Santa Ynez Valley events calendar

Next confirmed dates

Buellton Fall Festival

Nov 6–8, 2026, free: rides, two music stages, Ales on the Avenue Sat

Julefest

Nov 27, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027 (tree lighting Dec 4, parade Dec 5)

Santa Ynez Country Christmas

Thu, Dec 3, 2026, 4–6pm: the town tree lighting

Buellton Winter Fest

Sun, Dec 6, 2026: snow, tree lighting and a new holiday drone show

Garagiste Festival, Solvang

Feb 12–13, 2027

Solvang Century

Sat, Mar 6, 2027 (registration opens Oct 31)

Buellton Brew Fest

Sat, May 1, 2027

Wine Country Half Marathon

Sat, May 8, 2027

Santa Maria Elks Rodeo

Jun 2–6, 2027 (parade Jun 5)

Santa Ynez Valley events calendar for the next 12 months

Sorted by date, and past dates drop off. "Confirmed" means the organizer (or, where noted, an official listing) has published the date. "Expected" means the organizer hasn't announced it yet and we show only the usual month from past editions. Check the organizer's link before you book.

Recurring touring dinners and series

These travel. They have stopped in the valley before, but a stop only counts here once the series lists it.

• Winery harvest parties & vineyard dinners (recurring, per winery) (Individual wineries (e.g., Brick Barn, Gainey, Roblar)). Valley-wide. 2026 examples: Brick Barn Harvest Moon Dinner in the Vines Oct 24; Gainey Atterdag Harvest Party Oct 18; Roblar Farm-to-Fork Aug 22 and holiday winemaker dinner Check the series calendar.
• Outstanding in the Field (recurring touring series) (Outstanding in the Field). Has stopped at Gainey Vineyard (Santa Ynez), Ampelos Cellars (Lompoc), Las Cumbres Ranch (near Los Alamos). No SBC stop on the Oct 17 2026 upcoming list (16 dinners). Past: Gainey Jul 2-3 2022 and Jun 10 2023; Ampelos Oct 12 2022 (per OITF past-events); Las Cumbres Ranch (SB Magazine) Check the series calendar.
• Santa Barbara Culinary Experience pop-ups (touring series) (Santa Barbara Culinary Experience). Countywide. Treat as series; check sbce.events Check the series calendar.

Resort and hotel series: which are open to the public?

Many resort dinners are for staying guests only, so check the Who can go column before you plan around one. It repeats what each series' own page says about access; where a page is silent, so is the column.

Year-round and weekly: shows, launches and farmers markets

• Vandenberg rocket launches: Where to watch and how to follow the launch schedule, on our launch-viewing guide. Official site.
• Club polo at La Herradura Polo Club: Schedule posted weekly on the club's social channels; confirm before going Official site.
• Buellton Farmers Market (Mondays): Every Monday, 3–7pm, on Avenue of Flags, March to October (Visit SYV lists Mondays through Oct 26, 2026; the Buellton Chamber calendar runs to Nov 18). Opened March 16, 2026. Official site.
• Solvang Farmers Market (Wednesdays): Every Wednesday, 2:30–6pm, on the 400 block of First Street, all year. Official site.
• Route One Farmers Market (Sundays): Every Sunday, 10am–2pm, at 3745 Constellation Road; closed some major holidays. Official site.
• Downtown Santa Barbara Farmers Market (Saturdays): Every Saturday, 8am–1pm, on Carrillo Street and the 900–1000 blocks of State Street, about 51 minutes from Solvang. Official site.

How do we decide what counts as confirmed?

An event is confirmed only when its organizer, or an official listing named in the table, publishes the date. Otherwise we give the usual month, labeled "expected", and never a made-up day. We check every organizer again each month and update this page.

How do you make a day of a valley event?

Festival weekends fill hotels first, so book a room as soon as you have tickets. Most events are in or next to a town with food and tasting rooms in walking range: pair a Solvang event with our Solvang restaurants and Solvang tasting rooms, or a Buellton one with breweries in Solvang and Buellton and Buellton restaurants.

Good to know

Is anything left from Halloween week? No. Boo on Bell, the Solvang night corn maze and the adult costume parties all ran by Oct 31, and the pumpkin patch closed Nov 2. Next up is the Buellton Fall Festival, Nov 6 to 8, then Solvang's Julefest from Nov 27. The 2026 Halloween dates are kept in our Solvang pumpkin patch guide.

When is the Santa Barbara Vintners Festival? It is now a single October festival. The 2026 edition was Oct 17 at Firestone Estate; the 2027 date has not been announced.

Is there an avocado festival in Buellton? No. The California Avocado Festival is held in Carpinteria, south of Santa Barbara, in early October.

Can you join the Rancheros Visitadores ride? No. It is a private, invitation-only riding club. The public can only watch the send-off in Solvang in early May.

Nearby: eat, taste, stay

• Solvang pumpkin patch & Halloween: The 2026 season: corn maze, night maze and nearby patches
• Solvang at Christmas: Every Julefest 2026 date and time
• Solvang Danish Days: Sept 17–19, 2027
• Solvang hotels: Book early for festival weekends
• Things to do in Solvang: An 1804 mission, ostriches, a waterfall · For the weekends in between
• What's happening every week: Residents' nights, trivia and live music, day by day

Quick answers

Is there a wine festival in Santa Ynez in 2026?

The fall ones are over: the Los Olivos Wine Festival was Oct 10 and the Santa Barbara Vintners Festival Oct 17, 2026. Next up, the free Buellton Fall Festival has Ales on the Avenue, a beer and wine tasting, on Saturday Nov 7, and the Garagiste Festival comes to Solvang Feb 12 and 13, 2027.

What events are in Solvang this winter?

Julefest runs Nov 27, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027, with the tree lighting Dec 4 and the parade Dec 5. The Garagiste Festival is in Solvang Feb 12–13, 2027.