These 6 Fantastic Street Fairs Will Show You The Best Of Northern California

This year’s Palo Alto Festival of the Arts is celebrating its 39th anniversary. A Bay Area favorite, the festival draws an estimated 100,000-plus casual and staunch art lovers. While here, attendees can meander through some 300 fine and contemporary art booths focusing on a wide array of artistic talents. Italian street painting, piano virtuosos, hands-on kids’ art activities, and great food and beverages are all part of the experience here.

Dates: August 26-27, 2022, Website: Palo Alto Festival of the Arts

Bring the family and come celebrate the 39th Annual Capitola Art & Wine Festival. This annual free festival held in Capitola Village showcases some of the finest artisans from the Northern California area and further afield. Stroll amongst some 100-plus booths featuring extraordinary works of art encompassing paintings, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, glassworks, and more. Add to that delicious culinary offerings, almost two dozen exceptional wines from Santa Cruz Mountain vintners, an artisan marketplace, live music, children’s activities, and cultural performances. Oh yeah – and those spectacular waterside views!

Dates: September 10-11, 2022, Website: Capitola Art & Wine Festival

One of the biggest festivals in the state is the annual Monterey Jazz Festival. People don’t just come from all over the state, they come from across the country! This outstanding celebration of jazz music—which marks its 65th anniversary this year—takes place at the Monterey County Fair and Event Center on eight stages.

Performers include legendary jazz musicians, local, regional, and national acts, and award-winning composers. This year’s artists include Cuban pianist, composer, and bandleader Jesús "Chucho" Valdés, soulful UK artists Incognito with special guest Maysa, critically-acclaimed Grammy-nominated saxophonist, bandleader, and composer Ravi Coltrane, the award-winning Brubeck Brothers Quartet, and international jazz vocalist Samara Joy.

Dates: September 23-25, 2022, Website: Monterey Jazz Festival

At first glance, it may seem like the annual Folsom Street Fair solely focuses on the wild and wonderful. But it is so much more than that. Since 1984, the fair has served as a safe, inclusive space for members of the LBGTQ2+ (Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and Two-Spirit) and BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) communities to express their individual and collective personal and artistic talents.

Yes, there are a lot of revealing outfits and adult themes presented here through dance, music, art, and cultural performances, but it is a party with a purpose. The presenting organization is a non-profit that has raised an astounding $7 million-plus in proceeds to protect and serve the San Francisco Bay Area’s liberation movement and community organizations.

Date: September 25, 2022, Website: Folsom Street Fair

The Great America Winterfest is one of Northern California’s most popular winter events. For six weeks the Great America amusement park is transformed into a magical wonderland with all of your favorite holiday sights, sounds, eats, and more. The decorated Christmas trees which are among the tallest and the best in the state are the perfect backdrop for "visits" to the North Pole, Mrs. Claus’ kitchen, an ice-skating rink, special holiday performances, and of course, plenty of rides and other attractions. Kids of all ages (adults too) enjoy getting lost in the excitement and magic of the season.

Dates: November 25, 2022 - January 1, 2023, Website: Great America Winterfest