Del Mar Wine + Food Festival: A Weeklong SoCal Celebration Capped by a Two-Day Grand Tasting

The Del Mar Wine + Food Festival is San Diego's biggest, most star-studded celebration of food, wine, and the SoCal good life. Its tagline says it all — play more every day — and the 2026 edition runs September 30 through October 4, a full week of tastings, dinners, and events across Del Mar, building to a two-day Grand Tasting on Saturday and Sunday, October 3–4.

This isn't a single afternoon of pours in a parking lot. It brings together SoCal's top chefs and most beloved restaurants, the world's best winemakers, famous faces from the global food scene, and stars of sports and surf — all in one of the most beautiful coastal towns in the county. It's 21+, it benefits a great local cause, and it's the marquee wine-and-food event on San Diego's fall calendar.

What You Actually Need to Know

• Event: Del Mar Wine + Food Festival 2026
• Dates: September 30 – October 4, 2026 (weeklong); Grand Tasting October 3–4
• Where: 14989 Via De La Valle, Del Mar, CA 92014
• Ages: 21 & up only
• Tickets: Grand Tasting single-day (Sat or Sun) and two-day passes, plus individual events throughout the week — on sale now.
• Benefits: Feeding San Diego (food-rescue and hunger-relief nonprofit)
• Heads up: All tickets are non-refundable
• Info & tickets: delmar.wine

What to Expect: The Grand Tasting

The Grand Tasting is the centerpiece — two days of walking, sipping, and tasting your way through the region's best. Expect pours from world-class winemakers alongside bites from SoCal's top chefs and most beloved restaurants, plus the festival's signature blend of food-world names and celebrity appearances. You can go Saturday, Sunday, or both with a two-day pass, depending on how deep you want to dive.

Around the two-day finale, the festival programs a full week of events — dinners, tastings, and experiences across Del Mar — so there's more to it than the weekend if you want to make a bigger celebration of it. The full schedule lives on the festival's events page.

The 2026 Headliners

Part of what sets this festival apart is who shows up. The 2026 lineup mixes the food world with big names from sports and surf, including:

• Troy Johnson — the James Beard Award-winning food writer and TV host
• Alex Morgan — soccer superstar and World Cup champion
• Drew Brees — NFL legend and Hall of Fame quarterback
• Rob Machado — legendary pro surfer and San Diego icon

See the full, evolving roster on the festival's headliners page.

The Cause

The festival partners with Feeding San Diego, the local nonprofit that rescues perfectly good food that would otherwise be thrown out and gets it to San Diegans facing hunger. A portion of proceeds goes to support their work — so a weekend of indulgence also does some real good.

Good to Know

• 21 & up only — bring a valid ID
• All tickets are non-refundable — pick your day(s) with that in mind
• Buy early — it's a marquee event, and single-day and two-day Grand Tasting passes move; pricing tends to rise as it fills
• Come hungry — the Grand Tasting is a tasting event; pace yourself
• Rideshare — the festival itself urges attendees to use ride-share; it's a wine event, so plan your ride home
• Make it a Del Mar weekend — you're in one of the county's prettiest coastal towns, so it pairs well with a longer stay

However you pour it, the Del Mar Wine + Food Festival is the premier way to eat, drink, and celebrate the SoCal lifestyle this fall. For more happening around town, browse our full event calendar, or explore more of Del Mar.