outside Lands Music and Arts Fest, San Francisco
This weekend in Golden Gate Park mixes live music with a delicious Bay Area food and drink—like caviar-topped hot dogs from The Caviar Co. and ice cream from Humphry Slocombe, and a bevy of beverages at the Wine Lands and Beer Lands areas. This year’s lineup includes Doja Cat, Tyler the Creator, Hozier, Gracie Abrams, and Vampire Weekend. Hear more about Outside Lands on this episode of the California Now Podcast.
Aug. 8–10: San Jose Jazz Summerfest, San Jose
Enjoy jazz in its many forms at this San Jose festival that focuses on everything from big band to Latin to standards. The headliners include Common, PJ Morton, and Mavis Staples. As you plan your trip, be sure to check out the festival’s special hotel deals for the weekend.
Aug. 9: Benicia Peddlers Fair, Benicia
Since 1963, the Solano County town of Benicia has hosted this antiques and collectibles fair that draws vendors from around the nation. Stroll 11 blocks of First Street in the historic downtown to browse period furniture, vintage textiles, blue Depression glass, clocks, and more. A bonus: The fair also offers a nice view of the Carquinez Strait.
Aug. 9–10: Gravenstein Apple Fair, Sebastopol
Apple season comes early in this Sonoma County town, thanks to the local Gravenstein apples that ripen in late summer. Come to Ragle Ranch Regional Park for this beloved festival that features hands-on demonstrations, live music, kids’ activities, and lots of opportunities to taste your way through the apple-inspired treats and beverages in the Artisan Tasting Grove.
Aug. 9–10: Pistahan Parade & Festival, San Francisco
Celebrate the Bay Area’s rich Filipino heritage during this free, two-day event at Yerba Buena Gardens, located in a part of San Francisco that has long been associated with the Filipino American community.
Come for the parade on Saturday at 11 a.m. and spend the rest of the weekend enjoying dancers, food vendors, and local artisans in the Sari Sari Marketplace.
Aug. 15, 22, 29: Vallejo August Summer Nights Music Series, Vallejo
Feel like a local in the Bay Area town of Vallejo at this weekly series of concerts, complemented with food, drink, and merch from local businesses. Check the event’s website for updates on weekly themes and musical acts. Runs through Aug. 29.
Aug. 16: Barbera Festival, Folsom
Taste full-bodied Barbera wines during this afternoon and evening in Folsom—just one part of Gold Country where this Italian varietal thrives. The event at Folsom Community Center includes tastings of Barberas from both California and Italy as well gourmet food pairings and live music.
Aug. 16: Salmon Festival, Klamath
Take part in a fun run, parade, and then an epic salmon feast at this annual event in the North Coast town of Klamath on Yurok tribal lands. August is prime season for chinook salmon around here, so it’s easy to extend your stay by fishing on the Klamath River.
Aug. 16: Brews, Jazz, & Funk Fest, Palisades Tahoe
This popular music-meets-beer event in the Palisades Tahoe Village features lovely scenery, live music, and beers from a long list of breweries, including FiftyFifty Brewing Co., Truckee Brewing Co., and Anderson Valley Brewing Company. Proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe—and yes, well-behaved dogs are welcome too.
While you’re in the area, check out the live music in the village on Tuesdays and Fridays, courtesy of both the Bluesdays Series and the SunSets Live Music Series.
Aug. 21–24: Butte County Fair, Gridley
Come to this long-running country fair in Butte County for livestock exhibits, carnival rides, crafts, and plenty of decadent fair cuisine. Check out classic fair competitions for foods such as sourdough breads throughout the four-day event.
Aug. 23–24: Oakland Chinatown StreetFest, Oakland
Oakland’s Chinatown dates to the 1850s, when immigrants who had come for the Gold Rush set down roots here. Celebrate their heritage at this annual party (more than 35 years and running) that spans eight blocks of live entertainment, cultural performances, and local cuisine.
Central California
July 30–Aug. 3 Old Spanish Fiesta Days, Santa Barbara
This annual event has been a Santa Barbara tradition since 1925 and includes a parade, a livestock show, rodeo, and flamenco dancing. Be sure to peruse the market across from City Hall for Mexican-American cuisine as well as arts and crafts.
Aug. 8–17: Monterey Car Week and Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Monterey County
Check out auto shows, auctions, and memorabilia during this week of car love in Monterey. The celebration starts on Aug. 9 with a showing of historic race cars along Alvarado St. in downtown Monterey, and includes events for Porsche enthusiasts, Ferrari lovers, and even fans of so-dubbed “crappy cars,” in an event known as the Concours d’Lemons.
The week concludes with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, with its display of fabulous vehicles on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links. If you just want to gape at the vehicles, check out the selection of free-admission events.
Aug. 9: Surf ’n’ Suds Craft Beer & Music Fest, Carpinteria
This one-day festival at Carpinteria State Beach in Santa Barbara County features food trucks, music, and more than 75 craft breweries, wineries, and makers of kombucha and hard seltzer. The beverage lineup includes California makers such as Solvang Brewing Co., Beachwood Brewing, and Cali Squeeze Seltzer.
Aug. 15–16: Cruisin’ Weekend, Atascadero
Even if you don’t own a radical ride, you can enjoy cruising culture at this San Luis Obispo County party, which is free for spectators. On Friday night, about 400 cars from the 1950s and 1960s will drive up and down Atascadero’s El Camino Real. (You can even register your own vintage vehicle.) On Saturday night, dance to live music in the streets outside City Hall and get dinner from one of the food trucks.
Southern California
July 26–Aug. 3: Lexus U.S. Open of Surfing, Huntington Beach
This Huntington Beach event qualifies as the largest action-sports festival in the world. Indeed, it includes not just surfing but also skateboarding and BMX competitions.
Huntington Beach Pier is the nerve center of the event festivities, also featuring concerts and family-friendly activities typically including surf clinics, sustainability panels, art installations, and public skate and BMX sessions. Best of all, admission is free.
All month: The Laguna Art-A-Fair, Laguna Beach
August is prime time to experience the Festival of Arts, Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. Check out the array of paintings, photography, wood craft, sculpture, gourds, and more by 115 award-winning fine artists and artisans at the Art-A-Fair. The events also include live music, meet-and-greets with the artists, and hands-on workshops. Admission is affordable ($10), and even free if you have same-day tickets to see the living-art displays of Pageant of the Masters.
July 30–Aug. 3: International Surf Festival, Redondo Beach
Head to Redondo Beach in Los Angeles County for amateur surfing competitions, a pier-to-pier swim, and paddleboard races. Don’t miss the swim races and fitness contests for area lifeguards.
Aug. 1–3: Tour de Big Bear, Snow Summit
Challenge yourself with a wide range of distances and difficulty levels at this annual cycling event near Big Bear Lake. There’s a family-friendly 5K in addition to 25-, 50-, 70-, and 100-mile courses on the main event day (Aug. 2). There’s also 25- and 50-mile gravel rides. Get in a warm-up on Aug. 1 during the illuminated Glow Ride, then cool down on the Aug. 3 recovery ride.
Aug. 2–3: CatCon, Pasadena
Cat people unite at this two-day feline-fest at Pasadena’s Convention Center. Not only can you admire show cats, shop cat merch, and meet adoptable kitties, you might spot a few celebs, from TikTok-famous vet Matt McGlasson and his cat Nuggie to “celebricat” Calvin. (Comedian Margaret Cho recently told us she’s a CatCon fan herself.)
Some proceeds benefit the Pasadena Humane Society, which has been active in helping displaced and injured pets in the wake of the Los Angeles wildfires of early 2025.
Aug. 2–3: HARD Summer, Los Angeles
Get your rave on at this three-day festival devoted to EDM and hip-hop at Hollywood Park next to SoFi Stadium. Feid and Dom Dolla top the deep lineup, which also features special guest Busta Rhymes.
Aug. 8–10, 15–17: Splash House Music Festival, Greater Palm Springs
Live music, DJ acts, and fabulous pool parties are the big draws of this house, disco, and electronica festival that spreads across three Greater Palm Springs resorts—The Saguaro Palm Springs, Renaissance Palm Springs, and the Riviera (formerly the Margaritaville Resort). Buy a pass to attend festivities on one of the weekends, or book a hotel package that bundles in stays at a host or nearby resort.
Aug. 16: Lemon Festival, Chula Vista
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the San Diego County town of Chula Vista was one of the most prolific lemon-growing areas in the world. These days, you mostly see lemon trees outside homes, but this annual event brings that citrus magic to downtown’s Third Avenue Village, with plenty of lemonade as well as a wine and beer garden, live music on the “Zesty” and “Juicy” stages, a lemon cook-off competition, and pets wearing their best lemon-themed outfits.
Aug. 22–24: Celebrating the Music of John Williams at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles
Spend a timeless evening at the Hollywood Bowl listening to American classics from the movies: The Los Angeles Philharmonic will play various movie themes by John Williams (including the music from Star Wars movies, Jaws, and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial) under the stars. Join the ONX-hosted Wine & Picnic at the Hollywood Bowl party on Aug. 24 for seats closer to the stage and a package that includes admission, a picnic dinner, and ONX wines.
Begins Aug. 22: Halloween Time at Disneyland, Anaheim
Start celebrating scary season at the Anaheim resort, where not-too-frightening attractions and events include the Main Street Pumpkin festival, seasonally decorated rides, and the Plaza de la Familia (runs through Nov. 2) and the Oogie Boogie Bash. (select nights through October).
Aug. 24: Dana Point Classic Car Show, Dana Point
Whales are a familiar sight in this Orange County town, but for one day in the Lantern District, classic cars steal the spotlight—think hot rods, woodies, European sports cars, and impeccably restored American muscle cars.
Stroll down Del Prado Avenue and make the most of food trucks, adult beverage stands, and live music. Admission is free and there are also free public lots downtown for parking your own car.