DISCOVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA'S
EVENTS AND FESTIVALS

These are the happenings that celebrate the joie de vivre of an area - whether they are about food, music, dance, drink, nature, or ethnic diversity - put a sparkle in our eyes, a smile on our faces, and a spring in our steps!

So I'm gathering Northern California's celebrations together in one place for your pleasure and convenience. This is a work in progress and I'll be adding more, but if your event is missing and you'd like it included, just let me know here.

Find the best prices on North State hotels at HotelsCombined:

Sharing Corn on the Cob

Looking for Festivals that center on a favorite food? Those are
my favorites, too! Take a look at Fun Food Festivals

And if you need a Northern California hotel for your festival hopping, compare prices at HotelsCombined before you book!

Have you, or has your group or circle, thought about putting on an event or a festival for your community?

If so, the thought may soon have become overwhelming! You probably had way more questions than you had answers.

Although I have taken part in the planning and production of events and festivals, I am by no means an expert. Nonetheless, I thought I could put down a few ideas to get you started and to point you in the right direction to learn more.

These are a few of the topics you'll want to consider:

• The purpose of your festival
  Do you want to make money? Create community? Have an economic impact on your area? Educate?
• A theme for your festival
  Possible themes include (but are not limited to) music and the arts, local history, ethnicity or culture, agriculture, holidays or seasonal events, arts and crafts/hobbies, a local industry, natural resources.
• A name for your festival
  Try to find a name that is unique and attention grabbing (it could even be kind of whacky, fun, or crazy).
• The best date to hold your festival
  Take into consideration things like the weather, conflicting events, time of year...
• A budget and funding for your festival
  Along with deciding on a budget, you'll want to figure out how you'll fund your festival (at least for the first year or so).
• A structure for your festival
  Will you have entertainment? Field trips and seminars? Trade shows? Childrens' activities? Vendors?
• Making your festival happen
  You'll want volunteers, partners, possibly even paid staff, to ensure that everything is completed timely and efficiently.
• Publicizing your festival
  Obviously, you'll want to utilize traditional media such as newsletters, TV and radio, newspapers, etc., but don't overlook the Internet. Be sure to build a website or at least a web page for your festival - that's where a lot of people are looking!
• After your festival
  Don't think it's over yet! There's a lot of important work to be done still, like a Survivor's Party to celebrate!! In addition, you'll want to debrief, evaluate, send thank yous, and begin the prep for next year.

That's the short list. If you'd like more information about festival planning, check out these articles and videos at eHow.com.

You'll find Northern California events and festivals occur during each and every month of the year!

Please continue your exploration of what Northern California has to offer by using the Nav Bar at the left, by using the links at the bottom of the page, or by using the customized search box below to find the specific topic that interests you.

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