Central Valley Festivals – 2024
Obviously, taking a road trip through California’s Central Valley will be different than vacationing in one of the state’s big cities. The area’s towns are a lot less densely populated, and the residents’ livelihoods are often agriculturally based. The pace is generally more laid-back, you’ll see farms or orchards instead of business parks and shopping malls, and you may enjoy an enhanced sense of community when interacting with local residents.
But there’s also no shortage of things to do and interesting places to see in the Central Valley. If you’re resourceful, you shouldn’t have much trouble filling your days. Check out this article for some fun ideas! And, whether you’re looking for things to do in Sacramento this weekend or putting together a plan for a future trip and searching for food and wine events around Bakersfield or Fresno, you should definitely check out the list of culinary-focused festivals that follows!
You’re also not far from Yosemite National Park — Central Valley’s FAT airport in Fresno is the closest airport to the park, about a 90-minute drive away — so you may want to visit Yosemite, too, while you’re in the area.
Traveling through “America’s Fruit Basket” might also afford you the opportunity to experience a taste of the local culture — and we do mean “taste” quite literally, and not just in restaurants, either. Like the bounty they celebrate, there is a bevy of food, beer and wine events in the Central Valley, and we’ve compiled information about them in the list below.
The list is arranged by month, so you can easily determine what’s on during your visit. For each entry, you’ll find the date(s) it’s scheduled to occur, the host city, plus a link to a website for additional information.
Currently, the list still shows some 2023 festival dates, but the 2024 dates are ***flagged with a triple asterisk*** to avoid confusion.
Many of these events are held annually, and they’re often scheduled to occur around the same dates, so if a 2022 event looks interesting you may want to click through to see if the organizer’s website has been updated. Also, if you plan to attend an event, we strongly recommend that you make note of the website and recheck it closer to the actual date.
If you know of any other Central Valley events we should add to this list, would you please use our Contact form to let us know? (Thanks in advance!) And, here are some jump links that you can use to skip to a certain month’s events quickly:
January ### February ### March ### April ###
May ### June ### July ### August ###
September ### October ### November ### December
January
Winter Feast Beer Dinner at
Mare Island Brewing, Vallejo
January 12, 2024***
Sacramento Dine Downtown
January 12-21, 2024***
Elk Grove Restaurant Week
January 12-21, 2024***
Vacaville Restaurant Week
January 19-28, 2024***
Sacramento Chocolate Salon
January 27, 2024***
February
Lodi Wine & Chocolate Weekend
February 2-4, 2024***
Fresno County Wine & Chocolate Lovers Weekend
February 3 & 4, 2024***
Davis Oddfellows Chocolate Festival
February 4, 2024***
Spam Festival, Isleton
February 18, 2024***
Ripon Almond Blossom Festival
February 22-25, 2024***
Capay Valley Almond Festival
February 25, 2024*** (always the last Sunday in February)
March
Capitol Beer Fest, Sacramento Capitol Mall
March 2, 2024***
California Craft Beer Summit, Sacramento
March 12-14, 2024***
Old Town Clovis Craft Beer Crawl
March 17, 2024***
Oakdale Testicle Festival
March 25, 2024***
April
Lodi Wine Festival
April 6, 2024***
Berryessa Gap Winery Fourth Friday
Paella Dinner, Winters
April 12, 2024***
San Joaquin Asparagus Festival, Stockton
April 12-14, 2024***
Downtown Winters Spring Open
April 12-14, 2024***
Cambodian New Year Celebration, Stockton
April 12-16, 2024***
Lindsay Orange Blossom Festival
April 13, 2024***
Chico Brewfest
April 13, 2024***
Celebrating the Orange Dinner, Winters
April 15, 2024***
Fresno Strawberry Festival at
River Park Farmer’s Market
April 16, 2024***
Wine Me Up & Cornerstone Bakery
Spring Treats Pairings, Bakersfield
April 18, 2024***
California Nut Festival, Durham (near Chico)
April 20, 2024***
Taste of East Sac
April 20, 2024*** – 21+ Only!
Macaroni and Cheese Festival, Bakersfield
April 20, 2024***
Visalia Spring Wine Walk
April 25, 2024***
Park Winters Flower Farm Tour, Winters
April 26, 2024***
Sacramento Beer Week
April 26 through May 5, 2024***
Lincoln Wine Fest
April 27, 2024***
Lodi Beer Fest & State BBQ Championship
April 27, 2024***
Elk Grove Brew Fest
April 27, 2024***
Yolo County Spring Wine Ramble
April 27 & 28, 2024***
Hughson Fruit & Nut Festival
April 27 & 28, 2024***
Sacramento Grilled Cheese Festival
April 27 & 28, 2024***
May
Old Town Clovis Spring Wine Walk
May 4, 2024***
West Sac Beer City Fest
May 4, 2024***
California Honey Festival, Woodland
May 4, 2024***
Craft Brew Fest at Fig Garden Village, Fresno
May 9, 2024***
Foodie Land Night Market, Sacramento
May 10-12, 2024***
Central Valley BrewFest, Turlock
May 11, 2024***
Kings Agave Fest, Lemoore
May 11, 2024***
Rancho Cordova iFest
May 11, 2024***
Glenn County Fair, Orland
May 16-19, 2024***
Fresno Tequila Fest
May 17, 2024***
Stockton Flavor Fest
May 17-19, 2024***
Bay Area Black Restaurant Week, Sacramento
May 17-26, 2024***
Linden Cherry Festival
May 18, 2024***
Sacramento Martini Week
May 20-26, 2024***
Sacramento County Fair
May 23-27, 2024***
Wilson Family Winery
Annual Rib Cookoff, Lodi
May 26, 2024***
Patterson Apricot Fiesta
May 31 through June 2, 2024***
The Lavender Garden Festival, Lost Hills
May 6, 2023
El Dorado Hills Art, Beer & Wine Festival
May 13 & 14, 2023
Lodi Wine Experience
May 19 & 20, 2023
Sacramento Taco Festival
May 21, 2023
June
Rocklin Brew Fest
June 1, 2024***
Merced County Fair
June 5-9, 2024***
Cache Creek Lavender Festival, Rumsey
June 8 & 9, 2024***
Pizza Night at Full Belly Farm, Guinda
June 7, 2024***
Off the Rails Whiskey Festival at the
California Railroad Museum, Sacramento
June 14, 2024***
Crawdad Festival, Sacramento
June 15 & 16, 2024***
Isleton Crawdad Festival
June 15 & 16, 2024***
Organic Stone Fruit Jubilee and
Small Farm Expo, Kingsburg
June 22, 2024***
Red, White & Brew Craft Brew Fest, Chico
June 29, 2024*** – Tickets on sale April 1!
Yolo County Summer Twilight
June 29, 2024***
July
Wine in the Pines, Pine Mountain Club
July 6, 2024***
Clovis Peach Party
July 12, 2024***
California State Fair & Food Festival, Cal Expo in Sacramento
July 12-28, 2024***
Slice of Chico
July 13, 2024***
Pizza Night at Full Belly Farm, Guinda
July 19, 2024***
Marysville Peach Festival
July 19 & 20, 2024***
Courtland Pear Fair
July 28, 2024***
Tastes of the Mediterranean, Modesto
July 27, 2023
August
Albariño Wine Stroll, Winters
August 3, 2024***
Yolo County Fair
August 14-18, 2024***
Pizza Night at Full Belly Farm, Guinda
August 16, 2024***
Butte County Fair, Gridley
August 22-25, 2024***
Foodie Land Night Market, Sacramento
August 30 through September 1, 2024***
Taste of the Delta, Stockton
August 5, 2023
California Garlic Festival, Stockton
August 5 & 6, 2023
Sacramento Banana Festival
August 19 & 20, 2023
Fourth Friday Festival, Winters
August 25, 2023
Fire and Smoke Tequila & Mezcal
Tasting at La Cosecha, Sacramento
August 26, 2023
Sacramento Wine Festival, Carmichael
August 26, 2023
September
Sacramento Legends of Wine
September 5, 2024***
Pizza Night at Full Belly Farm, Guinda
September 6, 2024***
Feast at The Fox, Stockton
September 6, 2024***
Tower Bridge Dinner, Sacramento
September 8, 2024*** – Details for the ticket purchasing random drawing available in Summer 2024!
Blues, Brews & BBQ, Yuba City
September 14, 2024***
California Brewers Festival
Discovery Park, Sacramento
September 14, 2024***
Sacramento Street Festival
September 20 & 21, 2024***
Winters Carnitas Festival
September 28, 2024***
Stockton Greek Festival
September 8-10, 2023
L’Apéro Honey Tasting and Education, Winters
September 9, 2023
Bakersfield Village Fest
September 9, 2023
Crawfish & Catfish Festival, Sacramento
September 9 & 10, 2023
Lodi Grape Festival
September 14-17, 2023
Park Winters Farm Tour, Winters
September 15, 2023
Fresno Greek Fest
September 15-17, 2023
Berryessa Gap Argentinian Dinner, Winters
September 16, 2023
Chico Summerfest
September 16, 2023
Fair Oaks Chicken Festival
September 16, 2023
Sacramento Salsa Festival
September 16, 2023
Modesto Greek Festival
September 16 & 17, 2023
Assyrian Festival, Turlock Fairgrounds
September 16 & 17, 2023
Oktoberfest at Vossler Farms, Visalia
September 21, 2023
Dinuba Raisin Harvest Festival
September 21-24, 2023
Uncapped & Uncorked, Elk Grove
September 22, 2023
Bounty of the County at
various Solano County venues
September 22 through October 15, 2023
Clovis Fest, Fresno County
September 23 & 24, 2023
Weekend in Greece, Elk Grove
September 23 & 24, 2023
Edible Extravaganza, Modesto
September 28, 2023
Clovis Pistachio Party
September 29, 2023
Livingston Sweet Potato Festival
September 29 through October 1, 2023
West Coast Taco & Beer
Festival, Bakersfield
September 30, 2023
Escalon Wine & Brew Stroll
September 30, 2023
Oaktoberfest at Dying Breed Brewery, Oakdale
September 30, 2023
October
Sacramento Turn Verein Oktoberfest
October 11 & 12, 2024***
The Big Fresno Fair
October 4-15, 2023
Sacramento Greek Festival
October 6-8, 2023
Hoes Down Harvest Festival
at Full Belly Farm
October 7, 2023
Bike the Bridges & Brewfest, Benicia
October 7, 2023
Lambtown Festival, Dixon
October 7 & 8, 2023
Manteca Pumpkin Fair
October 7 & 8, 2023
Chico Art & Wine Walk
October 13, 2023
Peoples Beer Fest at
Oak Park, Sacramento
October 14, 2023
Bakersfield Brunch Fest
October 14, 2023
Riverbank Cheese & Wine Festival
October 14 & 15, 2023
Tehachapi Apple Festival
October 14 & 15, 2023
Sierra Oro Farm Trail Farm-to-Fork
Dinner at TJ Farms Estates, Chico
October 15, 2023
Taste of Downtown Visalia
October 17, 2023
CHIC-O-BER-Fest, Chico
October 21, 2023
Old Town Clovis Fall Wine Walk
October 21, 2023
Fresno Taco Truck Throwdown
October 21, 2023
Springville Apple Festival
October 21, 2023
The Taste of Winters Charity Gala
October 27, 2023
Tractors & Brews at the California
Agricultural Museum, Woodland
October 27, 2023
Hops & Goblins BeerFest, Lodi
October 28, 2023
Séka Hills Olive Crush Festival, Brooks
October 29, 2023
916 Vegan Street Faire,
Old Sacramento Waterfront
October 29, 2023
November
Old Town Clovis Tailgate BBQ Throwdown
November 1, 2023
Madera Pomegranate, Fruit
and Nut Festival
November 4, 2023
Sacramento Wine Festival, Carmichael
November 11, 2023 – UNCONFIRMED
Berryessa Gap Vineyards
Paella Festival, Winters
November 11, 2023
Fresno County Fall Harvest Wine Journey
November 11 & 12, 2023
Elk Grove Dickens Street Faire
November 25, 2023
Downtown Visalia Winter Winederland Walk
November 30, 2023
December
Bondolio Olive Farm
Holiday Open House, Winters
December 10, 2023
Photo of Central Valley farmland by Eric Sonstroem via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Central Valley farms by David Prasad via flickr (Creative Commons); Photo of Pizza Oven at Sacramento Food Festival by Robert Couse-Baker via deleted flickr account (Creative Commons); Photo of Fig Tree by whologwhy via flickr (Creative Commons); and Photo of Central Valley Sunset by Eric Sonstroem via flickr (Creative Commons).
