There is so much community spirit and cultural vitality in Stardew Valley that it can be hard to keep up. But, some of the most important cultural traditions of this small but mighty town are the annual festivals, which range from yearly competitions to large feasts.
Each of the annual festivals of Stardew Valley has its own traditions, celebrations, and activities. Many of them also come with seasonal shops and things to see. Here are all of the annual festivals in Stardew Valley, ranked.
9 Flower Dance
Remember when you’d go to a school dance and awkwardly stand on one side of the room with your friends while your crush giggled with their friends on the other side? Did you have some parent chaperones hanging around, making things extra awkward while they showered you with enthusiasm?
If you’d like to relive that experience, the Stardew Valley Flower Dance is for you. This annual event takes place on Spring 24 every year, and the main feature is a romantic dance between the bachelors and bachelorettes of the town.
If you have a high enough friendship level with one of the marriage candidates, you can ask them to dance with you. In these cases, it’s kind of cute. Otherwise, it’s just awkward and the rejection makes you feel sad. At least the event shop has some fun stuff to purchase!
8 Festival of Ice
Heading to the colder months, you’ll find the Festival of Ice in the Cindersap Forest on Winter 8. This wintery event is a celebration of the season, with the villagers building snowpeople, igloos, and ice sculptures. While you’re here, you can take part in the annual Ice Fishing Contest.
The event organizers have created a large pond in the middle of the forest and stocked it with fish, and you can compete alongside Pam, Willy, and Elliott to see who can catch the most fish. If you win, you’ll receive some fishing tackle and a new hat, or some cash in subsequent years.
With the newest game update, the traveling cart now sells some wintery items at her shop.
7 Dance of the Moonlight Jellies
The end of summer is celebrated with a beautiful event in Stardew Valley. On Summer 28, head down to the beach after 10 p.m. and you’ll be able to witness a truly spectacular phenomenon: the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies. These sea creatures are attracted to a light on a small boat, coming close to shore and bring with them their ethereal glow.
This event doesn’t have much in the way of activities that you have to actively participate in like many other events. However, the jellyfish dance is very beautiful, and it’s very nice to attend with your spouse, who will stand next to you during the cutscene. With the new update, Pierre also has a shop going at this event, though it has fewer items available than some other events.
6 Night Market
Also at the beach is the annual Night Market. This market was added in one of the more recent updates to the game, and takes place over three nights of winter, from Winter 15 to Winter 17. You can visit the market any time after 5 p.m. on those three nights.
This event is more of a shopping experience, with a few different merchants available with a diverse array of wares for you to browse. There is also a submarine ride where you can catch special fish, a desert trader who will give you a free cup of coffee, and a mermaid that performs for you.
The Night Market is a great experience for those looking to shop, as the different merchants all have great stuff on offer. There’s a ton of decorative items, seeds, artwork, and much, much more.
5 Egg Festival
The Egg Festival, which takes place on Spring 13, is the first event you’ll experience in a playthrough of Stardew, as it’s the first to take place in the year. If it’s your first year, this may be the first time you meet some of the residents of Pelican Town.
It’s important to take advantage of everyone being in one place during all of the annual events, as you can earn some friendship points with everyone very easily. But, it’s especially important here, as it’s the first time everyone will be in one place on a new file.
Pierre will run a shop at this event, too, and it’s more vital than other events, as this is the only place you can find Strawberry Seeds for sale. These berries are a profitable crop and you’ll want to try and grab some at the event.
Following the social aspect, you’ll be able to participate in an egg hunt. This is a brutal activity, as you’ll have to haul your butt to win. The other participants, especially Abigail, really put up some tough competition. If you win, you’ll get a hat the first time, and some cash in subsequent years.
4 Feast of the Winter Star
The Stardew Valley version of Christmas is called the Feast of the Winter Star, and it takes place on Winter 25 every year. There’s a large feast, a seasonal shop, and a gift-giving ceremony. This gift-giving event takes the form of a Secret Santa-style exchange.
A week earlier, the mayor will assign you someone that you’ll be the Secret Santa to, and you’ll need to bring a gift for them to the event. Additionally, someone will be your secret gift-giver, meaning you’ll receive a surprise present from one of the other characters.
Sometimes, you’ll receive a less-than-stellar gift, depending on who your gift-giver is. However, it’s still a very fun event, and it’s a fun challenge to find the perfect thing for your giftee. It’s also just a nice way to cap off the year.
If you talk to Willy during the event, he’ll tell you the tale of the Winter Star.
3 Spirit’s Eve
This event is the Stardew version of Halloween, focused on everything orange, purple, and spooky. It takes place on Fall 27 every year, beginning at 10 p.m. in the center of town. As with most of the other events, a large feast has been prepared, and there are thematic sights and activities.
Halloween-themed decorations are everywhere, there’s a small cage with some skeletons walking around, and the top portion of the area features a large maze created by the Wizard. If you manage to complete the maze, you’ll find a chest with a Golden Pumpkin, which is a universally-loved gift.
In the maze, you’ll see some of the villagers, and speaking with them provides some funny dialogue. Pierre, as per usual, has a seasonal shop here as well.
2 Luau
Most of the annual events have a large feast, but the Luau, which takes place on Summer 11, lets you actually participate in preparing the food. The main focus of this event is a large communal potluck soup, and everyone brings an ingredient to add.
The governor is present, and he acts as both a taste-tester and judge. What ingredient you add to the soup will determine his reaction, and that reaction will then determine how many friendship points you earn (or lose) with the villagers.
As usual, Pierre will have a themed shop here. This one allows you to purchase some really nice plant-like items for your home. This event has some of the best feelings of “community” due to the potluck, and it serves as a nice, warm celebration of summer.
1 Stardew Valley Fair
At its core, Stardew Valley is a game about farming. You can take your farm in whatever direction you choose, whether it be growing crops, raising animals, producing artisan goods, or many more options. It stands to reason, then, that the Stardew Valley Fair on Fall 16 is the best event for your character to attend, since it lets you show off your hard work.
At the Fair, you’ll be given a display box where you can show off some of the items you’ve produced or found throughout your time on the farm. You’ll earn some Star Tokens based on how good your display is, which can be exchanged in the shop (most notably for a Stardrop). There are some other mini-games you can play too, but the grange display is the real attraction here.
It can be challenging to win the grange display contest, but it’s a fun challenge. Plus, it arguably fits the theme of this game better than any other event: farming, success, and community.
NEXT: Stardew Valley: Complete Guide And Walkthrough
