Funky and Interesting Festivals
Here's a calendar of nearby festivals we found interesting. And the Jazz Festivals warrant special attention.
February
Almond Blossom Festival
Ripon
A very popular event, in no small part because it's in February, and the trees in bloom are pretty nice too. This weekend-long affair draws the folks from Blue Diamond (Almonds that is), and parade participants from many places far and wide.
Chinese New Year Parade
Chinatown, San Francisco
The ultimate Chinese New Year event in the country, in the most established area in the country for people of Chinese descent.
March
Snowfest 
Tahoe City
This superlative event celebrates everything you can do in the snow (although a few things seems a little unwise). There are ice-carving contests, a snow sculpture contest, the Great Dog Challenge, and the enduring (but why?) polar bear swim. Brrrrr.
Napa Valley Mustard Festival
Napa County
This event sponsored by the Culinary Institute of America in Napa features a worldwide mustard competition, and crowns the Mustard Chef.
April
Asparagus Festival
Stockton
A large event celebrating the many virtues of this delicate vegetable, a relative to the agave family. Features music, crafts fair, and lots and lots of food. You absolutely must try the fried asparagus.
Teddy Bear Convention
This convention features teddy bear history, seminars on how to make teddy bears and tours of Teddy Bear Castle. Get to Nevada City on historic Highway 49, off Interstate 80.
Red Bluff Round-up
Red Bluff
One of the largest rodeos on the professional circuit with over 400 competitors. The rodeo is only part of a week-long cowboy celebration featuring a chili cook-off, a Western parade, and cowboy poetry readings.
Strawberry Festival
Merced
All things strawberry take center stage at this sweet event
Upper Sacramento River Exchange
Dunsmuir
Water plays a big role with the California Delta, and this is only one of several festivals highlighting the importance of water and waterways. This one features clinics on the finer points of fishing and instruction in the lost art of fly tying. Plus you can learn more about how the Delta became the Delta through watershed education.
May
Italian Street Painting Festival
Stockton
Brookside neighborhood sidewalks become masterpieces of chalk art, all to the benefits of charity.
Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee
Angels Camp
This county fair features a world class frog-jumping competition, made famous by Mark Twain. Plus there's a professional rodeo, demonstrations on cow milking techniques, and a Pony Express reenactment. Public schools in Calaveras County close for a day for this event.
Gold Rush Bluegrass Festival
Mariposa
It's not all jazz here in Northern California. We can appreciate that good old Appalachian bluegrass music, pure and simple. This one features workshops (because not just anyone can play the mandolin), and a children's day.
Firemen's Muster
Columbia
Did someone say "Fire!?" Come watch fearless men and women compete in firefighting contests, the bucket brigade and more. And who knows? You might finally get that elusive ride in a fire engine. All held at the picturesque Columbia Historical State Park, trapped in time in the 1850's of Gold Rush
June
Pin A Go Go
Dixon Fairgrounds
For $5, you get an all-day pass to play pinball with over 100 pinball machines to choose from, ranging from the really old to the really techno ... so go play that Tommy CD for inspiration and then get on over to the fairgrounds.
Historic Demo Day
Coloma
The boring name notwithstanding, this sounds like it could be really interesting. Experience the time of the Gold Rush with demonstrations of blacksmithing, weaving, spinning, cooking, and gold panning - now THAT could come in handy, because geologists say that over 75% of California's gold has yet to be discovered!
Crawdad Festival
Isleton
The folks at Isleton claim this is the largest crawdad festival in the world, with things like Cajun food, music and a good old fashioned crawdad race. And you thought you had to go to
July
July 4th at Weber Events Center
Stockton
Fireworks show, good eats, an interactive fountain and the Stockton Symphony playing patriotic pops. All for free. Bring a chair.
July 4th: Day in the Park
Tracy
Of course, every city and town and county and country club has its own Fourth of July celebrations. This one is cool because they have hot air balloon lift offs (which probably means no free rides), plus all the regular stuff - you know, fireworks, cotton candy and rides that spin.
Gilroy Garlic Festival
Gilroy
This festival of festivals celebrates the stinky flower we know and love. And since Gilroy produces over 90% of the nation's garlic, there's just no place more deserving the honor of host.
Peach Days at the Cannery
San Francisco
Yes, indeed, the city's Cannery Row actually has a history of being, wow, a cannery. In fact, it used to be one of the largest peach-packing plants in the world. Till they figured out there was more money in tourism and boutique shops. So go eat a peach and enjoy.
August
California Dry Bean Festival
Tracy
Nope, we couldn't celebrate wet beans, now could we? This show features a chili cook-off (at least there is a reason to have a chili cook-off at a bean festival!), car show, and of course, an entire pavilion devoted to bean tasting.
Marin Shakespeare Festival
San Rafael
Outdoor summer theatre featuring plays by the Bard himself, in an amphitheater - can you say "Mid-Summer Night's Dream"?
Steinbeck Festival
Salinas
Paying homage to the great American writer who made Salinas his home. Better read the Grapes of Wrath before going though.
Sonora Blues Festival
A wide variety of blues musicians perform on three stages.
California State Fair
Sacramento
This really big fair features exhibits from each of the counties in the state, showing the best the Golden State has to offer.
September
Zucchini Festival
Angels Camp
Celebration of the long green squash. They judge the size and shape of zucchinis at this festival, and have a cooking contest to see who can use the most imagination to get the most out of their zucchini.
October
Pumpkin Fair
Manteca
Orange and October seem to always go together, don't they?
Welcome Back Monarchs Day
Santa Cruz
Celebrating the annual return of the Monarch butterfly to Santa Cruz County, the over wintering site for Monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains. This 20-year tradition features the wacky Monarch Man and Monarch Woman
December
Miner's Christmas
Columbia
Santa shows up in a stagecoach - no flying reindeer for this pragmatic elf. There's a candlelight parade (let's hope it doesn't rain), carolers, and that hard-to-find-on-the-West-Coast Christmas symbol, roasted chestnuts. Sometimes it even snows.
Lighted Boat Parade
Santa Cruz
One of many nighttime boat parades on the California Coast, this one features 50 houseboats, decorated by their owners, and sailing around Santa Cruz Harbor, lighting the night sky.