Events
Events in SLO CAL
SLO CAL has a jam-packed calendar of events with something for everyone. For music lovers, San Luis Obispo County is home to a wide variety of venues that attract musicians (and audiences!) from around the world. Blues, rock, classical, jazz, folk and pop performers regularly grace the SLO CAL stages.
The comfortable year-round climate and diverse terrain make SLO CAL an ideal region for outdoor enthusiasts to convene and commune with the natural world, while athletes will find no shortage of races, triathlons and sporting events to compete in. History buffs will enjoy commemorating SLO CAL’s rich past, and art aficionados will love events featuring painters, sculptors, glassblowers and mixed-media makers. Cozy up, and get to know the local scene by immersing yourself in community events.
Spend your favorite holiday seeing parades and participating in community activities, watch the Central Coast sky light up with the glow of fireworks, or tour Hearst Castle, decked out in extravagant, festive holiday decor. But who could forget the abundance of wine, beer, spirits, and cuisine along the Central Coast? With food and drink festivals celebrating apples, strawberries and tomatoes, as well as gin, chardonnay, and even macaroni and cheese, we take our eating, drinking and merrymaking very, very seriously.
Live Music & Concerts in SLO CAL
Want to get your groove on? In SLO CAL, the opportunity to hear live music is never far away. SLO CAL’s top-notch venues, from intimate bar stages to high-capacity outdoor amphitheaters, regularly welcome both local and internationally acclaimed musicians year-round. For touring groups, close proximity to Los Angeles and San Francisco makes swinging through San Luis Obispo County both appealing and convenient. Music festivals run the gamut, bringing blues, rock, electronic, classical, jazz, folk and world musicians to stages all throughout the county – but plenty of the best music made in SLO CAL is homegrown. The region’s classical ensembles play everything from solo and intimate chamber music to full-scale symphonies, oratorios, and even operas, while singer-songwriters frequently display their down-home talents at winery events all year long.
Sports Events
Temperate year-round weather, diverse terrain and appealing postgame leisure activities make SLO CAL an ideal place for competing in—and watching—a variety of sports. Pristine beaches and impressive waves attract professional surfers and surf competitions, while stand-up paddleboarding races dominate harbors. Impeccable golf courses host tournaments, and other events, on their links, and tennis tournaments take over local courts. High-octane cycling races blow through downtown city centers, with cyclists gliding over rolling hills, covered in vineyards, and past beautiful coastlines, whereas runners and triathletes lace-up to pound the pavement―or mountain trails with an ocean view―for serious races, as well as a wide variety of fun runs, color runs, and obstacle course scrambles.  Rollicking rodeos also spring to life all across SLO CAL. And don’t forget team sports! The courts and fields of SLO CAL feature baseball, football and basketball games―even polo matches― all throughout the year.
Looking to get in on the action? Be sure to regularly check our website for details on how you can participate in your next destination race, tournament or match.
History & Culture Tours
Delve deeper into history with a tour at many of SLO CAL’s historic attractions and museums. Travel back in time with behind-the-scenes details that make history come alive.
Put on your walking shoes, and get a street-level view of San Luis Obispo history through a downloadable podcast that highlights the city’s historic buildings and the stories behind them. The tour, which starts at the History Center’s Carnegie Library Museum, takes about 90 minutes to complete. It pairs audio and video to guide travelers through each stop and introduces them to characters from the past.
Also available in downtown San Luis Obispo is the docent-led tour of Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. Docents lead visitors on guided tours and discuss everything from why the mission was built in stages to the centuries-old art that still hangs on the mission’s walls.
Hearst Castle in San Simeon provides a multitude of tours to satisfy every interest. The Grand Rooms Tour, recommended for first-time tourists, highlights what it was like to be a guest at this exquisite estate. Other tours include The Evening Tour, Holiday Twilight Tour, Upstairs Suites Tour, Art of San Simeon Tour and more.
If it’s the outdoors you’re after, check out San Luis Obispo County Parks and the nonprofit organization, ECOSLO, which both offer many guided hikes through SLO CAL’s open space.Â
Culinary & Tasting EventsÂ
Immerse yourself in the SLO CAL way of life by attending a variety of culinary-based community events. Ranging from beer and wine to chowder and tamales, there’s a variety of events and festivals all throughout the year that provide the opportunity to taste as the locals do.Â
Join us and get in on the flavors and spirit that make SLO CAL so alive!
