3-day Waterfront Festival is held in Benicia California
Live musical entertainment, micro brew beers, a wine garden, specialty foods, & open-air marketplace. Benicia celebrates its picturesque waterfront locale with two days of live music, arts & crafts marketplace, craft beers and premium wines, delectable gourmet foods, and kids’ activity area.
Annual event; July
707-745-9791
Where the traditions and lifestyles of the vaqueros blend with traditions and lifestyles of cowboys who worked there way west from Texas, Arizona and Nevada. Live music, concerts, great food, wine and beer.
Annual event: November
Monterey, CA
831-649-5080
The Rivertown Jamboree is a music festival on the California Delta Waterway. Boat races, jet ski races, car shows.
Annual event: April
Antioch, CA
925-757-0972
San Diego Parade of Lights
San Diego Bay
San Diego, CA
619-224-2240
www.sdparadeoflights.org
OceansideParade of Lights
Oceanside CA
Oceanside Yacht Club
www.oceansideyc.net
Dana Point Harbor Boat Parade of Lights
Dana Point, CA
949-923-2255
www.danapointharbor.com
Cruise of Lights Boat Parade
Huntington Beach, CA
www.cruiseoflights.org
Christmas Boat Parade & Fireworks
Newport Beach, CA
100 years running!
www.christmasboatparade.com
Naples Christmas Boat Parade
Belmont Shores @ Naples Canals
South Long Beach, CA
www.naplesca.com
Long Beach Parade of 1000 Lights
Downtown Shoreline Marina
Shoreline Yacht Club
Long Beach, CA
www.shorelineyachtclub.com/event
LA Harbor Holiday Afloat Parade
Long Beach Area
San Pedro, CA
310-549-8111
www.portoflosangeles.org/community/calendar
Redondo Beach Christmas Boat Parade
Redondo Beach King Harbor @ Los Angeles
Redondo Beach, CA
King Harbor Yacht Club
310-376-2459
www.khyc.org
Marina Del Rey Holiday Boat Parade
West Los Angeles California
Marina del Rey, CA
www.mdrboatparade.org
Venice Canals Holiday Boat Parade
West Los Angeles
Venice Beach, CA
310-809-8100
www.venicechristmasboatparade.com
Oxnard Parade of Lights
Marine Emporium Landing
Oxnard, CA
805-985-5828
www.marineemporiumlanding.com
Ventura Parade of Lights Boat Parade & Fireworks
Ventura Harbor Village
Ventura, CA
805-477-0470
www.venturaharborvillage.com
Santa Barbara Parade of Lights
Santa Barbara, CA
805-963-0611
www.santabarbaraca.gov
Morro Bay Christmas Boat Parade
Morro Bay Embarcadero
Morro Bay, CA
805-772-4467
Bethel Island Lighted Boat Parade
San Joaquin Boat Parade @ the California Delta
Bethel Island, CA
San Joaquin Yacht Club
925-684-9985
www.sjyc.org
Fisherman’s Wharf Lights & Sights Boat Parade
Pier 39, Aquatic Park
San Francisco, CA
415-673-3530
www.visitfishermanswharf.com
Oakland Lighted Yacht Parade
Alemeda Estuary
Oakland, CA
925-413-3845
www.lightedyachtparade.com
Petaluma Holiday Lighted Boat Parade
Petaluma River Turning Basin
Petaluma, CA
707-769-0429
www.visitpetaluma.com
Santa Cruz Harbor Boat Parade
Santa Cruz Harbor
Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz Yacht Club
831-425-0690
www.scyc.org
Sausalito Lighted Yacht Parade
Sausalito Yacht Club
Sausalito, CA
415.332-7400
www.sausalitoyachtclub.org
Delta Reflections Lighted Boat Parade
McCloud Lake @ Downtown Waterfront
Stockton, CA
Marine West Yacht Club
209-477-7653
www.mwyc.org
The Monterey Bay of California is located south of the San Francisco peninsula, and north of the rugged Big Sur Central Coast. This is a popular region for tourism, coastal villages w/ shops and restaurants, parks and beaches, farms and farm stands. With Santa Cruz mountains and redwoods as the backdrop, this coastline is also highly residential.
Camping along this coast is limited mostly to State Parks and few private RV park campgrounds. No primitive beach camping is allowed on State Beaches, no hike-in camp sites, no hidden cove tent sites, nor secret dirt roads with views over the Pacific. This is a very developed beach and bay, with the 4-lane freeway, main artery US Highway 101, bordering the entire shore.
If you are looking for free and a more rugged, scenic camp – head south to the Big Sur Coast, to find a dirt road camp on the ridge. The sweetest ocean view hike-in camp sites can be found to the north, in the Marin Headlands of Point Reyes, which can be found under Marin Camping.
blue links lead to State Park pages w/ camp reservations.
(listed from south to north)
Monterey Pines RV Campground (Navy)
Monterey County Fairgrounds RV Park
Sunset State Beach 
South Campground
Manresa State Beach
Uplands Campground
Seacliff State Beach Campground
Santa Vida RV Park, Santa Cruz, California
Costanoa Coastal Lodge & Campground, Pescadero
Pelican Point RV Park, Half Moon Bay
Half Moon State Beach
Francis Beach Campground
(listed from south to north)