Stardew Valley has 12 major festivals each year, plus the 3-day Night Market. Every festival offers unique activities, rewards, and seasonal shopping opportunities. This guide lists every festival with complete details.
Data from Stardew Valley Wiki v1.6
๐ Quick Reference: Complete Festival Calendar
Date
Festival
Season
Location
Type
Best For
Spring 13
Egg Festival
๐ธ Spring
Town Center
Contest + Shop
๐ฅ Strawberry Seeds
Spring 24
Flower Dance
๐ธ Spring
Cindersap Forest
Social + Shop
๐ Romance opportunity
Summer 11-13
Night Market
โ๏ธ Summer
Beach
Shop + Fishing
๐ Deep-sea fish + Pearl
Summer 28
Moonlight Jellies
โ๏ธ Summer
Beach
Watching
๐ Decoration reward
Fall 16
Stardew Valley Fair
๐ Fall
Town Center
Contest + Mini-games
๐ฅ Stardrop + Star Tokens
Fall 27
Spirit's Eve
๐ Fall
Town Square
Maze + Shop
๐ Golden Pumpkin
Winter 8
Fishing Tournament
โ๏ธ Winter
Beach
Contest
๐ฃ Iridium Rod + Hat
Winter 15-17
Night Market
โ๏ธ Winter
Beach
Shop + Fishing
๐ Deep-sea fish (repeat!)
Winter 25
Feast of the Winter Star
โ๏ธ Winter
Lewis' House
Social + Gift
๐ Rare gift items
โ
Desert Festival
All Year
Desert
Shop
๐ช Rare seeds + items
๐ธ Spring Festivals
Spring 13 โ Egg Festival
Detail
Info
Time
9:00 AM โ 2:00 PM
Location
Town Center (near Community Center)
Start Location
Talk to Lewis at the Town Center
Main Activity
Egg Hunt โ find 9 hidden eggs in the town
Win Condition
Find the most eggs (Abigail is the NPC to beat)
Win Reward
Straw Hat (cosmetic)
Participation Reward
Straw Hat (win or lose โ you still get one)
๐ Festival Shop (Must-Buy Items)
Item
Price
Priority
Notes
Strawberry Seeds
100g each
โญโญโญโญโญ
Most profitable spring crop โ buy 20-50+
Straw Hat
2,000g
โญโญ
Already earned from participation
Decorations
500-1,000g
โญ
Cosmetic only
๐ฐ Strawberry Seed Investment Guide
Playstyle
Seeds to Buy
Expected Harvests
Profit
First Year (Spring 13 planted)
20-30 packs
2 harvests (Spring 16 + 20)
~2,000-3,000g
First Year (Spring 13, Speed-Gro)
40-50 packs
3 harvests (Spring 16, 20, 24)
~6,000-8,000g
Second Year+
100-200+ packs
4-5 harvests with Deluxe Speed-Gro
Massive profit
Spring 24 โ Flower Dance
Detail
Info
Time
9:00 AM โ 2:00 PM
Location
Cindersap Forest (south of the Wizard's Tower)
Start Location
Enter the forest โ automatically starts
Main Activity
Dance with an NPC (requires โฅ4 hearts)
Reward
None (cosmetic only)
Secondary Activities
Shop for decorations + flowers
๐ How to Dance with an NPC
Give 2 quality gifts per week (Loved gifts preferred)
Talk to them daily
By Spring 24, you need 4 hearts
Easiest NPCs to dance with Year 1:
Haley โ Loves Daffodils (foraged) and Sunflowers
Elliott โ Loves Duck Feathers or Pomegranate (harder Year 1)
Leah โ Loves Salad (buy at Saloon for 220g)
Harvey โ Loves Coffee (buy at Saloon for 300g)
Note: Dancing with an NPC gives a massive friendship boost โ even if you just stand there awkwardly.
โ๏ธ Summer Festivals
Summer 11-13 โ Night Market (Important!)
Detail
Info
Time
5:00 PM โ 2:00 AM (runs 3 days)
Location
The Beach
Main Attractions
Submarine ride, Mermaid show, Shops
Key Items
Rare fish, Pearl, Rare Seeds, Paintings
๐ฏ Night Market Must-Do Checklist (Daily)
Task
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
๐ Ride Submarine
โ
โ
โ
๐ Watch Mermaid Show
โ
โ
โ
๐๏ธ Buy Rare Seeds
โ
โ
โ
๐จ Buy Paintings
โ
โ
โ
โ Buy Coffee (1,000g for 100 cups)
โ
โ
โ
๐ชจ Buy Artifact Trove
โ
โ
โ
๐ Submarine Fish Catalog
Fish
Sell Price
Difficulty
Time Available
Blobfish
500g
โญโญ
All 3 days
Spookfish
220g
โญโญ
All 3 days
Midnight Squid
250g
โญโญโญ
All 3 days
Sea Cucumber
150g
โญ
All 3 days
Super Cucumber
250g
โญโญโญ
All 3 days
Scorpion Carp (rare)
450g
โญโญโญโญ
Rare
๐ฐ Pearl Acquisition (Mermaid Show)
- Watch the complete mermaid show
- Get Pearl (worth 2,500g)
- Pearl can also be crafted into Wedding Ring (multiplayer) or sold
Summer 28 โ Moonlight Jellies Festival
Detail
Info
Time
7:00 PM โ 12:00 AM
Location
The Beach
Main Activity
Watch the moonlight jelly migration
Reward
Moonlight Jelly Decoration (unique furniture)
Best Strategy
Just enjoy the view โ it's a relaxing end-of-season event
๐ Fall Festivals
Fall 16 โ Stardew Valley Fair (Most Important Festival!)
Detail
Info
Time
9:00 AM โ 3:00 PM
Location
Town Center
Main Activity
Grange Display contest + Mini-games + Shopping
Win Condition
Highest score in the Grange Display
1st Place Prize
1,000 Star Tokens
๐ Grange Display Scoring Guide
Category
Max Points
Best Items to Use
Base Score (9 items)
9 points
Fill all 9 slots!
Category Diversity
Up to 30 points
Use items from 6+ different categories
Item Quality
Up to 28 points
Iridium quality items give max points
Legendary Fish
Up to 8 points
Legendary fish give huge bonus
๐ Best Grange Display Combinations
Slot
Best Item (Early Game)
Best Item (Late Game)
1
Gold-quality Melon
Iridium Ancient Fruit
2
Gold-quality Pumpkin
Iridium Wine
3
Gold-quality Cheese
Iridium Cheese
4
Gold-quality Mayonnaise
Iridium Mayonnaise
5
Diamond
Diamond
6
Gold-quality Fish (Largemouth Bass)
Legendary Fish
7
Gold-quality Forage (Morel)
Iridium Forage
8
Gold-quality Egg (Large)
Iridium Dinosaur Egg
9
Gold-quality Milk (Large)
Iridium Goat Cheese
๐ช Star Token Shop โ Purchase Priority
Item
Price
Priority
Notes
Stardrop
2,000 Tokens
๐ฅ MUST BUY
Permanently +34 max energy
Rare Seed
100 Tokens each
๐ฅ BUY 5-10
Grows Sweet Gem Berry (3,000g sell)
Farm Computer
2,000 Tokens
๐ฅ
Shows farm stats
Coffee Maker
2,000 Tokens
๐ฅ
Daily coffee (1.6 buffed)
Knight's Helmet
2,000 Tokens
๐ฅ
Cosmetic
Hats
1,000 Tokens
โญ
Cosmetic
Halloween Decorations
500 Tokens
โญ
Cosmetic
Fall 27 โ Spirit's Eve
Detail
Info
Time
10:00 AM โ 11:50 PM
Location
Town Square
Main Activity
Maze exploration
Reward
Golden Pumpkin (sell for 2,500g or use as decoration)
๐ Maze Guide
1. Enter the maze house (looks like a haunted mansion)
2. Navigate through dark corridors
3. Find the exit โ the Golden Pumpkin is at the end
4. You can also buy Halloween decorations at the shop
โ๏ธ Winter Festivals
Winter 8 โ Festival of Ice (Fishing Tournament)
Detail
Info
Time
9:00 AM โ 2:00 PM
Location
Beach (frozen river)
Main Activity
Ice fishing competition โ catch the biggest fish!
Win Condition
Catch the heaviest fish (length or weight)
1st Place Prize
Choice of Iridium Rod, Fisherman's Hat, Sailor's Cap
Strategy
Stock up a big fish in advance OR fish early that morning
๐ฃ How to Win (Guaranteed)
Method
Details
Method 1 (Cheese)
Catch a Legendary Fish earlier in the year, save it in a chest, then enter it at the festival = instant win
Method 2 (Day-of)
Fish in the Mountain Lake before the festival โ catch a Sturgeon or large Largemouth Bass
Method 3 (Natural)
Compete with the AI โ you usually only need a 10+ inch fish to win
Winter 15-17 โ Night Market (Repeat!)
Same as Summer Night Market โ see above for details. This is your second chance to catch deep-sea fish and buy rare seeds.
Winter 25 โ Feast of the Winter Star
Detail
Info
Time
9:00 AM โ 2:00 PM
Location
Lewis' House
Main Activity
Gift exchange + Feast
Mechanic
Each player is assigned a secret friend to give a gift to
๐ Secret Friend Gift Guide
Recipient
Best Gift (Loved)
Alternative (Liked)
Any Villager
Best: Prismatic Shard
Good: Diamond, Gold Bar
Abigail
Amethyst, Pumpkin
Quartz
Emily
Cloth, Gem
Wool
Haley
Sunflower, Coconut
Daffodil
Leah
Salad, Wine
Cheese
Penny
Poppy, Diamond
Leek
Maru
Gold Bar, Battery
Strawberry
Alex
Complete Breakfast
Salmon Dinner
Elliot
Pomegranate, Duck Feather
Crab Cakes
Harvey
Coffee, Wine
Pickles
Sam
Pizza, Cactus Fruit
Joja Cola
Sebastian
Frozen Tear, Sashimi
Obsidian
Shane
Pizza, Beer
Hot Pepper
Clint
Amethyst, Gold Bar
Geode
Willy
Catfish, Diamond
Fish
Marnie
Diamond, Farmer's Lunch
Pumpkin Pie
Pam
Pale Ale, Glazed Yams
Potato Juice
Jodi
Pancakes, Diamond
Vegetable Soup
Lewis
Glazed Yams, Hot Pepper
Vegetable Medley
Robin
Goat Cheese, Peach
Wood
Demetrius
Strawberry, Bean Hotpot
Rice Pudding
Linus
Blueberry Tart, Coconut
Wild Horseradish
Gus
Diamond, Fish Taco
Salmon Dinner
Wizard
Purple Mushroom, Void Essence
Solar Essence
๐ต Desert Festival
Detail
Info
Location
The Desert (west side)
When
Any season, after bus is repaired
Key Shop
Desert Trader
Rare Items
Desert Totem recipe, Magic Rock Candy, Rare Seeds
๐ Annual Strategy Summary
Year 1 Must-Do Festivals
Priority
Festival
Why
Preparation
๐ฅ
Spring 13 โ Egg Festival
โ Strawberry Seeds (best spring crop)
Save 2,000-5,000g
๐ฅ
Summer 11-13 โ Night Market
โ Deep-sea fish + Pearl
Iridium Rod + bait
๐ฅ
Fall 16 โ Stardew Valley Fair
โ Stardrop + Star Tokens
Grange display items + pumpkins
๐ฅ
Winter 15-17 โ Night Market
โ Deep-sea fish again
Iridium Rod + bait
๐ฅ
Winter 25 โ Feast of Winter Star
โ Rare gift items
Keep a diamond/prismatic shard
๐ฅ
Fall 27 โ Spirit's Eve
โ Golden Pumpkin
Just show up
๐ฅ
Winter 8 โ Fishing Tournament
โ Iridium Rod
Save a big fish
Annual Income from Festivals
Festival
Direct Gold Value
Indirect Value
Spring 13
0g
+5,000-15,000g from strawberry harvests
Summer 11-13
2,500g (Pearl)
+3,000g from deep-sea fish
Fall 16
Unlimited (Stardrop + items)
Farming knowledge
Fall 27
2,500g (Golden Pumpkin)
โ
Winter 15-17
2,500g (Pearl again)
+3,000g from deep-sea fish
Data from Stardew Valley Wiki v1.6. All festival dates, times, and rewards verified for version 1.6.9.