Though back-to-school season may have begun, there’s still plenty of fun to be had heading into the fall around the Bay Area. From a plethora of art and wine festivals to Oktoberfest celebrations, harvest parties and all manner of liquor-based strolls, here are a few event ideas to keep spirits up through the autumn months.
Pub in the Park: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 6, Red Morton Park, 1455 Madison Ave., Redwood City. Enjoy the last session in this summer series with the tunes of bluegrass group Savannah Blu while sampling local microbrews, ciders or seltzers and eating from a nearby food truck. tinyurl.com/pubinpark.
Sample the Sierra: 12-4 p.m., Sept. 6, Bijou Community Park, 1201 Al Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe. Taste offerings from 25+ wine, beer and spirit vendors and 20+ food vendors at this farm-to-form festival with live music and artisan vendors; $65. samplethesierra.com.
Bonny Doon Art, Wine + Brew Festival: 2-7 p.m., Sept. 6, Crest Ranch, 12200 Empire Grade, Bonny Doon. Sip craft brews, wines, and soak up the art of local vendors while supporting local public education in the Santa Cruz Mountains. $39. bonnydoonartandwinefestival.com.
Claudette Davis, left, helps her granddaughter, of Mountain View, to cool off with a non-alcoholic pina colada as her mother Maggie Steele looks on during the Mountain View Art and Wine Festival, Pint-Sized Edition, The Revival! in Mountain View, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. The event, set this year for Sept. 6-7, brings together hundreds of festivalgoers and offers beer, wine, food, arts and crafts, live music and family activities. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Mountain View Art & Wine Fest: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sept. 6 and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sept. 7, Castro Street, Mountain View. The festival is hosting a special tasting experience this year with 22+ tastings from 12 boutique and heritage wineries. Free, tasting tickets $55 and up. mvartwine.com/wine
Bizerkeley Food Fest: 12-6 p.m., Sept. 7, North Berkeley BART Station, 1759 Acton Street Berkeley. Enjoy a beer garden and wine down lounge while sampling plant-based foods from around the world, meeting vendors, listening to music and supporting California Pitbull Rescue. Free. bizerkeleyfoodfest.com.
Oktoberfest Bash: 12-8 p.m. Sept. 13, Original Pattern Brewing, 282 4th St., Oakland. This Oakland brewery hosts a full day of festivities, including German-style brews, games, live music, food and more. $31. eventbrite.com.
Elmwood Wine Walk: 1-5 p.m. Sept. 13, Vintage Berkeley, 2949 College Ave., Berkeley. Stroll through Berkeley’s charming Elmwood neighborhood while sipping the offerings from more than 25 small-production wines from all over the world. $35 and up. shoptheelmwood.com.
Jazz trio, BBQ and Wine: 2-5 p.m., Sept. 13, Rios-Lovell Estate Winery, 6500 Tesla Road, Livermore. Spend the Saturday afternoon listening to music, eating juicy BBQ tri-tip and sipping wine pairings. $53. rioslovellwinery.com.
Martini Shake-Off: 5:30-10 p.m., Sept. 13, Plaza Ygnacio, 525 Henrietta St., Martinez. Top mixologists around the Bay Area compete for the Best Martini and People’s Choice Award at this festive event held in the birthplace of the martini — Martinez. Black tie optional attire encouraged. $135. martinezmartini.com.
Lafayette Art & Wine Festival: 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sept. 20 and 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sept. 21, at 3535 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette. Hear local bands perform, wander through art booths and sample wines and beers from over 20 vendors. lafayettefestival.com.
Diane Battilana, center, from Oakland, and Don Pape, from Alameda, both with Nature Friends Schuhplattler perform at the Redwood City Oktoberfest in downtown Redwood City, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Redwood City Oktoberfest: Sept. 19-28, Courthouse Square, 2200 Broadway, Redwood City. Step into a pop-up wunderland at this Munich-inspired celebration, complete with Bavarian bites, contests and lively music. $10-$35. redwoodcity.org.
Temescal Oktoberfest: 12-9:30 p.m. Sept. 20, Temescal Brewing, 4115 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Sip fest bier, pick up a limited-edition mug and enjoy live music from Polkageist West at this full day of festivities. Free, stein packages start at $20. eventbrite.com.
Craft and Sip: 2-4 p.m. Sept. 21, Wine Thieves, 3401 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette. Socialize in a low-key setting, sip wine, beer or non-alcoholic offerings, nosh on snacks and craft or color with new friends. $12-$15. eventbrite.com.
Whiskey Tasting: 6-8 p.m., Sept. 25, Beer Baron Bar & Kitchen, 336 Saint Mary St., Pleasanton. Sample seven high-end whiskeys at this Weller 107 barrel pick release party, with the option to take home bottles from the event. $108. eventbrite.com.
Craft beer and spirits are available at the Beer Baron Bar and Kitchen in Pleasanton, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
Springline Oktoberfest: 5-9 p.m. Sept. 26, 1300 El Camino Real, Menlo Park. Enjoy Oktoberfest with food, beer, a custom half-liter stein and stein-holding competition, plus live music and photo ops. $18+. eventbrite.com.
Rum Stroll: 6-9 p.m. Sept. 26, downtown Alameda. Sip premium rum tastings, listen to live music and sample tasty bites. VIP tastings also available starting at 5 p.m. alamedastrolls.com.
Port Wine Fest: 5-8 p.m. Sept. 30, The Cube, 345 Montgomery St., San Francisco. Taste over 100 Portuguese wines, including Port, plus reds, whites, and sparkling wines, while meeting winemakers and sampling snacks. $70. portwinefest.com/en.
Tiburon Wine + Food Fest: 1-4 p.m., Oct. 4, 1701 Tiburon Blvd., Tiburon. Revel in the offerings of over 60 wineries and 10 restaurants, and enjoy live music. $107 and up, includes tastings and food. tiburonchamber.org/tiburon-wine-festival.
Bike the Bridges, Bands & Brews: Oct. 5, Martinez Waterfront Park, 245 North Court St., Martinez. Spend the morning cycling (routes vary between 25 miles and 100 kilometers) to fundraise for Special Olympics Northern California. Then celebrate finishing your ride with beer, live music and lunch. $97 and up. sonc.org/events/bike-the-bridges.
Gourmet Grazing on the Green: 12-4 p.m. Oct. 11, Aptos Village County Park, 100 Aptos Creek Road, Aptos. Hang out at the park while sipping wine, sampling craft beer, nibbling gourmet snacks and listening to live music. $95. sccbg.org/gourmetgrazingonthegreen.
Harvest Party: 12-4 p.m., Oct. 12, D’Argenzio Winery, 1301 Cleveland Ave., #A, Santa Rosa. Celebrate D’Argenzio Winery’s 31st annual harvest party with live acoustic music, a multi-course meal and a grape stomp. eventbrite.com.
Fall Farm Festival: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 14. Ma’alot Farms, 14320 Arnerich Road, Los Gatos. Play outdoor games, meet goats and share wine at this Los Gatos farm. $15-$25. maalotfarms.org/farm-happenings.
A sign thanking shoppers is seen in Historic Downtown Gilroy, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Gilroy Beer Crawl: 12-5 p.m., Oct. 18, 7500 Monterey Road, Gilroy. Sample over 20 local and regional craft beers, enjoy a beer garden, participate in a costume contest (for people or dogs), and dance to music with a live DJ at this 9th annual event. $17 and up. visitgilroy.com/downtown-gilroy-beer-crawl.
Monterey Tequila Festival: 3-11 p.m. Oct. 18, Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel And Spa, 1 Old Golf Course Road, Monterey. Sample tequilas and mezcals with food pairings, learn about the history and culture of tequila and celebrate at an after party. $183. eventbrite.com.
Campbell Wine Walk: 6-9 p.m., Oct. 18, E Campbell Avenue and N. 1st Street, Campbell. Sip from wineries like J. Lohr, Bent Dime Winery and Rosé All Day and get a commemorative tumbler. $50. downtowncampbell.com/winewalk
IPA10K, Brewfest and Beer Mile: 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Nov. 1, The Barlow, 6770 McKinley St., Sebastopol. Pair beer and running — either by running first, then sampling craft beers at the brewfest, or by going all in with the run-and-chug that is the beer mile. $93. IPA10k.com.
Morgan Hill Whiskey Walk: 4-10 p.m. Nov. 8. Stroll through downtown Morgan Hill, plus taste fine whiskeys from around the world, listen to bluegrass and/or roll cigars. $86. mhdowntown.org.
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