Mendocino Film Festival
Mendocino Film Festival
Where: Coast Cinemas (and theaters throughout Mendocino County)
When: May 28 – June 31, 2026
Blue Economy Learning Festival
the
Learning Festival
Join top researchers, educators, purveyors, guides, and fishers to immerse yourself in a multitude of ocean-related enterprises at the core of a sustainable economic future on the Mendocino Coast.
SATURDAY
Free Shuttle
Ditch your car and hop on MTA shuttle.
Sponsor: Mendocino Transit Authority
Coast Guard 47′ Motor Lifeboat
The U.S. Coast Guard is one of our nation’s six military services. The Station at Noyo River is a multi-mission surf station, with an emphasis on search and rescue, law enforcement, and environmental protection. Step on board one of their lifeboats and meet the men and women who serve on it.
Time: 9:00 AM – Noon
Meet: South Harbor
Sponsor: US Coast Guard
Art Explorers Opening Reception, “The Ocean is Life”
Art Explorer’s is a creative arts program primarily serving adults with developmental disabilities, and committed to “provide a fun, nurturing, non-judgmental and artistically stimulating environment for creativity to thrive.” Their space at 333 N Franklin Street is magical and a must experience for all.
Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Meet: Art Explorers, 333 N. Franklin St.
Sponsor: Art Explorers
Abalone & Coffee at the Slacktide Cafe
Come visit Noyo Center’s newly acquired facility in Noyo Harbor and learn about our plans for Blue Economy research. Enjoy a cup of coffee and pastries on our deck during a brief presentation on our plans, including an abalone broodstock program.
Time: 9:00 AM – Noon, Presentation at 10:00 AM
Meet: Slacktide Cafe, 32430 N. Harbor Drive, Noyo Harbor
Sponsor: Noyo Center for Marine Science
Hare Creek Beach Stewardship
Stewardship is open to all ages and experience levels. Stop by to pull invasive plant species, maintain the trail, and take in the beautiful scenery.
Time: 10:00 AM to Noon
Meet: Hare Creek Beach (park at Mendocino College Coast Center)
Sponsor: Mendocino Land Trust
Noyo Harbor Fish Market
Come down to the South Harbor! The fishing fleet will be selling their catches right off their boats, with a host of local vendors selling wares in Grader Park. Live music, too!
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Meet: South Harbor Grader Park
Sponsor: Noyo Harbor District
Cycle Coastal Trail to Ten Mile
Join the SOB’s Seniors on Bikes on one of their daily rides, along the Noyo Headlands Trail and MacKerricher State Park Haul Road. Special stops along the way highlight Learning Festival activities.
Time: 10:00 AM
Meet: Skunk Train Parking Lot
Sponsor: SOB, Seniors On Bikes Club
Crow’s Nest Interpretive Center: Whales, Water & Wildflowers
Walk the beautiful coastal trail, look for whales as you enjoy the season’s wildflowers in bloom, and end up at the Crow’s Nest, Noyo Center’s foothold on the ocean. See our touch tank aquarium, sea lion skeletons and natural history exhibits.
Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Meet: Crow’s Nest Interpretive Center: End of Jere Melo Way (Cypress Street runway)
Sponsor: Noyo Center for Marine Science
Blue Zone Project – Coastal Mendocino County Kick-Off Event
Discover how to get involved in transforming Mendocino County into a community where healthy choices are easier for everyone! Learn how Blue Zone principles can lead to a longer, better life! Stop by and enjoy free family-friendly activities, giveaways and prizes.
Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Meet: Cypress Street Meadow
Sponsor: Adventist Health
Coast Center Mendocino Collage Open House & Specimen Exhibit
The doors of Mendocino College’s Coast Center are open to all. Come walk the hallways, peek into classrooms, familiarize yourself with their specimen collection and peer through microscopes.
Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Meet: Mendocino College
Sponsor: Mendocino Lake Community College
“Mini” Big Time
Coastal Dancers showcasing regalia from the ocean, Grass Games demonstration and informational booths highlighting the language of Northern Pomo.
Meet: Mendocino Coast Campus
Time: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Organizer: Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo
Borrow-A-Buddy
We love our four-legged friends! Take a shelter dog on a fun local field trip. You’ll have a loving buddy for the day and if you hit it off… possibly longer! Learn more from the Mendocino Coast Humane Society at Adventist’s Blue Zone Celebration.
Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Meet: Cypress Street Meadow, Noyo Headlands Park
Sponsor: Humane Society
Discovery Center – Kelp Exhibit
Come see Noyo Center’s beautiful keep exhibit and view underwater video footage of our nearshore habitats in the Discovery Center’s 360-degree geodesic Ocean Immersion Dome.
Time: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Meet: Noyo Center for Marine Science – 338 N. Main
Sponsor: Noyo Center for Marine Science
All Aboard Adventures with Captain Tim on the Sea Hawk
Captain Tim has worked out of the Noyo Harbor for over 40 years and donated four chartered boat excursions to students to support community engagement in the Learning Festival. Thank you, Captain Tim.
Visit: www.allabourdadventures.com
Sponsor: Captain Tim and the Sea Hawk
Open Mic Night
Bring you songs to Larry Spring Commons for a an open mic night hosted by Karlyn DeSteno with Magpie Pizza served in the Riverboat. Entrance by donation
Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Meet: Enter through the gates beside 225 E. Redwood Ave.
Sponsor: Spring Commons
S’mores & Stories Around The Fire
Point Cabrillo Light Station invites you to toast marshmallows while listening to stories exploring the rich history of our area. Thank you Beachcomber for sharing your fire pits!
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Meet: Park at end of Glass Beach Road and walk over Pudding Creek Trestle
Sponsor: Point Cabrillo Light Station
Night Skies & Telescopes from the Coastal Trail
Amateur astronomers gather at Otsuchi Point to see what deep-sky wonders emerge.
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Meet: Cypress Street access to Noyo Headlands Park
SUNDAY
Free Shuttle
Ditch your car and hop on MTA shuttle.
Sponsor: Mendocino Transit Authority
Coastal Birding with the Audubon Society
Birds are everywhere to be found, no matter where you live. Come explore the Noyo Headlands Trail, meet our local birds, and make new birding friends.
Time: 9:00 AM – Noon
Meet: South of Glass Beach
Sponsor: Mendocino Coast Audubon Society
Free Guest House Museum Open House
The Fort Bragg Historical Society invites you to visit the Guest House Museum where local history is cherished and preserved.
Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Meet: Guest House Museum, 343 N. Main St.
Sponsor: Fort Bragg Historical Society
Cycle Coastal Trail to Ten Mile
Join the SOB’s Seniors on Bikes on one of their daily rides, along the Noyo Headlands Trail and MacKerricher State Park Haul Road. Special stops along the way highlight Learning Festival activities.
Time: 10:00 AM
Meet: Skunk Train Parking Lot
Sponsor: SOB, Seniors On Bikes Club
Crow’s Nest Interpretive Center: Whales, Water & Wildflowers
Walk the beautiful coastal trail, look for whales as you enjoy the season’s wildflowers in bloom, and end up at the Crow’s Nest, Noyo Center’s foothold on the ocean. See our touch tank aquarium, sea lion skeletons and natural history exhibits.
Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Meet: Crow’s Nest Interpretive Center: End of Jere Melo Way (Cypress Street runway)
Sponsor: Noyo Center for Marine Science
Coho Salmon & Pudding Creek
Coho salmon are the rarest species of salmon in California. Come learn about local efforts committed to restoring habitat and fish passage along Pudding Creek with our local chapter of Trout Unlimited (TU).
Time: 11:00 AM – Noon
Meet: Pudding Creek Trestle
Sponsor: Trout Unlimited, Redwood Empire Chapter
MacKerricher Tide Pooling with Katharine Gabrielson
Explore the rocky intertidal zone at MacKerricher State Park, one of California’s Marine Protected Areas – and say hello to the mussels, barnacles, and anemones that cling to the rocky tidepools.
Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Meet: Laguna Point, MacKerricher Park
Sponsor: CA State Parks
Discovery Center – Kelp Exhibit
Come see Noyo Center’s beautiful keep exhibit and view underwater video footage of our nearshore habitats in the Discovery Center’s 360-degree geodesic Ocean Immersion Dome.
Time: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Meet: Noyo Center for Marine Science – 338 N. Main
Sponsor: Noyo Center for Marine Science
Blue Zone Project – Coastal Mendocino County Kick-Off Event
Discover how to get involved in transforming Mendocino County into a community where healthy choices are easier for everyone! Learn how Blue Zone principles can lead to a longer, better life! Stop by and enjoy free family-friendly activities, giveaways and prizes.
Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Meet: Cypress Street Meadow
Sponsor: Adventist Health
Guided Plant Walk with CA Native Plant Society
Plants are the foundation of our ecosystems, and CA has more plant species than any other state. Join Professor Teresa Cholar on a guided plant identification to learn about plants of the Mendocino Coast.
Time: 12:30 PM
Meet: South end of Pudding Creek Trestle
Sponsors: Mendocino College & CA Native Plant Society
Explore Otis R. Johnson Wilderness Park
Walk seven forested acres of park in the middle of Fort Bragg and learn about forest and watershed ecology from local experts.
Time: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Meet: Otis R. Johnson Wilderness Park
Sponsors: Tess Albin-Smith and Doug Albin
Blue Economy Symposium
the
Symposium
The Blue Economy Symposium is a collaboration between the City of Fort Bragg and California Sea Grant focusing on exploring the needs and potential for developing a resilient and vibrant blue economy in and around Fort Bragg. This symposium will bring together local, state and federal agencies to develop pathways forward for the community. The first day of the symposium will focus on city and harbor infrastructure needs, discussions with commercial/ recreational fishers and associated businesses about sustainable fishing economies, then followed by education, entrepreneurship and job force training considerations. The second day will explore the potential of developing an aquaculture park in the region. Speakers will present information on different aspects of current and potential aquaculture activities elsewhere in California that are restorative and/or commercial in nature. It is said that a rising tide lifts all boats… thank you for participating in this important conversation.
Blue Economy
May 19 to 22, 2022 – Fort Bragg, CA
The Blue Economy Symposium and Learning Festival is presented by Noyo Ocean Collective, a unique partnership uniting the City of Fort Bragg, Noyo Harbor District, Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo, Mendocino College, West Business Development Center and Noyo Center for Marine Science. Many thanks to California Sea Grant for their expertise, enthusiasm, and support over the past year to help make this happen.
Together we’ll explore opportunities and consider what a Blue Economy might look like on the Mendocino Coast.
BLUE ECONOMY OPPORTUNITIES
Along ocean coasts everywhere, a new path is emerging. Blue Economy is a way of considering economic development and ocean health as compatible. A place where economic activity is in balance with the long-term capacity of ocean ecosystems. It’s a fresh, exciting way of looking at everything from traditional marine sectors to new businesses focused on ocean resiliency, and it touches on activities related to climate change, fisheries, aquaculture, renewable energy, tourism and transportation.
ESTABLISHED INDUSTRIES
EMERGING INDUSTRIES
Fort Bragg Independence Day Fireworks
Fort Bragg Independence Day Fireworks
Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 9:30 PM
John Druecker Memorial Rhododendron Show
John Druecker Memorial Rhododendron Show
May 3 & 4, 2025 – Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
Whale Fest
Whale Fest is taking over Downtown Fort Bragg on the weekend of March 15th through 17th and, like the migrating leviathans we celebrate, this year’s festivities will be bigger and better than ever. There’s a Downtown Wine Walk, the Fort Bragg Beer Festival, a 10k/5k Whale Run and Walk, a craft fair, live music, food trucks and much more.
Could there be a better time to visit Fort Bragg?
Of course, the whales will be moving through all winter, so if March 15th-17th doesn’t work out, no worries. Come anytime through April to see the amazing migration of Fort Bragg’s favorite cetaceans
All events take place rain or shine.
Saturday, March 16, 2024
Whale Run 5k & 10k and Fun Walk
Soroptimist International of Fort Bragg and Noyo Sunrise is proud to sponsor and host the ever-popular run and walk along the coast that includes a Kiddie Race, 10k and 5k runs and a Fun Walk.
Downtown Wine Walk
Saturday, March 16, 2024
The Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce and Visit Fort Bragg are thrilled to bring back the Fort Bragg Whale Festival Downtown Wine Walk. On Saturday, March 16 from 12:00 to 4:00 PM over a dozen merchants will host wineries and serve complimentary food to pair with wines.
Fort Bragg Rotary Club’s Beer Fest
Saturday, March 16, 2024
Rotary Beer Festival is back. Save the date and join us on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at the Eagles Hall (210 N. Corry) from Noon to 4:00 PM for an incredible selection of beer and some great live music from The Green Fields. Tickets are $40 and food will be available for purchase. So come taste some ales and watch the whales at this benefit for Fort Bragg Rotary Club with proceeds going to scholarships as well as local and international projects.
Symphony of the Redwoods
Saturday, March 16, 2024
Andrew Sords will be the featured artist on violin, with Bryan Nies conducting as the Symphony of the Redwoods performs the works of Bruch, Victor Bendix and Borodin at Cotton Auditorium on Saturday, March 16th at 7:30 PM.
Town Hall Craft Fair
Saturday & Sunday, March 16 & 17
The Soroptimists are hosting a whale of sale at Town Hall from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Treat yourself to a unique shopping experience at two craft fairs — one inside and one outside. You’ll find a wide variety of amazing, handcrafted items, from quilts and toys to iron works, pottery, knits and crochet, jewelry, paintings, tools, and puzzles. You won’t find a better place to get a one-of-a-kind gift for a fan of Fort Bragg.
Noyo Center Whale Events & Exhibits
Friday – Sunday, March 15 – 17
Join the Noyo Center for Marine Science throughout March for a variety of special events and exhibits to celebrate Whale Festival and the annual gray whale migration. Click the link below for the full schedule and remember that your support helps the Noyo Center do its incredible work.
Mendo Park Educational Activities
Friday – Sunday, March 15 – 17
Join MendoParks for free guided whale walks at MacKerricher State Park on Fridays and Saturdays in March, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. While you’re there, check out the gray whale skeleton articulation next to the Visitor Center.
Whale Watching Tours
Looking to get up close and personal with Fort Bragg’s migratory whales? Multiple whale watching charters depart out of Noyo Harbor throughout the season. You’ll find them below on the coastal activities page. Be sure to reach out to them directly for current weather conditions and departure times.
The Whale Trail
The Whale Trail is an organization committed to inspiring appreciation and protection of marine mammals, and several designated whale trail sites are in or near Fort Bragg, including Mendocino Botanical Gardens, Noyo Center for Marine Science and Laguna Point at MacKerricher State Park.