November Festivals in California

November is one of our favorite Festival months. Having just pulled out of Halloween in October with its candy, costumes, and parties, in November it's clear that winter has arrived in California. The fruit & food festivals are not so abundant, but the Christmas themed gift-buying festivals, tree lighting ceremonies and related types of activities kick into high gear. If a city's going to launch or host an ice skating rink, they generally get it going in November. Other winter events include arts, shopping, sampling, and entertainment, generally with the goal by event planners of selling holiday gifts. The fair season is pretty much over and you won't see many county fairs or rodeos this month. So what's so great about fall festivals? The weather is cooler so you sometimes can wear jackets and coats, and really get into the holiday spirit.

Festival	city	web / contact
All Food Festivals - November	California	seecalifornia.com
Apple Butter Festival	Yucaipa	losrios rancho.com
Belmont Shore Turkey Trot	Belmont Shore	turkeytrot.us
Blue Ox Mill Craftsman Days	Eureka	blueoxmill.com
Cowpoke Fall Gathering	Loomis	cowpokefall gathering.com
Fall Festival (formerly Poinsettia)	Encinitas	encinitas 101.com
Festival of Lights	Yountville	yountville.com
Founders' Day Celebration	Templeton	templeton museum.org
Gifts n Tyme Holiday Faire	Napa
Heritage Days	Yermo	calicotown.com
Holiday Night of Lights	Fairfield	fairfield downtown.com
Indio PowWow	Indio	fantasysprings resort.com
LA Auto Show	Los Angeles	laauto show.com
Los Angeles Tamale Festival	E. Los Angeles	tamale festivals.com
Mandarin Festival	Auburn	mandarin festival.com
Paderewski Festival	Paso Robles	paderewski fest.com
Palm Springs Pride	Palm Springs	pspride.org
Ridgecrest Death Valley Encampment	Ridgecrest	ridgecrest chamber.com
Surfing Santa Seaport Village	San Diego	seaport village.com
Surfin' Santa, Main Beach	Capitola	capitola chamber.com
Thanksgiving Arcata Marsh Walk	Arcata	humboldt.edu
Turkey Trots	California	seecalifornia.com
Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot	Dana Point	turkeytrot.com
Tree Lighting Ceremony	Oakland	jacklondon square.com

November

• Dia de los Muertos Enjoy a colorful, ancient Mexican ceremony in remembrance of departed loved ones with a pre-Columbian Novenario procession and blessings each night. When: Nov. 1-2, 2014. Location: Olvera Street, Los Angeles olvera-street.com
• Bent-Con Celebrate talent from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in the fields of comics, graphic novels and other creative mediums. When: Nov. 7-9, 2014. Location: Burbank Los Angeles Burbank Marriott Convention Center, 2500 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank bent-con.org
• Bouchercon, Murder at the Beach Bouchercon is the annual World Mystery Convention where lovers of crime fiction gather for education, entertainment and fun. When: Nov. 13-16, 2014. Location: Various locations in Long Beach bouchercon2014.com
• Sawdust Arts & Craft Festival Winter Fantasy Nearly 200 artists create, display and sell original creations over the course of four weekends. When: Weekends Nov. 23-Dec. 14, 2014. Location: 935 Laguna Canyon Rd, Laguna Beach Information: 800-877-1115, sawdustartfestival.org
• Festival of Lights Get in the holiday spirit with an outdoor ice skating rink, live entertainment and more in a scene lit by thousands of holiday lights. When: Nov. 28, 2014 through Jan. 3, 2015, 2014. Location: The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, 3649 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside missioninn.com

2012 November 2012 California Fairs, Festivals and Events

LOS BANOS-Holiday Tea and Gift Sale
November 10
Located AT: St Alban's Anglican Church, 401 West L Street, Los Banos, California, 93635

PLEASANTON-Country Folk Art Show
November 17 - 18
countryfolkart.com

SAN FRANCISCO-Treasure Island Flea Market
November 24 - 25
TreasureIslandFlea.com

November
Central Coast
Bailando con la Muerte
Bailando con la Muerte is a free community multicultural arts festival based on the Mexican
tradition of Day of the Dead, celebrating all cultural interpretations of life & rem
artistasunidos.org

Passport Day
For Passport Day, the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association invites you to enjoy the wineries
of this extraordinary appellation! As a Passport holder, you are welcome to exp
scmwa.com

Central Valley
Sandhill Crane Festival
Long before Lodi existed, Sandhill Cranes descended into the rich delta wetlands at the end of a
long migratory journey, some from nesting grounds as far away as Siberia. In awe-in
cranefestival.com/index.html

Fine Arts Festival
At the Fine Arts Festival sponsored by the San Joaquin Potters Guild, various artists exhibit their
works in painting, glass, jewelry, photography and cards, weaving, ceramics, cop
sanjoaquinpottersguild.org

The First Sip--Lodi Harvest Celebration
The two-day First Sip--Lodi Harvest Celebration offers an opportunity for guests to immerse
themselves in Lodi wines while traveling from winery to winery throughout the Lodi appel
firstsiplodi.com

Greater Sacramento
Festival of New American Music
The Festival of New American Music is offered by the Sacramento State University Department of
Music. During the 10-day festival, a variety of solo artists, groups, and ensembles w
csus.edu/music/fenam/

Sacramento Arts Festival
The annual Sacramento American Arts Festival takes place at the Sacramento Convention Center in
October. The festival features 225 of America's best contemporary crafts peopl
americanartfestivals.com

Cornish Christmas
Cornish Christmas starts on Fridays from 6pm to 9pm, the day after Thanksgiving, and continues
each Friday evening until the Friday before Christmas. Local and regional hand-c
historicgrassvalley.com

Los Angeles
Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber Art Walks
The Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce has a rich population of fine artists within its
jurisdiction. With our fair share of Art Galleries and Studios, we promote and reward
montrosechamber.org/artwalk.html

Living History Day
This event is free to the public and features activities for children, costumed docents, adobe and
bread-making demonstrations. And visitors get the chance to learn more about Cali
piopico.org

American Film Institute Fest
AFI Fest presents a survey of the year's most significant films each fall. Featuring international
work from emerging filmmakers, global showcases of films from the great masters
afi.com/onscreen/afifest

Dia de los Muertos Family Festival
A free community art festival celebrating the Mexican tradition of Day of the Dead. The event
features musical entertainment, puppet show, altars, art workshops, and refreshments.
mainstreetcanogapark.org/

FITLA - International Latino Theatre Festival of Los Angeles
FITLA - International Latino Theatre Festival of Los Angeles, a nonprofit organization, was
established in 2001 to advance the appreciation of the diverse Latino theatre traditions
fitla.org/

Red Nation Film Festival
The Red Nation Film Festival, "The Authentic Voice of American Indian & Indigenous Cinema,"
established 2003 offers film screenings; an Awards Show with Red Nation Film Award S
rednationfilmfestival.com

Downtown Burbank ARTS Festival
Browse thousands of works of art for sale and visit with more than 90 outstanding artists at the
Downtown Burbank ARTS Festival. Enjoy a wide selection of paintings, sculpture, pho
downtown-burbank.org



Napa/Sonoma +
Healdsburg First Fridays Art Walk
With over 15 galleries in the intimate downtown plaza, Healdsburg has the highest concentration
of art galleries north of San Francisco. On the first Friday of every month fro
healdsburg.com/artwalk

A Wine & Food Affair
A Wine & Food Affair is the premier event for Wine Road - Northern Sonoma County! Join us for a
weekend of wine and food pairing in the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River V
wineroad.com

Napa Valley Film Festival
The Napa Valley Film Festival showcases the best in new independent filmmaking and world cinema. Our
vision is to build community around the art of visual story-telling, with the v
napavalleyfilmfestival.org

North Coast
Thanksgiving Arts & Crafts Fair
In what has become a north coast tradition, the Mendocino Art Center is transformed for the
Thanksgiving Arts & Crafts Fair into a two-day holiday marketplace over Thanksgiving
MendocinoArtCenter.org

Mendocino County Wine & Mushroom Festival
Mendocino County is home to over 3,000 types of mushrooms, 500 of which are edible. And, every year
in Fall, beginning in October when the gentle rains begin, the mushrooms flouris
visitmendocino.com

Northern/Sierra
Mountain Mandarin Festival
The annual Mountain Mandarin Festival celebrates the new crop of delicious, locally grown Mandarin
oranges, a Mandarin Recipe cooking contest, professional chef demonstrations, foo
mandarinfestival.com

San Diego
San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival
You won't want to miss the San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival, a five-day wine and food
extravaganza featuring 170 world-class wineries and spirit producers, 70 of San Diego's aw
worldofwineevents.com

Encinitas Street Faire & Poinsettia Festival
Balmy days in the coastal city of Encinitas beckon you to join us on beautiful Coast Highway 101.
Browse among 400 unique booths featuring a little of everything: arts and crafts,
kennedyfaires.com/encinitas

San Francisco Bay Area
American Indian Film Festival
The American Indian Film Institute is the nation's oldest and most prestigious venue for American
Indian film arts and entertainment.The American Indian Film Festival has earned
aifisf.com

Celebration of Craftswomen
For the past three decades, The Women's Building Celebration of Craftswomen has allowed San
Francisco Bay Area residents, along with visitors to San Francisco from throughout the w
celebrationofcraftswomen.org

Art Fair San Francisco
ART FAIR SAN FRANCISCO, an international art event, will feature affordable contemporary fine art by
emerging and established artists. It is held at The Concourse Exhibition Center
artfairsanfrancisco.com

Come Out and Play Festival
Come Out & Play is a free, annual festival of street games that turns San Francisco (and New
York City) into a giant playground. We provide a forum for new types of public game
comeoutandplaysf.org

International South Asian Film Festival
Local and international filmmakers screen features, shorts and documentaries that focus on Asian
life and culture.
thirdi.org/festival/

San Jose Harvest Festival
Three fabulous days of fun, food, entertainment and one of a kind handmade arts and crafts. Hundreds
of artisans, including some you haven't seen before -- featuring truly un


Body Music Festival
The six-day International Body Music Festival (IBMF) features contemporary and traditional Body
Music presented in Concerts, Workshops, Teacher Trainings, Lecture-Demonstrations, B
internationalbodymusicfestival.com/

Italian Film Festival
The popular Italian Film Festival presents outstanding movies from Italy. Originally started as an informal, one-time only presentation of Italian movies in a college lecture hall,
italianfilm.com

Berkeley Artisans Holiday Open Studios
At the Berkeley Artisans Holiday Open Studio, all manner of fine arts and crafts are shown,
including blown glass, functional & decorative ceramics, ornaments, Menorahs, lamps
berkeleyartisans.com

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