Orange County’s festival calendar runs twelve months, from Lunar New Year at Golden West College to the Christmas Boat Parade in Newport Harbor.
I ranked the annual staples by scale, longevity, and how often locals actually plan around them. A million-visitor fair beats a one-weekend street party, and a century-old boat parade beats a brand-new pop-up.
If you only pick one summer weekend, make it the OC Fair in Costa Mesa. Huntington’s US Open of Surfing owns the pier in late July, and Old Towne Orange’s International Street Fair owns Labor Day.
Laguna Canyon stacks Sawdust and the Festival of Arts with Pageant of the Masters all summer. Winter belongs to Newport’s Christmas Boat Parade, spring to Dana Point’s Festival of Whales, and Memorial Day to Garden Grove’s Strawberry Festival.
Pair this calendar with the free family events by month guide, the July 4th roundup, and the 500 Things to Do list when you want something between festivals.
OC Fair (Costa Mesa)
The OC Fair is the county’s biggest annual gathering, routinely drawing more than a million visitors across a month of Wednesdays through Sundays at the fairgrounds.
Expect carnival rides, Centennial Farm livestock, exhibit halls, fair food, and headliners at Pacific Amphitheatre. Tickets, parking, and the current season live on the OC Fair site, with our deeper walk-through in the OC Fair complete guide.
In 2026 the fair ran mid-July into mid-August. Gates sit at 88 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa.
US Open of Surfing (Huntington Beach)
The US Open turns downtown Huntington Beach into a week-long surf festival around the pier, with roughly half a million spectators in a typical year.
World-tour surfing shares the sand with skate and BMX contests, vendor villages, and a music stage. Dates and tickets land on the US Open of Surfing listings each summer.
Map the pier at Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach. Arrive early; beach lots fill by mid-morning.
Orange International Street Fair (Orange)
Labor Day weekend belongs to Old Towne Orange. Since 1973 the free International Street Fair has turned Chapman, Glassell, Olive, and Orange into fourteen ethnic food streets with eight stages.
Orange Plaza Traditions runs it with the city. Hours, maps, and vendor notes live at orangestreetfair.org.
For 2026 that meant September 4–6. Start at the Circle fountain in Plaza Square Park near Chapman Avenue and Glassell Street, Orange.
Sawdust Art Festival (Laguna Beach)
Sawdust is the eucalyptus-grove art camp that has filled Laguna Canyon every summer since 1966, with roughly 150 to 180 local artists in booths, demos, and classes.
Open daily from late June into early September, with later Friday and Saturday hours. Tickets, artist directories, and theme days sit on the Sawdust Art Festival site.
Park and walk in at 935 Laguna Canyon Rd, Laguna Beach.
Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters (Laguna Beach)
Across the canyon from Sawdust, the Festival of Arts has shown Orange County artists since 1932, with the Pageant of the Masters staging living tableaux under the stars each night.
The outdoor amphitheater show is the reason people plan a Laguna summer trip around tickets. Grounds hours, Pageant schedules, and seating live at foapom.com.
Find the gates at 650 Laguna Canyon Rd, Laguna Beach.
Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade (Newport Beach)
Newport Harbor’s Christmas Boat Parade has run for more than a century, with over a hundred lit yachts, kayaks, and canoes on a roughly fourteen-mile night route.
The 118th edition is set for December 16–20, 2026, starting around 6:30 p.m. from the tip of Lido Isle.
Route maps and viewing tips live at christmasboatparade.com and Visit Newport Beach.
The largest public viewing lawn is Marina Park at 1600 W Balboa Blvd, Newport Beach.
UVSA Tết Festival (Huntington Beach)
The Union of Vietnamese Student Associations stages one of the largest Tết celebrations outside Vietnam, with a culture village, stage shows, contests, and Little Saigon food vendors.
In 2026 the festival ran February 13–15 at Golden West College. Confirm the next Lunar New Year weekend on the UVSA and Enjoy OC festival calendars before you drive.
Campus address is 15744 Goldenwest St, Huntington Beach.
Garden Grove Strawberry Festival (Garden Grove)
Memorial Day weekend in Garden Grove means free admission to the Strawberry Festival at Village Green, with the giant shortcake slice, Saturday parade, carnival rides, and Garden Amp concerts.
Schedules, parade routes, and ride wristbands sit on strawberryfestival.org. The 2026 dates were May 22–25.
Grounds center on Main Street and Euclid Street, Garden Grove.
Festival of Whales (Dana Point)
Dana Point’s Festival of Whales marks the gray whale migration with a harbor weekend of whale-watch boats, a parade, sand sculpture, marine talks, and waterfront vendors.
The 55th ran in early March 2026; organizers already point to March 5–7, 2027 for the 56th. Full programs land on festivalofwhales.com.
Most activity clusters around Dana Point Harbor near 34555 Street of the Golden Lantern, Dana Point.
Honorable mentions
OC Japan Fair fills the Costa Mesa fairgrounds twice a year with anime, J-pop, and Japanese food vendors. Fall 2026 is October 16–18 at 88 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa; details at oc-japanfair.com.
Swallows Day Parade in downtown San Juan Capistrano is one of the largest non-motorized parades in the country each March, tied to the Mission’s swallow return.
Knott’s Boysenberry Festival turns Buena Park into a spring food festival inside the park. Pacific Airshow owns the Huntington Beach coastline each early October.
For more single-weekend picks already on OC Drop, see the Irvine Greek Fest, Fountain Valley SummerFest, and Doheny Surf and Art Festival guides.
Comparing your options at a glance
| Festival | City | Typical timing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| OC Fair | Costa Mesa | July–August | Biggest overall |
| US Open of Surfing | Huntington Beach | Late July–early August | Beach + contest vibe |
| Orange International Street Fair | Orange | Labor Day weekend | Free food streets |
| Sawdust Art Festival | Laguna Beach | Late June–early September | Local artists |
| Festival of Arts / Pageant | Laguna Beach | July–early September | Living tableaux |
| Christmas Boat Parade | Newport Beach | Mid–late December | Holiday lights on water |
| UVSA Tết Festival | Huntington Beach | Lunar New Year | Vietnamese New Year |
| Strawberry Festival | Garden Grove | Memorial Day weekend | Free community fair |
| Festival of Whales | Dana Point | Early March | Harbor + whale season |
People Also Ask…
The OC Fair in Costa Mesa is the largest, routinely drawing more than a million visitors across roughly a month each summer at 88 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa, CA 92626.
Orange International Street Fair and the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival are free admission. You still pay for food, rides, and some entertainment.
It runs Labor Day weekend in Old Towne Orange. In 2026 that was September 4–6 around Plaza Square Park at Chapman and Glassell.
Marina Park at 1600 W Balboa Blvd is the largest public viewing area. Balboa Island and the Fun Zone are strong backup spots along the harbor route.
Early March, timed to the gray whale migration. The 56th annual is announced for March 5–7, 2027 around Dana Point Harbor.
No. Sawdust is at 935 Laguna Canyon Rd; Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters are across the canyon at 650 Laguna Canyon Rd. Both run most of the summer.
