We are camping in the area and found the festival on Facebook local events, so we decided to check…read moreit out. First the handicapped parking was not available (my husband is handicapped), as they placed tables and chairs in the handicapped parking. Once parked we went inside to check it all out. There were 2 lines for food, the wait about 30 min + each, so we skipped on food. We then walked over to see what was for sale and they had maybe 3 booths, not impressed. Our next stop was the bar... the drinks were pre-made and not very strong and served in less then 8oz cups, filled with ice and each was $12. Total rip and would not worth it!

It was not planned but we happened to be in town the weekend they had the Greek Festival in San…read moreLuis Obispo. Having just gone to the Oakland one just a few weeks before, we just stopped by this one to check it out vs sampling all the Greek food for sale since we have set spots we always hit while in SLO. One area was dedicated to entrée like items like moussaka, gyros, etc. while another booth had the pastries like my favorite, the galaktobouriko, and a separate booth for the loukoumathes. We did give into temptation and got a small order of their loukoumathes but did feel it was a bit too dense and doughy than what we are used to and had just a few weeks before. Held at the Mission Plaza, understandably it is not as large as the annual Oakland one but there is a certain charm to SLOs. Since it is smaller, there is a definite community feel to it that it probably would not be uncommon to run into your neighbor or friends at this event. Since it is during the weekend before the Cal Poly Commencement, it is geared more towards residents than students who were probably busy cramming for finals.

Having gone to a fair number of beer festivals I like to think I have a pretty good reference for…read morehow they 'can' be. That being said, this was my first time at the CFoB. I decided to buy both the Friday Connoisseur Tasting and Saturday Grand Tasting. I'll break this down by each day... Friday Connoisseur Tasting: Here is how it is billed on the website.. The "Arts and Drafts" Connoisseur Tasting will feature specially selected Craft beer and local food offerings for guests enjoyment. The intimate tasting format allows the beer "connoisseur" an unique opportunity to converse one-on-one with the brewery reps on hand. This evening will also feature the work of visual artists and musicians local to the California Central Coast. The idea was for this to be a more intimate exclusive event with local artists present, meet and chat with the brewery reps, and taste some special selections. Art... Okay, first off, I am not an art guy so that didn't do anything for me. Art and beer...can they go together? Sure, do they normally? No. But whatever, they were not in the way and some people seemed to like them and bought some stuff. Food... There was Buffalo Wild Wings, Kind bars, a bbq catering company, some meatballs, and some more meatballs. It was all okay, but seemed a bit sad and underwhelming. Everyone was really nice, but really...I came for good food and beer. I didn't get that. The breweries... I visited each, maybe eight, and no more than 10 breweries were there. I me maybe two brewers who knew a lot about the beer, most were just people who poured beer and didn't know anything about it. There were no special beers to taste, each beer served was wholly available in the store, either in a can or bottle. No one offs, no special blends, nothing unique at all. A total sham in my opinion. If someone was there for me to complain to, I would have. A waste of $50. Saturday Grand Tasting: Great location and the setup was spacious enough to allow for plenty of walking without long lines and huge immovable crowds. Almost 50 breweries (counting cideries)! Wow cool! That's what I thought when I showed up. But then I approached the Firestone tent...they were pouring Easy Jack and DBA. Wait..what? I went to Central Coast Brewing and they poured, Montery St., Catch 23, Chai Ale... I went to Barrelhouse, they poured Sunny Daze, IPA, etc. I went to Oscar Blues they were pouring IPA and Mexican Lager... What the heck? Is this just a bunch of breweries serving their normal everyday beers? Not only did each brewery serve their normal everyday bottled beer, but less than 10 had anything special (that 20% new beer). Very very disappointing. No free food, but plenty of food trucks/vendors. The Pairing Knife, What the Truck, and a few others. Good prices, and they all took credit cards which is great. Plenty of shaded seating, as it was hot and sunny all day. Perfect weather, but I can't say the same of the event. The staff were all friendly and the organization was nice. It's just too bad about all of the normal beer. I suppose this is what you get when the event serves to benefit Hospice of SLO and breweries are only donating beer. So...my fault for not picking up on that. Stick with for profit beer festivals for the good stuff. Againg, for $75 I would say I got my money's worth in terms of quantity, but I care more for quality. And no Spike's?! How do you know invite the guys who started the entire festival??? For shame.

Two day drinking festival going towards a good cause -- perfect event for a small college town!…read moreBeer Fest took place at the Madonna Inn with 50+ breweries. First Day -- Connoisseur Pairing is the smaller night event held indoors at the Madonna Expo that features music and art. It's mainly an event catered to people who want to pair different brews with food and cigars. Second Day -- Grand Tasting is the HUGE event that takes place outdoors in the Meadows from 11am - 4pm. There are about 3,000+ people, most of which are local college students. All the breweries come out and the guests can sample alllll the beer they want!! There are usually a few food vendors as well (Spikes, Marston's, Pacifica Catering, Popolo..) They also had a couple of random activities like life size beer pong with big trash bins and a soccer ball. Beer Fest tickets are pretty pricey and run up to around $80 for GA but all the proceeds go to the SLO Hospice Center, an organization that provides support for anyone experiencing life threatening illnesses or grief of a lost one. Definitely one of the biggest events of the year in SLO and always a great time!

I had the pleasure of attending the Atascadero pride event at the zoo and I was so happy I went!…read moreParking was easier when the event started but then the lot filled up as I departed mid afternoon. I would suggest getting to the event early next year for easy parking. - There was about 20 vendors featuring queer artists, local resources, food and drink and clothing. There were different activity stations, a raffle and a DJ. I thought the decorations were very tastefully done. - I felt safe and comfortable the entire time. Everyone was very welcoming and polite. My personal space was respected. In the afternoon, I grabbed a blanket from my car and laid it in the grass while I ate a snack. I look forward to next year's event and hope even more vendors join in for the celebration!

It seems unfair that I've reviewed San Francisco's pride now but almost forgot that little San Luis…read moreObispo has pride too. I've been to their pride celebration twice, and it was pretty much the same thing both years, which makes me think they're pretty consistent! For a rather small area and one that is more divided politically than San Francisco, I think it's pretty cool that they have a pride at all. The pride itself, not surprisingly, is somewhat modest. There's no parade. However there's lots of food, tons of free stuff to be had from local supportive businesses, and lots of musical and comedy acts. It's not something where I'd spend more than 2-3 hours, but it's an enjoyable couple hours under the trees in The Mission. The actual festival is only 3 stars, but the additional entertainment really elevates SLO's pride. They have a beach party the week before every year, a drag show, and before-and-after dance parties. They are very tame compared to what goes in SF, but that doesn't stop if from being fun, not to mention much safer than the city. While this pride celebration isn't as grand as what goes on in larger communities, it's still definitely worth attending if you live in SLO or happen to be in the area. Give it a shot and try having some pride small-town style!

It is about 3 blocks of greatness! The options are great from the bbq to the fruit and even a great…read moreselection of different vendors. The kettle corn popcorn was great and reasonably priced. As for the food, definitely follow the smoke, it will lead the way to the best smoked meats. Downfall is they only take cash but their selections are wide and everything I tried was amazing! We had the beans, ribs and garlic bread and everything was great! And across from this vendor is a vendor with fresh flavored waters, the strawberry lemon is so refreshing! This is by far the biggest farmers market I've been to and was so happy with the variety.

Quite the see and be seen particularly for the college crowd. And crowded it was. One end is…read moreproduce, the other food stalls, with other sundry vendors sprinkled around and about. We picked up some produce to bring home but most of it was pricey. The food vendors were plentiful (we sampled the street corn), but they really lacked places to sit and chill/eat. We actually wound up going to a restaurant rather than wait to eat expensive food standing up with throngs of people walking by. A fun place and time to experience but they could make it better

What an event! Fantastic afternoons and evenings had experiencing independent films, shorts,…read moredocumentaries. Lots of greats showcasing at SLO's 30th anniversary. We were honored to sponsor Academy Award nominated "NAI NAI & WAI PO" short film/documentary. It did receive an honorable mention :D SLO Independent Film Festival is one for ALL; non-Hollywood alike, families. It's a great event to attend, support and enjoy!

The SLO Film Fest is yet another reason to visit San Luis Obispo, the star of California's central…read morecoast. What you get is a week of independent films (many locally shot & produced), and future box office hits. Major stars make appearances. In 2023 it was Judd Hirsh. There's even an encore virtual festival and live screenings in Paso Robles, another destination-worthy town. Yes, you could watch some of the films online, but then you'd be missing the parties, red carpets, beautiful Fremont & Palm deco theaters, Downtown Centre Cinemas, Sunset Drive-in, live Q&As; not to mention all the excellent hotels, restaurants, shopping, and Avila Beach.

Second time coming here- one year later. We had such a lovely time. The wine is so yummy- the…read morewhites are so light. We loved the hospitality and the small town feel. We will be back anytime we come to Avila.

Classic Flight: $20/person for 5 pours (fee waived with every $30 purchase)…read more Rustic, family owned and operated winery, just down the street from our hotel (Hotel Calle Joaquin). Stopped in at the end of the day for a final tasting. We were the only customers there, and the original owner's granddaughter poured for us. She had very interesting stories of the family's history, and we even got to meet her mother & father, the second generation owners of this winery. The wines we tasted ranged from a crisp Chardonnay, a slightly oaked Viognier, to a cool-climate Syrah. The property was originally a cow and dairy farm, and the old barn is still there. The tasting room has some cool "artifacts" like the cattle branding iron, which is also on the labels of the wines. There's a pleasant outdoor patio next to the tasting room, and we were told that they also have an area back in a small canyon where they host weddings and other events. Filipponi Ranch is a nice, little diversion when you're traveling through the area. It's located right off the 101. Definitely worth checking them out.

Its under construction so the concession stand is limited. The recliner seats are great. They are…read moreso comfortable, clean and work great. The theater are limited seating which make for easy in and out. A funny thing happened, you have to choose your seats which we did. We had 2 people, me and my friend. The theater was empty when we got in and the movie has started. We just sat il anywhere. Five minutes later a woman enters with 5 kids and tells us we are sitting in their seats. We moved of course but really? The theater was empty! Not the theater's fault at all. Just a lesson to sit in your designated seat lol

Movie theatre had been wonderful, us locals especially appreciated it because they would allow…read moreoutside food inside. They recently changed this rule, but they haven't had hot dogs or other food that we can buy besides popcorn, salty nacho chips or pretzel. At least have hot dogs or better selection of grubbage! You even used to have pizza! Make this place great again or I'll just go to AG or north county for a movie.

I have never taken the time to truly be in the moment and really chill when in California and see…read morebeyond the obvious gorgeous beaches, sunsets and sights. This 8 day leisurely drive to and from SF was beautiful and stopping at will and experiencing this farm in San Luis Obispo was so peaceful and fun. Open fields for acres, a beautiful calm in the air, no loud noise and no horns or city sounds, beautiful flowers in every color that greet you and make you smile; apples and then more gorgeous and delicious apples that you leisurely pick and place in the basket that fills up fast. A wonderful and warm Manager Olivia who lives in the area and loves what she does. A lovely store with Halloween Knick knacks and jars of honey and other delicious items. A nice area for kids to play. We loved the SLO Creek Farms just off the 101 in San Luis Obispo.

One of our favorite places to come as a family! We have been visiting every year for almost 5 years…read morefor their apple picking in the fall! The service is always so sweet and inviting! The snacks are fun and we love taking pictures in the fields!