Fall food events in Mendocino: a harvest tour, October to November 2026

Fall is when this county brings everything in: apples in Anderson Valley, the last of the grapes, kelp and urchin on the coast, and mushrooms once the rain comes. Here’s a harvest tour of the next two months, starting with the three events we’d plan a trip around, then the winery nights and harvest festivals worth a detour.

Jump to: The big three · In between: Harvest Mendocino · Winery nights in Anderson Valley · Harvest festivals inland · On the plate this fall

The big three

OZ Farm Harvest Celebration: Sunday, October 4, Manchester
Once a year, this off-grid organic farm on the Garcia River north of Point Arena opens its gates for apple pressing, homemade pie, music and OZ’s own hard cider, 2 to 8pm. It’s $15 for adults and $5 for kids, it raises money for the farm’s apprenticeship program, and it’s about as close to an old-fashioned harvest day as you’ll find on the coast. There’s no rideshare out there, so carpool.

North Coast KelpFest!: October 8–12, Fort Bragg to Van Damme
Four days built around the kelp forest: a seaweed parade through Mendocino, tide walks, a fish taco crawl in Fort Bragg on Friday night and an urchin cookout on the beach at Van Damme on Sunday evening. It runs through the Monday holiday, so it’s an easy long weekend.

Fungi Festival and Cultural Convergence: November 14–15, Caspar
The Mendocino Coast Mushroom Club’s two days of forays, identification, workshops and a marketplace, with a separately ticketed Forager’s Feast on Saturday night. Public tickets for the guided forays go on sale October 15, and they go fast.

In between: Harvest Mendocino

The county’s harvest celebration usually runs from late October into mid-November, with chef tastings, wine and mushroom menus around the county. The 2026 program hasn’t been announced yet. We’ll add it to our page as soon as it is.

Winery nights in Anderson Valley

October is a good month to drive 128. The valley’s harvest ran early this year, so by mid-October most of the picking should be done and the tasting rooms get quieter. A lot of the smaller ones are by appointment only, so book ahead on Tock.

Handley Cellars: Watercolor & Wine: Friday, October 2, Philo
A relaxed painting session from 4 to 6, with supplies, a glass of Handley wine and a local cheese board. $40.

Pennyroyal Farm: Cinema in the Vineyard: Saturday, October 3, Boonville
An evening screening of Coco in the vineyard for Día de los Muertos, with the Mendocino Film Festival. $25. Pennyroyal’s goat cheese is a good reason to stop by any day of the year.

Foursight Wines: Pinot Noir & Mushroom Pairings: November 7–8, Boonville
Mushroom and Pinot Noir pairings come with every tasting reservation that weekend, and walk-ins are welcome if there’s room. It’s a nice warm-up for the Fungi Festival the next weekend.

Mendocino Winegrowers Harvest Party: Saturday, November 14, Redwood Valley
The growers’ own end-of-harvest party at Barra of Mendocino, 3 to 6. It’s partly a members’ meeting, but tickets are open to the public. It’s the same day as the Fungi Festival, so pick one.

Harvest festivals inland

Ukiah Country Pumpkinfest: October 16–18, downtown Ukiah
The county’s big fall street fair. It starts with the giant pumpkin weigh-off on Friday evening, then two days of food, a beer and wine garden, a baking contest and rides.

Frey Vineyards: A Taste of Autumn: Sunday, October 11, Redwood Valley
An afternoon at the organic winery, 1 to 5, raising money for Hearthstone Village and a girls’ orphanage in Haiti. Frey’s tasting room has something on most weekends in October, from line dancing to a reggae concert.

On the plate this fall

Dungeness crab season is set to open on November 7, if the domoic acid tests allow it. Last year it slipped to December. Albacore’s still around while the warm water holds, and the first chanterelles are already up after September’s early rain. There’s more in our guide to what’s in season in October, and why this winter might be a wet one in our El Niño post.

Everything else on the coast this season is on our events board.

More from October on the coast: What’s in season in October · A Halloween weekend plan · Every Halloween event · Halloween dinner at the house · EarthSpoke Farms · Pumpkin Wonderland · The El Niño winter · Fungi Festival

Details from the organizers’ own websites and the Anderson Valley Winegrowers calendar, checked September 25, 2026. Dates and prices can change; check the official page before you go.