Date ideas in California: 652 listings in 37 counties. Evenings out, scenic spots and shared experiences for two. Details can change. Check with the venue before you go. This is page 4 of 4, with 11 counties and 142 listings.
Guided tours of William Randolph Hearst's hilltop estate, including an Accessibly Designed Grand Rooms Tour; daytime tickets include the film "Hearst Castle - Building the Dream."
Hours
Tour times vary by season, most from 9am; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Reservations up to 60 days ahead are strongly recommended.
Cost
Grand Rooms, Upstairs Suites or Cottages & Kitchen tours: adults $35, children 5-12 $18 (includes $5.50 registration fee)
Calling all foodies: author Katya Lezin presents But First, Food, her recipe-filled memoir. Light refreshments provided; books available for purchase and signing.
An artist reception for Mary Alice Copp's oil landscapes of California places she loves, including Yosemite, the Pinnacles and the golden hills behind Danville.
Adventure and culture documentary shorts curated from Mountainfilm in Telluride, supporting Second Harvest Food Bank. Some films contain adult language.
Vintage excursion cars covered in thousands of lights roll through the streets of Santa Cruz, with a holiday sing-along, live music, hot spiced cider and a visit from Santa. One-hour ride on Roaring Camp's Beach Train.
Dates
Nov 27, 2026 – Dec 23, 2026
Hours
Departs 5pm and 6:30pm
Cost
Canopy cars adults $58.25, children $38.11; first-class coach adults $74.15, children $48.71; under 2 free (includes a $10 myboardwalkcard)
Sandra Bernhard brings her Caught Off Guard tour to the Rio, guiding the audience through "these treacherous times" with "a groove, beat and style you've become accustomed to."
Pianist Benny Green, who grew up in Berkeley and whom Oscar Peterson named as his protégé in 1992, plays Kuumbwa; he has focused on solo piano performance since 2020.
Dates
Monday, November 30, 2026
Hours
7:00 pm (doors and dinner 6:00 pm)
Ages
All ages
Cost
$46.62 advance, $52.50 at the door, $42.00 members, $26.25 students (all-in pricing)
The Santa Cruz Yacht Club's 39th annual parade of 50 decorated power and sailboats through the harbor, rain or shine. Hot drinks and snacks are available around the south harbor.
Juilliard-trained pianist Isaiah J. Thompson, a member of the John Pizzarelli Trio since 2019, plays A Guaraldi Holiday: a program celebrating the beloved holiday compositions of Vince Guaraldi.
Dates
Tuesday, December 8, 2026
Hours
7:00 pm (doors and dinner 6:00 pm)
Ages
All ages
Cost
$40.79 advance, $42.00 at the door, $36.75 members, $21.00 students (all-in pricing)
Local artist Julia Townsend leads a 3-hour hands-on jewelry redesign workshop: bring a few pieces from home and leave with a couple of unique new ones. Tools provided; registration required.
Wave-carved sea arch, a family-friendly beach and tide pools on the edge of Santa Cruz. From late fall into winter, thousands of monarch butterflies cluster in the park's Monarch Grove. No dogs.
Hours
8am-sunset; visitor center daily 11am-4pm through Jan 31
Downtown art and history museum with rotating exhibitions, weekly Open Archives hours and a busy calendar of classes, talks and community celebrations.
Hours
Mon 9am-1pm; Thu-Fri 12-8pm; Sat-Sun 12-6pm
Cost
Suggested admission $10; seniors, students, teachers and veterans $8; members and under 5 free
UC Santa Cruz's hands-on aquarium on the bluff above Monterey Bay: a seawater touch tank, Monterey Bay tanks, and one of the largest blue whale skeletons on display. Daily tours are included with admission.
Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-4pm
Cost
Ticket prices vary by age (see source); children under 3, UCSC students and members do not need a ticket
Walking paths through rare plant collections from around the world, with seasonal blooms and wide views. Free admission for everyone on the first Tuesday of each month. No pets.
Holiday comedy in the intimate Cobblestone Theatre: to keep her mother from finding out she's divorced, Wendy pays her ex to pose as her husband for the holidays, and havoc ensues.
Help Amador Cellars celebrate 22 years in Amador County with a specially curated list of wines, live music by 4Thought and authentic Argentinian fare from the Buenos Aires food truck. Holiday wine specials and raffle prizes. Reservations online or by calling the tasting room.
The six-member America Made Band pays tribute to Toby Keith with a night of country music, patriotism and party anthems. Open seating; beer and wine available.
Family holiday play by Ken and Jack Ludwig staged in Baker Street West's immersive Victorian London setting. The theatre is up 30+ stairs with no elevator.
Jackson's footbridge beside the National Hotel glows with an immersive tunnel of holiday lights, with even more lights this year for picture-perfect photos.
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Lacy J. Dalton, a North American Country Music Association International Hall of Fame inductee, kicks off the holidays with Christmas music and her country songs. Open seating; beer and wine available.
A holiday tradition of angelic singing, instrumental wizardry and championship Irish step dancing, with vocalist Amelia Hogan and Molly's Revenge fiddler John Weed. Open seating; beer and wine available.
Dates
Dec 4, 2026
Hours
Doors 7:30pm; show 8pm
Cost
$30 advance; $35 day of show; $15 kids 12 and under
Make a handmade grapevine wreath from Fraser Family vines with winter holiday decorations provided. Wine and light bites are included; sign up by November 27.
A Christmas holiday show of classic 1950s and '60s rock and roll, fronted by Frankie Adele, former lead singer of the original Sha Na Na. Open seating; beer and wine available.
Steiner Road wineries on Amador County's first wine trail offer festive tastings, small bites and holiday discounts, with 100% of net ticket proceeds going to the Interfaith Foodbank of Amador County. Online tickets through Dec 3; limited day-of tickets at participating wineries. Reservations may be required at some wineries.
Holiday stroll through 1894 Preston Castle styled as Christmas past. Gate entry gets you Santa, the gift shop and a craft fair; touring the castle costs extra. Tickets go on sale in November.
Dates
Dec 12, 2026
Hours
Sat Dec 12; Santa 12:30-2pm
Cost
Gate entry free (Santa, gift shop, craft fair); self-guided castle tour $25 ages 12+, $15 ages 6-12, under 5 free
The 19th annual lighted holiday parade down Main Street, rain or shine, with arts and crafts vendors in the auditorium from 1-8pm and food vendors at both ends of Main Street. Roads close at 5pm; a free shuttle runs from the Italian Picnic Grounds 3-5:30pm and after the parade.
Award-winning blues guitarist and soul-deep singer Coco Montoya, a protégé of Albert Collins, plays the intimate 215-seat historic theater. His last show here sold out.
A rollicking evening of humor and song as yodeling cowboy Sourdough Slim and string wizard Robert Armstrong revive country blues, vintage jazz and cowboy classics with vaudevillian flair.
Gold Country's own Black Irish Band brings 35 years of up-beat acoustic folk: Irish, Scottish, Italian and American songs, maritime and railroad tunes and Western ballads that appeal to all ages.
Northern California's Chuck Bradley and The Damn Liars bring vintage rock and roll, outlaw country and roadhouse blues, with Sacramento country-rock band Burke opening.
A tribute to the supergroup that never played live, with Wilburys hits like Handle With Care and End of the Line plus favorites from Harrison, Petty, Orbison, Dylan and Lynne. Back by popular demand after a sold-out show.
A 50-minute naturalist-guided walking tour descends about 100 feet into three chambers of a vertical cave with spectacular formations and a blue lake. Five flights of stairs.
Hours
Daily; weekdays 10 or 11am-4pm (the site lists both; call (888) 488-1960), Sat-Sun 10am-5pm; closed Thanksgiving
Gold Country fine art gallery with a new featured artist each month, celebrated with a free public reception and refreshments on the first Saturday, 2-4pm, part of the self-guided Amador Art Trek.
Self-guided digital tour of 45 historic sites along Jackson's Civil War-era Main Street, followed on your phone. Pair it with the 21 bronze plaques that mark Main Street buildings.
Home to North America's largest collection of bedrock mortars and California's largest roundhouse still used by Native Americans, with a museum and walking trails in the Sierra foothills.
Hours
Park sunrise to sunset; museum 10am-4pm, closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day
A holiday double bill. A Krampus Carol is a wickedly funny holiday play in which Santa's jolly reign is challenged by Krampus, the horned, mischief-loving creature of European folklore. A VHS Christmas Carol is an entirely sung-through one-act musical that tells A Christmas Carol with 80s synth-pop music.
An evening of flamenco with Adam Del Monte, an internationally acclaimed flamenco guitarist and Hollywood session musician, at monca, the Museum of Northern California Art.
Two nights with the Los Angeles band, three-time GRAMMY winners, blending Latin, hip-hop, funk, reggae and rock. Early access 5:30pm, general doors 6pm.
Two nights of Americana with bluegrass roots from the California band led by brothers Ben and Alex Morrison; each night sold separately. Early access 5:30pm, general doors 6pm.
The internationally acclaimed Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández presents the traditions, music and dance of México, as it has for more than 70 years.
The original 1966 Broadway version of the musical about Charity Hope Valentine, a hopelessly romantic dance hall hostess in New York City, with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and a book by Neil Simon.
A performance that blends storytelling, music, dance and acrobatics into a celebration of connection and shared humanity, inspired by African traditions and contemporary movement.
Chico's city park, with Lower, Middle and Upper Park trails, the Caper Acres playground (closed Mondays) and the Peregrine Point disc golf course. The Horseshoe Lake gate (Parking Lot E) is closed to vehicles Sundays, Mondays and in inclement weather.
Hours
Most Lower Park lots and gates 7:30am-7pm (October-March); Main Upper Park gate 5:30am-9pm
Below-sea-level desert of extremes with Badwater Basin (-282 ft, lowest point in North America), Mesquite Dunes, Zabriskie Point and dark Milky Way skies. Open 24 hours year-round, but some facilities, roads and services keep seasonal hours, areas may close in unsafe weather, and summer brings record heat.
Hours
Open year-round, 24 hours a day (some facilities, roads and services have seasonal or daily hours)
Free classic film screenings: The Maltese Falcon (Oct 27), Casablanca (Nov 10), Arsenic and Old Lace (Nov 24), Forrest Gump (PG-13, Dec 8) and Beauty and the Beast (G, Dec 22). Doors 5:30pm; concessions for purchase; assistive listening devices available.
Dates
Tuesdays Oct 27, Nov 10, Nov 24, Dec 8 and Dec 22, 2026
Weeknight suppers with Shannon Ridge wines at The Mercantile, each night with a guest food maker: Taco Tuesday with La Chilanguita, Buck Shack + Burgers with Saw Shop Sawmill, Thirsty Thursday with Rosie's Bread n' Butter and Pizza Friday with DoughBaby Artisan Pizza.
Dates
Weekly through December 11, 2026: Taco Tuesday, Buck Shack + Burgers, Thirsty Thursday and Pizza Friday
Lake County Office of Education's Norton Planetarium shows, each about an hour, hosted by astronomer Angelo Parisi, followed (weather permitting) by a look at the night sky through the observatory's telescopes. Fri Oct 30: Danger from Outer Space!; Sat Nov 14: STARS; Sat Nov 21: The Hot and Energetic Universe.
Dates
Oct 30, Nov 14 and Nov 21, 2026
Hours
7:30-8:30pm show; telescope viewing 8:30-11pm
Cost
Adults $10; students free; under 5 free; families of 4 or more can register together for $5
Paella dinner at the ranch winery on the first Wednesday of each month; wine sold by the glass and bottle. Book on Tock; when checked, Tock showed no open booking (the 6pm seating was sold out), so call ahead: 707-994-4068.
Dates
Wed Nov 4 and Wed Dec 2, 2026
Hours
5-7pm
Cost
$25 per person ($10 pre-paid deposit, $15 on the night)
On the first Friday of each month, Visions Art Gallery spotlights its current artists with a different local musician and a featured local winery. Free to attend.
Dates
First Fridays: November 6 and December 4, 2026; January 1 and February 5, 2027
Eleven bands and more than 40 Lake County musicians in one night, raising funds for local musicians, entertainers and academic programs. Doors 5:30pm; open seating.
Dates
Nov 11, 2026
Hours
6-9pm
Cost
$25 in advance; $30 at the door; $5 off for veterans and military with ID
A screening of the 1975 rated-R cult musical. Doors 8pm; games and activities 8:30pm. Under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian 21 or older; bring ID.
A fundraiser for the local dance group with a red carpet, dancing, charcuterie and photos, plus a preview of the company's 2027 competition dances. Open seating.
The Lake County Symphony's fall concert, conducted by John Parkinson, with an opening performance by the Lake County Adult and Youth Concert Orchestra. Doors 1:30pm.
Now in its fourth year, Lakeport's Main Street glows with festively decorated Christmas trees, each styled by local businesses, families, classrooms and groups. Stroll downtown to enjoy the display through the holidays.
The Lake County Symphony Association's annual Christmas concert, conducted by John Parkinson, with an opening performance by the Lake County Adult and Youth Concert Orchestra. Doors 1:30pm.
A park on Clear Lake, California's oldest and largest freshwater lake, with swimming, boating, fishing and wildlife viewing. Dogs only in the parking lot, on paved roads and in campgrounds.
Guided walks from the Kelley House Museum. Haunted Mendocino visits the town's well-known ghost stories; the Murder, She Wrote tour visits landmarks from the TV series. Advance tickets recommended.
Dates
Oct 21-Dec 16, 2026
Hours
Haunted Mendocino: Oct 21, 28, Nov 4, 18, 25, Dec 2, 9, 16 5-6:30pm; Oct 24, 31 5pm and 7pm; Nov 14, 28 7-8:30pm. Murder, She Wrote: Nov 2 10-11:30am; Nov 7, 14 11:30am-1:30pm; Nov 12 11am-12:30pm
Mendocino Theatre Company stages Joe Landry's adaptation as a live 1940s radio broadcast, directed by Ricci Dedola. Thu Nov 12 is pay what you will. Box office 707-937-4477.
Dates
Nov 5-Dec 13, 2026
Hours
Evenings 7:30pm; Sun matinees 2pm (Nov 15, 22, 29, Dec 6, 13)
A group exhibition curated by PressYess, featuring work by eight Art Explorers studio artists and eight visiting artists, with an opening reception on November 6.
Dates
November 6, 2026-January 30, 2027 (opening reception November 6, 5-7pm; gallery open Tuesday-Saturday, so the last open day is Saturday, January 30)
A world premiere written and directed by Jeremy Daw, in which a lawyer works with a defendant's four personalities to piece together a murder case. Audience Q&A with the writer-director after each performance.
Symphony of the Redwoods' Fall Concert features violist Paul Yarbrough in Britten's Lachrymae, alongside Sibelius's King Kristian II Suite and Dvorak's Symphony No.7, at Cotton Auditorium.
Dates
November 7–8, 2026
Hours
Saturday, 7:30PM; Sunday, 2:00PM; 30-minute pre-concert lecture Sat 6.30pm / Sun 1pm
Cost
$30 general; $15 ages 19–29; free for 18 and under with an accompanying adult
Naturalist and mycologist Mario Abreu gives a roughly 45-minute introduction to mushroom identification, then a 2-hour guided field walk, starting at the Gardens Farmhouse. Advance registration required; capacity limited.
A Sunday afternoon of violin and piano duos with violinist Hrabba Atladottir and pianist Paul Schrage, part of the Opus Chamber Music Series at Preston Hall.
A handmade light show by Gardens staff and volunteers along lighted garden pathways, rain or shine. No dogs; free parking shuttle from the Mendocino College lot at 1211 Del Mar Dr.
Dates
Fri-Sun, Nov 27-Dec 20, 2026
Hours
Doors 5pm; tickets sold until 7pm
Cost
Adults $16 in advance, $26 at the door; 16 and under free
Catch the Met's Live in HD opera season on the big screen at Arena Theater, a 1928 movie house restored by volunteers in downtown Point Arena. Senior single tickets are discounted.
Dates
Saturday mornings: Dec 5, 2026; Jan 23, Mar 20, Apr 3, Apr 24 and Jun 5, 2027
Hours
Doors at 9:15 a.m. / telecast at 9:55am (unless otherwise noted)
The second concert of the Ukiah Symphony's 26-27 season, with violinist Jeremy Cohen; the program includes Florence Price's Adoration, Taquito Militar and Bloch's Nigun Improvisation from Baal Shem.
A funny, moving and offbeat play about Barry Champlain, Cleveland's controversial late-night radio host, on the eve of his show's national syndication. Rated mature for language, themes and content.
Baroque duo Beneath a Tree, violinist Gail Hernández Rosa and double bassist Daniel Turkos, mixes early music with folk and contemporary sounds in this Opus Chamber Music Series concert.
The Winter Concert pairs Beethoven's Egmont: Overture with Glazunov's Concerto for Alto Saxophone featuring Wenbo Yin, plus Glazunov's Serenade No.1 and Kashperova's Symphony in B minor.
Dates
January 30–31, 2027
Hours
Saturday, 7:30PM; Sunday, 2:00PM; pre-concert lecture Sat 6:30pm / Sun 1pm
Cost
$30 general; $15 ages 19–29; free for 18 and under with an accompanying adult
The 26th annual Crab Cake Cook-Off & Wine Tasting Competition at South Noyo Harbor, a benefit for Mendocino Coast Clinics. Online sales open November 15, 2026.
The third concert of the Ukiah Symphony's 26-27 season, with Rebecca Roudman and Dirty Cello, including Beethoven's Coriolan Overture and Concerto for the Modern Woman by Jason Eckl.
Spend Valentine's Day afternoon with the Mendocino Woodwind Quintet: principal Symphony of the Redwoods players and local artists in chamber music for winds and piano.
Beach, bluff, headland, dune, forest and wetland, with tide pools, seals on the offshore rocks and more than 90 bird species at Cleone Lake. Boardwalk at Laguna Point. Dogs not allowed at the seal rookery, Virgin Creek Beach or Ten Mile Beach and Dunes.
A 47-acre botanical garden with more than 4 miles of trails, about a half-mile walk from the main entrance to the ocean. Leashed dogs welcome; free parking.
Hours
Nov-Mar daily 9am-4pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Cost
$24 adults; $19 seniors 65+; $9 ages 6-17; 5 and under free; $11 Mendocino County residents
Hamlet returns to the historic Nevada Theatre in a bold new production directed by veteran actor, director and educator John Deaderick, who calls it his swan song.
Dates
Thursday-Sunday, October 29-November 8
Hours
7:30pm; Sunday matinees at 2:00pm; special Saturday matinee October 31
Cost
$27.70 general admission, $38.10 reserved (including fees)
Solas, called "the finest Celtic ensemble this country has ever produced" by the Boston Globe, plays its 30th anniversary tour with founders Séamus Egan and Winifred Horan.
A witty romantic comedy set during the Serbo-Bulgarian War, in which a practical Swiss soldier seeks refuge in a young woman's bedroom and her romantic view of war and love is challenged.
Take a closer look at the wonderful world of moss on Independence Trail, led by Alex Lerch of Sierra Streams Institute. Bring a hand-lens if you have one, water and snacks; space is limited, so register ahead.
The Valencia Baryton Project, led by barytonist Matthew Baker, performs music for the baryton, an ancient and little-known stringed instrument, in a string trio program including Haydn.
The 58th annual old-fashioned Christmas street faire turns Mill and Main Streets into a festive marketplace with twinkling lights, local artisans, seasonal treats, carolers, live music and hot cider, honoring Grass Valley's Cornish Gold Rush heritage.
The 15th annual Nevada City Winter Craft Fair, with more than 70 local crafters, designers and artisans selling handmade home decor, apparel, bath products, stationery, art, food and drinks.
Holt Ballet Conservatory's reimagined Clara & the Nutcracker, set to Tchaikovsky's score, with guest artists and young dancers in a holiday show for all ages.
A tradition since 1978: gas-lit hilly streets, roasted chestnuts, carolers in Victorian attire, 100+ artisan vendors, live entertainment, yuletide treats and Father Christmas. Broad and Commercial Streets are closed to through traffic; shuttles are recommended.
Joyful voices, brilliant holiday music and sing-along favorites: a festive holiday concert of choral harmonies and orchestral works by Whitacre, Bruckner, Vaughan Williams and more, conducted by Alison Skinner.
Dates
Saturday, December 19, 2026 and Sunday, December 20, 2026
San Francisco string band The Brothers Comatose throws a Shipwrecked-themed New Year's Eve party with a champagne toast at midnight and a balloon drop; Bluegrass Blowouts open; costumes encouraged.
Site of one of California's oldest, deepest and richest gold mines, which produced 5.8 million ounces of gold before closing in 1956. See the mine buildings, the owner's home and restored gardens, and the entrance to 367 miles of shafts, plus 14 miles of trails across 856 acres.
Hours
Historic grounds daily 10am-5pm through Oct 31, then 10am-4pm Nov 1-Feb 28; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Trails and Penn Gate lot sunrise to sunset
A Sierra foothills park along the cold, swift South Yuba River in a granite canyon, with historic bridges, toll crossings and trails to Gold Rush mine sites. Walk through the restored Bridgeport covered bridge, reopened in 2021.
The dramaworks company stages the Tony Award-winning musical about Matilda, a girl with astonishing wit and imagination who stands up to her cruel parents and the headmistress Miss Trunchbull, with help from her teacher Miss Honey. The show is rated PG. The West End Theatre shares its building with Quintopia Brewing Co.; box office and doors open a half hour before each performance.
Dates
December 3 & 5, 10-12 at 7pm; December 6, 12, & 13 at 2pm
Section
Section: Date ideashistoric site
