Castroville Artichoke Festival
May 17-18, 2008
Castroville
Boardwalk Season Kick-off
May 23
Santa Cruz Boardwalk
Watsonville Fly-In Air Show
May 23-25
Watsonville
Monterey Bay Blues Festival
June 27-29
Monterey
SummerFest Arts & Crafts Faire
June 28-29
Monterey
Surf City Classic: Woodies on the Wharf
June 28
Santa Cruz Boardwalk
California Rodeo Salinas
July 17-20
Salinas
Red Bull US Grand Prix
July 18-20
Laguna Seca, Monterey
Monterey Bay Strawberry Festival
August 1-3
Watsonville
Santa Cruz County Fair
September 9-14
Watsonville
Monterey Jazz Festival
September 21-23
Monterey
Monterey Bay Birding Festival
September 26-28
An incredible diversity of birds await birders for the annual Monterey Bay Birding Festival.
Highlights of the three-day event include field trips to Pinnacles, Big Sur, the North Coast of Santa Cruz, boat trips on Monterey Bay, talks by renowned avian biologists and workshops.
The field trips range from the far corners of the Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito county areas, with the majority focusing on the heart of Monterey Bay, such as Elkhorn Slough and the Pajaro Valley. All field trips will depart from the Festival headquarters at Red Roof Inn, 1620 W. Beach Street, Watsonville.
The evening presentations will focus on bird migration and local bird populations led by Jeff Davis and David Suddjian. Daytime lectures include workshops on birds of prey and shorebirds, both of which occur in abundance in the region. Unique photos of local birds will be featured in each presentation.
Targeted to beginners and experts alike, most of the trips range in price from $10-$20, with the higher fee for a full-day outing. Each trip is led by a local birding expert familiar with the area and experienced in nature outings. Groups are limited to no more than 20 people per leader to insure a quality outing. Evening lectures and day-time workshops only cost $5. Participants can sign up for as many or as few outings as interests them.
For the more adventurous, some spectacular special outings are being offered. Shearwater Journeys will be taking birders on an ocean voyage seeking seabirds, true denizens of the open ocean that can't be found from land. Whales and dolphins are expected to be seen as well. Kayak Connection and Slough Safari are also offering special birding tours to allow for a birds-eye view of Elkhorn Slough not normally available to the novice.
Organized by partnerships of local businesses, the Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce, the City of Watsonville, the Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Council, local non-profit agencies, and dedicated volunteers.
Advance e-tickets are now available. The ClicknPrint Tickets service not only offers convenient on-line purchasing and print-at-home, eTicket delivery, it also allows ticket buyers to reprint lost or damaged tickets and to securely transfer tickets to others via e-mail.
For complete Festival information, go to www.montereybaybirding.org for registration, schedule of events, description of field trips, and featured speakers, or call 831 763-5600.
Corona AMA SuperBike Championship
September 27-28
Monterey
California International Airshow
September 27-28
Salinas Airport
Monterey Sports Car Championship
October 17-19
Laguna Seca, Monterey
Santa Cruz Holiday Lights Train
November 29
Santa Cruz Boardwalk
February Events
Migration Festival (Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz) -- Clam Chowder Cook-off (Boardwalk, Santa Cruz).
March Events
Tall Shops Tour (Voyages of Rediscovery, Santa Cruz Harbor) -- Jazz on the Wharf (Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz) -- Great Train Robberies (Roaring Camp, Felton).
May Events
Sonoma Extreme Epicurean Event with St. Francis and Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn - Food & Wine Education: St. Francis and Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn. This exclusive event weekend begins with breakfast at your hotel, followed by an interactive cheese course at St. Francis Winery and a rustic wine country picnic. That evening, enjoy a special dinner at the Sonoma Mission Inn restaurant, Sante. You will then share a day with St. Francis Winemaker Tom Mackey experiencing the magic of winemaking from the ground up. For the grand finale you will return to St. Francis Winery where famed cookbook author and television chef, Steve Raichlen will demonstrate some of the secrets to great grilling. A gourmet dinner prepared by Raichlen will follow the class. Call for information and reservations. Phone Number: (800) 441-1414
September Events
Begonia Festival Nautical Parade (Capitola Village) -- Santa Cruz County Fair (Watsonville) -- Capitola Art and Wine Festival (Capitola Village) -- Shark Festival and Sanctuary Celebration (Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz).
October Events
Santa Cruz Hot and Cool Jazz Festival (Boardwalk Santa Cruz) -- Fireworks Spectacular (Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz) -- Welcome Back Monarchs Day (Natural Brides State Beach, Santa Cruz) -- Apple Butter Festival (Watsonville) -- Harvest Faire (Roaring Camp, Felton) -- Harvest Festival and Draft Horse Day (Wilder Ranch State Park, Santa Cruz).
November Events
Wineries Passport Program (Participating wineries) -- Mountain Man Rendezvous (Roaring Camp, Felton).
December Events
Lighted Boat Parade (Santa Cruz Harbor) -- Pioneer Christmas (Roaring Camp, Felton) -- Caroling Under the Stars (Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz).
