Join us at the Mendocino Art Center for the Mendocino Open Paint Out (MOPO), our annual plein air festival!

Sept 8th - Sept 14th.

Nestled along the stunning Mendocino Coast of northern California, our festival offers a picturesque canvas where the Pacific Ocean meets stunning landscapes. With its rugged coastal views, charming Victorian buildings and pastoral vineyards, Mendocino is not only a place with sublime natural beauty that inspires artists and nature lovers alike, but is also the ancestral lands of the Northern Pomo people.

Their future, along with Mendocino’s landscape, is once again placed in a precarious position. The gradual amplification of climate change and deregulation of environmental policies has brought to the fore the important role communities have to play in preserving the biodiversity and ecologies that still remain. MOPO offers an unique opportunity for artists, visitors and local residents to build community around a shared love for art and nature, and to contemplate the fragility of the remarkable coast that we call home. 

Whether you’re looking to gather with fellow artists, enhance your technique, collect new works or simply celebrate art in one of the most scenic settings on the West Coast, MOPO promises an enriching experience for all.

This year we are thrilled to have Cathy Xu, (2024’s top award winner), Maeve Croghan and Jennifer Wang as our 2025 MOPO Judges!

Guidelines, Rules and Calendar Schedule

For lodging and accommodations, click here.
Our lodging is limited and does tend to sell out around the event.

Register

Registrations are now open for our 2025 MOPO.

KelpFest 2025

A Coastal Festival of Art, Science, Food, Film & Community to support Kelp Forest Resilience

North coast ocean celebration comes back to the Mendocino Coast Oct 3-6.

The once-thriving bull kelp forests that stretched from Monterey to Alaska have seen dramatic declines in recent years due to climate shifts, ecological imbalance, and human impact. In response, KelpFest! 2025 returns this year from October 3–6 to celebrate the resilience of coastal ecosystems and the community efforts working to restore them. This multi-day event, set against the stunning backdrop of the Mendocino coastline, invites visitors and locals alike to explore the ecological, cultural, and artistic significance of kelp through a packed schedule of immersive events.

The festival kicks off on Friday October 3 in Fort Bragg, where a Blue Economy presentation and multimedia exhibit at Town Hall explores sustainable marine practices and innovations along the working waterfront. As the sun sets, the town comes alive with a special KelpFest-themed edition of Fort Bragg’s First Friday Art Walk—local galleries feature kelp-inspired artwork, while businesses stay open late with music, tastings, and festivities.

Saturday October 4 begins in Mendocino with the vibrant Seaweed Spectacle Parade, a community procession that winds from Portuguese Beach to the Mendocino Art Center in celebration of marine life, creativity, and coastal culture. The parade is hosted by Flockworks, a local non-profit working with Mendocino schools to bring the science curriculum of kelp forest ecology into the classroom and will dedicate their after-school art program at the start of the year to work with children on costume design for the parade. At the Mendocino Art Center (MAC), festivalgoers can explore new exhibits, including Momim Wene, bringing together Indigenous arts that honor the sacred waters, and kelp basketry by Lucy Traber, interactive games and scavenger hunts, and a dance performance titled All Dripping in Tangles Green. Tables will be hosted by over ten local groups who will share information about their most recent kelp restoration efforts on the North Coast. That evening, The Nature Conservancy & Above/Below hosts the Senescence Celebration at the MAC—an evening of contemporary coastal art, food, wine, and music inspired by the completion of another year’s growth of the kelp forests and the beginning of a new season of renewal. 

Sunday October 5 offers a deep dive into science and culture, starting with a morning bluff-top tour of the Big River Kelp Recovery Project, hosted by The Nature Conservancy and featuring drone demonstrations and kelp canopy mapping. Following, Xa Kako Dile & Indigenous Community Initiatives hosts a Native Food Festival & Market in Caspar at Fortunate Farms, celebrating Indigenous foodways and ocean stewardship. In Fort Bragg’s Noyo Harbor, the Noyo Center for Marine Science opens its doors to the public on Sunday with a full day of hands-on exploration, ocean mural installations, and an in-depth Kelp RISES presentation. The afternoon also includes a ticketed Ocean Aquaculture Panel and Reception, bringing together researchers and practitioners working at the intersection of ocean food and restoration.

Also on Sunday, North Coast Brewing Company & Alleyway Art Project unveil a new public art installation—a gray whale alleyway mural—with a reception in the Sequoia Room at the Pub featuring the artists with food and beer offered by the Brewery. That evening, the Mendocino Film Festival will screen Sequoias of the Sea and Finding Forests, a pair of compelling films exploring kelp forest ecology on the North Coast, followed by the filmmakers’ remarks. 

KelpFest! concludes on Monday, October 6 with a morning ribbon-cutting at the Ice House in Noyo Harbor and a new kelp mural reveal. The festival closes with an immersive tide pooling and wild urchin harvesting session at Greenwood Beach, timed with the super moon rising over the Pacific.

KelpFest! 2025 is produced by a regional coalition of artists, scientists, educators, and ocean advocates, including Above/Below, Word of Mouth Magazine, Noyo Center for Marine Science, The Nature Conservancy, Flockworks, Mendocino Art Center, the City of Fort Bragg, MendoParks, Xa Kako Dile, The Mendocino Film Festival, and Visit Mendocino. Support comes from The Nature Conservancy, The Ocean Protection Council, California Sea Grant and the Spirit of Max Foundation.

A finalized schedule, including registration for select ticketed events is now available at northcoastkelpfest.org. Most events are free and open to the public.

For all press inquiries and to request media kits or high-resolution images, contact Jade Fogle at jadefogle@me.com.

Download high-resolution images, logos, and media materials here.