27 Annual Mendocino Whale Festival (2009)
Join us for our 27th Annual Mendocino Coast Whale Festivals. The festivals are held on the first and third weekend in March. The first weekend March 7, 8 is hosted in the Village of Mendocino and the third weekend March 21, 22  hosted in Fort Bragg.
The 2009 celebration is all about the migration of the Pacific Gray Whale with their newborn calves from the protected lagoons of western Baja to their ancestral feeding grounds in the cold waters of the Bering Sea. The migrating whales, numbering 18,000 to 23,000 individuals, pass by the Mendocino Coast twice each year: Once going south between the months of November and February, and again going north between the months of February and June. Since they don’t migrate simultaneously, not all the whales make it all the way to Baja.
Major Events include:
Jughandle Creek Nature Center… on-site naturalist will set up guided whale watching walks by reservations and will provide spotting scopes and educational materials.
Chowder Tasting… at Town Hall, Saturday, March 21 from 11 am till the chowder runs out. $10.
25th Annual Whale Run and Walk… Saturday, March 21, starting at 8:30 am. 10k / 5k competitive walk
Whale Cruises…Â from Noyo Harbor
Lighthouse Activities… and exhibits, Saturday and Sunday from 10-4 pm. See tide pool exhibits, lighthouse history. The Frolic shipwreck artifacts, and learn from the Audobon Society and Marine Mammal Center of Sausalito, fun for the whole family!
Guided Whale Walks… at MacKerricher State Park, Saturday & Sunday.
4th Annual Marine Art Exhibit…. at the Mendocino Art Center, featuring the original work of late, honored marine artist JD Mayhew and others, Saturday & Sunday from 10-4 pm, located on Little Lake Street, Mendocino.
Microbrew Beer Tasting and Barbecue… at Eagles Hall, Saturday, March 21, from 12-5 pm. $30
Comedian… Stu Stuart is set to perform March 20 & 21 at 8 pm in the Sequoia Room at the North Coast Brewing Company. Tickets are $15.
