Privacy policy

Last updated September 19, 2026

Humboldt Events ("we", "us") runs a local events calendar for Humboldt County and the surrounding area, and the tools that go with it — accounts, RSVPs, direct messages, contest entries, ticket sales and the free websites we host for local artists and venues. This page explains what we collect and what we do with it.

What we collect

Account details you give us: your name, email address, a password (stored hashed, never in plain text), and an optional photo and profile details. If you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address and profile picture.
Activity: events you mark going or interested, events you say you attended and who you were with, bands and venues you follow, comments and other content you post, direct messages, contest entries and submissions, and the websites you build with us.
Content you upload: photos, gallery items, menus, contest images and similar files.
Technical information: your IP address and browser, used for security, rate limiting and to keep the service working. We store a hashed form of your IP alongside entries and messages rather than the raw address where we can.
Payment information: when you buy a ticket or a membership, the card is handled by Stripe. We never receive or store your full card number — only a payment reference and the amount.

How we use it

To run your account and the features you use (RSVPs, messages, contests, tickets).
To send the emails you asked for — event digests, notifications, ticket delivery — and to verify and manage your mailing subscription.
To keep the site safe: moderation, abuse reports, spam and rate limiting.
To understand what people use, in aggregate, so we can improve the calendar.

Email

Marketing email is opt-in. You choose which lists you want (announcements, event notifications, advertisements, contests) and can change or withdraw that consent at any time from your profile or from the manage/unsubscribe link in every email. Emails that are part of a service you asked for — a ticket you bought, a friend request — are sent because the feature needs them.

Who we share it with

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with the service providers that make the site work, and only as far as they need it:

Stripe — card payments and payouts.
Our email and hosting providers — delivering mail and running the site.
Event organisers — if you buy a ticket, the venue receives the buyer name, email and ticket details needed to admit you.
The authorities, when the law requires it.

Contests

When you enter a contest we record the entry (and how it was earned) so the draw can be run and verified, and so we can contact a winner. If you win a prize worth $2,000 or more, US tax law requires us to collect a completed IRS Form W-9 and to report the value to the IRS on Form 1099-MISC. Physical prizes need a postal address. Contest rules, and what a particular contest collects, are on that contest's page.

Cookies

We use a session cookie to keep you signed in and a CSRF token to protect forms, plus a short-lived cookie that remembers the source of an outreach link. We do not run third-party advertising trackers. Embedded content (for example a map or a YouTube thumbnail) loads from that provider when you choose to view it and is then governed by their policy.

How long we keep it

We keep your account for as long as it exists, your posts and messages while the feature needs them, and records connected to money (invoices, ticket orders, payouts) for as long as tax and accounting rules require. You can ask us to delete your account and we will remove your personal information, keeping only what we are required to retain.

Your choices and rights

You can edit your profile, privacy settings and email preferences at any time. If you are a California resident, the CCPA/CPRA gives you the right to know what we hold about you, to get a copy of it, to correct it, to delete it, and to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information — we do neither. To exercise any of these, email support@humboldtevents.com from your account address. We will not discriminate against you for asking.

Children

The calendar is not directed to children under 13, and accounts are intended for people old enough to agree to these terms in their jurisdiction. Individual contests state their own age rules.

Changes

If this policy changes in a way that matters, we will note it here and, where appropriate, tell you by email.

Contact

Questions about privacy: support@humboldtevents.com, or use our contact form.