Upcoming Events
Surf Rock Dance Party
Celebrate the opening night of KelpFest with live music from The Seismics, a four-piece instrumental surf band from Ocean Beach, San Francisco.
Ocean Keepers Pledge
Ocean Keepers Pledge Ceremony
Pre Parade Gathering
Saturday, October 10 • 11:00am - 11:15am
Portuguese Beach • Main St & Heeser St, Mendocino, CA
Stand on the bluff above the Pacific and make a promise that will last a lifetime.
Before the Seaweed Spectacle Parade winds through downtown Mendocino, KelpFest invites children and adults alike to take the Ocean Keepers Pledge. Together, facing the water, participants will repeat the pledge aloud, committing to protect the ocean, speak up for their ocean friends, and keep our shores and rivers clean.
The gong will sound. The parade will begin. But first — the promise.
Free and open to the public. Children welcome. Sea creature costumes encouraged.
Hosted by: KelpFest!
Seaweed Spectacle Parade
Don’t miss the second annual KelpFest! Parade! Seaweed Spectacle in Mendocino is a vibrant celebration of our ocean’s kelp forests, community creativity, and coastal stewardship, featuring pre and post parade entertainment and programming.
Post Parade Fun
The Kelp Parade on Saturday morning will end at the Mendocino Art Center, where the fun continues with a host of family-friendly activities, food, art and education.
Gallery Tours, Arts & Craft Vendors
The Mendocino Art Center becomes KelpFest’s creative hub for the weekend, featuring hands-on workshops, artist demonstrations, gallery tours, and exhibitions inspired by California’s coastal ecosystems.
Senescence Ceremony on the Beach
As the tide turns and the afternoon light softens, gather on the beach for a closing ritual inspired by the rhythms of the ocean.
Second Saturday Art Walk
Experience Mendocino’s monthly Second Saturday Art Walk with a KelpFest twist at galleries, shops, restaurants, and businesses throughout downtown.
Caspar Beach Sand Sculpture Party
Celebrate the creativity of the coastline by helping build an ever-growing village of sand sculptures on beautiful Caspar Beach.
Picnic & Dock Walk with the Harbormaster
Picnic & Dock Walk with the Harbormaster
Fisheries and Fishing Policy, + BEVRI Plan
Sunday, October 11 • 12:30pm - 2:00pm
South Noyo Harbor • 19101 South Harbor Drive, Fort Bragg
Grab some food from one of the many harbor restaurants and hop across the harbor to join us on the South shore for a picnic lunch in Grader Park.
After lunch, Harbormaster Anna Neumann will lead a Dock Walk as she points out various types of fishing vessels and explains the specific fishery they participate in, the current health of that fishery, how that fishery is managed, how that management affects the fishermen, and how that ripples out into our community economically and culturally.
Hosted by: KelpFest!
Urchin Low Tide Walk & Sunset Celebration
Join local naturalists for an exploration of Van Damme Beach during one of the weekend’s lowest tides.
Gray Whale Mural Celebration
Join in the celebration as the Alleyway Art Project and North Coast Brewing Company celebrate Fort Bragg's newest, largest mural yet, The Gray Whale.
Field Station Open House
Tour the Urchin Ranch, a 40-foot shipping container where overabundant yet starving purple urchins are being fed in a recirculating aquaculture system to create delicious uni.
Indigenous Food Festival and Market
Sample Indigenous foods from land and sea plus browse an Indigenous market with local Pomo arts and crafts.
Senescence Celebration
Celebrate the completion of another year’s growth of the kelp forests and the beginning of a new season of renewal, which we hope will be even more robust than the last.
Mómim Wené: Medicine Water Gallery Tour
Join Curator Meyo Marrufo for a gallery tour of the Mómim Wené: Medicine Water exhibit, organized by the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians' Exhibits and Collections Center.
Post Parade Fun outside The Mendocino Art Center
Kelp art, science, and dance converge outside of Mendocino Art Center—join the celebration and Move Like a Kelp!
Seaweed Spectacle Parade!
Join us for the Kelpfest Parade, a vibrant celebration of our ocean's kelp forests, designed especially for families and children!
First Friday Art Walk
Join your friends and neighbors in downtown Fort Bragg to peruse local art galleries, many with kelp-themed shows, that are open late for the occasion.
A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats: Mobilizing the Blue Economy in Fort Bragg
Explore Noyo Harbor’s vision for a resilient coast with presentations, community stories, and a kelp-themed First Friday.