Recognized as one of the best culinary events in the country, the San Diego Food + Wine Festival returns to downtown San Diego from November 1 to 8, 2026. The festival annually draws more than 11,000 animated foodies.
Look for a couple of tweaks to the award-winning formula. This year, the Grand Weekend (November 6 to 8) will include the debut of an Icons & Legends party presented by Blacklane on Friday at JULEP Venue, as well as the Grand Tasting on Saturday and the Grand Fiesta on Sunday, both presented by Southwest Airlines.
For the first time, the Grand Fiesta will be held on the waterfront’s Embarcadero Marina Park North. That’s the same spot the iconic Grand Tasting has been held for more than two decades.
SDFWF co-founder Michelle Metter said the festival has always been a celebration, as well as a statement about who San Diego is as a region.
“This year we’re taking that further than ever,” Metter said. She points to new culinary districts that invite discovery and a lineup that reflects diversity of cultures, traditions and talent that defines Southern California and Baja.
“After 22 years, the thing that still excites me most is that we’re still evolving and still finding new ways to champion local farmers, celebrate sustainability and bring the world’s best to our own backyard,” Metter said.
The SDFWF is the only local event named in the top 10 “Best Wine Festival” category from 2022-25 (#4 last year) in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest. It was also picked as the 2024 “Festival of the Year” by FestForums, a national conference series that rates events like Coachella, SXSW, Burning Man, Lollapalooza and more. The festival has received kudos from the Travel Channel, Wine Enthusiast and Forbes. The San Diego Sun named the SDFWF “San Diego’s Best Annual Event.”
The SDFWF Grand Weekend is once again presented by Southwest Airlines. And the festival will include more than 350 vendors/brands. Coming together are James Beard Award winners, Michelin honored chefs, world-class winemakers, top spirits producers and emerging culinary talent.
This is San Diego’s OG festival. SDSun
AS A SAN DIEGO FOOD + WINE FESTIVAL media sponsor, The San Diego Sun has free tickets to award to readers. This week, we’re giving away a pair of tickets to all three Grand Weekend events: Icons & Legends, Grand Tasting and Grand Fiesta. To be eligible to win tickets, first, subscribe to The Sun’s free, weekly newsletter. Then, go to The Sun’s Instagram page and post about why you want to win tickets. FYI: We’ll notice if you tag friends and encourage them to sign up for the newsletter and post, too. ☀️
