The 2025 Fall calendar is packed with events, fairs and festivals on California’s Central Coast.

September resonates with the Santa Cruz Country Fair and the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival. October brings the whimsical Cambria Scarecrow festival, the sounds of the Old Time Fiddlers’ Festival, and Santa Barbara celebrates regional food and wine at the Vintner’s Festival, and the Seafood Festival. Head to The Big Sur Wine & Food Festival in November, and to Santa Barbara for its famous Half Marathon.

 

Special Events on California’s Central Coast: Worth the Detour

 

Santa Cruz Country Fair
September 10-14, 2025, Santa Cruz

All the fun of the fun of the fair including carnival rides, showtime, circus acts, FMX Ramp-Age featuring an X-Games gold medallist. Also the Tractor Parade, Junior Livestock Auction, Horse Show, Charras, magic shows and live concerts, including a Taylor Swift tribute, and a Beatles tribute.

Monterey Jazz Festival
September 26-28, 2025, Monterey

68th Annual:  The non-profit  festival has been promoting jazz for nearly 70 years, including jazz legends, rising stars and great composers. Jazz also meets blues, gospel and more in the line-up including Christian McBride and Ursa Major, Cory Wong, Christian Sands, Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Dianne Reeves, Gregory Porter.

Cambria Scarecrow Festival
October 1 -31, 2025, Cambria (San Luis Obispo area)

17th Annual: Singing, pedaling, dancing, swashbuckling, and flying – whimsical scarecrows decorate seaside villages of Cambria and San Simeon every October. Creators include local artists, business owners, students, and volunteers.

Wine Walk in Camarillo Old Town
October DTBA, 2025, Camarillo

11th Annual: Wine and brew stroll along Ventura Boulevard to taste local wine and craft beer. Together with the 20+ businesses involved, there’s live music – check out tickets for sample food pairings from local Camarillo restaurants and wineries.

Santa Barbara Old-Time Fiddlers’ Festival
October 4, 2025, Goleta

53rd Annual: Fiddles feature with entertainment from some of the best old-time bands in the world. Line-up includes Suzy and Eric Thompson, The Horsenecks, Clinton Davis Stringband, Skillet Licorice. Also workshops, jamming, and an instrument petting zoo!

Santa Barbara Vintner’s Festival
October 18, 2025, Santa Barbara

41st Annual: Taste the region’s best from 50+ wineries and stop by the Rio Vista Chevrolet Bubble Lounge for wine country’s best sparkling wines. Meet the winemakers, and feast on cuisine with regional and selected produce from local chefs and restaurants.

Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival
October 18, 2025, Santa Barbara

22nd Annual: Day of fishy delights enjoying the Harbor’s sustainably fished and freshly prepared seafood including sea urchin, lobster and albacore. Specialty booths also offer oysters, mussels, crab, fish tacos, seafood paella and clam chowder.

Old Fisherman’s Wharf 180th Anniversary & Ode to Calamari Contest
To October 31, 2025, Santa Barbara

Celebration of 180 years of fishing, cooking and delivering calamari! Originally constructed as a passenger wharf in 1845, the growth of calamari and sardine fishing prompted Monterey City Council to assume ownership to ensure the wharf’s upkeep.

Big Sur Food & Wine Festival
November 6-8, 2025, Big Sur

In its unbeatable Big Sur setting, the festival kicks off with a Magical Mystery Tour and opening night at Alila Ventana Big Sur, events also include hiking, Sip and Saunter at Post Ranch, Sommelier Dinner, Bubbles & Brushes, in the Redwoods. Ends with the big party Corks & Forks event under the ancient redwoods of the Henry Miller Memorial Library.

Santa Barbara Half Marathon
November 9, 2025, Santa Barbara

The feature 13.1-mile and a 5K course runs take place on November 9, also with a  kids’ run along Cabrillo Boulevard and State Street. Plan a weekend around this event as there’s also live music, a family day, and yoga/breathing workshops.

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Full Calendars of Events

Central California

• Big Sur & Highway 1
  • (Pair your travel with Big Sur & Highway 1 itineraries from Slow Down See More)
• Channel Islands (& Ventura)
  • (Pair your travel with Channel Islands itineraries from Slow Down See More)
• Central Coast
  • (Pair your travel with Central Coast itineraries from Slow Down See More)
• Monterey, Carmel, Pebble Beach
  • (Pair your travel with Monterey Bay itineraries from Slow Down See More)
• Paso Robles
  • (Pair your travel with Paso Robles itineraries from Slow Down See More)
• Santa Barbara
  • (Pair your travel with Santa Barbara itineraries from Slow Down See More)
• Santa Cruz
  • (Pair your travel with Santa Cruz itineraries from Slow Down See More)
• San Luis Obispo
  • (Pair your travel with San Luis Obispo area itineraries from Slow Down See More)