August Food Festivals in California

California Festivals

Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival

May 3-4, 2025, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

"Sea to the Future" is 2025 theme

Westside Regional Park
2400 Westshore Road
Bodega Bay, CA 94923
$$20 / $30 for 2 day pass, bbfishfest.org

Celebrating its 52nd year in 2025, the Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival just keeps getting bigger and better each year with more food, fun, music, crafts and the best in wine and beer sampling. While the event continues to pay homage to the fishing industry with its strong roots in this Sonoma County coastal region, honoring traditions such as Blessing of the Fleet and having fun with the Wooden Boat Challenge, other activities reflect contemporary interests such as bands that perform, the latest in foods and beverages, and artisan booths showing and selling unique, one-of-a-kind items. What's great about the festival is that a portion of proceeds benefit local causes.

Live music and entertainers perform on the main stage all day Saturday and Sunday, plus artisans and vendors from all over California and beyond offer a wide selection of arts and crafts both days, as well.

2025 Entertainment

Saturday

Wooden Boat Challenge 10 a.m.
Music by sound Engineer, Audio North
A Funky Bunch of Friends
11:30 a.m. Henry 1 Helicopter Demos
The Hots ban
Team Boat Challenge 2 p.m.
Tainted Love (best of the 80s) headliner concert 3-5 p.m.

Sunday

10 a.m. open with music;
Boat Parade and Blessing of the Fleet 12 p.m. Noon
Concert with Aquanet (80s cover band) 12:30 p.m.
Henry 1 Helicopter Demo 2 p.m.
Bodega Bay Fire Boat Dedication 3:30 p.m.
Grand Finale Concert with Petty Rocks, a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover band 2:30-5 p.m.

Blessing of the Fleet, Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

Sunday's Blessing of the Fishing Fleet is the highlight of the Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival. Although Sonoma County's fishing industry has declined from a time when the Blessing of the Fleet started more than 50 years ago, it's still an important observance acknowledging the great risk and role of those who farm the seas. Local clergy perform a Blessing and a flower wreath is cast upon the waters honoring the fishermen lost at sea.

Wooden Boat Challenge, Saturday

Four-member teams in adult and youth categories are given several hours (teams of adults have three hours; and youth four hours) to build wooden boats from scratch before racing their vessels through a marked course in the bay! Teams work with provided materials and simple tools. Thousands of spectators cheer on costumed teams, skilled craftspeople and at least one sinker.

Concerts

2025 bands include a Tom Petty tribute headliner on Sunday and an 80s tribute Tainted Love (song by Soft Cell) headliner on Saturday with additional live music and DJs or mixes each day.

Kids Entertainment

Touch tank tide pools
Face painting
Games,
Bounce houses
Pony rides
Arts & crafts

Food & Drinks

25 wine & craft beer vendors and booths
Fish 'n Chips
Clam Chowder
Crab
Oysters
Calamari
BBQ
Corn Dogs, Tacos
Dim Sum
Aguachile
Pizza, Pasta
Sweets, Soft Drinks, etc.

Well-behaved and Leashed Pets Welcome
Free Parking
Handicap Accessible

The festival has its origin as a celebration of the start of the Salmon fishing season and the annual Blessing of the Fleet. Each year's theme is chosen by the Bodega Bay Fisherman's Marketing Association. At the Festival site itself you'll see a wooden boat challenge where participating teams build a vessel and compete in a boat race.

Sunday morning opens with the Blessing of the Fishing Fleet when decorated boats parade out of the harbor to receive a blessing from local clergy.

The Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival is a 501(c)(3) California nonprofit charitable organization and is 100% volunteer-run by local community members. All proceeds from the Festival benefit Bodega Bay Area non-profit community services.

Events are not guaranteed. It is your responsibility to confirm before going.

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