California State Holidays

California State Holidays include the following dates:

• Cesar Chavez Day - March 31, 2026

These are in addition to the US Federal Holidays!

Here is a link to the 2026 State Holidays listing on the State of California government website!

Local California Observance Days

• California Dried Plum Digestive Health Month - Entire Month of January

• California Restaurant Month - Entire Month of January

• Rosa Parks Day - February 4 (State of CA and OH)

• Ronald Reagan Day - February 6

• Susan B. Anthony Day - February 15

• National California Day - February 22

• California Strawberry Day - March 21

• Tsunami Preparedness Week (CA) - March 21-29, 2026 (Typically in March)

• California Poppy Day - April 6

• California Native Plant Week - April 19-25, 2026

• Good Friday - April 3, 2026

• Safe Boating Cold Water Awareness Week (CA) - May 16-22, 2026

• Wildfire Preparedness Week (In California) - May 3-9, 2026

• National Heat Safety Week - May 18-22, 2026

• Harvey Milk Day - May 22

• Beach Safety / Rip Current Awareness Week (CA) - Late April / Early May

• Southwest Monsoon Awareness Week (CA) - June 7-13, 2026

• California State Parks Week - June 10-14, 2026 (1st Observance in 2022)

• Juneteenth - June 19

• California Wine Month - Entire Month of September

• California Admission Day - September 9

• Native Americans Day - September 25, 2026

• Indigenous Peoples Day - October 12, 2026

• Earthquake Awareness Week: Great Shake Out (CA) - October 15, 2026 (Third Thursday in October) Check out the Great California Shakeout website for information

• Flood Preparedness Week (CA) - October 17-24, 2026

California State Flag

Map of California

California Trivia

• The Capital of Giant Trees: California is home to the tallest, largest, and oldest living trees on the planet, including General Sherman, a massive Giant Sequoia in Sequoia National Park that ranks as the largest single-stem tree by volume on Earth.

• The Highest and Lowest Points: California contains both the highest point in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney at 14,505 feet, and the lowest point in North America, Badwater Basin in Death Valley at 282 feet below sea level, located less than 85 miles apart.

• The True Birthplace of the Fortune Cookie: While commonly associated with China, the modern iconic fortune cookie was actually invented in California during the early 1900s, with both Los Angeles and San Francisco claiming the original design.

Overview of California

California Festivals and Events

Discover the most popular celebrations in the region with our curated list of some of the top 15 festivals and events, complete with their verified dates and annual scheduling rules.

2027 Dates:

• January 1, 2027: Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, CA

• January 1, 2027: Rose Parade also known as Tournament of Roses Parade (Never on a Sunday Tradition) in Pasadena, CA

• January 10, 2027: Golden Globe Awards (Beverly Hills, CA)

• January 18-24, 2027: The American Express Tournament (Formerly: CareerBuilder Challenge and Prior to that Bob Hope Classic) (in La Quinta, CA)

• January 30 - February 21, 2027: Chinese New Year Festival and Parade (San Francisco, CA) Parade is on February 20, 2027

• February 7, 2027 - Grammy Awards at the Crypto<.>com Arena in Los Angeles, CA (Date Rule: Held annually on a Sunday in late January or early February to honor outstanding achievements in the music industry)

• February 14, 2027 - Super Bowl Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA (Date Rule: Held annually on the second Sunday of February to determine the champion of the National Football League season)

• February 9–11, 2027 - World Ag Expo at the International Agri-Center in Tulare, CA (Date Rule: Opens annually on the second Tuesday of February for three consecutive days, serving as the world's largest annual outdoor agricultural exposition)

• March 2–5, 2027 - Expo West at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA (Date Rule: Held annually in early March with education sessions starting Tuesday and the main exhibition halls open from Wednesday through Friday, acting as the premier trade show for the natural, organic, and conscious products industry)

• March 14, 2027 - Academy Awards Ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA (Date Rule: Celebrated annually on a Sunday in March to honor scientific, technical, and creative cinematic excellence)

• April 9–11 and April 16–18, 2027 - Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA (Date Rule: Held annually over two consecutive three-day weekends in mid-April, standing as a globally renowned multi-genre music and large-scale art installation festival)

• May 16, 2027 - Bay to Breakers Race across the city streets of San Francisco, CA (Date Rule: Held annually on the third Sunday of May, operating as a historic, costume-filled 12-kilometer footrace that spans from the northeast waterfront to the western ocean shore)

• June 17–20, 2027 - US Open Golf Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, CA (Date Rule: Concludes annually on the third Sunday of June, coinciding with Father's Day weekend, to serve as one of the four major championships in professional golf)

• June 26, 2027 - Mariachi USA Festival at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA (Date Rule: Celebrated annually on a Saturday in late June, serving as the premier and longest-running mariachi music festival in the United States, concluding with a massive fireworks display)

• July 22–25, 2027 - Comic-Con International at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego (Date Rule: Held annually over a four-day block from Thursday through Sunday in late July, serving as the world's premier pop culture, comic book, and entertainment convention drawing massive global crowds)

Lake Tahoe

I was lucky and was able to spend four years living in the small ski town of Truckee, CA about 15 minutes from Lake Tahoe. It's my dream to relocate back to Tahoe City one day.  I loved the area so much, that my first website was about the town of Truckee and the Lake Tahoe area - Truckee Travel Guide.

Below is a picture that I took of one of my favorite places at Lake Tahoe - Emerald Bay on the West side of the Lake.

National Parks in California

• Channel Islands National Park

• Death Valley National Park

• Joshua Tree National Park

• Kings Canyon National Park

• Lassen Volcanic National Park

• Pinnacles National Park

• Redwood National and State Parks

• Sequoia National Park

• Yosemite National Park

For additional information on California State Parks, visit the National Park Service.

State Parks in California

There are 110 State Parks in California.  The State Parks website is a great resource to find detailed information on all of the State Parks as well as the National Parks: https://www.stateparks.com/ca.html

• California State Parks Week - June 10-14, 2026 (1st Observance in 2022) 

California State Facts and History

Explore the core identity and rich heritage of the region with our comprehensive guide to its official state history, symbols, and unique characteristics:

• California became the 31st State on September 9, 1850

• California State Abbreviation: CA

• California State Capital:  Sacramento

• California State Amphibian: California Red-Legged Frog

• California State Animal: California Grizzly Bear

• California State Bird: California Quail

• California State Butterfly/Insect: California Dogface Butterfly

• California State Colors: Blue and Gold

• California State Dance: West Coast Swing

• California State Dog: N/A

• California State Fish: California Golden Trout

• California State Flower: California Poppy

• California State Gemstone: Benitoite

• California State Mammal: Grey Whale

• California State Mineral: Gold

• California State Motto: Eureka!

• California State Nickname: The Golden State

• California State Nut: N/A

• California State Pet: A Shelter Pet

• California State Reptile: Desert Tortoise

• California State Rock: Serpentine

• California State Tree: California Redwood

California Resources

If you would like to find out some additional information about California, these are some of our suggested sites to check out:

• California's Harvest (Facebook Page) - https://www.facebook.com/CalHarvest

• California State Governors Website: California Governor

• California State Web Portal - https://www.ca.gov/
  

• California - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California

• Visit California website - http://www.visitcalifornia.com/

Pinterest Board of California

Please Follow our Holidays and Observances US State of California Board on Pinterest - below you will see our most recent pins to this photo board!

Click on the FOLLOW-ON PINTEREST bar right above, (link opens to our Pinterest Board) to see all the rest of our photos on this board, and to Follow the board. New photos will be constantly added!