CATALINA ISLAND, California – Just 22 miles offshore the coast near Los Angeles sits a small island that feels like arriving at another country.
As the only inhabited of the Channel Islands, Catalina Island’s natural beauty stuns with turquoise waters beneath cliffside homes, evoking the charm of Italy’s Amalfi Coast. It’s been deemed to have one of the prettiest small towns in California and as a locals-only secret for a scenic getaway, but the 76-square-mile isle can also burst to life if an event is being held.
I had the chance to witness the island pulse with energy for its popular event that kicks off the summer season: the Catalina Wine Mixer.
If the name sounds familiar, you likely heard it from the 2008 hit comedy “Step Brothers,” featuring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. The fictional event was hailed in the film as “the biggest helicopter-leasing event in the Western Hemisphere,” and it was the turning point for the two middle-aged characters to go from butting heads to bonding. It culminates in the final scenes of the movie.
To say it’s become an iconic event for the island is a bit of an understatement, as it just celebrated its decennial. “The real Catalina Wine Mixer was an idea the Catalina Island Company had 10 years ago as a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the wildly popular Step Brothers movie,” Hunter Rusack, chief operating officer for Catalina Island Company, told USA TODAY in a statement. “It began as a fun way to bring visitors to the island and has grown into the annual celebration of the film’s cult following.”
Over 3,000 travelers descended on Catalina this year to live out the real-life wine mixer, with events hosted around the only city of Avalon – which feels more like a small village than a city. All weekend, people proudly wear custom made T-shirts repping the faces of the two actors or the most famous lines from the movie. Others simply enjoy sipping a variety of wine against the backdrop of Mt. Orizaba, the island’s tallest mountain peak. The wine mixer is meant to be unadulterated fun, boosted by the island’s sunwashed setting.
No matter what travelers seeking, whether fun or relaxation, the idyllic isle offers a refreshing break from the daily grind – and it’s just an easy hour-long ferry ride from the greater Los Angeles area.
This is the charm of Catalina Island.
What is Catalina Island?
Catalina Island sits as the southernmost of the Channel Islands, an archipelago comprising Channel Islands National Park although it’s not part of it. The island’s first inhabitants were the Gabrielino Indigenous Peoples, and the island has changed ownership since the 1800s until purchased by chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr. His descendants still own the island today under the Catalina Island Company.
With pastel-colored bungalows from the 20th century and white Mediterranean villas nestled into the mountainside, the island blends the atmosphere of a European resort town with Southern California’s coastal appeal. The island’s home to only two towns, Avalon and Two Harbors, with the rest being stewarded by the Catalina Island Conservancy.
Facing a harbor filled with sailboats, Avalon is the island’s main tourist hub, and where most tourists will stay, from hotels such as the century-old Hotel Atwater to Airbnbs. Travelers can also camp, with several campgrounds around the island and some being more secluded and adventurous to get to. Its Front Street lined with boutiques and restaurants like Flx Biergarten, Avalon Grille and the waterfront Pier 24.
If travelers want to do more exploring, there are also various hikes and activities such as camping, open-air Hummer tours, ziplining, diving, snorkeling, and more. The pace of Catalina is leisurely, with most coming to relax or be active outdoors. (While out in nature, you may spot one of the island’s bison, which were brought over for the filming of “The Vanishing American” in the 1920s.)
To preserve its peaceful ambiance, the island restricts the number of cars allowed. Longtime residents have been grandfathered in, otherwise newcomers have to join a 25-year waiting list to bring their vehicle. If you need motorized transportation, travelers can ride a golf cart. The city is entirely walkable, taking around 20 minutes to cover.
What is the Catalina Wine Mixer like?
The wine mixer takes place around Avalon, prompting guests to get to know the island. (Shuttles are also available to transport guests.) It starts on a Friday evening with a VIP reception at the Catalina Country Club. Later, during the movie screening in the historic 1920s-era Catalina Casino, the audience bursts into cheers with die-hard fans quoting the entire movie. Saturday afternoon is the main event with wine tastings from over 15 wineries along the Californian coast on the lawn of the Descanso Beach Club, reminiscent of those in Europe, and live music. There’s also a VIP lounge nearby for breaks from the sun, and food is included.
The wine mixer used to be held in September, but now ushers in the summer. “A few years back, we moved the event to late May as a springboard to the busy summer season,” said Rusack. Tickets for the Catalina Wine Mixer range from $139 for general admission to $499 for VIP.
How do you get to Catalina Island?
While you can actually lease a helicopter to Catalina Island like the movie jokes, the easiest – and most cost-effective – way is by taking a ferry from ports around the greater Los Angeles area, including Long Beach, Dana Point, San Pedro and Newport. There are two options, the Catalina Flyer or Catalina Express.
I took the Catalina Express from Long Beach, and the ride on its large, high-speed catamaran took approximately 75 minutes to reach Avalon. It has multiple departures a day until 6 p.m. For a quieter experience, the private lounges upstairs cost extra but are more comfortable with wider seats. A one-way ticket costs $42 for an adult in June, and it’s advised to get yours ahead of time as they can sell out.
Although visiting during the wine mixer felt like an especially lively environment, I was still enchanted by Catalina’s beauty and laid-back ambience – just the views alone from the Descanso Beach Club were stunning. Knowing it’s a brief ferry ride away from Los Angeles, I’m already thinking of returning to experience more of what the island has to offer.
