Whale Festival on the horizon
Mark your calendar for the first three weekends in March
Tickets are on sale now for three weekends of celebration at the 38th Annual Mendocino Coast Whale Festivals, presented by the Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce. Enjoy wine tastings, chowder contests, and craft beer tastings in Mendocino on March 7 and Fort Bragg March 21.
On both weekends there will be wonderful opportunities to spot whales— at Mendocino Headlands State Park, on the Coastal Trail in Fort Bragg, at a docent-led walk, or on one of the whale watching boats in the area.
Chowder tasting and contest begins at 11 a.m. at Crown Hall in Mendocino on the first weekend in March and at 11 a.m. at the Rec Center in back of Town Hall on Franklin and Laurel in Fort Bragg on the third weekend. Chowder contests end when the chowder runs out, so everyone is encouraged to arrive early to sample delicious traditional and creative chowder recipes from eight renowned local chefs both weekends. Sample North Coast Brewing Company’s craft brews during both chowder events from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at Brown Paper Tickets, at the Mendocino Coast Chamber office, 217 S. Main St., Fort Bragg, or at the venues in Mendocino and Fort Bragg on the days of the events.
Following the chowder and beer events on both weekends, attendees will be able to taste more than a dozen Mendocino County varietals from boutique wineries, while enjoying tasty appetizers in shops and galleries in Mendocino and Fort Bragg. Julie’s Trips and Tours has been hired to provide complimentary transportation in Mendocino, and venues are walkable in downtown Fort Bragg. Tickets are available online at Brown Paper Tickets, or at Ford House Museum, 45035 Main St. in Mendocino on March 7, or the Rec Center in Fort Bragg March 21. It’s a great way to see Mendocino Village and the charming downtown shops and galleries in Fort Bragg, while meeting locals and visitors and tasting amazing Anderson Valley wines.
“We’re very excited about the 38th Annual Whale Festival this year,” says Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce CEO Sharon Davis. “We’ve got awardwinning Anderson Valley wines, local chefs creating amazing chowders for the contests, and North Coast Brewing Company pouring North Coast Steller IPA, and sharing proceeds from sales for marine mammal research. The Whale Festival is a perfect example of our community coming together to celebrate the migration of the majestic gray whales while having a great time!”
A variety of other events are scheduled in Fort Bragg during the third weekend, including a Whale Walk and Run, a Beer and Barbeque Festival, and educational activities with the Noyo Center for Marine Science and the Mendocino Area Parks Association.
MacKerricher State Park is one of the best locations for watching the gray whale migration. A wheelchair-accessible boardwalk leads to the headlands of Laguna Point for a spectacular, panoramic view of a pristine, rugged stretch of coastline where sightings of whale tails or whales breaching are common phenomena.
Little River Whale Festival the weekend of March 14 offers lodging specials, family fun activities and nature adventures including sea cave tours, a winemaker dinner, and docentled whale watch walks at Van Damme State Park.
The Mendocino Coast Whale Festival is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce.
“We love bringing visitors to the coast to enjoy our peerless natural environment, and experience our chefs, wineries, and locally brewed beers,” says Davis, “It’s a long tradition we are so proud to be a part of. Whale Festival helps us provide scholarships for deserving local high school students, and present events like the Mendocino Fourth of July Parade and Shop Small in Mendocino and Fort Bragg, as well as supporting our local businesses and visitors throughout the year. We are so grateful to our sponsors, Harvest Market, KOZT-FM,
Community First Credit Union, Amerigas, Safeway, the Advocate-News and The Mendocino, and to all of our volunteers who help make this event possible every year.”
For more information, visit Mendowhale.com or call 707-961-6300.
“We’ve got award-winning Anderson Valley wines, local chefs creating amazing chowders for the contests, and North Coast Brewing Company pouring North Coast Steller IPA, and sharing proceeds from sales for marine mammal research.” —Sharon Davis, CEO of Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce