Photo courtesy Explore Lompoc.
Explore Lompoc Blog:
LOMPOC — Looking for somewhere new to explore this summer? A place that’s fun for the whole family, but not somewhere you’ve seen plastered all over your Insta feed? Plan a trip to Lompoc and enjoy family fun on California’s Central Coast. Convenient to multiple California cities, it’s easy to have a road trip adventure!
Away from the hustle and bustle of big cities, the sweltering heat of inland summers, and busy freeways clogged with traffic, a getaway to Lompoc will help you slow down, relax, and reconnect with the people who matter most to you, while still having a great time.
Here are our kid-friendly summer events and activities to explore:
Jalama Beach
9999 Jalama Rd.
Lompoc, CA 93436
A scenic 30-minute drive from Lompoc, you’ll find Jalama Beach. A popular location for surfing, bird watching, hiking, camping, and more, the beach fits on every Lompoc itinerary. Enjoy a dip in the ocean, take a picnic, and explore the wide variety of plants and animals that make Jalama home. Another must: Trying the Jalama Burger at the Jalama Beach Grill.
Lompoc Valley Flower Festival
Thursday, June 20 – Sunday, June 23
Ryon Memorial Park
800 W Ocean Ave
Lompoc, CA 93436
Celebrate the Lompoc Valley’s agricultural heritage at this weekend-long event. Watch the parade, then enjoy carnival rides and games, food booths and much more! This year’s Flower Festival will be held June 20-23, 2024 at Ryon Memorial Park.
La Purisima Mission State Historic Park
2295 Purisima Rd
Lompoc, CA 93436
History comes to life at La Purisima Mission! On multiple Saturdays in summer, you can step back in time with costumed docents and staff to explore what life was like in the early days of the Mission. Try your hand at (or watch the demonstrations of) tortilla making, candle making, soap making, spinning and weaving, carpentry, pottery, blacksmithing, and more!
Mission Life Days
Saturday May 25, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Saturday July 22, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Saturday August 31, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Mountain Men at La Purisima Mission
Friday, August 23 – Saturday, August 24, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Go waaaaay back in time and learn about how people survived life in the West between 1820-40. Buckskin-clad members of the American Mountain Men will demonstrate survival skills and share the history of the period. Experience cooking, hide preparation and tanning, leather working, rope making, and blacksmithing techniques and equipment from the period, and enjoy tall tales shared around the campfire.
40th Annual West Coast Cub Fly-In
Friday, July 12 – Sunday, July 14
Lompoc Airport
1801 North H Street
Lompoc, CA 93436
If your kids love planes, you can’t miss this weekend-long event at the Lompoc Airport! This annual gathering of Piper J-3 Cub planes celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2024, with pilot proficiency contests on Saturday, July 13. All weekend, you can see the planes up close, watch the flying events, and meet the pilots. Entry is free!
Space Launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base
Various times and dates all Summer
Experience the thrill of a space launch! Vandenberg Space Force Base is home to all west coast launches, making almost every place in Lompoc ideal to catch the action (we’ve got a guide for you here). Because Vandenberg is an active military base, only military personnel can watch a launch from on-base—but visits to the Space and Missile Heritage Center are offered monthly.
So much more…
Explore Lompoc, California with your family and discover all that the city has to offer. Spoiler alert: there’s a bit of everything, including hiking and even skydiving!
The activities listed above are just a few of the great things happening this summer. Keep an eye on the Lompoc Events Calendar for more exciting events as you plan your trip!
ABOUT LOMPOC
Located on scenic Pacific Coast Highway 1, just 155 miles northwest from Los Angeles with close proximity to Santa Barbara and Solvang, Lompoc takes on a world
of its own. Its valley setting, surrounded by spectacular rolling hills and vineyards, creates an invitation for visitors to detour off the main road, and explore what’s
around the bend.Lompoc is a destination for wine tasting, golf, cycling, hiking, skydiving, birding, and surfing at nearby Jalama Beach. It is home to La
Purisima Mission State Historic Park, the most fully restored and furnished of the 21 California missions, and adjacent to Vandenberg Air Force Base, where rockets
are launched throughout the year by such entities as NASA, SpaceX, and ULA, to name a few. Lompoc has 12 hotels to welcome visitors. To discover more about the
Lompoc Valley, and other things to see and do, visit: www.explorelompoc.com.