Be sure to check out our full 2026 Fall Arts Guide to live music, movies, art, theater, festivals and more in the Bay Area.
As the magic of autumn approaches, winds swirl and sunsets turn to sherbert hues of pink and orange. Stores fill with Halloween decorations, and kids in backpacks are once again up early, zombie-walking to class.
With fall comes festivals; for centuries, harvest time has meant outdoor celebrations. Here in the Bay Area, people sing in parks, eat in parking lots and dance in the streets. Below, find a select handful of this year’s outdoor fall festivals.
Performances at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival are always free.
Through Nov. 13
Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco
There’s diversity, and then there’s this festival’s lineup, which includes the Cuban Afro-Latin Funk combo Los Calderones, a full day celebrating cultures of the continent during the African Arts Festival and a special San Francisco Indigenous Peoples Day performance by classically trained Indigenous Canadian tenor, Jeremy Dutcher. With free weekly performances on the open lawn between the Metreon and SFMOMA, the series concludes with a celebration of South Asian culture during the Bhangra & Beats Night Market.
Sept. 6
Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park, Berkeley
What’s more Berkeley than a vegan food festival? A vegan food festival that helps rescue animals. In addition to live performances and free samples of food from an array of plant-based restaurants, the festival spreads awareness and raises funds for California Pit Bull Rescue — and even hosts a meet-and-greet with a few furry four-legged friends. (Note: Attendees may not bring their own dogs.)
Soul singer Eddie Holman, of “Hey There Lonely Girl” fame, is a scheduled performer at San José’s 2026 Chicano Soul Festival.
Sept. 8
History Park, San José
Lowriders, Aztec dancers and special appearances dot this afternoon festival. Two stages of live entertainment host performances by the likes of Eddie Holman, Sunny Ozuna, Mellow Man Ace and Discos Resaca. Also taking place is a special tribute to George Kerr, an architect of Latin soul music.
Sept. 19 and 20
Old Mill Park, Mill Valley
Next year will mark seven decades of the Mill Valley Arts Festival, a traditional celebration of live performances, crafts from over 100 different makers and a children’s grove with magic tricks and storytelling. And who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? This year’s celebration introduces a new wine tasting element with local vineyards like Barra of Mendocino, Gibbs of Napa Valley and more.
Children string up paper lanterns at Clinton Park during the 2020 edition of the Little Saigon Mid-Autumn Festival.
Sept. 20
Clinton Park, Oakland
Oakland’s Little Saigon district is home to several thousand Vietnamese residents, along with dozens of Vietnamese-owned businesses, including markets, restaurants and stores. Sponsored by the Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, this annual event offers a chance to learn about the neighborhood while enjoying food, meeting small businesses owners and more.
Sept. 26
Serramonte Center, Daly City
All the festivals in this guide are outdoors, but c’mon, we had to make an exception for the library. This festival is… inside the mall? Hear us out: for the fifth year in a row, Daly City’s arts and crafts scene is on full display at this event, with local performers, craftspeople and musicians. An event for all ages, the celebration doubles as a fundraiser for the Daly City Public Library, whose main branch is just a short walk from the mall.
Sept. 27
Folsom Street, San Francisco
For 42 years, this eye-popping event has been a place where “pleasure meets protest, leather meets liberation, and visibility is an act of defiance.” A late-September celebration, Folsom is all about taking to the streets and enjoying the sunshine — even where the sun doesn’t usually shine.
Throughout October
Various locations
Lederhosen! Tubas! And most importantly: beer! Oakland’s “Oaktoberfest” takes place on Saturday Oct. 3 and Sunday Oct. 4 in East Oakland’s Dimond District. On the peninsula, Mountain View’s Oktoberfest gets underway the following weekend, Oct. 10 and 11. And if you’re in the South Bay, Campbell’s Oktoberfest is Oct. 17 and 18. Up north, Vallejo’s Oktoberfest takes place beneath the roller coasters at none other than Six Flags amusement park.
Jaelah (left), 12, a member of the Blue Bird Riders from Manteca, rides with her friend Aniyah, 13, during the Oakland Black Cowboy Association parade in Oakland on Oct. 5, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
Oct. 3
Little Bobby Hutton Park, Oakland
An annual celebration of African American history and horseback riding, the Oakland Black Cowboy Association returns for its yearly celebration. With food vendors, dancers, pony rides and a parade, this event has been the pride of West Oakland for over 50 years.
Oct. 4
Castro Street, San Francisco
For more than half a century, this celebration of community resilience takes over the Castro with music, arts and chic fashion. People are invited to come out and enjoy live music, food, DJs and more, all while raising funds for a number of charitable causes.
Oct. 15–18
Location to be determined
Sixty years ago, Bobby Seale and Dr. Huey P. Newton created and implemented a 10-point program, certifying the Oakland-born Black Panther Party for Self-Defense as a leading organization of new ideas and movements. On this weekend, the organization’s lasting legacy will be celebrated in proper fashion: a reunion of those who did the work and the community that’s benefited from their efforts.
Oct. 15–17
Lake Merritt, Oakland
It’s an all-ages artistic light show, full of brightly colored illuminated installations, all inside a garden on the edge of Lake Merritt. What more does one need in life?
Rangoli, a colorful form of Indian folk art celebrating art, beauty and culture, is seen drawn on the sidewalks of Bishop Ranch City Center to celebrate the Hindu holiday Diwali in San Ramon, California, on Nov. 14, 2020.
Oct. 17
Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton
With bright lights, live Bollywood dancers and Indian cuisine of all sorts, the East Bay’s largest Diwali celebration boasts carnival rides and more than 150 food and shopping stalls. In addition to community dance groups and a huge fireworks show, attendees can also witness a 40 foot effigy of the demon king Raavan Dahan set aflame.
Oct. 17–18
Half Moon Bay
They’ll have a Halloween costume contest, seasonal drinks and workshops on pumpkin carving, plus work from over 250 artists, three stages of live music, a pumpkin parade and a pumpkin-weighing contest with some of the largest gourds known to man. All of that, plus a run, walk and stroll on Sunday to raise funds for low-income senior housing.
Amalia Canales attends the Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival in Fruitvale on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023.
Nov. 1
Fruitvale Village, Oakland
There are many other Día de los Muertos festivals around the Bay, but if you’ve never been to Fruitvale’s, you’re missing something special. This year’s theme is “La Lucha Continúa: Aquí Estamos y no Nos Vamos” (“The Struggle Continues: We’re Here and We’re Not Leaving”). A celebration of culture, rife with sugar skulls and marigolds, this festival doubles as a reminder that coming together in community can be a political act.
Briefly noted
SF Cheese Fest (Oct. 3, San Francisco)
Filipino Island Fest (Oct. 3, Alameda)
Fleet Week (Oct. 4–12, San Francisco)
Litquake (Oct. 8–24, San Francisco)
Prescott Market Holiday Pop-Up Craft Faires (Oct. 24 and Dec. 19, Oakland)
Fall Holiday Chocolate Salon and Festival (Nov. 22, San Francisco)