JazzTrax in the Casino Ballroom is one of Catalina Island’s most popular events. For nearly 30 years, October has meant jazz on Catalina Island. In 1987, event producer Art Good brought world class smooth jazz to the Casino Ballroom and JazzTrax has been a legendary event ever since. JazzTrax on Catalina Island is held in the…

It’s bug season on Catalina Island. Don’t worry, insects haven’t invaded – these bugs are the tasty kind. Spiny lobsters – affectionately referred to as “bugs” by those who hunt them – are now in season. While spiny lobster tails are still delicious, these lobster lack the distinctive claw that characterizes their better known Maine…

Residents of Catalina Island and the rest of the Southern California mainland are hoping for a gift from a child this winter. El Nino, Spanish for The Child, is a phenomenon that brings warmer water to the eastern Pacific. Among other global impacts, El Nino tends to bring heavier than normal rainfall to Southern California…

Things are different on an island. Santa Catalina offers spectacular natural beauty as well as a relaxed pace of life that are unique in Southern California. One of the many things that first-time visitors are surprised by is Catalina’s twilight. Cradled by steep hillsides to the north and west, Avalon is bathed a lingering dusk…

For hundreds of thousands of people, their first experience with Catalina Island is as a port stop on a cruise ship.  Los Angeles, with its myriad outlying suburbs and massive population, is a regular port of embarkation for several cruise lines. While California lags far behind Florida when it comes to volume of cruises, the region is…

While Avalon’s charming shops, tempting restaurants and picturesque waterfront is the face of Catalina Island for millions of visitors, it’s the interior of Catalina Island that offers a real look at what this Southern California Island is all about. Dramatic seascapes, challenging terrain and unique wildlife make Santa Catalina Island a nature lover’s dream. Thanks…