The Quirkiest Festivals in California

Gilroy is home to one of the largest (and most pungent) festivals in the United States. The Gilroy Garlic Festival has brought together garlic lovers, enthusiasts, and the curious every summer for four decades. Festival goers can enjoy live music and everything garlic here. Yes, everything garlic; garlic cook-offs, garlic souvenirs, garlic-braiding workshops, even garlic-flavored ice cream. Attendees won’t be able to wash the smell of delicious garlic out off their skin for a week.

Arachnophobes may want to take cover during this festival. Held in Coarsegold, locals have gathered every year for over 20 years for all kinds of eight hairy-legged fun. This festival is all about learning about these misunderstood arachnids and having fun. There’s lots of displays, tarantula races, food, and even a costume contest. The Tarantula Awareness Festival is held every October.

The town of Goleta doesn’t let the under appreciated lemon go without celebrating. Like the sour fruit itself, the California Lemon Festival has something for the entire family. Live music that includes bluegrass, folk, and pop bands play the entire weekend. Arts and crafts vendors and booths line Girsh Park, many of which are lemon themed of course. Attendees can enter a lemon cooking contest to show off their zesty skills, or enter a classic pie-eating contest. Samples of everything lemon can be tried and enjoyed. Taste some of the best lemon meringue pie or lemon curds around. Get to Girsh Park in Goleta late September if you don’t want to miss out on all the lemony goodness at the California Lemon Festival! https://www.instagram.com/p/BKvz-FNABQL/?tagged=californialemonfestival

This quirky festival combines the whimsy of “Alice in Wonderland” with all the different uses of cannabis. Held in Sacramento, the entire Cannabis in Wonderland Festival is an eco-friendly celebration with arts and crafts vendors, hemp fashion and foods, and is a learning experience of the diverse possibilities cannabis can play in today’s world. Exact dates for 2018 haven’t been released yet, but we can expect Cannabis in Wonderland to make its appearance in Sacramento in April.