Avalon’s calendar is filled with events from art festivals to concerts on the beach. Enjoy museum exhibits and many sporting events. Here’s a look at what’s happening.
Please note all events are subject to change.

March

2/29 - 3/1  Ötillö Swimrun Catalina
Catalina Island is proud and honored to be able to host the ÖTILLÖ World Series Swimrun! A swimrun is a multi-stage competition when involves participants running and swimming over a race course. This weekend-long event will start in Two Harbors and finish in Avalon.

3/13  Catalina Classic Film Club – “Rain”
The Catalina Classic Film Club meets quarterly to bring together enthusiasts looking for an opportunity to enjoy films of yesteryear in an intimate setting. Only 24 seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. "Rain" stars Joan Crawford and was filmed on Catalina Island. Refreshments and movie snacks are available for purchase.

3/14  43^rd Annual Catalina Island Conservancy Marathon, 10K, 5K and Kids Run
This “bucket list” trail run is California’s oldest trail marathon.  The marathon starts in Two Harbors and runs back to the City of Avalon. Along the way, runners will experience views of the Pacific Ocean, wildlife, wildflowers, incredible scenery you will only experience running at the peaks of the Island.

3/28  Catalina Island Casino Concert Series: Yachty By Nature 
Dress up in your favorite captains’ gear and head to Catalina Island. Yachty By Nature is sure to rock your socks off in the Casino Ballroom playing your favorite soft rock songs from the 70s and 80s.

April

4/4  REI Trans-Catalina Trail Expedition
Join REI on Catalina Island for a Trans-Catalina Trail Expedition where you will hike through the rugged island interior and camping next to pristine beaches. Covering 38.5 miles in four days, you will traverse the Island starting at the Trailhead in Avalon and finishing at Two Harbors.

4/9  Spring Fest
Join the Avalon community for the annual Spring Fest! Enjoy food, games and fun along the waterfront and celebrate the upcoming season. 

4/10 - 12  11^th Annual Catalina Spring Art Fair & Craft Festival
Experience the Catalina Spring Art Fair & Craft Festival along the waterfront. Artists from all over the country exhibit down Crescent Avenue selling their works of fine art, sculptures, fine crafts and photography. Highlights will include a charity art auction and kid’s art show.  

4/11 Catalina Island Casino Concert Series: DSB Journey Tribute & TLR Eagles Tribute
Don’t stop believin’ that you will have a great time at the Catalina Island Casino Concert Series. Sing all the best songs from Journey with DSB Tribute and The Eagles with TLR Tribute. 

4/18  Catalina Island Museum Open House and Exhibition Opening
This Catalina Island Museum Open House acts as opening reception for the "Soot and Water: Gyotaku Records of Catalina" and the "Catalina Paintings: Night and Day" exhibitions. Enjoy hands-on, interactive experiences with pieces from the museum's education collection as well as art projects for the entire family. Artist Dwight Hwang will lead a workshop for the learning of traditional gyotaku fish painting and Plein Air artists will reveal the philosophy behind their practice during live painting demonstrations.  

4/18 Catalina Island Casino Concert Series: Wailing Souls & Pato Banton
Catalina Island Casino Concert Series hosts Wailing Souls & Pato Banton for a night of Reggae jams. Don’t worry about a thing, because this live music event is held in the Casino Ballroom.

4/25  25^th Annual Catalina Island Conservancy Ball 
Join in the celebration of the 25th Annual Catalina Island Conservancy Ball! The black-tie event includes dinner and dancing in Avalon’s historic Casino Ballroom and the spectacular silent and live auctions. 

May

5/2 Catalina Island Casino Concert Series: Damage, Inc. and Noise Pollution
Catalina Island Casino Concert Series hosts Southern California’s Metallica tribute, Damage Inc., and ACDC tribute Noise Pollution. Rock out to your favorite classics in the Casino Ballroom.

5/9  REI Trans-Catalina Trail Expedition
Join REI on Catalina Island for a Trans-Catalina Trail Expedition where you will hike through the rugged island interior and camping next to pristine beaches. Covering 38.5 miles in four days, you will traverse the Island starting at the Trailhead in Avalon and finishing at Two Harbors.

5/15 - 16  Silent Film Festival: Blood and Sand
Recognized as one of the world’s longest-running annual celebration of Silent Film, the 33^rd annual benefit is held in the historic Avalon Casino Theatre. Attendees will be treated to two days of authentic 1920’s cinematic experiences with the screening of the 1922 film, Blood and Sand with live musical accompaniment.

5/16  Avalon Ball
Now celebrating 18 years, the Avalon Ball is a fantastic journey into the past. Be taken back in time where Big Bands played for huge audiences as well as being broadcasted across the nation. Dace the night away in the Art Deco Casino Ballroom.

5/16  Lost at Sea
Lost at Sea is a musical experience on Descanso Beach featuring amazing 80’s music. Legends like Flock of Seagulls, Wang Chung, The Motels, Anabella of Bow Wow Wow and former members of Oingo Boingo will be rocking the beach.

5/23  5^th Annual Catalina Island Chili Cook-Off
Join Avalon for chili and salsa tasting, live music, beer garden and more at this family-friendly event.

5/28  16^th Annual Taste Around of Avalon
Attention Foodies! Try favorite dishes or beverages from some of Avalon’s finest restaurants and vote for the Best Taste of the Year.

5/29 - 6/4  8^th Annual Avalon Restaurant Week
Experience the Island’s unique food and wine culture with specially created prix fixe menus.

June

5/29 - 6/4  8^th Annual Avalon Restaurant Week
Experience the Island’s unique food and wine culture with specially created prix fixe menus.

6/6 REI Trans-Catalina Trail Expedition
Join REI on Catalina Island for a Trans-Catalina Trail Expedition where you will hike through the rugged island interior and camping next to pristine beaches. Covering 38.5 miles in four days, you will traverse the Island starting at the Trailhead in Avalon and finishing at Two Harbors.

6/20 Opening Reception: “Frida Kahlo” Exhibition
Members and guests are invited to the official opening of the much awaited exhibition of “Frida Kahlo: Through the Lens of Nickolas Muray”. This exhibition provides an intimate look at Frida Kahlo, Mexico’s most prolific and well-known female artist, through the photographic lens of her long-time friend and lover, Nickolas Muray. 

July

7/4  Independence Day
There are so many exciting ways to celebrate the 4^th of July on Catalina Island! This year’s festivities include the annual golf cart parade, USC marching band performance, firework spectacular, party at Antonio’s Cabaret, El Galleon shindig, and children’s festival with dinghy parade.

August

8/8  Catalinaville Fundraiser
Follow the sound of the steel drums to the first annual Catalinaville! Enjoy a mouthwatering surf & turf dinner, open bar, live music, and dancing at the Descanso Beach Club. Enjoy this private beach party with live auctions, raffles, and world-class companies.

September

9/11 - 12  Catalina Wine Mixer
Raise a toast to the Original Catalina Wine Mixer from Step Brothers. One of California’s most unique and popular event is held on the picturesque beach of Descanso Beach Club. The event includes an array of entertainment music, food, fun, wine and more.

9/12 - 13  61^st Annual Channel Crossing
The longest Polynesian canoe races in the continental U.S.  features a 26-30 miles paddle from Newport Beach to Avalon. The 61^st Annual Channel Crossing includes an all-female racer on Saturday and all-male racer on Sunday.

9/18 - 20  62^nd Annual Festival of Art
One of the longest-running and most acclaimed art festivals in California features artists from all over the country exhibiting along Crescent Avenue. Purchase fine art, sculpture, crafts, photography and more. Also, stop by the art auction and kid’s art show.

9/19  Catalina Island Women’s Forum Wine Festival 
This wonderful fundraiser features more than 70 wines, food and smooth jazz and is held in concert with the Annual Festival of Art. Proceeds support mentoring and scholarship programs. Tickets available online or at the Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce. 

9/24 - 27  Catalina Film Festival 
This star-studded festival celebrates Catalina’s rich film history. Featuring approximately 100 films screened at venues around the Island plus live music, VIP parties and exciting entertainment. 

9/20 - 10/30  Artisan PizzaFest & Oktoberfest 
Running from September 20 through October 30, Antonio’s Pizzeria & Cabaret hosts Artisan PizzaFest and Oktoberfest. Enjoy delicious pizza and other signature dishes overlooking Avalon Harbor. 

October

10/8 - 11 & 10/15 - 18  34^th Annual Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival 
The longest-running Smooth-Jazz festival held on two consecutive weekends includes three days of live music including “Unplugged at Descanso Beach Club” on Thursday night and performances Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the Casino Ballroom.

10/10 REI Trans-Catalina Trail Expedition
Join REI on Catalina Island for a Trans-Catalina Trail Expedition where you will hike through the rugged island interior and camping next to pristine beaches. Covering 38.5 miles in four days, you will traverse the Island starting at the Trailhead in Avalon and finishing at Two Harbors.

10/15  Fall Fest
Catalina Island’s Annual Fall Fest includes live music, food, games, hayrides, pumpkin patch on the beach and more.

10/31  Halloween Parade
Locals and visitors alike gather around Crescent Avenue the Annual Halloween Parade. Get creative and dress up for contests and giveaways.

November

11/7  Catalina Island Triathlon, Duathlon & Aqua Bike
Swim it. Bike it. Run it. Tri it! This race attracts tri-athletes who are looking for one of the last races of the season. Experience Catalina Island’s beautiful scenery and crisp water as you complete this challenging course.

11/14   Catalina Island Half Marathon & 10K​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
California’s ultimate trail half-marathon will challenge you with climbs, peaks and vistas unlike any you will experience at any other half marathon. Starting in Avalon you will witness the rewarding coastal views and stunning scenery.

December

12/5   27^th Annual “Shop Catalina Night”​​​​​​​
Celebrate the beginning of the holiday spirit with a tree-lighting ceremony, music, pictures with Santa, prize drawings and holiday discounts in Avalon shops.

12/12   Christmas Bazaar & Craft Fair​​​​​​​
Come and buy your handmade Christmas Gifts and delicious homemade sweets and treats. Showcasing local talent.

12/31  48^th Annual New Year’s Eve Celebration, Casino Ballroom​​​​​​​
Dance in the New Year at this black-tie optional event. This spectacular annual celebration includes dinner, dancing, champagne and party favors. 

Ongoing Events 

Elizabeth Turk: Tipping Point
MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship Awardee Elizabeth Turk highlights various attributes of this continent's birds, Turk developed an alphabet of symbols. Using these unique symbols, she explores the greater concept – Extinction. The “Sound Columns” juxtapose the ephemeral with the eternal. Inspired by recordings of extinct birds (cataloged by the Ornithology Lab at Cornell University) Turk created evocative sculptural forms. Ending March 2020. Catalina Island Museum.

Esther Williams: The Swimming Queen of the Silver Screen
Esther Williams dazzled movie audiences around the world in her aqua-musical films. This exhibition chronicles Williams’ life from humble beginnings to her success as a champion athlete, a major Hollywood celebrity and an entrepreneur. The exhibition includes movie memorabilia, costumes, photographs and never-before-seen personal home movies. Ending March 8, 2020, Catalina Island Museum.

Wrigley's Catalina: A Centennial Celebration
This special exhibition commemorates William Wrigley Jr. and the execution of his vision for Catalina Island - especially during his first year of ownership: 1919.  The exhibition reveals his remarkable and ambitious plan using photographs, letters, original documents, plans, blueprints, maps, steamship artifacts, advertisements, tools and objects relating to the various projects and industries. Catalina Island Museum.

First Friday at the Museum (First Friday of each month)
6pm-8pm. First Fridays encourage residents and visitors to explore the museum’s galleries and digital theater, enjoy refreshments and snacks in the outdoor plazas and shop in the Museum Store. Events may include music and dance performances, lectures, gallery talks, or films. Catalina Island Museum

The History of Catalina Island Exhibition - Permanent Installation
From the island’s discovery some 8,000 years ago to William Wrigley’s purchase of the island and the rise of Avalon as Hollywood’s favorite vacation spot, Catalina Island has a history that is rich in events and personalities. 10am-5pm daily. Catalina Island Museum

Thursday Morning at Native Plant Nursery in Middle Ranch
Volunteering at the James H. Ackerman Native Plant Nursery provides an excellent opportunity to gain access to the interior of Catalina Island and become more familiar with Island ecology and plant species while helping the nursery achieve its goals. Enjoy the tranquil morning in Middle Ranch while working with plants in a casual, social environment. Volunteers receive training in the horticulture and ecology of Catalina's varied flora and tasks are tailored to all ability levels. Volunteers are welcome every Thursday year-round from 7:30am-12pm. Catalina Conservancy

Windward Beach Cleanup (2nd Saturday each month)
Volunteer in the great outdoors while combing the sand for debris to help keep our windward beaches pristine. Clean-up locations (Shark Harbor, Little Harbor, Ben Weston and Cottonwood) rotate throughout the year. Catalina Island Conservancy.

Summer Beach Bingo
Grab a beach chair and gather at the South Beach Lifeguard stand every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 6pm starting June 16 through September 3. Bingo cards are $1 each.

Kid's Fishing Derby
Bring a rod and reel or dropline to the Green Pier every Wednesday from 7-9am. This free event runs June 17 through August 3.