It's official: Surfing is now the state sport of California, and to commemorate the historic moment, destinations across the state are preparing to go big for the inaugural #CaliforniaSurfingDay Sept. 20.

In August, a bipartisan legislative effort marking the landmark declaration passed with unanimous approval through the California Legislature. Gov. Edmund G. Brown provided significant support for the bill, which forever enshrined a sport that has been synonymous with California culture for more than a century.

The iconic sport has no doubt earned this dubious distinction. From the Bay Area down to San Diego, the Golden State is home to some of the most well-known and popular surfing destinations in the world. The state also hosts some of the sport's biggest competitions, such as Mavericks in Pacifica.

Thrill-seeking athletes have been taking to the surfs for centuries, with accounts of wave-riding excitement in the Pacific dating back to the 17th century. But once the sport made its way to the mainland in the early 1900s, it captured the world's attention when it exploded in popularity in its new California epicenter.

Since then, a host of surfing icons — including Jack O'Neill, Laird Hamilton and Stacy Peralta – plus a number of pop culture treasures like The Beach Boys and "Endless Summer" have helped cement the sport's place in American history.

Now, it's officially time to celebrate all California's surf culture has given the world.

On Sept. 20, coastal destinations will be leveraging the spotlight with myriad activations up and down the coast. To share the excitement in advance of the big day, industry partners can help spread the word with all-new resources from Visit California. Tourism destinations, businesses and leaders are also encouraged to amplify the conversation on social using #CaliforniaSurfingDay as the state rides the wave into this momentous occasion.

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This January, California destinations are invited to participate in the annual 2019 California Restaurant Month.

The statewide promotional event provides a robust platform to shine a global spotlight on the Golden State's diverse epicurean experiences and position the state as the No. 1 culinary destination in the country.

California Restaurant Month allows destinations of all sizes to engage with Visit California and inspire desire for regional culinary travel experiences by taking part in the organization's integrated campaign efforts. The campaign includes dedicated destination content on Visit California owned channels, targeted PR outreach to national and regional media, partnerships with foodie influencers, extensive social media content, a paid digital advertising campaign and a toolkit for participating destinations.

Last year, the annual foodie-fest came in as the largest yet, with the California Restaurant Month program welcoming participation from all 12 of California's regions, a record 36 destinations and nine first-timers. Through a robust paid, earned and owned content strategy, last year's efforts generated 25.9 million impressions — and a lot of satisfied diners.

Participation in the program is complimentary. To be eligible to participate in California Restaurant Month, destinations must offer special culinary programming during the month of January that could include: restaurant week programs featuring themed menus; culinary experience series such as winemaker, forager or slow food events; and food festivals or related ancillary programming. 

Learn more about 2019 California Restaurant Month here — and register now through Oct. 17 to secure your destination's seat at the table.