Purple urchins are eating the kelp forest. This festival turns them into dinner.
- When: Usually mid-June (last held June 13, 2025)
- Where: Several places on the coast, Mendocino coast, CA
Organized by Visit Mendocino County. Details and tickets come from the organizer.
Purple urchins have stripped much of the coast’s kelp forest. The Urchin Festival turns the problem into dinner: a weekend of opening, cleaning and eating urchin and uni, with demos, walks and special menus up and down the coast.
What happens
- A free urchin-opening talk at Van Damme State Beach, plus a hands-on demo ($10 in 2025)
- “Urchin University” at Little River Inn: uni bites, sake and sashimi demos ($65 in 2025, for MendoParks)
- A low-tide seaweed walk at MacKerricher and a Noyo Harbor walking tour
- Uni on the menu at restaurants around the coast
Good to know
| Last held | June 13–15, 2025 (the 4th) |
|---|---|
| Next | Not announced as of our last check |
| Official site | Visit Mendocino County ↗ |
More on the coast
- North Coast KelpFest!
- Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival
- The World’s Largest Salmon BBQ
- Mendocino Coast Whale Festivals
- All food and wine events
Details from Visit Mendocino, 2025 activities. Checked September 24, 2026. Prices are for the year shown; check the official site before you go.
Coming for the weekend? We cook dinner in the house you’ve rented. Check your date, or see sample menus.