Are Stardew Valley’s festivals confusing? When you start playing, it’s is very common to feel lost. The letters from Mayor Lewis talk about festivals, but they don’t always explain things well. You might wonder, ‘When should I go? What time does it start? Will I miss something important?’ Many new players skip festivals and later regret missing chances to make friends and get rare items.

But you don’t need to worry! This guide will help you understand every festival in simple, easy steps. Whether you are new to the game or have played before, you will learn how to enjoy festivals, win cool prizes, and make friends with the villagers. Most guides have too many complicated details, but this one is easy and fun to follow. You will get quick tips, simple checklists, and helpful advice so you always know what to do. This will make every festival fun and special for you.

Pro Tip: Check the weather! Rain won’t cancel festivals, but it can affect your fishing or mining plans.

On most festival days (which start before 7 PM, except for Dance of the Moonlight Jellies and Spirit’s Eve), all buildings and houses in Stardew Valley are locked. This means you can’t enter them, even if you don’t attend the festival. However, places like the Spa, Community Center, Sewers, and Movie Theater stay open. There are some exceptions: during the Night Market, Scourge Feast, Trout Derby, and Desert Festival, houses and shops remain open, and time keeps passing during the festival.

Stardew Valley’s spring season brings fresh air, energy, and fun festivals. Players enjoy these festivals where they hunt for colorful eggs, the Flower Dance, and join romantic events to make friends. These festivals help players collect rare items and build good relationships with villagers.

The Egg Hunt starts when you talk to Mayor Lewis. Your goal is to collect 9 colored eggs in 50 seconds (real-time). In multiplayer, you only need to find a few eggs, and multiple players can win. If you don’t collect enough eggs, Abigail will usually win.

During the Egg Festival, there is a special shop where you can buy fun things like Lawn Flamingo (400g), Plush Bunny (2000g), Strawberry Seeds (100g), Seasonal Plant (350g), and more. The festival ends when Mayor Lewis announces the winner of the Egg Hunt. After that, you will be sent back to your farm by 10 PM.

Pro Tip: Plant strawberry seeds by Spring 16 to get two harvests of strawberries before summer.

The Desert Festival happens in the Desert on Spring 15th, 16th, and 17th, from 10 AM to 2 AM. For the first two days of the festival, you don’t have to wait for Pam to show up at the Bus Stop to visit the Desert. There are different shops with changing items, races to bet on, challenges to earn event currency, and a chance to get a new outfit from Emily each day. Time moves forward during the festival, but the villagers won’t be at their homes or shops since they’ll be enjoying the festival.

New in the 1.6 Update: You can bet on races, fish for calico eggs, and trade for rare items.

Pro Tip: Talk with the “Suspicious Man” near the Oasis, and he’ll rig the races for just one egg.

To join the Flower Dance, go to Cindersap Forest by crossing the bridge south of the Wizard’s Tower. This area is only open during the festival. If you want to dance with a bachelor or bachelorette, talk to them twice to send an invitation. However, they will only say yes if you have at least 4 hearts of friendship with them. If you’re playing in multiplayer mode, you can invite another player to be your dance partner.

During the Flower Dance, you’ll find a shop where you can buy items like Dandelion (50 Gold), Daffodil (50 Gold), Tub o’ Flowers (1000 Gold), Seasonal Decor, Seasonal Plants, Rarecrow #5 (2500 Gold), and more. If you’re collecting Rarecrows, don’t forget to grab Rarecrow #5 for 2500 Gold to add to your collection. The dance begins after you talk to Mayor Lewis. Once the dance is over, you’ll automatically return to your farm at 10 PM.

Summer is full of fun events, like a luau festival, where players impress the governor by adding special ingredients to the soup. There’s the Trout Derby Festival in summer, which is a big fishing contest with amazing prizes. The season ends with the magical Dance of the Moonlight Jellies, where glowing jellyfish light up the sea like little stars.

During the Luau, all the villagers bring different ingredients to make a big pot of soup for the Governor to taste and judge. To start the tasting, just talk to Mayor Lewis. The ingredients you add to the soup can change how the Governor reacts, and this can affect how the villagers feel about you. So, the better the ingredients you choose, the better your chances of building good relationships with everyone.

If you add nothing to the soup, the Governor will say it’s missing something, but it won’t change your friendships. If you use a high-quality item like Ancient Fruit Wine or a Golden Egg, you’ll get 120 friendship points with all villagers. A good response gives you 60 points, and a mediocre response won’t change anything. Bad or terrible items will lower your friendship by 50 and 100 points. There’s also a secret reaction if you add Lewis’ purple shorts (but it won’t affect your friendship).

To get the best results, add high-quality ingredients to the soup. The better the ingredients, the more it will help improve your friendship with the villagers. But if the soup tastes bad, it might hurt your relationships with them. After the Governor tastes the soup, the festival will end, and you’ll be sent back to your farm at 10 PM.

The Trout Derby happens in Summer, on the 20th and 21st. It takes place in the Sandrasap Jungle, along the river. The event starts at 6:10 AM and goes until 2:00 AM, giving you plenty of time to fish. During the Derby, you can catch Rainbow Trout and have a chance to win Golden Tags for the fish you catch. Unlike other festivals, during the Trout Derby, the shops and houses stay open, and time moves forward during the event. So, you can enjoy the festival without missing out on other activities.

Pro Tip: To get Golden Tags, catch Rainbow Trout. You can use them at the Derby Booth to get prizes like Tent Kits or Mounted Trout Decorations. To catch fish faster, try using Bait! It will help you catch more fish quickly, giving you more chances to get Golden Tags.

You’ll receive an email from Demetrius inviting you to the event before the festival:

Dear [Player],

Tonight at around 10 o’clock PM, a rare and beautiful event will take place.
The moonlight jellies will be passing by Pelican Town on their long journey south for the winter. We’re all gathering at the beach to watch.
You don’t want to miss this! See you tonight,

– Demetrius

On the night of Summer 28, villagers meet at the beach to see the glowing jellyfish. You can join the festival between 10 PM and 12 AM. Once it ends at midnight, you’ll return to your farm. Before 10 PM, you can’t access the beach. Even if you try using a Warp Totem: Beach or Water Obelisk, you’ll just get a message saying, “Today’s festival is being set up. Come back later.” Also, if you use a Warp Totem, it will be gone, but you won’t go anywhere.

During the event, Pierre runs a small shop where you can buy items like the Moonlight Jellies Banner (800g), Cloud Decal (1,200g), Starport Decal (1,000g), Modern Rug (4,000g), and a delicious Seafoam Pudding (5,000g). If the wooden bridge to the east isn’t fixed yet, don’t worry, it will be temporarily repaired for the festival. This way, you can visit Robin, her family, Leah, and even the Wizard on the beach.

Talk to Mayor Lewis to start the special moment. You’ll see a cutscene where he lights a torch, attracting even more beautiful jellyfish to the docks. The festival will end automatically after this. If you’re married or engaged, your spouse (or fiancé) will stand beside you during the event. Also, if you’ve placed any Crab Pots on the beach, they won’t be visible during the festival.

In Stardew Valley, it’s fall time. There is the Stardew Valley Fair, where you can play fun games and join a contest to show off the best things from your farm. But, be careful, there’s also a spooky event called the Spirit Eve Festival, which is a bit scary. You will get a chance to find a hidden monster and earn some cool rewards. This is definitely one of the most fun times to play the game.

Mail: Spirit’s Eve Festival

Dear [Player],

One week from today, we are holding the Stardew Valley Fair in the town square!
It’s the biggest event of the year, drawing people from all across the country to our humble town.
If you’d like, you can set up a grange display for the event. Just bring up to g items that best showcase your talents. You’ll be judged on the quality and diversity of your display.
The fair starts at 9 AM… don’t miss it!e.

-Mayor Lowis

On Fall 16, the Stardew Valley Fair happens in Pelican Town. Visit the town square from 9 AM to 3 PM. All shops and houses will be closed. After the fair, return to your farm at 10 PM.

The fair has lots of fun mini-games where you can earn Star Tokens, a special currency to spend at the Prize Shop near the Bus Stop. Here are some key points:

In the Grange Display competition, show off your best items from your farm. When you’re ready to enter, just talk to Mayor Lewis.

Here’s what you need to know:

There are eight types of items you can use in the Grange Display: Cooked Dishes, Animal Products, Artisan Goods, Fish, Foraged Items (including Flowers and Tree Sap), Minerals, Fruits, and Vegetables. If you include six different types, you will get the highest possible points for variety (30 points). So, you don’t need to use all eight types just pick your best six to maximize your score.

During the fair, you can get free Survival Burgers from Gus, who’s cooking them just north of Pierre’s General Store. Eating one will refill your energy bar, but you’ll only feel the energy boost after leaving the festival.

The festival ends when you leave Pelican Town. Whether you’ve won mini-games, done well in the Grange Display, or just enjoyed the fair, you’ll return to your farm at 10 PM, ready for the rest of the fall season.

Mail: Spirit’s Eve Festival

Dear [Player],

Notice a chill in the air? It could just be the approach of winter…
Or it could be the tingle of a dark specter, here to help us celebrate tomorrow’s festival… the Spirit’s Evo.
Come to town at 10 PM if you’d like to participate.

-Mayor Lowis

The maze is north of Pierre’s shop. It is easy to walk through, with only a few dead ends. You can take as long as you want to finish.

To win the prize:

Pierre has a special shop where you can buy festive Halloween items. He sells Jack-O-Lanterns (750g for 5), Jack-O-Lantern Recipe (2,000g), Rarecrow #2 (5,000g), Grave Stone (350g), and Funky Rug (4,000g). The festival ends at noon when you go out of Pelican Town.

Winter is cold, but the festivals are fun! The Festival of Ice has a fishing contest. SquidFest lets players catch squids for rewards. The Night Market is a place to shop for rare items and watch a mermaid show. The season ends with the Feast of the Winter Star, where villagers give each other gifts.

Mail: Festival of Ice

Dear [Player],

Tomorrow, we’re all gathering in front of Marnie’s house for the Festival of Ice.
It’s a celebration of winter—there will be snowmen, ice sculptures, and an ice fishing competition!
Arrive between 9 AM and 2 PM if you’d like to participate.

-Mayor Lewis

The Festival of Ice has ice sculptures, snowmen, and igloos. The main event is the Ice Fishing Contest, where you compete against Pam, Willy, and Elliott. To win, you need to catch at least five fish before time runs out. If you don’t, Willy will win instead. In multiplayer, more than one player can win. The first time you win, you’ll get a Barbed Hook, a Dressed Spinner, a Magnet, and a Sailor’s Cap. If you win again in later years, you’ll receive a Prize Ticket instead.

During the festival, shops and homes are locked, and you can’t enter them. The Traveling Merchant sells Rarecrow (5,000g), Tree of the Winter Star (5,000g), Wallpaper (500g), ‘Frozen Dreams’ (2,000g), Icy Rug (4,000g), Winter Dining Table (3,000g), Icy Banner (800g), Wall Sconce (1,000g), Winter End Table (1,000g), Cranberry Sauce (200g), Stuffing (200g), and Pumpkin Soup (250g). The festival ends automatically after Mayor Lewis announces the contest results.

SquidFest is a two-day mini-fishing festival where players can catch Squid all day to earn tiered prizes.

SquidFest does not pause time, meaning you can still visit stores, tend to your animals, and manage your farm as usual. To earn all possible rewards, players must catch 8 Squid on the first day and 10 Squid on the second day. The event ends at 2 AM, just like a normal day in Stardew Valley.

Mail: Night Market

Dear [Player],

Starting tomorrow, a traveling merchant fleet will dock at Pelican Town for the yearly night market.
The market starts at 5 PM and will be in port for the next three days.
Please visit the beach after 5 PM to join the festivities. There’s free coffee!

-Mayor Lewis

From Winter 15 to 17, the Night Market lights up Pelican Town’s Beach Docks!

Note: Time keeps moving, so plan your day wisely. You’ll return to your farm at 2 AM if you stay until closing.

You can explore various traveling merchants at the Night Market:

Mail: Feast of the Winter Star

Dear [Player],

I would like to give you some information about an upcoming event: the Feast of the Winter Star. It’s a time for the community to come together and think back on all the good fortune we’ve had this year.

A favorite tradition is the secret gift exchange, where everyone in town is randomly assigned to someone else. On the day of the festival, everyone brings a gift for their secret friend and surprises them with something special!

This year, your secret friend is: [Villager]
Don’t tell anyone! The feast will take place on the 25th from 9 AM to 2 PM at the town square. See you then!

– Mayor Lewis

Villagers give different types of gifts, depending on their personality and profession:

The gift you get is completely random. It could be something useful or just a fun surprise!

Stardew Valley festivals bring players together. It doesn’t matter if you are celebrating alone or having fun with friends. These festivals give a chance to enjoy, plan, and take part in special activities. You can win prizes or enjoy the beauty of the seasons. Every festival adds something special to the game. Eric Barone has hinted at new mini-festivals in future updates, so there is always something to look forward to. Whether it’s a beach party, a mining tournament, or a brand-new event, Stardew Valley keeps growing, making every season exciting for players. It doesn’t matter how you play; the festivals make Pelican Town feel like home.