Update config with default Pacific Timezone

app/controllers/application_controller.rb

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
   before_action :authenticate_user!  # ensures only logged-in users can access pages
   before_action :set_current_user # for AhoyTrackable in models
   after_action :flush_lifecycle_events
+  around_action :set_time_zone_from_user, if: :current_user
 
   # TODO add this callback to verify
   # that `authorize!` has been called in all controllers
@@ -33,6 +34,16 @@ def after_sign_out_path_for(resource_or_scope)
     end
   end
 
+
+  def set_time_zone_from_user
+    zone = ActiveSupport::TimeZone[current_user&.time_zone]
+    if zone
+      Time.use_zone(zone) { yield }
+    else
+      yield
+    end
+  end
+
   def authenticate_user!
     super
     ahoy.authenticate(current_user) if current_user

app/controllers/users_controller.rb

@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ def user_params
       :notes, :primary_address, :avatar, :subscribecode,
       :agency_id, :facilitator_id, :created_by_id, :updated_by_id,
       :confirmed, :inactive, :super_user, :legacy, :legacy_id,
+      :time_zone,
       project_users_attributes: [ :id, :project_id, :position, :title, :inactive, :_destroy ]
     )
   end

app/decorators/event_decorator.rb

@@ -65,8 +65,8 @@ def calendar_links
   end
 
   def times(display_day: false, display_date: false)
-    s = start_date
-    e = end_date || start_date
+    s = start_date.in_time_zone(Time.zone)
+    e = (end_date || start_date).in_time_zone(Time.zone)
 
     # helpers
     day  = ->(d) { d.strftime("%a") }

app/models/user.rb

@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ class User < ApplicationRecord
 
   # Validations
   validates :email, presence: true, uniqueness: { case_sensitive: false }
+  validate :time_zone_must_be_valid, if: :time_zone_changed?
   validates_associated :project_users
 
   # Search Cop
@@ -174,6 +175,12 @@ def gallery_assets # method needed for idea_submission_fyi mailer
 
   private
 
+  def time_zone_must_be_valid
+    return if time_zone.blank?
+
+    errors.add(:time_zone, "is not a valid time zone") unless ActiveSupport::TimeZone[time_zone]
+  end
+
   def set_default_values
     self.inactive = false if inactive.nil?
     self.confirmed = true if confirmed.nil?

app/views/users/_form.html.erb

@@ -116,6 +116,17 @@
     </div>
   <% end %>
 
+  <!-- Preferences: timezone for event times etc. -->
+  <div class="space-y-6 p-3">
+    <%= f.input :time_zone,
+                as: :select,
+                collection: ActiveSupport::TimeZone.all.map { |z| [ z.to_s, z.name ] },
+                include_blank: "Use site default (Pacific Time)",
+                hint: "Event times and other dates will be shown in this timezone.",
+                input_html: { class: "w-full" },
+                wrapper_html: { class: "w-full max-w-md" } %>
+  </div>
+
   <!-- Actions -->
   <!-- Action buttons -->
   <div class="action-buttons mt-8 flex justify-center gap-3">

db/migrate/20260123120000_add_time_zone_to_users.rb

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class AddTimeZoneToUsers < ActiveRecord::Migration[8.1]
+  def change
+    add_column :users, :time_zone, :string, default: "Pacific Time (US & Canada)"
+  end
+end

db/schema.rb

@@ -844,6 +844,7 @@
     t.string "state2"
     t.string "subscribecode"
     t.boolean "super_user", default: false
+    t.string "time_zone", default: "Pacific Time (US & Canada)"
     t.string "unconfirmed_email"
     t.string "unlock_token"
     t.datetime "updated_at", precision: nil

spec/requests/events_spec.rb

@@ -45,6 +45,38 @@
 
       expect(response).to be_successful
     end
+
+    context "when user time_zone is set" do
+      # 19:00 UTC = 12:00 noon PT = 15:00 (3 pm) ET (June 15, 2025 with DST)
+      let(:utc_start) { Time.utc(2025, 6, 15, 19, 0, 0) }
+      let(:utc_end)   { Time.utc(2025, 6, 15, 20, 0, 0) }
+      let!(:event_with_fixed_times) do
+        create(:event,
+          start_date: utc_start,
+          end_date: utc_end,
+          title: "Timezone test event")
+      end
+
+      it "displays start time in Pacific (PT) for user with time_zone PT" do
+        user_pt = create(:user)
+        sign_in user_pt
+        get event_url(event_with_fixed_times)
+
+        expect(response).to be_successful
+        # 19:00 UTC = 12:00 noon PT
+        expect(response.body).to include("Sun, Jun 15 @ 12 - 1 pm")
+      end
+
+      it "displays start time in Eastern for user with time_zone America/New_York" do
+        user_et = create(:user, time_zone: "Eastern Time (US & Canada)")
+        sign_in user_et
+        get event_url(event_with_fixed_times)
+
+        expect(response).to be_successful
+        # 19:00 UTC = 3:00 pm ET (3 hours later than 12 pm PT)
+        expect(response.body).to include("Sun, Jun 15 @ 3 - 4 pm")
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe "GET /new" do
@@ -113,6 +145,45 @@
 
         expect(response.body).to include("Event was successfully created")
       end
+
+      it "stores start_date/end_date in UTC when created by user in Pacific time zone" do
+        user_pt = create(:user) # default Pacific Time (US & Canada)
+        sign_in user_pt
+        # datetime-local sends "YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM" — interpreted in request's Time.zone (PT)
+        # 12:00–13:00 PT (PDT) on 2025-06-15 = 19:00–20:00 UTC
+        post events_url, params: { event: {
+          title: "PT event",
+          description: "desc",
+          start_date: "2025-06-15T12:00",
+          end_date: "2025-06-15T13:00",
+          registration_close_date: 1.day.ago,
+          publicly_visible: true
+        } }
+
+        expect(response).to redirect_to(events_url)
+        created = Event.order(created_at: :desc).first
+        expect(created.start_date.utc).to eq(Time.utc(2025, 6, 15, 19, 0, 0))
+        expect(created.end_date.utc).to eq(Time.utc(2025, 6, 15, 20, 0, 0))
+      end
+
+      it "stores start_date/end_date in UTC when created by user in Eastern time zone" do
+        user_et = create(:user, time_zone: "America/New_York")
+        sign_in user_et
+        # 15:00–16:00 ET (EDT) on 2025-06-15 = 19:00–20:00 UTC
+        post events_url, params: { event: {
+          title: "ET event",
+          description: "desc",
+          start_date: "2025-06-15T15:00",
+          end_date: "2025-06-15T16:00",
+          registration_close_date: 1.day.ago,
+          publicly_visible: true
+        } }
+
+        expect(response).to redirect_to(events_url)
+        created = Event.order(created_at: :desc).first
+        expect(created.start_date.utc).to eq(Time.utc(2025, 6, 15, 19, 0, 0))
+        expect(created.end_date.utc).to eq(Time.utc(2025, 6, 15, 20, 0, 0))
+      end
     end
 
     context "with invalid parameters" do

spec/requests/users_spec.rb

@@ -109,7 +109,14 @@
         user = User.create! valid_attributes
         patch user_url(user), params: { user: new_attributes }
         user.reload
-        skip("Add assertions for updated state")
+        expect(user.first_name).to eq("Janet")
+      end
+
+      it "permits and updates time_zone" do
+        user = User.create! valid_attributes
+        patch user_url(user), params: { user: { time_zone: "EST" } }
+        user.reload
+        expect(user.time_zone).to eq("EST")
       end
 
       it "redirects to the users index" do