[list] Bay Area Festivals 2023

50+ festivals, fairs and things to do this summer

What’s the best thing to do in Summer? Bay Area festivals!

In one place, you can experience: Arts & crafts, Food, Wine [Margaritas, Beer], people-watching, Live bands, outdoor dancing, free admission, family hangout, and walking in shorts.

Get out and enjoy the weather! Here’s 50+ fun events to check out!

 

JUNE:

 

This weekend:

 

First let’s start with 5 Latin events!

[free] Summer Concert by Pacheco Quartet @ Marsh Manor Plaza // Redwood City

[free] Latino Friday shows @ Music on the Square // Redwood City

[free] Spanish Harlem Orchestra @ Jazz On The Hill // San Mateo

Gran Jaripeo Ranchero @ Rowell Ranch Rodeo Park // Castro Valley

[free outdoor] Viva CalleSJ // San Jose

 

Thursday – Sunday.

Cupertino Food & Wine Stroll: THURSDAY 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM. Main Street.

$60 pre-sale (plus Eventbrite fees) and $75 at the door. Must be 21 or over to make a purchase. IDs will be checked for all attendees.  *Limit the number of wines you taste to ensure the safety and enjoyment of everyone.

Chardonnay Pinot Classic: June 8-11, 875 Bordeaux Way, Napa.

Enjoy a weekend of indulgence curated by master sommeliers and acclaimed winemakers. Set in Napa Valley, events range from a Napa Valley Wine Train excursion and a Bubbles and Balloons excursion to a grand tasting, winemaker lunches and a vineyard yoga hike. Prices vary. bit.ly/ChardonnayPinotClassic

Jazz and Blues by the Bay: FRIDAYS. 6:30 to 8 p.m.  Now to Aug. 25th. Gabrielson Park, Sausalito.

Sausalito’s summertime concerts have become a legendary local favorite. Enjoy music on the lawn with friends, spectacular views and a wide offering of food and drinks. Free admission. destinationsausalito.com/event/

Sausalito Pride Celebration June 9-July, 1 2023. Caledonia Street/Johnson Streets.

Celebrate, showcase and support Sausalito’s LGBTQ+ community, culture and history. Sausalito has a long and colorful history, but the city has never hosted an official LGBTQ+ celebration or festival.

 

Saturday & Sunday.

Dia de Portugal Festival: June 10, History Park, 1650 Senter Road, San Jose.

In June, Americans of Portuguese heritage join together with others throughout the world in a celebration of Portuguese culture. Enjoy a day of entertainment, savor Portuguese foods and watch a traditional Portuguese parade. Free admission. diadeportugalca.org/

Artichoke Festival: June 10-11, Monterey County Fair and Event Center, 2004 Fairgrounds Road, Monterey.

The 63rd annual Monterey artichoke fest includes delicious food and wine tastings, fun activities and plenty of your favorite thistle-y plant. $10-$20. artichokefestival.org

Novato Art, Wine & Music Festival. Free admission. June 10th, 11am – 7pm & 11th, 11am – 6pm.

Grant Avenue between Redwood and Seventh.

Fairfax Festival Parade. June 10 at 10:00 AM 12:00 PM. Broadway and Bolinas Road.

The Parade kicks off at the Fairfax theater and makes its way through downtown Fairfax. It officially starts at the Fairfax Theater, turns on to Bolinas Road, and ends on Park Road. It’s usually about an hour and a half long.

15th Annual Golden Gate Park Band Festival June 10-11, 2023 – 11a-5p – Golden Gate Park.

The highlight of the 141st season of the Golden Gate Park Band’s free summer symphony concert season. For two days at the historic bandshell in between the de Young and Academy of Sciences, big bands from all over the state perform back-to-back concerts.

Redwood City Car Show: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 10, Courthouse Square.

Get ready to rev your engines and experience the thrill of seeing classic cars, modern sports cars, muscle cars and custom-built creations up close. There will also be live music, delicious food and drink, and fun activities for all ages. Free admission. bit.ly/RCCS2023

Beerfest -The Good One: 1 to 4:30 p.m. June 10, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa.

More than 50 breweries and cideries will be pouring samples to enjoy. Expect mouth-puckering sour beers, hop bombs, barrel-aged brews, and a wide range of other cool libations that make Northern California one of the best beer-producing regions in the world. $50 to $65. bit.ly/beerfest2023

 

Next weekend:

 

Black Food & Wine Experience: June 12-18, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco.

Sample the food, wine and cocktails of the African Diaspora at a grand tasting in the famed San Francisco Ferry Building. Celebrate Black culture and excellence with your fellow foodies while tasting fare from celebrated and rising chefs, winemakers and spirit purveyors. $35-$275. bit.ly/BlackFoodandWine

Solano County Fair. June 15-18, 11am-10pm

The Ferris Wheel will be spinning and the deep-fry oil will be sizzling as Solano County’s summertime treat returns. The Board of Directors of the Solano County Fair Association (SCFA) announce, (or maybe shout from the rooftops is more apropos).

Alameda County Fair. June 16 – July 9, 11am to 11pm

The Alameda County Fair returns this Summer for nineteen days of all your Fair favorite fun. Experience the Fair like never before with new events, new rides and new Fair food experiences. We are bringing back a full line-up of concerts and live horse racing along with so many of your Fair favorites.

Juneteenth Freedom Celebration & Block Party. June 17, 2023 – 11a-6p – FIllmore between Geary & Fulton.

Eight blocks of the Fillmore get turned into a big community celebration with free unlimited carnival rides, six sprawling “districts” plus a classic car show, R&B Block Party, free wine tastings and more.

Angel Island Family Day. Saturday, June 17, 2023 – 11a-3pm.

Annual celebration to bring families and communities together on Angel Island. $10 tickets include round trip ferry ride from SF or Tiburon, ground shuttle service on the island, admission to the Detention Barracks Museum and a free lunch

67th Annual North Beach Festival. Saturday & Sunday, June 17-18, 2023 – 10a-6p – Grant and Columbus in SF.

Spanning nine blocks around on Grant and near Washington Square Park with 100+ vendors and arts & craft booths, plus DJs, live music, beer gardens, Italian street art and the annual “Blessing of the Animals”

25th Annual Native Contemporary Arts Festival. Sunday, June 18, 2023 – Noon to 3p – Yerba Buena Gardens in SF.

Annual Father’s Day tradition celebrating the creativity of North America’s indigenous peoples, w/ diverse program of Native music, dance, spoken word, visual artists, vendors and crafts.

Stern Grove Festival. Sundays, June 18 – August 20, 2023 – 2pm – Sigmund Stern Grove at the Corner of 19th Avenue and Sloat Boulevard in SF.

Free but RSVPs required. Summer concerts in the park with Snarky Puppy (June 18), Indigo Girls (June 25), Santigold (July 2), SF Symphony (July 25) The Flaming Lips (Aug 20) and many others. RSVPs open 1 month in advance of each concerts.

 

 

Sonoma-Marin Fair. June 21-25, 2023

The Sonoma-Marin Fair promotes and showcases agriculture, while displaying the diverse talents, interests and accomplishments of the residents of California, especially the youth of Sonoma and Marin counties. This is achieved by providing education, entertainment and recreational opportunities for the general public,

Lakefest Oakland: 12 to 8 p.m. June 24, Lake Merritt Sailboat House, 568 Bellevue Ave., Oakland.

This festival features an artisan marketplace, tasty food vendors, a beer and wine garden, a tech pavilion, a kids fun zone and live music. Free admission. bit.ly/LakefestOakland

Cupertino’s Cultures of the World: 1 to 4 p.m. June 24, Quinlan Community Center, 10185 N Stelling Rd., Cupertino.

This afternoon celebration includes entertainment, crafts, cultural activities, games and small bites from around the globe. Free admission. bit.ly/CupertinosCultures

Opera in the Vineyard: 5 to 8 p.m. June 25 and Aug. 27, Garré Vineyard and Winery, 7986 Tesla Road, Livermore.

Join Livermore Valley Opera for its ever-popular Opera in the Vineyard series which features beautiful voices paired with Garré’s award-winning wines. $80. bit.ly/OperaintheVineyard

Marin County Fair. June 30 – July 4th.

All for One & FUN for All! Spend your Fourth of July weekend at the Marin County Fair! This year’s Fair celebrates the values we hold near and dear—inclusiveness, equality, diversity and of course…FUN! Come celebrate the arts, agriculture, the environment, and more. There are free carnival rides, free concerts!

 

JULY:

 

Aptos Wine Wander: 1 to 4 p.m. July 1, Aptos Village.

Enjoy an afternoon of wine tasting featuring Santa Cruz Mountains wineries such as Big Basin Vineyards, Doon to Earth, El Vaquero Winery, La Vida Bella Vineyard and Sante Arcangeli Family Wines. Tickets $45 before June 1, $50 after June 1; winesofthesantacruzmountains.com.

 

‘Jurassic World’ Live Tour: July 7-9, SAP Center, 525 W Santa Clara St., San Jose.

Movie thrills come to life when dinosaurs from the iconic franchise take center stage. The production features more than 24 film-accurate, life-sized dinosaurs operated by animatronics and performers. $25-$150. bit.ly/JurassicWorldLiveTour

‘Good Medicine’ at Cal Shakes: 8 p.m. July 8, 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way, Orinda.

Cal Shakes’ production of “Good Medicine: A Night of Live Native Stand-Up” features Jana Schmieding from FX’s “Reservation Dogs,” Brian Bahe from Comedy Central, Larry Omaha from Showtime and Dakota Ray Hebert from CTV’s “Shelved.” $25-$40. calshakes.org/good-medicine/

Festival Napa Valley- Summer 2023: July 8-23, various venues in Napa Valley.

The 17th season of this wine country festival includes a rich lineup of music, food and wine events for every taste and budget. Free daytime concert admission, other events individually priced. festivalnapavalley.org/

Golden Gate International Choral Festival: July 9-15, various Bay Area venues.

Hear hundreds of singers from around the globe perform during an unforgettable week of concerts, special events and cultural exchange. Free admission. piedmontchoirs.org/golden-gate-festival

 

Downtown Martinez Makers Market: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 15, Downtown Martinez. Spend a day strolling downtown as you enjoy indoor and outdoor dining, chalk artists, live entertainment and shopping from local vendor booths, including The Makers Movement. Free admission. downtownmartinez.org

Taste of Napa: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 15, 875 Bordeaux Way, Napa. Held on the central piazza of the Meritage Resort, Taste of Napa features offerings from more than 70 wineries, breweries, restaurants and culinary artisans, plus live music and other attractions. $150-$295. bit.ly/TasteofNapa2023

ACGA Clay & Glass Festival: July 15-16, Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road, Palo Alto. For 30 years, this festival has celebrated the beauty and whimsy of 100 California artists and their clay and glass creations. Free admission. acga.net/clay-and-glass-festival/

 

ComicCon Livermore: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 22, 400 1st St., Livermore. Get ready for a day of adventure, creativity and family fun featuring everything from toy anime to costume contests, comic creators, science fiction and fantasy displays and hands-on projects to take home. Free admission. bit.ly/ComicConLivermore

Santa Clara County Fair. July 26 – August 6

This year the Santa Clara County Fair will be dedicated to livestock and home art exhibits. Admission will be free. Unfortunately, we will not be able to offer a carnival, any commercial vendors or traditional fair food in 2023, but we encourage you to visit our exhibits and support our youth who have spent countless hours volunteering and preparing their animals for show.

 

 

AUGUST:

 

Sonoma County Fair. August 3 – 13, 2023

The Sonoma County Fair is the Northbay’s largest summer event.

Italian Family Festa San Jose: Aug. 5-6, History Park, 1650 Senter Road, San Jose. This festival showcases authentic Italian culture, food and wine. Live entertainment will provide classic Italian sounds for Festa-goers, while food vendors offer up delicious bites. Plus: grape stomping, a wine garden and kids activity area. Free admission. italianfamilyfestasj.org/

 

Napa Town and Country Fair. August 10-13

We hope you enjoy the Napa Town and Country Fair! This is where our community comes to gather, and we welcome you. We know that our guests will be respectful, courteous, and considerate. It is important that everyone feel safe and comfortable while enjoying the fair.

Laurel Street Fair World Music Festival: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 12, Laurel District, 4222 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland. Reimagine and recreate Oakland’s beautiful Laurel District as a global celebration of music, cuisine, folkloric arts, artisans, and cuisine. Free admission. visitoakland.com/events/annual-events/laurel-streetfair/

 

Scotts Valley Art, Wine and Beer Festival: Aug. 19-20. This annual festival features fine art booths, live entertainment, a Cops ‘n Rodders Car Show, a Dog Day, and a vast array of wine and beer booths from local, award winning vendors . Free admission. svartfestival.com/

 

Palo Alto Festival of the Arts: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 26-27. University Ave., Palo Alto. This festival, hosted by the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce, attracts more than 300 fine art and contemporary craft displays, 60 Italian street painters and attractions that include a kids art studio, stage and street entertainment, gourmet food, wines and micro-brews. Free admission. paloaltochamber.com/festival-of-the-arts/

 

SEPTEMBER:

 

Millbrae Art & Wine Festival: Sept. 2-3, Broadway Avenue. between Victoria and Meadow Glen, Millbrae. This vibrant end-of-summer celebration features two days of crowd pleasing live music, hand-crafted work by nearly 300 talented artists and crafters, gourmet food, refreshing ice treats, wine, beer, champagne and specialty drinks, a car show, a decked out Kids Zone and more. Free admission. millbrae.com/art-wine-festival/