Food festivals near Palo Alto

Palo Alto eats well every day of the year, so its food festivals tend to be about something other than restaurants. They are about a single crop, a single tradition or a single afternoon in a park. The Peninsula and South Bay have a good run of them, from a free chili tasting in Mitchell Park to a garlic festival an hour south and a pumpkin festival on the coast that closes Main Street in Half Moon Bay.

This guide lists recurring food festivals within easy reach of Palo Alto that we could confirm for 2025 or 2026 on an organizer page or in local press. Each entry gives the latest date, the venue, the cost and how to get there. When we checked on November 2, 2026, only the Gilroy Garlic Festival had posted 2027 dates. For everyday eating, our farmers markets guide covers the two weekly markets in town.

The food festival calendar

In Palo Alto: the Chili Cook Off

Palo Alto's own food festival happens on Independence Day. The city's 4th of July Chili Cook Off and Summer Festival fills Mitchell Park on East Meadow Drive. In 2026 it ran from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with free chili tasting, food trucks, live music, kids' activities and a sensory-friendly tent. Teams compete for Best Overall Chili, Best Vegetarian Chili and a People's Choice award voted by tasters.

Tasting is free but limited. In 2024 the city handed out about 3,000 wristbands and suggested lining up by 10:30 or 10:45 a.m. Parking around Mitchell Park is tight on July 4, so walk or bike if you can. The event runs every year on July 4. Our Chili Cook-off guide covers its history and how to enter a team.

June: the fair and three newer festivals

San Mateo County Fair

The county fair is the classic place for corn dogs and funnel cake. The 2026 fair ran June 5 to 14 at the San Mateo County Event Center, 1346 Saratoga Drive, closed Monday and Tuesday, June 8 and 9. Prices varied by day and by when you bought, with discounted presale tickets, free entry for children 5 and under and free days. See the fair's admission page for current prices and our San Mateo County Fair guide for details. The fair included the Bayside 101 Music Festival. It runs each June. The Hillsdale Caltrain station is the closest stop, about a 20 minute walk. Our San Mateo guide covers the city.

Taste of Mountain View

A food, beer and wine walk on Castro Street with bites from downtown restaurants and live music. The 2026 walk was Wednesday, June 17, from 4 to 8 p.m. General admission was $81.88 and food-only tickets $55.20, per the Mountain View Voice. It is the easiest food event on this list by train: Mountain View station sits at the end of Castro Street. Our Mountain View food guide covers the restaurants year-round.

Ube Festival Bay Area

Filipino food vendors build sweet and savory dishes around ube, the purple yam, at the Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Avenue in Daly City. The 2026 festival was Saturday, June 20, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with early-bird admission at $6.50 and kids 5 and under free. Daly City is about 28 miles north, so drive up Interstate 280.

Bark n' Brewfest, Burlingame

A dog-friendly beer and wine tasting benefit for the Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA in West Washington Park, 850 Burlingame Avenue. The 2026 event was Saturday, June 27, from 2 to 5 p.m., at $60 in advance and $70 at the door, with 3-ounce pours from local breweries and wineries and an adoption booth. Burlingame station is a short walk away.

July: the Gilroy Garlic Festival

The Gilroy Garlic Festival is the most famous food festival in the region and the only one here with 2027 dates posted. After the 2019 shooting it did not return in person until 2025, when it came back in a smaller, ticketed format at the Hecker Pass Outdoor Events Center. The festival's site lists July 24 to 26, 2026, says about 12,000 people attended and gives July 23, 24 and 25, 2027 as the next dates. The organizers promise garlic-heavy food, live entertainment and arts and crafts, all run with the volunteer help that has long defined the festival.

Gilroy is about 45 miles south of Palo Alto on Highway 101. Plan on an hour or more each way in summer traffic. Buy tickets on the festival website. Our Gilroy day trip guide pairs it with the mission town of San Juan Bautista.

September and October: Greek food, pumpkins and beer

Belmont Greek Festival

Labor Day weekend brings moussaka, souvlakia and baklava to the Church of the Holy Cross, 900 Alameda de las Pulgas in Belmont. In 2026 the festival ran September 5 and 6 from noon to 10 p.m. with Greek dancing, a live band all day and take-and-bake trays afterward. Admission was $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and teens 13 to 17 and free for children 12 and under. The church is up the hill from Belmont station, about 12 miles from Palo Alto. Our Belmont guide has more on the town.

Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival

The coast's biggest weekend. The 54th festival ran Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with about 275 artists and makers, a pumpkin run, the Great Pumpkin Parade and pumpkin-themed food and drinks. The Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off was held earlier in the week, on Monday, October 12. Admission is free. Highway 92 backs up badly on festival weekend, so leave very early. Our Half Moon Bay guide covers the drive and the town.

Campbell Oktoberfest

Downtown Campbell holds its Oktoberfest the same weekend. The 31st edition ran October 17 and 18, 2026 and was free, with more than 100 arts and crafts booths, food, beer, wine and local bands. Campbell is about 16 miles southeast. VTA light rail serves downtown Campbell, but most people from Palo Alto drive. Our Campbell guide has parking tips.

Festivals we could not confirm

We left off two long-running Peninsula food events because we could not find a confirmed 2025 or 2026 date on an organizer page: the Mountain View A La Carte and Art festival and the Redwood City Salsa Festival. If either returns, we will add it. For a guided taste of the region in the meantime, you can browse Bay Area food tours.

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