Summary

  • Stardew Valley's 1.6 update brings new events like the Desert Festival, Trout Derby, and Squidfest, adding more fun activities for players to enjoy.
  • The Desert Festival offers unique features like betting on races, earning Calico Eggs for prizes, and interacting with special NPCs and quests.
  • The Trout Derby and Squidfest events provide opportunities to catch special fish for rewards, making gameplay more engaging and rewarding.

Indie darling Stardew Valley just received its 1.6 update, with a heaping helping of features along with it. Alongside many pieces of new content, quality-of-life changes, and bug fixes, a series of new events and festivals have been added to Stardew Valley.

Stardew Valley's 1.6 update has attracted even more buzz toward the already popular title, helping the game smash its player-count records. Moreover, the momentum doesn't look to be dying down soon. The 1.6.2 patch for Stardew Valley has also just been released; this patch's prompt timing relative to 1.6 is a point of praise for many. Frequent and fast updates have given the farm-simulator title the exact support it's needed over its 8-year history.

Split image of a character holding a Mystery Box and the blacksmith breaking open a Mystery Box in Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley: How to Find Mystery Boxes (& Golden Mystery Boxes)

As a new addition to Stardew Valley, Mystery Boxes hold a bunch of treasures and materials. Here's how you can get them.

All Of Stardew Valley's New 1.6 Events And Festivals Explained

Already sporting a variety of events, Stardew Valley's latest update has added three new festivals into the mix. The most notable of these is the Desert Festival. However, a pair of small-scale fishing festivals have also been brought into the fold, those being the Trout Derby and Squidfest. These festivals each take place within different seasons and each hold many different activities for fans to enjoy. These new events headlined the update's changelog, and their new content more than justifies their top billing.

The Desert Festival

Stardew Valley's new Desert Festival is a three-day event that begins on the 15th of Spring. Once a player gets the bus fixed up, which will take at least 40,000g regardless of path, they'll be able to make the trip. The available festivities are myriad, including a chef from out of town offering free food that the player can customize, daily outfit services, free daily cactus decorations, and special new quests. Moreover, the player will also be able to bet on races for free - and can even pay a small fee to have a racer sabotaged, increasing the odds of a successful bet.

A feature exclusive to the Desert Festival is its unique Calico Egg currency, a festival currency similar to those seen in other Stardew Valley events. These Calico Eggs can be earned in a huge variety of ways, such as by winning bets on races, completing quests, mining Calico Egg nodes, and answering all the Scholar's quiz questions correctly. This festival currency can then be used to buy unique items during the festival. Villagers will be selling items over the duration of the Desert Festival that require Calico Eggs to buy.

The Trout Derby

The Trout Derby is a two-day event that begins on the 20th day of Summer, starting at 6:10am and ending at 2:00am. By going to the event, taking place by Marnie's Ranch in the Cindersap Forest, players can catch Rainbow Trout. During the Trout Derby, Rainbow Trout have a 33% chance of coming with a Golden Tag. These Golden Tags can then be exchanged for prizes in the nearby prize booth. The player will always receive a tent kit as their first prize, with any other prizes derived randomly from a pool of 10—including diamonds, mystery boxes, deluxe bait and more. In contrast to some of Stardew Valley's other events, time will pass regularly and shops won't close up during its proceedings.

Squidfest

Another event that takes advantage of Stardew Valley's fishing system, Squidfest takes place over two days—beginning on the 12th day of Winter. During this event, players can go to the beach and catch squid all day long. These squids can then be exchanged for a number of prizes, with different tiers depending on how many squids a player can catch (copper, iron, gold, and iridium). Just as with the Trout Derby, shops won't close during the event and time will pass normally.

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Stardew Valley Tag Page Cover Art
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RPG
Simulation
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Systems
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Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
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Released
February 26, 2016
ESRB
E for Everyone (Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Simulated Gambling, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco)
Developer(s)
ConcernedApe
Publisher(s)
ConcernedApe
Engine
Proprietary
Multiplayer
Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
Stardew Valley does not currently support crossplay between different consoles and PC
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home? It won’t be easy. Ever since Joja Corporation came to town, the old ways of life have all but disappeared. The community center, once the town’s most vibrant hub of activity, now lies in shambles. But the valley seems full of opportunity. With a little dedication, you might just be the one to restore Stardew Valley to greatness!

Number of Players
1-4
Split Screen Orientation
Vertical or Horizontal
Steam Deck Compatibility
Verified
Platform(s)
PC, Xbox One, Android, iOS, PS4, Switch
Genre(s)
RPG, Simulation
How Long To Beat
53 Hours
File Size Xbox Series
1 GB (November 2023)
Metascore
89
Local Co-Op Support
1-4 Players