Stardew Valley Desert Festival: Quiz Answers, Chef Combos, and Calico Egg Shop Guide

The Calico Desert spends most of the year as a quiet stretch of sand and a few cacti. For three days every Spring it turns into a sun-baked bazaar called the Desert Festival, complete with trivia quizzes, snail races, a mystery chef, and a parallel economy built entirely on novelty eggs. This guide breaks down how to reach the event, what to spend Calico Eggs on, and every answer the Scholar might throw at you.

What the Desert Festival is

Introduced in Stardew Valley Update 1.6, the Desert Festival runs annually from Spring 15 through Spring 17. Reaching it requires a working bus to the desert, which only happens after completing the Vault bundles in the Community Center. Once the route is restored, board the bus from 10 AM onwards on any of the three festival days.

A few things to keep in mind for the duration of the event:

• The Desert Trader stays open as usual, but Sandy's shop is closed for the entire festival.
• Every festival stall trades only in Calico Eggs, the limited-time currency.
• Calico Eggs can technically be placed in the shipping bin, but each one sells for 0 gold. Do not bother.
• Any Calico Eggs left in your inventory disappear the moment the festival ends. Spend them or lose them.

Earning Calico Eggs

Before the shopping spree, you need a reliable supply of Calico Eggs. The festival hands them out through several daily activities. Most reset each in-game day, so all three festival days are worth grinding.

The Scholar's quiz

Stop by the Scholar's stall and answer four random trivia questions about Pelican Town and general Stardew Valley knowledge. Get all four right and you walk away with 50 Calico Eggs. Only one attempt per day, so guessing is risky. Below is every question that can come up.

• "Who runs the Blacksmith in Pelican Town?": Clint
• "Who runs the Museum in Pelican Town?": Gunther
• "Who runs the Saloon in Pelican Town?": Gus
• "Who runs the Fish Shop in Pelican Town?": Willy
• "Who runs the Animal Shop in Pelican Town?": Marnie
• "Who runs the General Store in Pelican Town?": Pierre
• "What is the date of the season's end?": 28th
• "Where are we?": Calico Desert
• "What season does garlic grow in?": Spring
• "What season does Red Cabbage grow in?": Summer
• "What season does artichoke grow in?": Fall
• "When does the apricot tree bear fruit?": Spring
• "When does the peach tree bear fruit?": Summer
• "When does the Pomegranate tree bear fruit?": Fall
• "When is Pierre's Shop normally closed?": Wednesday
• "In what season can you catch carp?": Any Season
• "In what season can you catch Pufferfish?": Summer
• "In what season can you catch salmon?": Fall
• "In what season can you catch Squid?": Winter
• "How many steps have you taken?": Pick the middle numeric option
• "How much does a chicken cost?": 800 gold
• "How much does a cow cost?": 1,500 gold
• "How much does a pig cost?": 16,000 gold
• "How much does a rabbit cost?": 8,000 gold
• "How much does a duck cost?": 1,200 gold
• "Where might you catch the Stonefish?": Mine level 20
• "Where might you catch the Ice Pip?": Mine level 60
• "Where might you catch the Lava Eel?": Mine level 100
• "What is George's last name?": Mullner
• "How many garbage cans are there in Pelican Town?": 8

For the step count question, the middle value among the three displayed numbers is always the correct one. The game does not actually check your step counter.

Marlon's Skull Cavern quests

Marlon hands out one-day Skull Cavern contracts during the festival. Each one resets per day:

• Monster Hunt: Kill ten Serpents, Mummies, or Purple Slimes for 35 Calico Eggs.
• Deep Dive: Reach floor 30 of the Skull Cavern for 50 Calico Eggs.
• Treasure Hunt: Bring back 12 Omni Geodes or 15 Iridium Ore for 40 Calico Eggs.

A few extra perks apply to the cavern while the festival runs. Access does not require the Skull Key, so even early-game farmers can join in. Calico Egg nodes appear inside the cavern and drop 1 to 3 eggs per spot, and the deeper you go the more often they spawn. Eggs can also fall from monsters, containers, and broken rocks.

Every five floors you receive an Egg Rating, and tapping the statue on those floors grants a random buff that lasts for the rest of the run.

Willy's daily fishing quests

Willy assigns a different task each day. One quest per day, no skipping ahead.

• Spring 15: Catch 3 Sandfish for 25 Calico Eggs.
• Spring 16: Catch 1 Scorpion Carp for 50 Calico Eggs.
• Spring 17: Fish up the treasure chest containing Willy's Golden Bobber for 30 Calico Eggs.

Snail and creature races

The race track in the festival's main area lets you bet on which creature crosses the finish line first. Each correct bet pays 20 Calico Eggs, and the first winning bet of the day placed on Escar-go the snail pays 100 Calico Eggs instead. Races only run while you are physically inside the festival grounds.

If you want to tilt the odds, hand a single Calico Egg to the Suspicious Man loitering near the Oasis. One of the contestants will mysteriously underperform that round. Sports integrity in the desert is a flexible concept.

Spending Calico Eggs

The Calico Egg Merchant

The Calico Egg Merchant runs the main exchange counter. Part of the stock stays the same all three days, and part rotates daily.

Always in stock

• 10x Mystery Box: 20 Calico Eggs
• Mummy Mask: 120 Calico Eggs
• Blue Bow: 50 Calico Eggs
• Dark Velvet Bow: 75 Calico Eggs
• Mega Bomb: 15 Calico Eggs
• 5x Spicy Eel: 10 Calico Eggs
• 5x Crab Cakes: 10 Calico Eggs
• 5x Eggplant Parmesan: 10 Calico Eggs
• 5x Pumpkin Soup: 10 Calico Eggs
• 5x Lucky Lunch: 10 Calico Eggs
• Woodcutter's Weekly: 100 Calico Eggs

Spring 15 only

• Strawberry Seeds: 5 Calico Eggs
• Sun Dunes: 30 Calico Eggs
• Sandy Rug: 20 Calico Eggs
• Desert End Table: 20 Calico Eggs
• Calico Stature: 25 Calico Eggs

Spring 16 only

• 3x Mixed Seeds: 5 Calico Eggs
• Desert Table: 25 Calico Eggs
• Desert Chair: 20 Calico Eggs
• Decorative Barrel: 10 Calico Eggs

Spring 17 only

• Strawberry Seeds: 6 Calico Eggs
• 1x Magic Rock Candy: 250 Calico Eggs
• Calico Statue: 35 Calico Eggs
• Desert Fireplace: 20 Calico Eggs
• Desert Flags: 10 Calico Eggs
• Desert Rug: 25 Calico Eggs

Strawberry Seeds are the easiest reason to budget for the Spring 15 visit, since they sell out on day one and barely return on day three. Magic Rock Candy on Spring 17 is the single most expensive listing of the festival, but the buff it provides justifies the price for anyone planning a serious Skull Cavern run.

The Chef stall

The Chef stall combines two of your ingredients into a single dish with a temporary buff. Each meal lasts 7 minutes, restores full health and energy, and stacks with other food buffs, which makes the Chef the most efficient stat boost in the entire festival. The stall is repeatable, so you can keep coming back with different ingredients.

The available ingredients and their underlying effects:

• Rich Marinara: +1 Defense
• Mushroom Crème: +1 Mining
• Cherry Soup: +1 Luck
• Pungent Garlic: +1 Attack
• Uncomfortably Hot Sauce: +1 Speed
• Hearty Beans: +3 Defense
• Cave Loaf: +3 Mining
• Rare Fruit: +3 Luck
• Extremely Sharp Cheddar: +3 Attack
• Shrimp: +3 Fishing

Combining one of the basic ingredients with one of the stronger ones produces a named dish. The full menu:

• Earthy Mousse: Mushroom Crème + Hearty Beans
• Sweet Bean Cake: Cherry Syrup + Hearty Beans
• Skull Cave Casserole: Pungent Garlic + Hearty Beans
• Spicy Tacos: Uncomfortably Hot Sauce + Hearty Beans
• Mountain Chili: Rich Marinara + Cave Loaf
• Crystal Cake: Cherry Syrup + Cave Loaf
• Cave Kebab: Pungent Garlic + Cave Loaf
• Hot Log: Uncomfortably Hot Sauce + Cave Loaf
• Sour Salad: Rich Marinara + Rare Fruit
• Superfood Cake: Mushroom Crème + Rare Fruit
• Warrior Smoothie: Pungent Garlic + Rare Fruit
• Rumpled Fruit Skin: Uncomfortably Hot Sauce + Rare Fruit
• Calico Pizza: Rich Marinara + Extremely Sharp Cheddar
• Stuffed Mushrooms: Mushroom Crème + Extremely Sharp Cheddar
• Elf Quesadilla: Cherry Syrup + Extremely Sharp Cheddar
• Nachos of the Desert: Uncomfortably Hot Sauce + Extremely Sharp Cheddar
• Cioppino: Rich Marinara + Shrimp
• Rainforest Shrimp: Mushroom Crème + Shrimp
• Shrimp Donut: Cherry Syrup + Shrimp
• Smell of the Sea: Pungent Garlic + Shrimp
• Desert Gumbo: Uncomfortably Hot Sauce + Shrimp

For a Skull Cavern push, Spicy Tacos (speed + defense) or Warrior Smoothie (attack + luck) are the strongest picks.

Pop-up villager shops

Two random Pelican Town villagers set up stalls each day from 12 PM to 12 AM. Each villager has a fixed inventory, so the exact prices below apply whenever they show up. Worth checking the festival each day to see who is hosting.

Abigail

• Abigail's Bow: 60 Calico Eggs
• Abby's Planchette: 70 Calico Eggs

Alex

• Magic Hair Gel: 100 Calico Eggs
• Alex's Bat: 70 Calico Eggs
• 5x Muscle Remedy: 25 Calico Eggs
• Fried Egg: 10 Calico Eggs
• Milk: 10 Calico Eggs
• Pancakes: 10 Calico Eggs
• Hashbrowns: 10 Calico Eggs

Caroline

• Exotic Palace: 120 Calico Eggs
• Green Tea: 10 Calico Eggs
• Tea Sapling: 30 Calico Eggs
• Classic Lamp: 40 Calico Eggs
• Dandelion: 10 Calico Eggs

Clint

• Coal: 5 Calico Eggs
• Copper Ore: 2 Calico Eggs
• Iron Ore: 4 Calico Eggs

Demetrius

• Periodic Table: 70 Calico Eggs
• Nautilus Shell: 50 Calico Eggs
• Spice Berry: 10 Calico Eggs
• Deluxe Speed-Gro: 2 Calico Eggs

Elliott

• Elliott's Pencil: 70 Calico Eggs
• Tricorn Hat: 100 Calico Eggs
• Crab: 30 Calico Eggs
• Squid Ink: 30 Calico Eggs

Emily

• 5x Cloth: 25 Calico Eggs
• Prismatic Shard: 500 Calico Eggs
• Sea Urchin: 5 Calico Eggs
• Mixed Flower Seeds: 8 Calico Eggs

Evelyn

• Wallpaper: 20 Calico Eggs
• Cookie: 20 Calico Eggs
• Mixed Seeds: 4 Calico Eggs
• Mixed Flower Seeds: 2 Calico Eggs
• Daffodil: 15 Calico Eggs

George

• Retro TV: 200 Calico Eggs
• Coffee: 10 Calico Eggs
• Vinegar: 5 Calico Eggs
• Morel: 30 Calico Eggs
• Artifact Trove: 10 Calico Eggs

Gus

• Dusty Skull: 50 Calico Eggs
• Escargot: 30 Calico Eggs
• Lobster Bisque: 30 Calico Eggs
• Squid Ink Ravioli: 30 Calico Eggs
• Eggplant Parmesan: 30 Calico Eggs

Haley

• Haley's Iron: 70 Calico Eggs
• Art Photo: 30 Calico Eggs
• Art Photo 2: 30 Calico Eggs
• Pink Cake: 20 Calico Eggs

Harvey

• Harvey's Mallet: 70 Calico Eggs
• Radio Desk: 40 Calico Eggs
• Model Planes: 30 Calico Eggs
• 5x Coffee: 10 Calico Eggs

Jas

• Wallpaper: 20 Calico Eggs
• Ancient Doll: 1 Calico Egg
• Fairy Seeds: 5 Calico Eggs
• Rabbit's Foot: 100 Calico Eggs
• Magic Rock Candy: 300 Calico Eggs

Jodi

• Wallpaper: 20 Calico Eggs
• 3x Crispy Bass: 25 Calico Eggs
• Mixed Seeds: 5 Calico Eggs
• Mixed Flower Seeds: 2 Calico Eggs

Kent

• Wallpaper: 20 Calico Eggs
• Fiddlehead Fern: 10 Calico Eggs
• Staircase: 30 Calico Eggs
• Wood Chipper: 25 Calico Eggs
• Hazelnut: 10 Calico Eggs

Leah

• Leah's Whittler: 70 Calico Eggs
• Short Bookcase: 40 Calico Eggs
• Hardwood: 3 Calico Eggs
• Salad: 20 Calico Eggs

Leo

• Wallpaper: 20 Calico Eggs
• Poi: 20 Calico Eggs
• Tropical Curry: 30 Calico Eggs
• Banana Sapling: 100 Calico Eggs

Marnie

• Wallpaper: 20 Calico Eggs
• Grass Starter: 2 Calico Eggs
• Hay: 1 Calico Egg
• Truffle Oil: 50 Calico Eggs

Maru

• Maru's Wrench: 70 Calico Eggs
• Iridium Bar: 50 Calico Eggs
• Goodnight Shirt: 25 Calico Eggs
• Strawberry Seeds: 10 Calico Eggs

Pam

• Beer: 20 Calico Eggs
• Mead: 20 Calico Eggs
• Pale Ale: 30 Calico Eggs

Penny

• Penny's Fryer: 70 Calico Eggs
• Strawberry Decal: 100 Calico Eggs
• Night Sky Decal 1: 30 Calico Eggs
• Night Sky Decal 2: 30 Calico Eggs
• Night Sky Decal 3: 30 Calico Eggs
• Pirate Flag: 100 Calico Eggs

Pierre

• Pierre's Sign: 50 Calico Eggs
• Calico Egg: 150 gold each
• Squid: 10 Calico Eggs
• Wheat Flour: 2 Calico Eggs
• Oil: 4 Calico Eggs

Pierre is also the only vendor who will sell you raw Calico Eggs for gold, useful if you blew through your stash and need a few more to clear the Spring 17 wishlist.

Robin

• Wallpaper: 20 Calico Eggs
• Wood: 1 Calico Egg
• Stone: 1 Calico Egg
• Furniture Catalogue: 1,000 Calico Eggs

Sam

• Sam's Skateboard: 50 Calico Eggs
• Sam's Old Guitar: 70 Calico Eggs
• Maple Bar: 20 Calico Eggs
• Joja Cola: 2 Calico Eggs

Sebastian

• Seb's Lost Mace: 70 Calico Eggs
• Frozen Geode: 10 Calico Eggs
• Energy Tonic: 25 Calico Eggs

Shane

• Chicken Decal: 60 Calico Eggs
• Pizza: 5 Calico Eggs
• Egg: 1 Calico Egg
• 3x Pepper Poppers: 30 Calico Eggs

Vincent

• 10x Fiber: 1 Calico Egg
• Bug Meat: 1 Calico Egg
• Sap: 1 Calico Egg
• Cave Carrot: 2 Calico Eggs
• Skeletal Hand: 2 Calico Eggs
• Clay: 1 Calico Egg
• Chipped Amphora: 1 Calico Egg

Other festival attractions

Emily and Sandy's makeover booth

Emily and Sandy run an outfit stall that hands the player a brand new look meant to "embody the player." You can use the booth once per day, which means up to three different outfits across the festival. 61 makeovers exist in total: 34 gender-neutral, 13 male-only, and 14 female-only. Each outfit includes a shirt, pants, and sometimes a hat.

The Free Cactus stall

The Cactus Salesman gives every player one free cactus decoration during the festival, regardless of which day you visit. The gift only triggers once per event, so multiplayer servers should not expect to share a single visit. Skipping the festival means waiting an entire in-game year for another freebie.

Harvey's Medical Station

If you get knocked out in the Skull Cavern while the festival is active, Harvey scoops you up to a temporary Medical Station instead of his usual clinic in Pelican Town. You revive with 10 HP but keep your gold and any leftover energy. The catch is the bill: Harvey takes 20% of the Calico Eggs in your inventory as payment. Travel insurance does not exist in the valley.

The Shrouded Figure

A cloaked vendor near the festival operates as a return totem. For 250 gold per use, the Shrouded Figure warps you back to the farm. Handy when the bus is far and the inventory is full.

The Traveling Cart

The usual Traveling Cart parks at the festival as well, with the same randomized inventory it normally carries. Stock changes each of the three days, so checking in daily can occasionally turn up something rare.

Planning the three days

With only 72 in-game hours of festival, the smart approach is to treat each day as a checklist. Hit the Scholar quiz for guaranteed eggs, pick up Marlon's quest and Willy's quest on arrival, run a Skull Cavern descent for nodes, then circle back to the Chef and merchant stalls before the day ends. Whatever Calico Eggs are left over on Spring 17 should be turned into Magic Rock Candy, Prismatic Shards from Emily, or a Furniture Catalogue from Robin, since anything still in the bag at midnight is gone for the year.