36 upcoming · 14 past
Upcoming events
Lake Shasta houseboat season 2026
Redding (Shasta Lake, Shasta-Trinity NF)
Northern California's houseboat capital — Shasta Lake near Redding.
Lake Tahoe boating season 2026
South Lake Tahoe / Tahoe City (Lake Tahoe, CA–NV)
Alpine blue-water boating high in the Sierra Nevada.
San Diego Comic-Con 2026
San Diego (Convention Center + Gaslamp)
San Diego Comic-Con — Convention Center + Gaslamp takeover.
in 13d
Outside Lands 2026 — San Francisco
San Francisco (Golden Gate Park)
Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park. San Francisco RV Resort + Half Moon Bay State Beach.
in 15d
Monterey Car Week
Monterey / Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance + Laguna Seca + Quail. Classic-touring rig peak demand.
in 22d
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Pebble Beach, CA
Concours Sunday on the 18th green — the crown of Monterey Car Week
in 42d
Labor Day Weekend 2026
All US
Labor Day weekend — last summer RV peak before fall pricing dip.
in 49d
Adventure Van Expo — Big Bear
Big Bear Lake, CA
Walk-through adventure vans and conversions in the San Bernardino mountains
in 62d
Monterey Jazz Festival 2026
Monterey, CA (Monterey County Fairgrounds)
The world's longest continuously running jazz festival — three days on the oak-shaded Monterey Fairgrounds.
in 84d
Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival 2026
Half Moon Bay, CA (Main Street)
The 'Pumpkin Capital of the World' coastal festival — a giant-pumpkin weigh-off and Main Street arts show.
in 121d
Thanksgiving Week 2026
All US
Thanksgiving week — family-trip RV demand surge.
in 133d
MLS Cup Final 2026
Host venue not yet announced
MLS Cup Final 2026 — host venue is the top-seeded conference finalist. PickRV publishes RV playbook within 24 hours.
in 181d
Grand National Roadster Show 2027
Pomona, CA
America's Most Beautiful Roadster trophy + nine buildings of hot rods
in 189d
King of the Hammers 2027 (Race Week)
Johnson Valley OHV Area (BLM, San Bernardino County, CA)
King of the Hammers 2027 — Race Week in Johnson Valley, 8 days of ultra4 + UTV + bike + EV races.
in 200d
Yosemite Horsetail Firefall 2027
Yosemite National Park
Firefall window — Horsetail Falls glows like lava at sunset.
in 204d
Pro Football Championship LXI — SoFi Stadium LA
Inglewood (SoFi Stadium)
Pro Football Championship LXI at SoFi Stadium. Dockweiler State Beach + Bolsa Chica RV-friendly.
in 205d
California Desert Wildflower Window 2027
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park / southern deserts
Desert floors that can erupt in color after wet winters — a window worth watching, honestly framed.
in 240d
Spring Break — Southern California Coast
San Diego / Orange County beaches
California coast spring break — beachfront state-park RV sites from San Diego to OC.
in 258d
Desert Music + Country Festivals 2027
Indio (Empire Polo Club)
Two Desert Music Festival weekends + Country Music Festival country fest. RV camping is THE way to do Indio.
in 272d
Country Music Festival 2027
Indio (Empire Polo Club)
Country Music Festival 2027 — country music at Empire Polo Club, post-Desert Music Festival weekend.
in 273d
NORRA Mexican 1000 2027
Baja California, Mexico (U.S. staging: San Diego, CA)
The 'Happiest Race on Earth' — a multi-day vintage + modern off-road rally down the Baja peninsula.
in 313d
Pro Basketball Finals 2027
Host cities not yet announced
Pro Basketball Finals 2027 — same TBD playbook. Stay subscribed to PickRV Pro Basketball Finals alerts.
in 362d
San Diego Comic-Con 2027
San Diego
SDCC 2027 — pop culture's biggest weekend.
in 405d
Labor Day — Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe (North + South Shore)
Labor Day at Tahoe — warm water and the last full summer lake weekend.
in 427d
MCAS Miramar Air Show 2027
San Diego (Marine Corps Air Station Miramar)
One of the largest military air shows in the country — jet teams over San Diego.
in 457d
Monarch Butterfly Overwintering Season, California Coast 2027-2028
Pismo Beach / Pacific Grove (central coast groves)
Thousands of monarchs clustering in coastal groves — a walkable winter wildlife window.
in 516d
Christmas Week — Lake Tahoe Ski Country
South Lake Tahoe
Christmas at Tahoe — winterized rig basecamp for the Sierra ski week.
in 559d
King of the Hammers 2028 (Race Week)
Johnson Valley OHV Area (BLM, San Bernardino County)
King of the Hammers Race Week — Ultra4 + UTV + EV racing inside a self-built desert RV city.
in 629d
Desert Music + Country Festivals 2028
Indio (Empire Polo Club)
Desert Music Festival 2028 — RV camping in the polo fields.
in 643d
Country Music Festival 2028
Indio (Empire Polo Club)
Country Music Festival 2028 — Indio polo fields, post-Desert Music Festival weekend 2.
in 645d
Big Sur International Marathon 2028
Big Sur to Carmel (Highway 1)
26.2 miles up a closed Highway 1 — routinely called the most scenic marathon in America.
in 672d
Memorial Day — Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe (South Shore)
Memorial Day at Tahoe — alpine-lake season opener on the South Shore.
in 707d
July 4th — Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe (South Shore)
July 4th at Tahoe — alpine-lake fireworks and peak Sierra summer demand.
in 720d
2028 LA Games — Opening Ceremony
Los Angeles (multi-venue)
Summer Games Los Angeles. RV camping at Dockweiler Beach + Bonelli Park as private bookings.
in 726d
San Diego Comic-Con International 2028
San Diego (San Diego Convention Center, Gaslamp Quarter, CA)
SDCC 2028 (expected late July) — Thu-Sun at the Convention Center; confirm dates on comic-con.org.
in 752d
Adaptive Games 2028 — LA
Los Angeles (multi-venue)
Adaptive Games 2028 — LA. Accessible RV rentals available — coordinate with PickRV concierge.
See 14 past events
Tournament of Roses Parade + Rose Bowl Game
Pasadena
Rose Parade + Rose Bowl Game New Year's Day.
King of the Hammers — Johnson Valley CA
Johnson Valley OHV (BLM land)
King of the Hammers — 1-week off-road racing + RV city on BLM land.
Pro Football Championship LX — Santa Clara CA
Santa Clara (Levi's Stadium)
Pro Football Championship LX at Levi's Stadium. Sanborn County Park + San Mateo RV Park nearby.
Horsetail Firefall window
Yosemite National Park
Two-week sunset phenomenon when Horsetail Falls glows like lava
Death Valley Dark Sky Festival 2026
Furnace Creek (Death Valley NP)
Death Valley Dark Sky Festival — one of darkest skies in US.
Desert Music + Country Festivals
Indio
Two festival weekends + Country Music Festival country fest. RV camping is THE way to do it.
Deep-dive availableCountry Music Festival 2026
Indio (Empire Polo Club)
Country Music Festival 2026 — country fest immediately after Desert Music Festival weekend 2.
Memorial Day Weekend 2026
All US (peak demand)
Memorial Day weekend — first big RV-rental peak of the year.
West Hollywood Pride 2026
West Hollywood (Santa Monica Blvd)
WeHo Pride — Memorial Day weekend in West Hollywood.
Pro Basketball Finals 2026
Host cities not yet announced
Pro Basketball Finals 2026 — host cities TBD until June. PickRV publishes RV-park playbook within 24 hours of conference finals end.
2026 international soccer tournament — Los Angeles matches
Inglewood (SoFi Stadium)
SoFi Stadium hosts marquee international soccer tournament matches. Dockweiler State Beach RV camping ~15 min.
2026 international soccer tournament — San Francisco/Bay Area matches
Santa Clara (Levi's Stadium)
Levi's Stadium hosts international soccer tournament. Trailer Tel San Jose + Sanborn County Park RV-friendly.
San Francisco Pride Parade 2026
San Francisco (Market St + Civic Center)
SF Pride Parade — Market Street + Civic Center weekend.
Independence Day Weekend 2026
All US
July 4 weekend — peak summer RV-rental demand.
Plan it by rig
Upcoming California events with per-class planning pages — pick the event, then the rig you'd drive.
FAQ
What major events happen in California in 2026-2028?
California hosts 50 events on PickRV's curated calendar — 36 upcoming. Top categories: Music festivals, Cultural, National Parks, Sports, Off-road, Seasonal, Boating, RV rallies.
When should I book an RV for California events?
Demand-multiplier 4.5×+ events need 6-12 months lead time. Mid-tier (3.5-4×) need 3-5 months. Seasonal windows 2-4 months. Each event page lists exact recommended lead-time in weeks.
Are PickRV's California event listings accurate?
Yes. We cite official event organizer, .gov, NPS, or NOAA sources on every entry. We do not invent attendance figures — we cite the official figure or omit it. Safety + legal disclaimers required for every elevated-risk event.
California rules · last verified 2026-05-10
- Rental tax
- 9.75%
- Min driver age
- 21+ std · 25+ Class A
- Gravel roads
- Permit required
- Generator quiet
- 22:00-06:00
Explore California
The Circuit
California tour runs
Real events in California, chained by the calendar into dated runs — every drive day accounted for, one book-by per window.
- The Desert Winter RunJan 17 – Mar 1, 2026 · QUARTZSITE → LAKE HAVASU CITY (LAKE HAVASU, AZ–CA) · 4 STOPS · ARIZONA
- The West Coast Summer RunMay 15 – Jun 13, 2026 · LAS VEGAS (LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY) → SANTA CLARA (LEVI'S STADIUM) · 4 STOPS · CALIFORNIA
- The Low Desert RunJan 16 – Feb 25, 2027 · QUARTZSITE → YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK · 3 STOPS · CALIFORNIA
Nearby & related
Keep planning California
Sourced costs, campground directories, and the places worth a detour — the next layer of California trip planning.
- California RV rental costFuel · camping · tax, sourced
- California RV-friendly campgroundsHookups, rig limits, booking tips
- RV rental companies in CaliforniaLocal hosts & outfitters, verified
- Campervan & van rentals in CaliforniaVan-life routes, rules & rigs
- RV rentals in CaliforniaPickRV Wiki · 6 min read
- California Pacific Coast Highway 1 RVPickRV Wiki · 12 min read
- National recreation areasBig-water recreation guides
- Estuary reservesQuiet coastal reserves