Arts
- Simply the best of Lodi
- Star watch: Enjoy a movie in style
- Lo (ho, ho, ha, ha) di
- Rhythm of the night
- A season for a festival
- Keeping it cool: Jazz scene popular in Lodi
Food
- Much more than secret sauce
- Edible, incredible Lodi offers food treats for finicky feasters
- List of area restaurants
Recreation
- Take off!
- Par for the course
- Mokelumne River more than Lodi's northern border
- Fun in them there hills
- Nearby nature: Spend a day exploring Lodi Lake
- Outstanding ornithology: Birds just love Lodi
Shopping
- L.O.D.I. spells hidden treasure in antiques
- Dollars and sense: There are plenty of places to shop in Lodi and the surrounding area
- Chocolate lovers rejoice!
- Find the perfect ‘Lodi' gift
Things To Do
- Perfect day includes walking, eating, playing
- Time alone or with family can be perfect
- Lodi's past comes alive
- Museum reveals Lodi's ag roots
- Move over Wonka
- In all directions, fun is a stone's throw from Lodi
- Discover: The big list
Wine
A season for a festival
No matter the reason or the time of the year, there's a festival to celebrate
No matter what time of year you visit the Lodi area, chances are there's a festival going on. Here's a partial list:
Spring
Cherry Blossom Festival: April 15-16, 22-23 in Japantown, San Francisco. (415) 563-2313.
Apple Blossom Festival: April 29-30 in Sebastopol. Parade on Saturday, music on various stages, craft booths, food booths, including children's area, wine and food tastings and more. (707) 823-3032.
Asparagus Festival: Fourth weekend of April in downtown Stockton. All things asparagus at the annual event, plus music, crafts, contests and entertainment. 644-3740.
Zinfest: May 19-21 at Lodi Lake. Cooking demos, live entertainment, wine seminars, wine games and more. 367-4727.
Artichoke Festival: May 20-21 in Castroville. Fun run, car show, RV jamboree, entertainment and lots of 'choke dishes. (831) 633-2465 or info@artichoke-festival.org.
Cherry Festival: May 21 at Linden Elementary School Campus. Food, live entertainment and more. 547-3046.
Chocolate Festival: May 20-21 in Oakdale. Chocolate tasting, arts and crafts booths, food, entertainment and children's activities. 847-2244.
Strawberry Festival: May 20-21 in Galt. Arts and crafts, strawberry products, fun run and live entertainment. 745-2529.
Sacramento Jazz Jubilee: May 27-29 at various Sacramento locations. Regional and national jazz musicians convene at this annual event. Food vendors abound. Lodging available. (916) 372-5277.
Summer
Art on the Square: June 6-7 at Hutchins Street Square in Lodi. An art, music and wine festival with fine art displays, all-day entertainment and Lodi Appellation wines. 333-5511.
Apricot Fiesta: June 2-4 in Patterson. Parade, food booths, craft fair, children's game area and more. 892-3118.
Art Festival: June 3 in downtown Walnut Creek. Music, children's area and craft vendors. (925) 934-2007.
Wine and Sausage Festival: June 12 in downtown Lodi. Live entertainment, wine tasting, arts and crafts and lots of sausage. 369-8052.
Crawdad Festival: June 16-18 in Isleton. All things cajun at this crustacean event including live music, entertainment and a ton of crawdads. Food vendors, crafts, art and games. (916) 777-5880.
Obon Festival: July 15-16 at the Buddhist Church of Lodi. Japanese food, music, Taiko drums, bazaar and more. 368-5589.
Tours des Fleurs: July 15 in Half Moon Bay. Private nursery tours highlighting flowers. (650) 726-8380 ext. 100.
Lake Tahoe Summer Music Festival: July 20-Aug. 12 at various Lake Tahoe venues. (530) 583-3101 and http://www.tahoemusic.org.
Garlic Festival: July 28-30 in Gilroy. Garlic, food and family fun at this annual event. (408) 842-1625.
Bear Valley Music Festival: July 29-Aug. 13 in Bear Valley. Featuring bluegrass, jazz, opera, orchestral, Broadway and pop. Wine and food available. (800) 458-1618 or http://www.bearvalleymusic.org.
Cabrillo Music, Art, Food and Wine Festival: Aug. 5-6 on Church Street in Santa Cruz. Fine artists, craft vendors, food artisans and Santa Cruz wineries take to the streets. (831) 426-6966 or http://www.cabrillomusic.org.
Fall
Oktoberfest: Sept. 30 on C St. in Galt. Traditional German dancers, German beer, bratwurst, food and craft booths.
The Our Lady of Fatima celebration: third weekend in October at 26500 N. Sacramento Blvd., Thornton. Parades, dancing, Catholic Masses, food and bullfighting. (209) 794-2661.
Seafood Festival: Sept. 9-10 at the Marina in Pittsburg. Water activities, arts and crafts pavilion and air show. (925) 432-7301.
California Dry Bean Festival: Sept. 9-10 in Tracy. Two-day event with emphasis on beans. Kids' area, arts and crafts, food, plus the bean tasting pavilion and chili cook-off. 835-2131.
Tomato Festival: Sept. 10 at Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley. Food, wine tasting, tomato eating, and live music. http://www.tomatofest.com.
Eggplant Festival: Oct. 7 in Main Street, Loomis. Food, arts, crafts, entertainment, cooking contest, outdoor activities and classic car show. (916) 652-7252.
Candy Festival: Oct. 8 in downtown Fairfield. Candy samples, candy vendors, magic shows, face painting, crafts and music. (707) 422-0103.
Sandhill Crane Festival: Nov. 3-5. at Hutchins Street Square, Lodi. Nature tours, wildlife demos, music, dance, birds of prey, workshops, art show, storytelling and hands-on exhibits. 367-7840.