Does it ever seem that events stack up in themes? For instance, last weekend the Strongest Man competition was held at Huntington Beach. Then one day later, the very same spot on the beach brought us the Marines 5K run. Events such as the Chili Cookoff are tied to seasons when people want to eat hot soups, for instance. The California fair season generally runs Feb to October and launches in the desert, then rolls throughout the state, making its way to the counties with snow around mid-to-late summer.
In Huntington Beach, the event themes are somewhat like this: Car shows begin around May, peak in June / July, and fade out by September. Sporting events at the beach are hosted from March through September for maximum exposure and sponsorship. Those include the US Open of Surfing, AVP Pro Beach Volleyball, a paintball tourney, and possibly a few expos for girls & boys. Surfing goes on all year long, while marathons typically are held in the off-season.
Having worked on a newspaper full time, I felt I’d gotten to know a place after I made it through a year and saw the annual events repeat themselves. That’s absolutely true of Huntington Beach, as well. I took on many freelance assignment for newspapers, volunteered for the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce, then worked full time several years for the Huntington Beach tourist & visitors marketing organization, Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau. Having seen the events repeat each year and going so far as to become a full time volunteer for one such event (4th of July Parade), I know very well that communities, economies and tourism are tied to events and their success.
So as we enter Huntington Beach’s summer season, look for not one but four concerts series to overlap one another, look for surfing events to run back-to-back, and look for the small moments where you can take a breath, then dive back in for more events.