MENDOCINO CO., 3/06/25 — What could be better than eating good food, drinking wine and learning about whales on the Mendocino Coast? For four weekends starting this Saturday, coastal towns will celebrate the ocean giants with educational workshops, music, clam chowder competitions and wine tastings.
The towns participating in this year’s Whale Festival are Mendocino, Little River, Fort Bragg, and Point Arena.
Every spring, gray whales migrate from Baja California to Alaska, often so close to shore that beachgoers can see the tips of their flukes poking out of the water. The spectacle draws visitors from across the county and state to witness the whales’ northbound migration.
This Saturday, the Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce will be kicking off the festivities with the first event of the series, the Mendocino Whale Festival. Chowder tasting, a popular component of the festival, will begin at 11 a.m. and conclude when the chowder is gone or at 1 p.m. A wine walk, which will feature local wines, will begin at 1 p.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. There will also be other educational whale-themed activities that last until 8 p.m.
For a full schedule of the Whale Festival and other events taking place in March in nearby coastal towns, see the rundown of events at the bottom of this page. To purchase tickets or learn more about the various events, visit mendocinocoast.com or call the Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce at (707) 961-6300.
Ticket prices for the events range from $10 to nearly $82 for activities such as wine tastings, though several of the events have free admission.
Mendocino – Saturday, March 7
Chowder Tasting Competition
Crown Hall, 11 a.m.–1 p.m., tickets $25
Wine Walk
Mendocino Village, 1–4 p.m., tickets $75
DJ Beet Roots
Crown Hall, 5 p.m.-8 p.m., free
Whale Watching Station with Mendo Parks
Mendocino Headlands, No specified time, free
“The Boy Who Talks to Whales” Movie Screening
The Kelley House, 4–5:30 p.m., tickets $10
Flashback to 1976: 50th Anniversary Whale War Celebration
Crown Hall, 5–8 p.m., tickets $20
Little River – Saturday, March 14
Margarita Madness
Little River Inn Abalone Room, noon–3 p.m., tickets $53
Whale Watching Walks with Mendo Parks
Spring Ranch, No specified time, free
Mocktail Trail
Various Locations, 3–5 p.m., tickets $25
Fort Bragg – Friday, March 20
Campfire Program with Mendo Parks
MacKerricher State Park, No specified time, free
Fort Bragg – Saturday, March 21
Soroptimist Whale Walk and Run
7:30–10 a.m., no specified time, View pricing at runsignup.com
Whales on Wheels
Town Hall, 11 a.m.–1 p.m., tickets $25
Chowder Tasting Competition
Town Hall, 11 a.m.–1 p.m., tickets $25
Whale Story and Craft Time
Fort Bragg Library, 10:30 a.m., free
Wine Walk and Live Music
Downtown Fort Bragg, 1–4 p.m., tickets $75
Wild Monterey Bay Book Signing
Noyo Center for Marine Science Discovery Center, noon–3 p.m., free
Whale Walks with Mendo Parks
MacKerricher State Park, No specified time, free
Fort Bragg Rotary Beer Festival
Historic Eagles Hall, noon–4 p.m., tickets $40
Whale Race
CV Starr Center, 1–4 p.m., free
Flockworks Exhibit: “Whale of a Good Time”
Fort Bragg, 5–7 p.m., free
Gray Whale Migration Challenge Speaker with Jodi Frediani
Fort Bragg, 5-6:45 p.m., $10
Fort Bragg – Sunday, March 22
Mendonoma Whale and Seal Study with Scott and Tree Mercer
Crow’s Nest – Noyo Headlands, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., donation $10
Noyo Center for Science Whale Walks
Noyo Headlands, noon–1 p.m., donation $10
Paint the Whale Skeleton!
MacKerricher State Park, No specified time, free
Wine and Whales at the Weller
Weller House Inn, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., tickets $50
Point Arena and Elk – Saturday, March 28
Cornhole Tournament
St. Paul’s Community Center, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., tickets $30
Whale Walks and Talks
Greenwood Museum and Point Arena Lighthouse, No specified time, free
Whale-Themed Drinks & Eats
Participating Point Arena bars and restaurants, No specified time, no specified fee
Live Music Finale
Point Arena Theater, 7:30 p.m., tickets $25 advance / $30 door
Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park – Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29
Lens Tour
Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., No specified fee
All Month Long
Educational whale exhibits at the Kelley House Museum
Whale programs and events at the Noyo Center for Marine Science
Whale watching tours offered by All Aboard Adventures