4th Annual California Seaweed Festival 2023

November 3 - 5 2023, San Diego, CA

SCROLL DOWN FOR FULL SCHEDULE

2023 Festival - Main Event Tickets

Festival Volunteer Sign Up

Baja Seaweed Excursion - Tickets

AT A GLANCE SCHEDULE

November 4, 2023 - California Seaweed Festival

Location: Waterfront Park, San Diego, CA

***For full schedule scroll past the At-A-Glance schedule***

PANELS:
Starting a seaweed farm in California 11:00-11:45
Science - Seaweeds Under Threat & Opportunities for Restoration 1:00-1:45
New Programs at Community Colleges 2:00-2:45
Food & Health 3:00-3:45
Funding Seaweed Ventures 4:00-4:45
TALKS - Session 1, 11:00- noon
Indigenous People's Forum PANEL, noon- 12:45
The Art of Seaweed & Storytelling PANEL, 1:00-1:45
TALKS - Session 2, 2:00-3:30
Film PANEL, 5:00-5:45
Food Tasting - Ticketed event noon - 1:30
Food Tasting - FREE 2:00-3:00
VENDORS 3:00 - 5:00PM
OPENING REMARKS, 10:00-10:30
MUSIC, 11:00- noon
ResilienSEA, 11:30 - 3:30pm
MUSIC, 2:30-4:00pm
MUSIC, 4:30 - 6:00pm
CLOSING REMARKS, 6:00-6:05
Touch Tank/Coloring/Prints, 10:30-6:00 - ACTIVITY AREA
Seaweed Superheroes (limu space), 11:00-11:30 - ACTIVITY AREA
CLASH Demo, noon-12:30 - Sea Grant Booth
Limu Pets (limu space), 12:00-2:00 - ACTIVITY AREA
CLASH Demo, 2:00-2:30 - Sea Grant booth
10:30 AM - 3:45 PM WORKSHOP Location: Above/Below Booth Launch of Webstory - The Mysterious World of Bull Kelp Josie Iselin, Co-Director, Above/Below Marianna Leuschel, Co-Director, Above/Below Chad Upham, Web Developer, Covive

Scroll down for full schedule

FESTIVAL VOLUNTEER SIGN UP

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

CALIFORNIA SEAWEED FESTIVAL
Saturday | NOV 4TH | 10am-6pm

LOCATION: Waterfront Park - Green Space 6 (corner N Harbor Dr. & W Ash St ) 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92101

Main Event: A full day of seaweed celebration. Booths, talks, panels, food, art, and interactive experiences abound!

11am-5pm
BROWN SEAWEED TENT: PANELS

11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Starting a seaweed farm in California
Moderated by Lauren Linsmayer ,California Ocean Science Trust

Randy Lovell, CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
Natalie Arroyo, Humboldt County
Leslie Booher, Sunken Seaweed
Paula Sylvia, Port of San Diego
Eliza Harrison, Ocean Rainforest

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM
Seaweeds Under Threat & Opportunities for Restoration
Moderated by Matthew Edwards, San Diego State University

Mark Drawbridge, Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute
Madelyn Harden, University of Southern California
Sergey Nuzhdin, Alta Seads
Jennifer Smith, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD

2:00 PM -2:45 PM
New Programs at Community Colleges
Moderated by Theresa Talley, California Sea Grant

Jasmine Iniguez, College of the Redwoods
Garen Baghdasarian, Santa Monica College
Linda Kurokawa, Mira Costa College Paul Detwiler, San Diego Mesa College

3:00 PM - 3:45 PM
Food & Health
Moderated by Sachi Singh, Rootless

Amanda Swinimer, Dakini TidalWilds
Gabby Pavelko, Rootless

4:00 PM - 4:45 PM
Funding Seaweed Ventures
Moderated by Kendall Barbary, Greenwave

Bailey Moritz, WWF
Conner Lachenbruch, Venture Capitalist
Doreen Wong, Sustainable Ocean Alliance

11am-5:45pm
RED SEAWEED TENT: PANELS & TALKS

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
TALKS - Session 1
Moderated by Lais Lima

Micro2Macro: What is the seaweed microbiome up to? Speaker: Lais Lima, 11:00 - 11:15 AM

Removing purple sea urchin for kelp forest protection Speaker: Julio Palleiro, 11:15 - 11:30 AM

Envisioning offshore kelp aquaculture in Southern California Speaker: Ann Bishop, 11:30 - 11:45 AM

AltaSeads Conservancy for seaweed “seed banking” and future proofing. Speaker: Michael Marty-Rivera, 11:45 AM - 12 PM

12:00 PM - 12:45 PM
Indigenous People's Forum - PANEL
Moderated by Monique Sonoquie

1:00 PM -1:45 PM
The Art of Seaweed & Storytelling PANEL
Moderated by Jennifer Adler

Josie Iselin, Loving Blind Productions
Itamar Lilienthal, Casa Tamarindo
Oriana Poindexter, Pelagic Projects
Joe Riley, US San Diego Visual Arts
Audrey Snyder, CalPoly Pomona Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
TALKS - Session 2
Moderated by Kristen Davis

Modeling seaweed growth Speaker: Kristen Davis, 2:00 - 2:15 PM

Control Environment AEROPONIC system AlgalTech Speaker: Armando Leon, 2:15 - 2:30 PM

Bull kelp farming in Humboldt Bay Speaker: Kalani Oritz, 2:30 - 2:45 PM

Kelp conservation in Patagonia Speaker: Carolina Pantano, 2:45 - 3:00 PM

UCLA Kelp Kulture: building an interdisciplinary community Speaker: Emma Akmakdjian, 3:00 - 3:15PM

Seaweed Aquaculture Research at Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute Speaker: Dr. Yuanzi Huo, 3:15 - 3:30PM

5:00 PM - 5:45 PM
Seaweed Documentary Film Screenings PANEL
Moderated by Mary Ann Beyster, Yellow Warbler Media

Ester Serrao, University of Portugal
Jenny Adler, Jennifer Adler Photography Jasmine Novack, Holdfast Studios
Lindsay Bauman, Surfgrass Productions
Jonathan Williams, Vantuna Restoration Group
Oriana Poindexter, The Studio of Oriana Poindexter

10:30am-3:45pm
ABOVE/BELOW WEBSTORY LAUNCH

Location: Above/Below Booth - Across from the Red Seaweed Tent Times: 10:30am & 2:30pm

WORKSHOP: Launch of Webstory - The Mysterious World of Bull Kelp Josie Iselin, Co-Director, Above/Below Marianna Leuschel, Co-Director, Above/Below Chad Upham, Web Developer, Covive

10:30am-6:00pm
TIDEPOOLS - ACTIVITIES & KIDS COVE

10:30 AM - 6:00 PM, Location: ACTIVITY AREA
Touch Tank/Coloring/Prints

10:30 AM - 2:00 PM, Location: Limu Booth
Limu Pets - Making seaweed pets, Makanahele Emmsley and Tela Augyte

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM, Location: Limu Booth
Seaweed Superheroes - Matt Edwards

Learn about the seaweed!

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM, Location: Sea Grant Booth
CLASH Demo - Dan Gossard, Monterey Bay Seaweeds/Sea Grant

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM, Location: Sea Grant Booth
CLASH Demo - Dan Gossard, Monterey Bay Seaweeds/Sea Grant

10am-6:05pm
STAGE - BAND, PERFORMANCES, & SEAWEED FESTIVAL REMARKS

10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
OPENING REMARKS: CSF Founders, Crew and, Stan Rodriguez Indigenous Kumeyaay land acknowledgement

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
MUSIC - Ethereal Rising

11:30 PM - 3:30 PM
ResilienSEA Immersive

2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
MUSIC - Aquatic Bad Guys

4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
MUSIC - Sheet Cake

6:00 PM - 6:05 PM
CLOSING REMARKS - CSF Founders and Crew

12pm-5pm
GREEN SEAWEED TENT: FOOD TASTING

12PM - 1:30PM
Blue Evolution: Food Tasting - Ticketed event

Join us for the Blue Evolution Tasting Event 12pm to 1:30 pm! This event will be a one of kind chef lead cook demonstration. Learn how to use seaweed to evaluate dishes, make them main course stars, and so much more. Your $40 will pay for the food and tasting. Make your lunch one of a kind by tasting and learning from some of the best seaweed chefs out there.

ALL DAY
Vendor Food Sampling & Tasting Events

Rootless - 10 to 11:30 am

Akua: Food Tasting - 2 to 3:00 pm

Daybreak Seaweed - 3:30 to 4:30 pm

10am-5pm
OCTOPUSES’ BEER GARDEN: BEER AND OTHER DRINKS

BEER GARDEN - Enjoy some refreshing drinks

List of Vendors - 10am to 6pm

Loryn White Pottery - wheel-thrown and functional ceramics inspired by flora and fauna of the North Coast of California

Pelagic Projects - photo-based art by Oriana Poindexter, created with seaweed collected from local waters

Low Tide Landing - Silver + Seaweed + Stone: Hand-forged jewelry for life between the tides by artist Jess Anderson

Saltwater Integrative Bodywork - bodywork, free-diving, somatic coaching and retreats by Grace Peterson

American Cetacean Society - protecting whales, dolphins, porpoises and their habitats through public education, research grants and conservation actions

Loving Blind - | books about seaweed, along with notecards, scarves, mugs, posters, and shower curtains featuring seaweed imagery by Josie Iselin

Above / Below - a campaign for the ocean forests of the North Pacific Coast

Art by Nicole Miller - turning old surfboards into unique and beautiful hand-painted works of fine art… Nicole will be live painting a surfboard during the festival

California Sea Grant - coastal science serving California

Daybreak Seaweed - seaweed seasonings and pantry products made from West Coast regenerative seaweed farms; we’re on a mission to bring seaweed into the everyday kitchen!

Salty & Wise - locally sourced seaweed art complete with species identification and location of collection by Maureen “Mo” Wise

Limu & Moore - handmade local seaweed art by Kai Moore, inspired by the beauty and science of the ocean, including pressings, cyanotypes, collages, cards and more

Banana Van Goods - art by Margarita Schwiebert, inspired by an intimate connection with nature fostered through free-diving and open water swimming along the San Diego coast

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium - learn about California’s Kelp Forest! make and take your own seaweed strand to start “growing” your own at home!

CSU Shark Lab - learn about the fascinating work we do with sharks, including shark biofacts, samples of shark research technology and how to stay safe sharing our local beaches

WhimSea - seaweed art, jewelry, keychains, t-shirts and more, by Karen Clark

Marie McKenzie Art - coastal-minded and earth-friendly artwork, including limited edition, signed and numbered prints of oil paintings inspired by kelp and the ocean

Rootless - whole-food nutrition that delivers the benefits of seaweed in a delicious daily bite, we’re on a mission to bring this nutrient dense food to a wider audience

DaHood Scientist - coloring books, stickers and clothes that share the beauty and diversity of ocean creatures, by grad student Ric DeSantiago

SeaTrees & Sustainable Surf - brochures, t-shirts, hats, reusable water bottles, patches and stickers, from groups dedicated to ocean health and blue carbon coastal ecosystems

Monterey Bay Seaweeds - land-based seaweed farm sustainably cultivating fresh, edible seaweeds; our products are displayed in dishes, desserts and even cocktails across the US

Coastal Defenders - environmental, social and restorative justice organization dedicated to creating equitable pathways in aquatics, STEAM and environmental protection

Morgan Raith & Julia Messinger - ART

Jacob Ogawa - photography

Blue Evolution - the global leader in breeding, farming and processing regenerative sea vegetable ingredients for a sustainable future

Blacksmith Custom Rods - one-of-a-kind, custom made fishing rods that incorporate bull kelp

Ocean Connectors - we educate, inspire, and connect youth in underserved Pacific coastal communities through the study of migratory marine life

FOOD VENDORS

Big Oven Pizza - wood-fired pizzas

Hit Different Asian BBQ - musubis, poke nachos, Hawaiian garlic shrimp, salads and sides, Thai tea, and more

Tiger Sticks - Japanese style skewers and rice bowls, fresh drinks

Ice Cream Wheelers - old-fashioned scooped ice cream, sorbets, shave ice, floats, plus jumbo Japanese hot dogs, mochi snacks and cold drinks

November 3 - 5, 2023

Locations:

Nov 3rd: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, CA
Nov 4th: Waterfront Park, San Diego, CA
Nov 5th: Baja California - Ensenada

We are excited to announce our next festival is moving down south! We are busy planning the next festival, please stay tuned on our socials for more information!

GET TICKETS NOW - MAIN EVENT

2023 FESTIVAL EVENTS INFO

Final Few Details!

Parking:

If you are traveling by personal vehicle here is a few recommendations for parking:

Parking is available under the Waterfront park CLICK HERE for the link to navigate to it.
Clickable map for other parking options in the area CLICK HERE to choose other parking spots
PDF map of available public parking in the area, CLICK HERE for PDF map of wider port area

Public Transport:

If you are taking public transit there are a wide variety of options:

MTS has a page devoted for how to get to the festival. CLICK HERE for maps and the best routes
Take the Trolley and get off at County Center / Little Italy by using the Blue or Green Lines CLICK HERE for a PDF map

Pet Policy:

Please only bring well behaved pets. There will be people of all ages and sizes at the festival. Some people might not be keen on interacting with animals at the seaweed festival. It is your responsibility to make sure that other festival attendees aren't being affected by your pet. Of course all legally certified service animals are welcome. If your pet is noisey, unruly, anxious in crowds, hard to control, etc please leave them at home. We are here to vibe at the seaweed festival.

Please also follow the park policy on animals at parks provided by city of San Diego

Smoking Policy:

Waterfront Park is a smoke-free and alcohol-free park. Alcohol is only allowed when appropriate permits are obtained. View additional park rules.

Welcome Tent:

The welcome tent is also the informational tent of CSF. If you have questions please head over there. If you find anything lost (items or children) bring them to the welcome tent or find the nearest security guard.

Beer Garden:

The beer garden is only available to those 21 and over. Valid ID must be provided to enter. Alcoholic drinks can be purchased and drank in the garden area with drink tickets. Refusal of service is at the discretion of security and/or staff.