Things To Do in
Santa Rosa, CA
in October 2026
October in Santa Rosa hits different. The vineyards are deep into harvest, the air gets that crisp bite, and the city stacks its calendar with everything from civic block parties and world-class theater to Halloween bar crawls and live music at the fairgrounds. This is one of the best months of the year to be in Sonoma County.
We have pulled together 27 confirmed October 2026 events and arranged them in strict chronological order so you can actually plan your calendar. Whether you are bringing the whole family, hunting for something upscale, or just trying to make the most of the Halloween season, there is something here for you. Bookmark this page and check back at santarosabusinesslist.info for updates.
🎃 Month-Long Events
Running all October — plan these around your other picks
🎃 Pumpkins in the Parks: A Santa Rosa Scavenger Hunt
Hosted by the City of Santa Rosa Recreation and Parks department, this family-focused community scavenger hunt sends you out into the city’s scenic green spaces to hunt down festive pumpkin installations. Grab the tracking sheet from the CivicEngage calendar and make a full day out of it any weekend this month. A perfect low-pressure fall activity for all ages.
📅 Full October Calendar
All 26 dated events in strict chronological order — your complete fall guide
🎨 Crafting with Creativebug: Holiday Printmaking
Learn to design and carve your own reusable holiday stamps for customized gift tags, wrapping paper, and cards. A hands-on afternoon that gives you a creative head start on the holiday season. All materials are provided and registration is required.
🍷 Farm-to-Table Dinner Series
An upscale evening featuring a stunning multi-course menu sourced directly from the estate’s culinary gardens and paired with masterfully crafted local wines. A refined fall dining experience that captures everything Sonoma County wine country does best.
🎲 Sonoma Con 2026
The third annual convention features highly competitive card game tournaments, a live action role-playing arena, cosplay parades, and miniature painting workshops. An all-day celebration of gaming and geek culture in Sonoma County. Doors open early — come ready to commit to a full day.
🎶 Festival Calentano
A vibrant regional music and cultural heritage celebration bringing traditional sounds, dances, and strong local community engagement to the main theater. A showcase of the rich Latin cultural traditions that are a cornerstone of Sonoma County life.
🎸 Pink Talking Fish Live
A highly anticipated hybrid jam band performance blending the classic catalogs of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish into a single night of extraordinary improvisational music. If you are a fan of any one of those three bands, this is an absolute do-not-miss Tuesday night in Santa Rosa.
🏥 Sonoma County Senior Expo
A vital community resource expo providing older adults and their families access to local wellness booths, healthcare information, lifestyle products, and government programs. Free admission — grab your entry pass on Eventbrite in advance and share this one with the seniors in your life.
🎤 An Evening with Lily Tomlin
The legendary comedy icon — Emmy winner, Tony winner, and one of the greats of American entertainment — brings her signature character sketch comedy, sharp social satire, and timeless storytelling to Santa Rosa. A rare opportunity to see a genuine icon perform up close. Check the box office for waitlist availability.
🍇 Sonoma County Harvest Fair: Red, White and Sparkle
Celebrate the peak of the fall wine harvest at this signature annual event. Highlights include the best regional wines, grand-prize tastings, and exceptional agricultural showcases. The definitive Sonoma County harvest season celebration — an event that captures what makes this region special.
🌮 International Festival of Barbacoa and Ximbo
Immerse yourself in incredible traditional Mexican slow-cooked culinary styles, vibrant live music, and a festive all-day atmosphere. Admission is free to the public — bring the entire family and arrive hungry. One of the best free food events of the fall season.
🐱 6th Street Playhouse Live Reading: GHOST CAT
Support local theater and fresh playwriting at this free live reading of Caitlin Strom-Martin’s original work GHOST CAT, directed by Margaret Grace Hee. An intimate evening of local creative talent — and with a title like that, it fits October perfectly. Free to attend.
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Get Started → tiv360.com🥁 An Evening with the Rush Tribute Project
Painstakingly recreating the technical wizardry, auditory energy, and historic soundscapes of rock royalty Rush — this performance is a must-see for classic rock fans. Expect faithful recreation of some of the most technically demanding music in rock history. Grab your seats early.
🖼️ 2026 Santa Rosa Arts and Crafts Show
Three full days of handmade gifts, artisan home goods, and the local creators behind Santa Rosa’s creative community. An ideal spot for early holiday shopping with original, one-of-a-kind finds you won’t get anywhere else. Check Eventbrite for full hours and vendor listings.
🎉 Froggy’s 30th Birthday Bash feat. Corey Kent
Local country music powerhouse Froggy 92.9 celebrates three decades on the airwaves with a massive high-energy live concert headlined by Sony Music Nashville artist Corey Kent and featuring Max Vogel. If country music is your lane, this is your October highlight event.
💃 Los Yaguaru and Internacional Carro Show
Get ready to dance the night away with an explosive evening of live international cumbia and regional musical rhythms inside one of Santa Rosa’s popular restaurant-entertainment venues. A late-night Saturday event with real energy. Advance tickets available via Ticketon.
🎻 Symphony Pops: A Tribute to John Williams
Conductor Troy Quinn leads the acclaimed Santa Rosa Symphony through the cinematic genius of John Williams. Live orchestration of themes from Star Wars, Jurassic Park, E.T., Superman, and more. A family-perfect Sunday matinee that hits hard no matter how many times you have heard these scores.
🚚 Wanderlust Food Truck Gathering
A civic partnership event that transforms downtown Santa Rosa into an open-air foodie paradise filled with gourmet food trucks, live music, and social gathering spaces. Free to attend — just show up and explore. One of the best free Thursday night options in the city all year.
🎭 The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Live and Interactive
Do the Time Warp under the autumn stars. Join a wild, immersive, and interactive live screening of this legendary cult classic under the open sky. Costumes are highly encouraged. Easily one of the most fun Halloween-season events in town — register on Eventbrite before it sells out.
💎 Santa Rosa Gem Faire
Explore hundreds of thousands of rare gemstones, intricate beads, crystal clusters, exotic minerals, and handcrafted fine jewelry across a full weekend. Wholesale prices and direct artist sales throughout. Claim a free admission pass from the Official Gem Faire Portal before you arrive.
🍂 Santa Rosa Fall Fun Fest
This grand civic harvest block party features seasonal kid-friendly activities, local vendor booths, games, creative art pop-ups, and live family entertainment. A perfect Friday evening outing for the whole family right in the heart of downtown. Check the CivicEngage calendar for full maps and activity details.
🍇 Balletto Vineyards Annual Harvest Party
Celebrate the completion of crush season with traditional grape-stomping fun, live vineyard music, fall-themed culinary spreads, and a complete showcase of new vintage releases. A classic Sonoma County harvest experience at one of the region’s great family wineries. Check Yelp Events for timing details.
😂 Jimmy Failla: Escape From New York Tour
Presented locally by KSRO, former NYC cab driver turned nationally recognized radio host and comedian Jimmy Failla lands in Santa Rosa for a night of sharp, side-splitting stand-up comedy. One of the hottest touring acts right now. Book your seats early — this one will move.
🚴 360 Allstars
A high-octane physical performance spectacular fusing world-class BMX riding, basketball freestyling, breakdancing, acrobatics, and live looping urban music. Incredible fun for all ages and a true show-stopper of a Sunday afternoon. Tickets available via Viagogo.
🚚 Wanderlust Food Truck Gathering (Finale)
Missed the October 22nd round? This is your second shot at one of the best free evenings downtown has to offer. Grab tacos, sliders, artisanal sweets, and gourmet street food at the final October installment of this community square dining meetup. A great pre-Halloween night out.
🎵 Ellie James and The Okay Ultras
Dive into lush indie-pop and sharp alternative rock as singer-songwriter and producer Ellie James takes the historic California Theatre stage with The Okay Ultras. A great way to warm up for the Halloween weekend in one of Santa Rosa’s most beautiful live music venues.
🍺 The Official Halloween Bar Crawl
The massive seasonal venue-hopping crawl sweeps through multiple downtown venues and Ross Street pop-ups with custom beverage specials, local DJs, and unmatched nightlife energy. Map your stops using the Downtown Santa Rosa Events Calendar. Must be 21 or older to participate.
🧙 Wine, Witches and Warlocks!
Put on your best magical attire for a spooktacular evening of premium wine tastings, gift drawings, and a highly competitive costume contest with fabulous prizes. Register early for the costume contest via Eventbrite — this event fills up fast every year. The perfect Halloween Eve sendoff.
Santa Rosa is loaded this October. From civic block parties and world-class theater to grape-stomping harvest parties and Halloween bar crawls, there is genuinely no excuse to stay in. Pick a few events, put them on the calendar, and get out and enjoy your community.
Check back at santarosabusinesslist.info for local business spotlights, event updates, and community coverage all year long.
