By : Minnie-Online.co.za

Annual California events cover a wide range, including sporting and cultural affairs. There are several events that celebrate the Christmas and Easter holidays and Halloween too. The area is especially enthusiastic about food and wine festivals.

The calendar is full throughout the year and one of the early treats is the Tournament of Roses Parade held in Pasadena in January. This involves a floral flotilla, marching bands and horse displays. Following the parade is the much anticipated college football match, played as the Rose Bowl Game.

In spring, the Santa Barbara Fur Ball takes place. This is not a party for fur coat owners but rather a gathering for animal lovers. It's a formal wear dinner dance with silent auction and raises money for the homeless and to fund animal shelters for abandoned animals. The Easter Bonnet Parade and Hat Contest in San Diego is one of the most popular California events for children. Children of any age can enter the contest and they can also participate in an Easter Egg Hunt.

It's a wild time in May at Santa Maria at the Elks Rodeo and Parade. Spectators can watch real cowboys strut their stuff with bareback riding, calf roping, bull riding and wild horse competitions. Independence Day is marked in San Francisco with the Fourth of July Waterfront Festival at Fisherman's Wharf. There is all day live entertainment and there is a food festival, arts and crafts and fireworks.

Jazz fans will appreciate the Jazz Festival held every September in Vacaville. Halloween sees a number of California events, including the Halloween Carnival in Calabasas where there are theatre productions and games for the children.

Christmas is all lit up in Ox Bow when the December Lighted Boat Christmas Parade makes its procession, setting off from the Marina and parading up the river and back. The year ends on a high note at Long Beach for the Brazilian style New Year's Eve celebrations. This is probably the plushest of the California events, taking place on board the elegant Queen Mary ship in the Harbour. Revellers can dance the night away and see in the New Year with midnight fireworks.

These are just some of the California events across the region. Not only do they keep residents and tourists entertained and help to continue cultural traditions, but they also are important for the local economy.