If you’re anything like us, you love getting out and having fun at local festivals. The salty ocean breeze, swaying palm trees and sunny beaches make South Orange County the perfect backdrop for pretty much any event. So when we heard the Ohana Festival was returning to Dana Point’s Doheny State Beach September 27–29, we were elated.
Though it’s still a few months away, you can start planning now by marking your calendars, buying tickets and shopping for your favorite festival wear. And because it’s an all-ages event, you can bring the kids. If they’re under 5, they’re free to attend general admission with a paid adult. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the San Onofre Parks Foundation, a non-profit that works with California State Parks to provide education, interpretation and preservation.
Curated by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, the three-day festival has an eclectic lineup featuring Vedder himself, The Strokes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jenny Lewis, Devendra Banhart, Incubus and many more. There will be plenty of food trucks and local restaurant fare, as well as craft beer, wine and signature cocktails.
Hopefully we can expect some surprise performances. In 2018 Vedder joined Johny Marr, formerly of The Smiths, for a cover of “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.” Vedder took to the stage with Liz Phair for “Better Man” and performed three Tom Petty hits with Scott Thurston of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers fame.
Vedder fans probably already know that he’s a lifelong surfer. But for those who don’t know, Vedder explained last year that he’d caught his first waves in Doheny as a kid and has so many fond memories of the locale that when he was organizing Ohana he chose this location and wanted it “as close to the beach as possible!” He launched the festival with fellow surfer, Kelly Slater, in 2016.
Ohana was named after the Hawaiian idea of family, which encompasses extended families, friends and neighbors alike. So spread the word and invite your loved ones if you’re ready for a good time.