Cheers! Wine festivals, beer events and spirited fun abound this fall. Here are dozens of options to get you started.
The Alice — Immersive Cocktail Experience: Aug. 17 to Sept. 10, Lakeside Drive, San Jose. Reality bends and curiosity reigns supreme at this topsy-turvy tea party. Create your own liquid concoctions under the watchful eye of The Mad Hatter in this dive down the rabbit hole to experience the magic of Wonderland. $47 to $55. bit.ly/TheAliceCocktailExperience
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, handcrafted 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/
Field Day Harvest Dinner at Bella: 5:30-9 p.m. Sept. 8, Bella Vineyards + Wine Caves, 9711 W. Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg. Mingle, sip bubbles and nibble farm-fresh hors d’oeuvres before moving to a long table among the vines for a three-course harvest feast. $185. exploretock.com/bellawinery/
Barbera Festival: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 9, Terra d’Oro, 20680 Shenandoah School Road, Plymouth. Taste barbera wines from more than 50 California wineries at this grand outdoor tasting that includes gourmet bites and live music. Part of the proceeds go to the Amador Community Foundation. Tickets start at $50; amadorwine.com/barbera-festival/.
REDWOOD CITY, CA. – July 17: Red Morton Park in Redwood City hosts Pub in the Park for the third year, Saturday, July 17, 2021. An inflatable brew pub tent shared a meadow with a dozen corn hole games and a stage for free music. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Pub in the Park 2023: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 9, Red Morton Park, Redwood City. Redwood City’s annual summer Pub in the Park series invites visitors to enjoy bluegrass music, sip delicious local brews and partake in lawn games. Round out the season with this year’s last Pub in the Park! Free admission. bit.ly/PubinthePark2023
Wente Vineyards 140th Harvest Celebration: 6 p.m. Sept. 9, 5050 Arroyo Road, Livermore. Celebrate this grand estate’s anniversary with a picturesque harvest dinner in the vineyards that features a seasonal wine country menu paired with special wines from the Wente portfolio. $275. bit.ly/WenteHarvestDinner
Cigar and Wine Night: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 9, 900 Lightpost Way, Morgan Hill. Join Lightpost Winery for its first Cigar Night, an outdoor evening of smokes, wine, music and food under the courtyard pergola. $95. bit.ly/CigarWineNight
Capitola Art & Wine Festival: Sept. 9-10, Capitola Village, Capitola. Shop from and admire the talent of fine local artists while sipping exceptional wines from Santa Cruz Mountain wineries. Free admission. capitolachamber.com/art-and-wine-festival/
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 10: Linda Nguyen, center, of Mountain View, paints during the Mountain View Art and Wine Festival on Castro Street in Mountain View, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Mountain View Art & Wine Festival: Sept. 9-10, Castro St., Downtown Mountain View. This annual festival will feature live music, food and wine booths, a collaborative paint temple, sports viewing, and kids activities. Free admission. mvartwine.com/
Livermore Valley September Sips: 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 10, City Center Bishop Ranch, San Ramon. Livermore Valley wineries will be pouring samples for guests as they stroll the restaurants and retail shops at this complex. Tickets include nine wine tastings, a wine glass and small bites. $30. lvwine.org/event-tickets/10124/september-sips
Rombauer Blue Party: 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 14, 355 Santana Row, San Jose. Step out dressed in your best Rombauer Blue (or white!) to enjoy your favorite wines, delicious hors d’oeuvres, live music and the elegant Mediterranean-inspired courtyard of the Hotel Valencia in Santana Row. $150. rombauer.com/blue-party/
Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival: Sept. 16-17, Central Park, 909 Kiely Blvd., Santa Clara. The festival offers art and crafts booths, live entertainment, children’s activities and food, beer and wine stalls. Free admission. santaclaraartandwine.com.
Markham Vineyards Fall Wine Release and Paella Party: 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 17, Markham Napa Valley Winery, 2812 St. Helena Highway, St. Helena. Celebrate the 2023 Napa wine harvest at this paella party that includes wine pairings and live music in the winery’s historic stone cellar and on the courtyard and patios. $75-$100. exploretock.com/markhamvineyards/
Vinyl Sunday Presents Catherine Russell: 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 17, Denmark St. Barn, 1700 Denmark St. Sonoma. Grammy-Award-winning jazz vocalist Catherine Russell and her band will perform at Winery Sixteen 600’s Grenache Day celebration. Enjoy an opening set from two-time Emmy winner Tony Saunders and the Keystone Band, food from local favorites and sips of Sixteen 600 grenache. $75. winerysixteen600.com/product/detail/VSPCR/
Lafayette Art & Wine Festival: Sept. 23-24, Downtown Lafayette. This festival will feature more than 350 arts and crafts booths, live entertainment, children’s rides and activities, plus food, wine and beer stalls. Free admission. lafayettefestival.com/
Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival: Sept. 29-30, Sonoma Plaza, 453 First St., Sonoma. The 126th Valley of the Moon festival includes a grand tasting ($150), a grape stomp for teams of two ($75), an artisan market and other events. Proceeds from the event, which is sponsored by the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance and Foundation, go to local philanthropic causes. valleyofthemoonvintagefestival.org/
Clayton Oktoberfest ‘Munich Style’: Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, Downtown Park, 6125 Clayton Road, Clayton. Clayton’s 2023 Oktoberfest features an authentic German Biergarten, delicious food and beer, arts and craft vendors, live music plus a full-size traveling carnival. Free admission. claytonoktoberfest.com/
Oaktoberfest in the Dimond: Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, MacArthur Blvd. & Fruitvale Ave., Oakland. Oaktoberfest returns in its full Bavarian glory with outdoor dining, drinking and entertainment for the whole family. Don’t miss the live German music, traditional German food options, hundreds of vendors, live music and the Bay Area’s best craft beers. Free admission. oaktoberfest.org/
Tiburon Wine Festival: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 6, Point Tiburon Plaza, 1701 Tiburon Blvd., Tiburon. Join the festivities for extraordinary wine, food and live music. With wines from both established and small production wineries, the festival offers a chance to experience new wines and savor old favorites from Napa, Sonoma and as far afield as Italy and Hungary. Check macrostiewinery.com for ticket details.
Harvest Experience Weekend: Oct. 6-7, 1200 Paseo Excelsus, Templeton. Come out to the ONX Estate Vineyard for a hands-on experience that includes harvesting grapes from the vines, grape stomping and plenty of sips. $235. onxwine.com/events/harvest-experience/
Napa Blues, Brews, and BBQ Festival: 12 to 6 p.m. Oct. 7, Napa Valley Expo, 575 Third St., Downtown Napa. This annual festival features live music on two main stages, a variety of delicious barbecue, a beer garden, arts and craft vendors and lawn games for adults. Check napabluesandbrew.com/ for ticket details.
Corks, Forks, Rhythm and Brews: 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 7, City Hall West Parade Lawn, Alameda. Enjoy California’s best wineries, spirits, breweries, gourmet food, restaurants and live entertainment at this benefit for the Alameda Boys & Girls Clubs. $100-$200. corksforksonthepoint.com/
Beer City Fest: 12 to 5 p.m. Oct. 14, Alameda Point, 1801 Ferry Point Road, Alameda. This beer festival features local and regional beers, ciders, kombucha and other beverages, plus live music, games and circus performers on the waterfront. $0-$50. https://beercityfest.com/alameda/
Hansel & Gretel Immersive Cocktail Experience: Oct. 18 to Nov. 12, Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. Enjoy an evening of magic and wonder at this part show and part cocktail experience. Unlock clues, solve riddles, and taste your way around the abandoned forest and witch’s gingerbread house. $46. bit.ly/HanselandGretelCocktails
Bonny Doon Art, Wine & Brew Festival: 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 21, Crest Ranch, Santa Cruz. Enjoy an afternoon of tastings with local wineries and breweries, arts and craft vendors, plus food, music and dancing. Check bonnydoonartandwinefestival.com/ for ticket information.
TASTE – The Livermore Valley Wine Experience: Oct. 19-22, various venues in Livermore Valley. Livermore Valley’s premier food and wine affair spans four delectable days. Enjoy Taste Our Terroir, a food and wine pairing competition, plus intimate wine-tasting events with local award-winning wines and winemakers. $45-$225. lvwine.org/event/9823/taste-the-livermore-valley-wine-experience
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WhiskyFest San Francisco: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 27, Marriott Marquis, 780 Mission St., San Francisco. WhiskyFest offers the opportunity to sample from among hundreds of whiskies from around the world. Distillery representatives will be on hand at their pouring booths, while educational seminars run throughout the evening. $295-$375. whiskyadvocate.com/whiskyfest
Markham Vineyards Dine-In Movie Night: 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 3, Markham Napa Valley Winery, 2812 St. Helena Highway, St. Helena. Settle in to a cozy seat in the Markham Stone Cellar for a screening of the film “Chef,” as you enjoy a glass of wine paired with a Cubano sandwich and chips. $45. exploretock.com/markhamvineyards/
Holiday Grazing Board Workshop: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 11, Markham Napa Valley Winery, 2812 St. Helena Highway, St. Helena. Join Markham Vineyards for a holiday-themed afternoon in wine country at this workshop on how to build a holiday appetizer platter with the Bay Area’s Brie Grazing Boards. $115 including a wine tasting, a grazing board and cheese and accompaniments. exploretock.com/markhamvineyards/
Napa Valley Film Festival: November in Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga. The festival typically includes more than 100 new independent films screened alongside awards-season contenders at venues throughout Napa Valley. Attendees enjoy interactions with visiting filmmakers and celebrities, film Q&As, culinary demonstrations and wine tastings and an array of parties and winemaker dinners. Check napavalleyfilmfest.org/ for details.
Have a wine, beer or spirits event to add? Submit it online at forms.gle/Cu9J6Ks2fQiQUcKk8.
