This Week in SoCal
Street festivals, beach celebrations, county fairs, and special kids events from across Southern California — Orange County, LA, San Diego, and the Inland Empire. Everything you need to plan the outing: dates, cost, and a link to the official site.
Festival dates shift year to year — always confirm on the official site before you go.
Block parties, art walks, and food & culture fairs
Arcadia · Los Angeles
The largest Asian-inspired night market in the U.S. — hundreds of street-food stalls, crafts, and live performances at Santa Anita Park.
Official site & details →Huntington Beach · Orange County
A Bavarian-village celebration with German bands, dancing, and food — daytime family hours before the evening crowds arrive.
Official site & details →Huntington Beach · Orange County
Downtown Main Street becomes a weekly farmers market and street fair with live music, kids' games, and food — an easy weeknight outing.
Official site & details →San Diego · San Diego
An Italian street festival in Little Italy with chalk-art murals, music, food, and a lively piazza the whole family can wander.
2026 dates not yet posted — confirm
Official site & details →Pasadena · Los Angeles
A delightfully absurd, family-friendly 'anti-Rose-Parade' of eccentric floats and costumed marchers through Old Pasadena.
Official site & details →Upland · Inland Empire
Three days of lemon treats, carnival rides, live music, and a Lemon Idol contest in Historic Downtown Upland.
Official site & details →Fullerton · Orange County
OC's largest Pride Month celebration — a community bike parade, vendors, art activities, and two stages, all-ages and free.
Official site & details →Venice · Los Angeles
A free all-ages street party at the Venice Sign with DJs, food trucks, a queer market, and community booths.
Official site & details →Orange · Orange County
A Labor Day weekend tradition in Old Towne Orange with international food booths, live music, and crafts.
Some listings say Sep 4–7 — confirm before you go
Official site & details →San Diego · San Diego
One of the nation's largest Prides, with a huge Hillcrest parade plus a two-day festival at Balboa Park.
Official site & details →Los Angeles · Los Angeles
An Asian & Pacific Islander cultural festival at Echo Park Lake with dragon-boat races, food, and performances.
Official site & details →Los Angeles · Los Angeles
A long-running Japanese-American festival in Little Tokyo with a grand parade, taiko, ondo dancing, and cultural exhibits.
Official site & details →Los Angeles · Los Angeles
Two days of drumming, jazz, and Black cultural arts at the historic Watts Towers campus.
Official site & details →San Pedro · Los Angeles
A Filipino-American arts, food, dance, and music celebration at Point Fermin Park.
Date from an aggregator — confirm on the official site
Official site & details →Long Beach · Los Angeles
Authentic Greek food, live music, dancing, and cooking demos with free parking shuttles.
Official site & details →Garden Grove · Orange County
A Memorial Day weekend classic with strawberry treats, carnival rides, a parade, and the Strawberry Stomp 5K.
2026 edition (May) has ended — returns Memorial Day weekend 2027
Official site & details →Irvine · Orange County
A weekend of Greek food, music, and dancing at Saint Paul's Greek Orthodox Church.
Sources differ (Jun 20–22 vs Jun 26–28) — confirm before you go
Official site & details →Anaheim · Orange County
A classic car show, fall festival, and a beloved nighttime Halloween parade through downtown Anaheim.
Official site & details →San Diego · San Diego
San Diego's largest free music street fair — ~75 acts, carnival rides, circus, and 300 vendors in Normal Heights.
Official site & details →Fallbrook · San Diego
An avocado-themed street festival with guacamole, food trucks, crafts, and kids' activities.
2026 edition (April) has ended — returns April 2027
Official site & details →Indio · Inland Empire
A massive free tamale festival with food, a carnival, music, and family activities.
Official site & details →Riverside · Inland Empire
A free all-ages Pride festival at White Park with vendors, music, and community groups.
2026 edition (May) has ended — returns late May 2027
Official site & details →Temecula · Inland Empire
Greek food, dancing, and music hosted by St. Nicholas at Promenade Temecula.
Official site & details →Palm Desert · Inland Empire
A desert Greek-heritage festival with food, dancing, and cultural booths.
2026 date not yet confirmed — check the official site
Official site & details →Surf contests, harbor celebrations, sand & sea
Huntington Beach · Orange County
The world's largest surf competition turns the sand south of the HB Pier into a free festival with skate ramps, music, and beach activities.
Official site & details →Imperial Beach · San Diego
World-class sand-sculpture artists build giant creations beside the pier, surrounded by live music, vendors, and classic beach fun.
Official site & details →Hermosa Beach · Los Angeles
SoCal's big beach-town festival with four music stages, carnival rides, hundreds of vendors, and food right by the pier.
Official site & details →Fountain Valley · Orange County
A coastal-OC food festival with fresh Maine lobster, live music, carnival rides, and a dedicated kids' zone.
Official site & details →San Diego · San Diego
An end-of-summer Mission Bay celebration with roaring hydroplane boat races, a vendor village, and waterfront family viewing.
Official site & details →Newport Beach · Orange County
A century-old holiday tradition where 100+ lavishly lit boats parade Newport Harbor — magical for kids and free from the waterfront.
Official site & details →County fairs, carnival rides, and fair food
Costa Mesa · Orange County
The quintessential SoCal summer fair — rides, livestock, deep-fried everything, concerts, and contests, all close to home.
Official site & details →Del Mar · San Diego
A massive seaside-adjacent fair at Del Mar with carnival rides, animals, free concerts, and family exhibits over 25 days.
Official site & details →Laguna Beach · Orange County
A woodsy Laguna Canyon village of 200+ artist booths with glassblowing demos, hands-on art classes, and kids' activities under the trees.
Official site & details →Laguna Beach · Orange County
A juried fine-art show paired with the famous 'living pictures' Pageant where actors recreate masterpieces — a uniquely SoCal night out.
Official site & details →San Diego · San Diego
The world's biggest pop-culture expo. Badges sell out by lottery, but families can enjoy free costumed crowds and outdoor activations downtown.
Official site & details →Indio · Inland Empire
A desert classic with camel and ostrich races, an Arabian Nights pageant, date treats, and a full midway — uniquely Inland Empire.
2026 edition has ended — returns Feb 2027; confirm dates
Official site & details →Fountain Valley · Orange County
A family carnival at the Sports Park with rides, two music stages, food, local vendors, and a drone light show.
Official site & details →Tustin · Orange County
A carnival, parade, and live entertainment celebrating Tustin's agricultural heritage, the first weekend of October.
Official site & details →San Diego · San Diego
A free community fair and parade celebrating San Diego's diverse cultures with food and performances.
2026 edition (April) has ended — returns April 2027
Official site & details →Julian · San Diego
A mountain-town harvest festival with apple pies, contests, antique tractors, and kids' games.
Exact 2026 date not yet confirmed — check before you go
Official site & details →Children's festivals and family fun days
San Diego (countywide) · San Diego
A month where kids get free admission, meals, and stays across 60+ San Diego attractions — including the Zoo, LEGOLAND, and SeaWorld.
Official site & details →Los Angeles · Los Angeles
The LA Zoo turns into a not-too-spooky Halloween wonderland with trick-or-treat stations, costume fun, and animal encounters made for younger kids.
Confirm 2026 dates on lazoo.org
Official site & details →Santa Ana · Orange County
A hands-on science playground with signature seasonal events like the fall Pumpkin Launch — learning disguised as a full day of fun.
Official site & details →Carlsbad · San Diego
A theme park built for ages 2–12 with rides, build zones, and rotating seasonal family festivals all year long.
Official site & details →