San Francisco Fall Festivals – Fall 2024 Bay Area Events

San Rafael Parade of Lights and Winter Wonderland - San Rafael, CA - Nov 25 to Nov 25, 2023
Marketplace with arts & crafts, parade, children’s activities, and more.

Burlingame Gobble Wobble - San Mateo, CA - Nov 23 to Nov 23, 2023
Held at Coyote Point Park in San Mateo on Thanksgiving morning – a 5K celebrating friends, family, and community and give thanks!

Marin Turkey Trot - Novato, CA - Nov 23 to Nov 23, 2023
5K, 10K and one mile on Thanksgiving morning in Marin

Modesto Turkey Trot and Gobble Walk - Modesto, CA - Nov 23 to Nov 23, 2023
5k and kids run on Thanksgiving morning

Petaluma Turkey Trot and Food Drive - Petaluma, CA - Nov 23 to Nov 23, 2023
The annual Petaluma Turkey Trot is healthy, family-friendly, and fun! No fee, quick registration and photo shares.

Piedmont Turkey Trot - Piedmont, CA - Nov 23 to Nov 23, 2023
Annual 5k on Thanksgiving morning

Point Pinole Nitro Turkey Trot - Richmond, CA - Nov 23 to Nov 23, 2023
10/k, 5k, and free little gobbler’s run. Thanksgiving themed costumes encouraged

San Francisco Turkey Trot - San Francisco, CA - Nov 23 to Nov 23, 2023
5 mile, 3 mile, kids gobbler chase at Golden Gate Park on Thanksgiving morning

Silicon Valley Turkey Trot - San Jose, CA - Nov 23 to Nov 23, 2023
Virtual for 2021. All proceeds from the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot “provide health, hope, and a home” and directly benefit several local charitable organizations.

Stockton Turkey Trot/Run Against Hunger - Stockton, CA - Nov 23 to Nov 23, 2023
10k, 5k and kids run on Thanksgiving morning supporting the Emergency Food Bank

Walnut Creek Forma Turkey Trot - Walnut Creek, CA - Nov 23 to Nov 23, 2023

Ice Skating in Union Square - San Francisco, CA - Nov 2 to Jan 15, 2024
60 min sessions with prepurchased tickets only

Park Chalet Oktoberfest - San Francisco, CA - Oct 22 to Oct 22, 2023
Ceramic 1 L stein, German fare incuding beer and pretzels, live music

Novato Oktoberfest - Novato, CA - Oct 21 to Oct 21, 2023
Hosted by the Novato Rotarians, this Oktoberfest includes dinner and a drink ticket, an “Oom-pah” band, dancing, and prizes.

Oktoberfest in Campbell - Campbell, CA - Oct 21 to Oct 22, 2023
German foods, a variety of beers and ales, over 100 artisans and live entertainment. Attendance is generally 30,000.

Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival - Half Moon Bay, CA - Oct 14 to Oct 15, 2023
The top 5 pumpkins from the giant pumpkin weigh-off are displayed at this epic festival in the “World Pumpkin Capital”.

Riverbank Cheese & Wine Exposition - Riverbank, CA - Oct 14 to Oct 15, 2023
Annual street festival with carnival, arts/crafts, kids rides/games and live music in addition to the wine and cheese.

Sonoma County Harvest Fair - Santa Rosa, CA - Oct 14 to Oct 14, 2023
Showcases the grand harvest which results in world-class wines, award winning beer and a plethora of culinary wealth. Voted the Best Annual Festival of Sonoma County by The Press Democrat readers.

Sacramento Turn Verein Oktoberfest - Sacramento, CA - Oct 13 to Oct 13, 2023
Eat, drink and dance like a German. Outdoor biergarten. Kid friendly activities.

Lakeport Harvest Festival - Lakeport, CA - Oct 7 to Oct 7, 2023
This is a free family fun event with something to do for everyone: Ballet Folkloric dancers, children’s crafts, corn hole tournament, petting zoo, scarecrow contest for youngster/teens, interesting vendors. There will be food, beer and wine for sale plus a DJ, great live music and street dance

PortFest - Redwood City, CA - Oct 7 to Oct 7, 2023
Features live music, lots of great food, marching and jazz high school bands, and boat and harbor tours. Don’t miss the annual charity run. Plenty of arts and craft vendors.

San Carlos Arts & Wine Faire - San Carlos, CA - Oct 7 to Oct 8, 2023
Find 150 quality artists, crafters and specialty food vendors presenting their beautiful handcrafted works for fairegoers. There will be a treasure trove of ceramics, paintings, photography, wood working, wearables and so much more! Enjoy fine wines and microbrews, delicious foods, entertainment and the Family Fun Zone with lots of hands-on activities for the kids.

Mill Valley Film Festival - San Rafael, CA - Oct 5 to Oct 15, 2023
An eleven-day, internationally acclaimed cinema event welcoming more than 200 filmmakers from 50 countries.

Castro Street Fair - San Francisco, CA - Oct 1 to Oct 1, 2023
Lots of activities with live music, entertainers, dance alley, and vendors, craftspeople and organizations. Funds raised go to fund charitable causes and to fund the rainbox flag that flies in Harvey Milk Plaza.

Oaktoberfest - Oakland, CA - Sep 30 to Oct 1, 2023
Family friendly craft beer festival in Oakland.

Clayton Oktoberfest - Clayton, CA - Sep 30 to Oct 1, 2023
Annual Munich-style celebration set under Mt. Diablo in this picturesque town. Two days of fun with parade, keg tapping, live music, biergarten, German food, California wines, arts and crafts show and carnival / street performers.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass - San Francisco, CA - Sep 29 to Oct 1, 2023
A free concert in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco featuring over 100 musical artists on 7 stages.

Vacaville Oktoberfest - Vacaville, CA - Sep 23 to Sep 23, 2023
Annual Oktoberfest from 11 AM to 6 PM. German Food options include brats, sauerkraut, pretzels, potato salad and more. Live music most of the afternoon. Free admission.

Tam Valley Oktoberfest - Mill Valley, CA - Sep 23 to Sep 23, 2023
Bratwurst, German beer, family friendly games, fun house, Bavarian dancers, polka and more!

Lafayette Art, Wine & Music Festival - Lafayette, CA - Sep 23 to Sep 24, 2023
Held the 3rd weekend in September, it is perhaps the largest annual festival in Contra Costa County. Typically attended by over 80,000.

San Francisco Dance Film Festival - San Francisco, CA - Sep 22 to Oct 15, 2023
Dance films from San Francisco and around the world, including experiemental shorts, live performance capture, dance documentaries, live performances and more.

Bike MS Waves to Wine - Rohnert Park, CA - Sep 9 to Sep 10, 2023
Bike MS is more than a ride. It’s an experience grounded in camaraderie and marked by passion, inspiration, determination and pure enjoyment. It will be an experience you’ll never forget, shared with new friends and old.

Mountain View Art & Wine Festival - Mountain View, CA - Sep 9 to Sep 10, 2023
You will love the live music, kids park, salsa dance class, pigskin party lounge, drinks, and food, in addition to the art and wine.

Pittsburg Seafood Festival - Pittsburg, CA - Sep 9 to Sep 10, 2023
An outdoor event for the last 30+ years. Features great food including BBQ, fish, seafood, and plenty of music, arts and crafts, amusement rides, jet ski races, a beer pavilion, and lots more fun.

Millbrae Art & Wine Festival - Millbrae, CA - Sep 2 to Sep 3, 2023
Celebrate the last blast of summer with sun-splashed, Mardi Gras-style fun in the Bay Area.

Union Square Tree Lighting - San Francisco, CA - Nov 25 to Jan 1, 2023
For 2022, no tree lighting event but Macy’s will gift their Great Tree to the city and it will be lit all season long

San Francisco SPCA & Macy’s Holiday Window Unveiling - San Francisco, CA - Nov 23 to Jan 2, 2023
See the wonder of the San Francisco SPCA Holiday Windows at Macy’s this Christmas season.

Cotati Oktoberfest - Cotati, CA - Sep 24 to Sep 24, 2022
Flagship Taproom hosts this Oktoberfest wtih live music, 10+ beers, bratwurst, yodeling contest and more. Costume contest so wear that lederhosen or dirndl!

Piedmont Harvest Festival - Piedmont, CA - Sep 18 to Sep 18, 2022
Carnival, farmer’s market, contests, art exhibit, jazz show, and more

Schroeder’s Oktoberfest - San Francisco, CA, CA - Sep 16 to Sep 16, 2022
Food and polka dancing at this San Francisco German restaurant.

Silicon Valley Comic Con - San Jose, CA - Aug 27 to Aug 28, 2022
Silicon Valley Comic Con brings together America’s two greatest superheroes: Pop Culture and Technology. Presented by Steve Wozniak and featuring top celebrities, comics, independent artists, cosplay, video games, consumer electronics, and more. Silicon Valley Comic Con is where entertainment and our electronic worlds intersect. Children under 5 get in free, child and adult passes are available for a day or the whole weekend, and there are several VIP tiers available.

San Francisco Ballet – Nutcracker - San Francisco, CA - Dec 10 to Dec 30, 2021
Step into the reverie of little Clara in this unforgettable holiday tale and enter a magical wonderland of toy soldiers, a blizzard of snowflakes, and a kaleidoscope of more than 150 dancers. Battle the Mouse King and of course, dance through the land of the Sugarplum Fairy. San Francisco Ballet is the oldest professional ballet company in the country.

WhiskyFest San Francisco - San Francisco, CA - Dec 3 to Dec 3, 2021
Meet the whisky distillers, master blenders, and other whisky experts who will be in attendance. This is your chance to taste from a selection of single malt and blended Scotch, Irish, bourbon, rye, Tennessee, Japanese, Canadian, French, Taiwanese, and craft-distilled whiskies, all assembled in one Grand Ballroom. High-end rum, brandy, and other spirits will be available as well.

International Auto Show - San Francisco, CA - Nov 25 to Nov 29, 2020
Canceled for 2022, look for their return in 2023. Normally: View the latest in technology and the future of personal transportation at Moscone Convention Center.

San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival - Oakland, CA - Sep 19 to Sep 20, 2020
Canceled for 2021, look for their return in 2022. Normally: Enjoy the Northern California International Dragon Boat Festival by watching teams compete on Lake Merritt in 40-foot long dragon boats.

Wharf Fest - San Francisco, CA - Oct 19 to Oct 19, 2019
A free Fisherman’s Wharf festival with a chowder cook-off competition, exhibitors, and family fun.

Sausalito Art Festival - Sausalito, CA - Sep 4 to Sep 6, 2019
Canceled for 2021, look for their return in 2022. Normally: Fine art, music, food, and wine over Labor Day weekend at one of the most prestigious art festivals in the country.