Photo: US Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach is an annual event

Top Huntington Beach Events and Beach Festivals

Surf City Marathon - on Super Bowl Sunday in February. The Marathon takes place on Pacific Coast Highway overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It sells out at around 20,000 participants.

Beachcruiser Meet - annual classic car show takes place on Main Street and in recent years has expanded to include cars on Huntington Beach Pier. It is held in March.

4th of July - A huge parade always on July 4 includes a beach fireworks show and parade which passes along Pacific Coast Highway for several blocks, turning onto Main Street and proceeding beyond City Hall.

US Open of Surfing is held that last week of July into the first week of August normally. It generally lasts 7-10 days.

Huntington Beach Air Show - launched in 2016 is produced by the Breitling Air Team. It is held in late September or October.

Halloween on Main - is a Trick or Treat festival for kids / families on Main, 5th Street and Huntington Beach Pier. The event is always held on October 31, Halloween day.

Miracle on Main Street is the annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony with entertainment. It is held in November, usually on the weekend.

December beach events include Cruise of Lights, a boat tour fundraiser taking place in the water at Huntington Harbour not far from Bolsa Chica State Beach.

Light of Love Parade is a small children's parade in December that goes from Main & Orange Streets to Huntington Beach Pier and Pier Plaza for a kids entertainment stage show and pier lighting of the sponsored snowflake lights.

More info on signature beach events....

4th of July includes a Pancake Breakfast at Lake Park, 5K Surf City Run along the streets of downtown HB, 4th of July Parade on Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street, Pier Plaza Expo and Fireworks Show. The celebration can last for several days because of the Pier Plaza Expo designed to help fund the Fireworks show.

The other mega-event, US Open of Surfing consistently grows each year to reach an estimated 1 million attendance over a 9 day period. However, in 2013 when a riot occurred at the end of the event, the public outcry about the event becoming too large and uncontrolled caused weary eyes to re-examine whether the event should re-group and downsize closer to its roots.

Having grown from strictly surfing to include skateboarding, bmx and other attractions, the US Open of Surfing added the name, Beach Games.  Several years after the the event headed back toward its roots the US Open presented a family friendly festival filled with demos, autograph signings, competitions and a focus on sports.

CLOSED: Duck-a-thon - Held in May the 3 day festival highlight includes a wine & cheese reception at Pier Plaza on Friday night for adults, and the Duck Race on Saturday, plus a Corporate Duck Race on Sunday. The ducks are sold to the public at around $10-25 each. Dumped from a crane on the Huntington Beach Pier into the Pacific Ocean, the waves wash them back onto shore. Volunteers collect them and determine the first ducks to arrive on shore as winners.