Visit SLO CAL Spotlights New Experiences and Upcoming Offerings in SLO CAL for 2025

San Luis Obispo County, California, (January 15, 2025) – Visit SLO CAL, the official destination management and marketing organization (DMMO) for San Luis Obispo County (SLO CAL), is excited to unveil the region’s latest attractions and developments. With new restaurants, boutique hotels and engaging experiences, SLO CAL continues to establish itself as a premier travel destination in the center of California’s central coast.

In 2025, SLO CAL introduces offerings to suit diverse interests. Food enthusiasts can enjoy innovative dining, wine lovers can explore new tasting rooms and visitors will discover expanded accommodations. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the historic Motel Inn. While no longer in operation today, the Inn is a key part of SLO CAL’s legacy as a road-trip destination.

“SLO CAL is continuing to expand its offerings in the new year, while still remaining an authentic, community-driven and coastal region,” said Cathy Cartier, Visit SLO CAL’s President & CEO. “We’re excited to see the region continue to grow with such diverse experiences, giving both locals and visitors even more to explore and enjoy in 2025.”

Visit SLO CAL is also excited to share that Episode 2 of Unpacking SLO CAL, titled “Zips & Sips” premiered on January 6, 2025. The episode is now available on the official landing page, which includes the full-length feature and links to the participating partners.

This episode highlights the adventurous and vibrant side of SLO CAL, featuring zipline experiences above vineyards, sunset wine tastings and dynamic murals. Viewers can watch the episode HERE and explore the full itinerary HERE.

Episode 1 of Unpacking SLO CAL, released in May 2024, remains available HERE. Episode 3 is slated for release in late March 2025.

The new offerings reflect the region’s investment to enhance the visitor experience while supporting the local communities of SLO CAL, including San Simeon, Cambria, the Town of Harmony, Cayucos, Morro Bay, Avila Beach, Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, Atascadero, Templeton, Paso Robles, San Miguel, Santa Margarita, San Luis Obispo, Shell Beach, Arroyo Grande, Oceano, Nipomo, Creston and Los Osos-Baywood Park.

New Offerings in SLO CAL for 2025 Include:

SLO CAL

• Open Farm Days: From June 20-22, 2025, savor summer with FARMstead ED along the SLO County Farm Trail at over 20 local family farms across SLO CAL offering farm tours, workshops, tastings and more! Come greet a pig, kiss an alpaca, milk a goat, meet the farmers and learn how your food gets from farm to table!

San Miguel

• Lavender Bloom Celebration at Hambly Farms: On June 14, 2025, inhale sweet lavender wafting through the air. Stroll through the pretty planted rows of dreamy lavender varieties. Harvest your own lavender bundle. Plan a picturesque picnic amidst wide open spaces with breathtaking views for miles.

San Luis Obispo

• Feral Kitchen & Lounge: Opened in October 2024, this trendy downtown restaurant owned by North County Restaurant Group, offers bold dishes and craft cocktails.
• SLO Ranch Farms & Marketplace: Launched in August 2024, this vibrant community space combines 10,000 square feet of retail space with a 40-acre working farm, offering families a taste of local farm-to-table agriculture and craftsmanship.
• SLOMA Exhibits:
  • Esteban Cabeza de Baca: Multilayered works combining graffiti, landscape and pre-Columbian pictographs.
  • Trish Andersen: Fiber art merging vibrant and muted tones, exploring texture and contrast.
  • Siji Krishnan: Watercolor paintings on rice paper inspired by the Upanishadic philosophy, vasudhaiva kutumbakam (“the world is one family”).

Cayucos

• The Salty Tiger & Sandbar Lounge: Located inside The Pacific Motel, the speakeasy offers a unique nightlife experience in Cayucos, open on Fridays and Saturdays, serving beer, wine and small bites. Outdoors, The Sandbar (truck turned bar counter) serves local beer and wine between two bungalows.
• Cayucos Motel: Ryan and Marisa Fortini, owners of The Pacific Motel, recently purchased the Cayucos Motel and plan to remodel the property in 2025 with a “surf style” aesthetic, enhancing its beach town charm.
• Surf Rat Donuts: A surf-inspired donut shop near the Cayucos Pier, opened in a former fish smokehouse.

Atascadero

• Cerrado Aviaries Exhibit at Charles Paddock Zoo: Celebrate the grand opening of the new exhibit on Saturday, January 18 at 3:30pm with a ribbon cutting. This new exhibit, supported by the Atascadero Lakeside Wine Festival Committee and the Friends of the Charles Paddock Zoo, features Hyacinth macaws and Toco toucans, native to the Cerrado biome in Brazil. The Cerrado, a vast grassland and biodiversity hotspot sitting just below the Amazon rainforest, is home to over 4,800 endemic species and plays a vital role in supporting local ecosystems and communities. Toucans help spread the seeds of trees used by macaws for nesting, showcasing the interconnectedness of this unique environment.

San Simeon

• Hearst Ranch Winery: Renovated on May 23, 2024, as an oceanfront tasting room with historic elements and cozy seating.

Cambria

• Stepladder Creamery & Ranch: Elevated farm store and enhanced farm tours, including seated cheese tastings overlooking goat pastures and avocado orchards.

Grover Beach

• The Caffeinated Cat Café: SLO CAL’s first cat café, opened in 2024, combining coffee culture with adoptable cats.

Highway 1

• Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary: America’s 17th marine sanctuary, designated on October 11, 2024, and preserving 4,543 square miles of coastal waters, celebrating Indigenous connections.

Avila Beach

• Avila Village Inn: Expansion of 18 modern craftsman-style guest rooms, anticipated for early spring 2025, with updates to the original 30 rooms.

Pismo Beach

• Pismo Beach Club: New hotel opening planned for 2025.
• Giuseppe’s Restaurant Expansion: Anticipated growth in the Pismo Beach location in 2025.
• Pismo Bonfires: Custom outdoor fire pit and bonfire services for private events.
• Classic Car Show: May 30-June 1, 2025, showcasing classic cars, live music and food.
• Whale Stewardship Event: March 15, 2025, at The Cliffs Hotel & Spa, celebrating the region’s marine life with special guest, Adam Ernster.

Arroyo Grande

• Egg Hunt & Spring Festival: A family-friendly tradition on April 19, 2025, featuring the only adult egg hunt in South County, free hotdogs, bunny hop races, egg tosses, carnival games, bounce houses, face painting and more.
• Summer Concert Series: Running from July to September 2025, this free concert series at the Rotary Bandstand in Heritage Square Park invites visitors to bring picnic baskets, blankets and lawn chairs.
  • July 4, 2025: Enjoy concerts by the Village Band (11am-1pm) and Unfinished Business (2pm-4pm)
  • July 6-Sept 21, 2025: Weekly concerts every Sunday from 1pm-3pm.

Paso Robles

• Parchetto: Opened in July 2024, this charming spot for food and drinks was created by the owners of Il Cortile.
• Caliza Winery: A family-owned and operated vineyard, which opened its new estate on Peachy Canyon Road in September 2024.
• S’Aranella: Expected to open in early 2025, this Spanish tapas bar and steakhouse is helmed by Julien Asseo of Michelin-mentioned, Les Petites Canailles.
• The AVA Hotel: Anticipated to open downtown in summer 2025, this luxury 4-story hotel will feature a rooftop pool, multiple dining options and event spaces.
• Sensorio:
  • DIMENSIONS (Opened May 2024): Immersive audiovisual experience, designed by artist collective HYBYCOZO.
  • Fibre Optic Symphonic Orchestra (FOSO) (Opening April 11, 2025): A mesmerizing light and music installation by British artist, Bruce Munro, which will feature 32 columns of light synchronized to a musical score composed by award-winning British composer Nainita Desai.
• Paso Robles Inn: The historic Inn completed extensive renovations in September 2024, unveiling 98 newly renovated rooms and suites, as well as the 1889 House, a 12-room “hotel-within-a-hotel” concept that honors the building’s Victorian history.
• Grace & Rose: Farm-to-table restaurant planned to open in spring 2025, set in a historic farmhouse, brought to you by the owners of Paso Robles Wine Merchant.
• Downtown City Park Lights Year-Round: In early 2025, a new year-round light display will illuminate 21 trees, enhancing the charm of the Downtown City Park with up to 150 lights per tree to be installed.
• BlendFest on the Coast: From February 20-23, 2025, enjoy winemaker dinners, coastal excursions, a blending seminar and the Grand Tasting featuring 40 wineries. This annual event is a collaboration between Paso Robles Wine Country, Visit San Simeon, Visit Cambria and Highway 1 Road Trip.
• Paso Wine Fest Announces New Friday Night Event: Taking place May 15-28, 2025, this four-day celebration will feature winemaker dinners, a Grand Tasting with over 120 Paso wineries and a new Friday night event to be announced in early 2025.
• Vinyl Vineyards: Proprietors Jeff and Dina Hevert renovated six vintage airstream trailers to create a unique glamping experience with a new stage and music series debuting in 2025.
• VineCycle Tours: Offers guided electric bike tours through Paso’s vineyards, providing an educational experience about local wineries and winemaking.
• Bovine Classic: Named a Top 10 must-ride gravel cycling event for 2025 by Bicycling Magazine, this cow-themed adventure will take place in Paso Robles and Atascadero on October 25, 2025.
• Olive & Lavender Festival: Come out to the festival on May 10, 2025.

SLO CAL, situated halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, offers over 80 miles of pristine coastline, expansive vineyards covering over 40,000 acres and scenic roads and over 25 microclimates, making it a must-visit destination on California’s Central Coast. SLO CAL’s iconic stretch of Highway 1 is an unforgettable journey through some of California’s most captivating coastal landscapes. In 2023, tourism in SLO CAL reached $2.32 billion in direct travel spending, marking a consistent performance from the previous year and generated $60.1 million in transient occupancy tax revenue, contributing $110 million in local tax revenue.

For more information on SLO CAL’s newest experiences, visit slocal.com

ABOUT VISIT SLO CAL:

As the countywide non-profit destination marketing and management organization (DMMO), Visit SLO CAL promotes this region’s slower pace of life and immersive guest experiences. Visit SLO CAL is responsible for promoting SLO CAL as an attractive travel destination and a dynamic place to live and work. Through the impact of travel, Visit SLO CAL strengthens the economic position and provides opportunity for all people in the community. Built on research with a strategy of continuous improvement, Visit SLO CAL aims to establish SLO CAL as a favorite West Coast destination known for its unique, immersive experiences. For more information, go to slocal.com.