8 California Fall Festivals Worth Planning a Trip Around

California falls are a little different. You can walk through glow-in-the-dark gardens featuring carved sculptures, stomp grapes in Paso Robles, eat your way through San Diego’s renowned food scene, listen to smooth jazz with a view of the Pacific, or spend an afternoon tasting chili next to a 100-year-old roller coaster.

Some of the state’s best fall celebrations are just around the corner. From long-cherished traditions that have brought communities together, to newer festivals looking to tell a different story about their hometowns, these eight events are worth more than a quick stop—they’re an excuse to make a weekend getaway.

Carved at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge (Through November 1)

For those who prefer magic over fright, or are looking for a family-friendly activity this Halloween season, consider spending an evening walking through Descanso Gardens after dark.

Courtesy of Ricardo Herrera Photos

Open until November 1, Carved decorates the garden with hundreds of lit jack-o’-lanterns, glowing art installations, giant hand-carved pumpkins, and fall displays tucked among the trees. This year, they’re featuring the U.S. premiere of Finnish artist Alexander Reichstein, whose illuminated wire sculptures can be seen eerily glowing in the garden’s labyrinth after sunset.

But the setting is where the real magic happens. Rather than turning Descanso into something unrecognizable for Halloween, Carved uses the gardens themselves as the centerpiece.

Courtesy of Ricardo Herrera Photos

“At Descanso, the Garden is the star,” Jennifer Errico, Descanso Gardens’ director of marketing, said. “While a lot of Halloween events are built around frights, Carved is a celebration of nature and everything that makes it magnificent. It’s enchanting rather than scary, so even the littlest visitors can enjoy every minute.”

Alongside the aforementioned works of Alexander Reichstein, visitors can also view the returning Rhizome, an artistic installation created by Bobolito&Co that depicts a tree communication network. Some other returning favorites include the Pumpkin Forest, Harvest Acres, illuminated Descanso Railroad, and Chainsaw Jenna’s log sculptures.

Courtesy of Ricardo Herrera Photos

For Errico, Carved’s appeal is refreshingly simple: “Kids and grown-ups alike get to disconnect, wander, explore, and simply enjoy the Garden in a whole new light.”

Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and bring a sweater—it gets chilly at night. Tickets need to be purchased in advance, and popular dates sell out fast.

Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival in Avalon (October 15-18)

There are music festivals, and then there are those that require you to cross the Pacific to get there.

The Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival has its closing weekend, Oct. 15-18, bringing smooth jazz to Avalon and the nearly century-old ballroom of the Catalina Casino. The festival began in 1987 after founder Art Good visited the island years before for a radio promotion and entered the legendary ballroom.

Courtesy of Austin Good

“I walked in January 1987, and it screamed jazz festival at me,” Good told Sunset. “We started it that Oct. 1987 on a whim and a stack full of prayers.”

Nearly four decades later, the island remains inseparable from the music. Good calls the ocean the festival’s “biggest star,” followed by Catalina itself, Avalon, and the 1929 ballroom.

Getting there is part of the experience: visitors travel about 26 miles of ocean before Avalon and the Casino emerge ahead. Inside, visitors attend concerts, stepping through French doors onto a high outdoor veranda overlooking the sea.

Courtesy of Pat Benter Photography

For closing weekend, the line-up will include the David Benoit Trio, Yuko Mabuchi, Vincent Ingala, and a David Sanborn tribute performed by his longtime band, among others.

This is an especially good time to make the crossing. “It’s still summer in October in Southern California,” Good said, recalling how quiet the island was when he first visited during the month back in 1982.

Courtesy of Pat Benter Photography

Art’s pitch to convince you to go is simple: “Why would you stay on the mainland when star after star of smooth jazz are stepping off boats in a tiny seaport called ‘Avalon’ … performing in a ballroom nearly 100 years old … that looks out to sea?”

Opolo Harvest Festival Dinner & Grape Stomp in Paso Robles (October 16)

You could drink wine during harvest season in Paso Robles. Or you could kick off your shoes and help make some delicious wine.

For 25 years, Opolo Vineyards’ Harvest Festival Dinner & Grape Stomp has brought visitors together at the winery’s Willow Creek District estate for a night combining Paso Robles wine country with the Balkan heritage of the Quinn family. This year’s celebration takes place Oct. 16.

This great annual festival started very modestly.

Courtesy of Opolo Vineyards

“It began as a harvest party for friends and family and has evolved into two sold-out evenings on our hilltop,” Ricki Quinn, co-owner and marketing director at Opolo Vineyards, explains. “But at its core, it remains the same, with the grape stomp, Balkan music, food, and dancing there from day one.”

The family background is central to the celebration. Quinn said that the Balkan element of the event stems from his father, who grew up in a neighborhood of Serbian and Croatian people and even toured with a Balkan band that he co-founded with his cousins. The name of the vineyard itself is inspired by a Dalmatian rosé.

“A celebration in our family always meant Balkan music, food and dancing,” Quinn said, “and that gives the night its warmth.”

Courtesy of Opolo Vineyards

Guests are greeted upon arrival with a glass of wine on a lawn terrace overlooking the vineyards before embarking on an adventurous foot-stomping experience in the shallow vats, crushing the freshly picked grapes the Old World way. Afterwards, dinner is served: oysters, Opolo wines and Reserve selections, roast lamb, chicken in lemon sauce, sarma–cabbage stuffed with beef and pork, and Balkan beans. The program will feature a performance of Morava Folklore Ensemble and Chicago’s Kirin-Gornik Band, who combine Balkan music with American pop hits.

If walking barefoot through a vat of grapes seems daunting, be assured that you are in good company.

“People hesitate at the edge of the bin, then someone jumps in and everyone follows,” Quinn said. “The grapes are cool and slippery, and within seconds everyone is laughing. It’s when even the most reserved guests let go.”

Courtesy of Opolo Vineyards

This experience may provide a clue to why generations of people return to Opolo.

“It feels like a family party, not a corporate event,” Quinn said. “Many have been coming for years and now bring their kids and friends.”

Quinn’s account of the night itself may be the strongest justification for making the journey: “It’s wine country at its most joyful.”

Friday, Oct. 16, has limited seating, while Saturday is already sold out. Quinn recommends wearing layers and slip-on shoes, staying for the entire evening, and taking one of the event shuttles instead of driving.

Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival in Half Moon Bay (October 17-18)

Half Moon Bay doesn’t celebrate pumpkin season casually. For one weekend every October, the coastal town goes all in.

Going on its 54th year, the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival will take over historic Main Street in Half Moon Bay on Oct. 17 and 18, featuring huge pumpkins, 275 artists and artisans, four stages of entertainment, a parade, pumpkin carving, costume festivities, a pumpkin run, and plenty of pumpkin-flavored eats to challenge your commitment to the season. The best part: admission is free!

Courtesy of Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival

It has remained in place for more than half a century thanks to Half Moon Bay’s unique flair.

“It has a real small-town feel, and it’s just a good sense of community that really shows throughout the whole event,” event organizer and promoter Ronan Fowler told Sunset.

The community goes all out for this event. More than 20 local nonprofits participate in preparing and selling food at the festival, turning the weekend into an important fundraiser for Coastside schools, churches, youth groups, service clubs and community projects.

And then there are the pumpkins.

Courtesy of Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival

The town’s connection to the crop predates the festival by quite some time. According to Fowler, Coastside pumpkins were originally grown as part of an animal feed mix. Farmers eventually found out their crops had gained enough popularity for people to purchase them as fall decorations. Its popularity inspired this festival. Each year, the winner of the World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off gets his own carriage at Saturday’s Great Pumpkin Parade.

Remember to come hungry! Fowler says you should try the pumpkin smoothie, which he says has developed a “cult-like following” among festivalgoers. Other options include pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin spice churros, pumpkin ice cream, and even pumpkin Spam musubi.

Courtesy of Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival

“It really is a bucket list destination,” Fowler said. “The town really gets into the spirit of fall and Halloween.” 

Plan to come as early as you can to avoid the heavy traffic. If you have a choice between dates, Fowler suggests choosing Sunday for a more relaxed experience; Saturday’s parade brings in a lot of people.

Mountain Harvest Festival in Quincy (October 17)

If Half Moon Bay does coastal California fall, head up to Quincy to get an entirely different take on the season: cool mountain air, colorful leaves, regional beer, and a town party where the people themselves are an integral part of the event.

The 21st Annual Mountain Harvest Festival will take place on October 17, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Plumas-Sierra County Fairgrounds—they’ll have regional beer and wine, food, live music, fun activities, and a raffle. The festival is the largest annual fundraiser for Plumas Arts and was founded in 2005 by a group of local beer enthusiasts and board members to help celebrate the regional breweries and wineries.

Courtesy of Plumas Arts

Presley Alexander, executive director of Plumas Arts, described attending as “stepping into a genuine small town event that feels authentic, unstaged, and full of genuine connections, hospitality, and unique personalities.”

This year, you’ll find regional breweries, live music, and a kids’ zone hosted by the local community circus, Quircus, which will offer all kinds of circus toys, pumpkin barrel racing, chalk art, and cotton candy.

The surrounding landscape alone may be sufficient to inspire the drive. Autumn’s warm days and cool nights cause Plumas County’s black oaks, cottonwood trees, aspens, dogwoods, and willows to take on vivid colors of fall. Alexander has called autumn nature’s invitation to “raise a glass with friends” before the shorter days of winter arrive.

Courtesy of Plumas Arts

“Traveling to Quincy feels like a journey back in time,” Alexander said, describing the roads that run through river canyons, mountain passes, and Sierra valleys.

What does he hope visitors leave understanding? “That a unique, authentic, quirky, and embracing community and way of life exists in small, quiet corners of California.”

Celebrate the Craft in La Jolla (October 18)

At Celebrate the Craft, knowing where your lunch came from is no side note—it’s the whole idea.

Courtesy of The Lodge at Torrey Pines

This year’s event takes place Oct. 18 at The Lodge at Torrey Pines, featuring sweeping views of the golf course and Pacific Ocean. This culinary festival, in its 23rd year, brings chefs together with those who farmed, ranch, vint, brewed, fished, or handcrafted their ingredients. Visitors wander from station to station, meeting those responsible for growing, raising, catching, or preparing what they’re about to eat.

For Owen Beatty, chef de cuisine at The Lodge’s A.R. Valentien, that relationship is central to cooking.

“Part of the craft is sourcing those ingredients and knowing how to use them and when to use them,” Beatty told Sunset.

Courtesy of The Lodge at Torrey Pines

He takes that idea literally this year. Beatty will fire-roast lamb, complemented by cultured butter that includes Aleppo chiles and preserved lemons, then served with Italian flatbread, smoked eggplant, and pistachio tapenade. His philosophy is simpler than the dish sounds: “Do honest cooking. I cook from the heart, and that’s the best thing you could do, and that’s how the food tastes the best.”

Celebrate the Craft is also a lesson on what “fall food” is in Southern California, a region where the harvest isn’t always as predictable as elsewhere. For example, tomatoes last longer, peas arrive sooner and remain longer, and eggplant may even be harvested late in the fall. Beatty believes that this bounty—alongside the different cultures and cooking styles that use it—defines California cuisine.

Courtesy of The Lodge at Torrey Pines

“The best chefs will be here, so you get a little taste of everything, the best of what San Diego has to offer,” Beatty said. However, he recommends visitors spend just as much time talking to the farmers and chefs as they do eating. “Talk to the chefs, like what inspired them to cook this dish. … I think that will help make the experience very memorable.”

And his last tip is crucial: “Come hungry for sure.”

The Whole Vine Festival in Fresno (October 24)

The San Joaquin Valley feeds the entire country. And now, The Whole Vine Festival invites everyone to meet the farmers and perhaps reconsider their preconceptions about the Central Valley of California along the way.

This free and family-friendly festival returns to Fresno State on October 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in honor of one of the Valley’s staples: grapes! Visitors will have an opportunity to taste the crop in all its forms: table grapes, raisins, cookies, ice cream, and more. 

Courtesy of The Whole Vine Festival

Listen to the local bands perform on the lawn, meet artisans and farmers, enjoy the Wine and Beer Garden, and try dishes from food trucks competing to make the best creation using Central Valley table grapes. Admission, parking, and the Kids Zone are free.

The idea for the festival was born when the founder and president, Vickie Goudreau, moved to the area and realized that the negative perception of the Valley she previously held did not correspond with the local community.

“I understand the power of celebration,” Goudreau said. “When you celebrate something, you highlight value.”

And so, she decided to celebrate the crop grown right there: grapes.

Courtesy of Vickie Goudreau

“The Whole Vine Festival celebrates the valley’s grape-ness,” she said. “Everything about our festival is local and true to the San Joaquin Valley.” Vendors and artisans must come from one of the Valley’s eight counties.

Banners throughout the campus will be featured this year to give attendees an introduction to local grape growers. Other activities include a family scarecrow competition, agricultural Kids Zone, petting zoo, food contest, and “Innovation in Ag” programs that integrate various elements of the Valley’s agricultural history.

The focus on all things local is exactly the reason why Goudreau believes outsiders should attend.

“We’re celebrating our place; come join us,” she said. “If you want to know what the San Joaquin Valley is, you’ll learn that by coming to the festival.”

Courtesy of The Whole Vine Festival

What she does want is the festival to be decorated with “real people, real stories”—the farmers and families whose lives are intertwined with the land.

So bring some blankets or lawn chairs, sit yourself in front of the music stage and, most importantly, come hungry.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Chili Cook-Off in Santa Cruz (October 24)

Fall isn’t all about pumpkins.

This year’s Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Chili Cook-Off will be held on Oct. 24, with about 50 teams of amateurs and professional chefs trying to claim the glory of having the best chili.

Courtesy of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

“The experience is pure fun,” Boardwalk spokesperson Kris Reyes told Sunset. “The teams come from all over California, and it’s interesting to hear their stories and try their unique recipes. They love to interact with our guests and put on a show.”

As the tournament consists of two divisions—amateur and professional—it is quite possible for a beloved family recipe to compete against a chef’s dish. Besides, visitors will not be limited to only watching. Purchasing a $15 tasting kit will give you access to eight tasting tickets and a People’s Choice ballot, allowing you to vote for your favorite dish!

Courtesy of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

“The Boardwalk’s amazing location right on the beach in Santa Cruz makes this a perfect location for a chili cook-off,” Reyes said. “The combination of great chili plus Boardwalk rides makes for the perfect setting.”

Once you’ve had your fill of chili, take the time to explore the Boardwalk, as well. Reyes recommends riding the 1924 Giant Dipper from 1924—the lift hill offers his favorite view of Santa Cruz—and taking a slower spin on the 1911 Looff Carousel.

Better yet, turn it into a weekend outing. Walk around town, stop at Bookshop Santa Cruz, and spend some time on the beach before heading back for more rides.

Courtesy of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Each of these festivals is a representation of a particular California community at its finest—whether it’s the food, traditions, local artists, or the people behind all of it. While there’s still plenty of autumn left, choose a destination and enjoy it in person.