Santa Barbara County wine festivals 2026–2027: dates, towns and tickets

Santa Barbara County has a handful of wine festivals that come back every year, plus a long list of smaller winery events. This guide covers the big ones from the fall of 2026 through 2027, in date order. For each one we give the town, the next date and where to buy tickets.

Every date here comes from the organizer's own site, checked in October 2026. If the next date has not been announced, we say so. Where past editions show a clear pattern, we give the usual month. Dates and venues do change, so check the ticket page before you book anything.

Santa Barbara Vintners Festival (October)

This is the county's big fall tasting, run by Santa Barbara Vintners, the winemakers' association. It is one afternoon, with a grand tasting from dozens of local wineries and food from regional restaurants. 2026 is the 42nd edition.

• Where: Firestone Estate, off Foxen Canyon Road in the Santa Ynez Valley, near Los Olivos. The organizer listed 70+ wineries pouring in 2026.
• 2026: Saturday, October 17, 2026, with early entry at noon and general admission 1–4pm. See our event page.
• 2027: Not announced yet. It is usually in October: the organizer's ticket pages show Saturday, October 18, 2025 in Buellton, and Santa Maria Valley's visitor site lists Saturday, October 19, 2024.
• Tickets: sbvintnersweekend.com

The venue changes from year to year, so check the address for the next one before you plan your drive.

Santa Barbara Fall Tasting Festival (November 7, 2026)

This is a new afternoon tasting at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. It pours wine, craft beer, spirits and non-alcoholic drinks, with food from regional producers. 2026 is its first year, and proceeds go to the museum's science and nature programs for children. It is 21+ and goes ahead rain or shine.

• Where: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Mission Canyon, Santa Barbara
• Next date: Saturday, November 7, 2026, 2–5pm, with early entry at 1pm. Announced. See our event page.
• Price: $125 for general admission, or $165 with early entry, as the museum posts.
• Tickets: sbnature.org

Garagiste Festival in Solvang (February 2027)

The Garagiste Festival is built around small-production, independent winemakers. Its Solvang edition has long been billed as Southern Exposure, and it runs over a Friday and a Saturday.

• Where: Veterans' Memorial Hall, 1745 Mission Drive, Solvang
• Next date: February 12–13, 2027 (Friday and Saturday). Announced. See our event page.
• Tickets: On sale in December 2026, the festival says. garagistefestival.com

The 2026 Solvang edition was February 6–7, so early February is the usual slot.

Buellton Wine & Chili Festival (March 2027)

A Sunday afternoon festival that pairs local wine with a chili and salsa contest. More than 30 producers pour wine, craft beer, cider, seltzer and spirits, and more than 20 cooks serve chili. There is live music and food vendors too. Alcohol is 21+ only.

• Where: Flying Flags RV Resort, Buellton. There is no parking on site. The organizer points drivers to Pea Soup Andersen's at 376 Avenue of the Flags.
• Next date: Sunday, March 14, 2027, noon–4:30pm. Announced. See our event page.
• Tickets: buelltonwineandchilifestival.com

The 2026 festival was held in mid-March as well, on Sunday, March 15.

Los Olivos Jazz & Olive Festival (June)

The Los Olivos Rotary Club runs this Saturday afternoon in the park. Local wineries pour, jazz bands play, and local chefs cook olive-themed dishes. Proceeds go to the club's charity projects.

• Where: Lavinia Campbell Park, Alamo Pintado Avenue, downtown Los Olivos
• 2027: Not announced yet. It is usually on a Saturday in early June. The festival's site gave June 6, 2026, and the Santa Barbara Independent listed Saturday, June 10 for 2023, both 1–4pm.
• Tickets: jazzandolivefestival.org

Santa Barbara Wine Festival (June 26, 2027)

This is the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History's summer festival, and the museum calls it a tradition of more than three decades. More than 85 regional wineries and food producers set up under the oaks on the museum grounds. Food, drinks and a souvenir glass come with the ticket. The museum says it sells out every year.

• Where: Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Mission Canyon, Santa Barbara
• Next date: Saturday, June 26, 2027, 2–5pm, with early entry at 1pm. Announced.
• Price: $135 for general admission, or $180 with early entry, as the museum posts.
• Tickets: sbnature.org

California Wine Festival, Santa Barbara (July 2027)

The California Wine Festival is a series that also runs in other California cities. Its Santa Barbara weekend has two parts: a Friday evening rare and reserve tasting with appetizers, then a Saturday afternoon festival by the beach with wine, craft beer, food and a live band.

• Where: Friday at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort, 633 East Cabrillo Boulevard. Saturday at Chase Palm Park, on the oceanside, in Santa Barbara.
• Next date: Friday, July 16, 2027, 6:30–9pm, and Saturday, July 17, 2027, 1–4:30pm (VIP entry from noon). Announced.
• Tickets: "On sale 2027," the organizer says. californiawinefestival.com

Wine & Fire, Sta. Rita Hills (August)

The winegrowers of the Sta. Rita Hills hold this four-day celebration of their AVA every summer. It has seminars, vineyard visits and winemaker dinners. On the Saturday there is a grand tasting at La Purísima Mission outside Lompoc. In 2026 it marked the AVA's 25th anniversary.

• Where: Wineries across the Sta. Rita Hills, with the grand tasting at La Purísima Mission, 2295 Purisima Road, Lompoc
• 2027: Not announced yet. It is usually in mid-August. The Alliance's pages show August 14–17, 2025 and August 13–16, 2026.
• Tickets: staritahills.com

Not on this list

World of Pinot Noir. For years it filled a late-winter weekend at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara. In July 2025 the organizers said they were ending the big annual event for now and moving to smaller pop-up tastings. They said they hope to bring back a larger event in 2027. We will add it here if a date is announced.

We also left out events that have run in past years but have no current date we could confirm on the organizer's own site. Our events calendar lists smaller winery events every week: release parties, harvest lunches, winemaker dinners and live music.

How to plan around a festival weekend

• Book your room when you buy your ticket. The Santa Ynez Valley towns are small, and everyone at the festival is looking for a place to stay that same night.
• Plan your ride home. These are tasting events. Book a driver, a shuttle or a taxi before the day, or pick a festival you can walk to from your hotel.
• Check the address again. Some festivals move from one year to the next. The Vintners Festival moved from Buellton in 2025 to Firestone Estate in 2026. Confirm the venue on the ticket page the week before.
• Read the ticket terms. Some events go ahead rain or shine, and refund rules differ from one organizer to the next. Tasting is 21+ at every festival here.
• Make a weekend of it. To plan the rest of your trip, see your first wine day in Santa Barbara County, what tasting costs and how many wineries fit in a day.