Santa Ynez Valley: Your Perfect Fall Getaway

From World-Class Wines to Rich Cultural Experiences, Fall in the Santa Ynez Valley Has Something for Everyone

(SANTA YNEZ VALLEY, Calif.) — With stunning beauty and its year-round mild climate, the Santa Ynez Valley is a wine-country destination for all seasons. But fall in the wine country gem of California’s Central Coast is always a special time, filled with the energy and the freshness of harvest.

Fall 2024 will be particularly special, too.

For one, the annual Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley (Sept. 26-29) festival will feature a ‘Sideways’ theme to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of the cult classic film that helped put the Santa Ynez Valley on the map. The annual food, wine, and experiential event explores the Valley’s six distinct communities through special communal and chef-driven dinners, wine tastings, vineyard experiences, zipline adventures, hikes, horseback rides, a ceramics class, and much more. This year, the four-day festival culminates with the Sideways 20th Anniversary Festival at the Hitching Post 2—a key location in the film—and a screening of the film at the Solvang Festival Theater. The screening will also include an in-person appearance of actress Virginia Madsen, who starred in the film as ‘Maya.’

Tickets are still available for many of the best events and can be purchased from the Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley website.

A unique and immersive historical and cultural exploration will likely also be on the menu this fall. The $32 million Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center — a gorgeous new 14,000-square-foot facility spread across nearly 7 acres of historic land in Santa Ynez — will set a new standard for preserving and educating visitors about Native cultures when it opens later this year.

The museum will be home to more than 20,000 cultural and historic artifacts and offer one-of-a-kind displays of the Chumash’s modern-day traditions. The building’s award-winning, sustainable design is stunning, too, adding a touch of beauty to what will be an unforgettable cultural journey. The museum will be a striking addition to the Santa Ynez Valley’s already impressive collection of cultural attractions.

“Fall in the Santa Ynez Valley is always a remarkable time to visit, but this year is truly unique,” said Shelby Sim, CEO of Visit the Santa Ynez Valley. “The much-anticipated opening of the Chumash Museum and Cultural Center has been years in the making. And Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley has become a can’t-miss event that showcases everything that has made this region a year-round destination. Adding a celebration of Sideways, which has played a big role in putting us on the map, will make Taste just a little bit sweeter.”

The Santa Ynez Valley may no longer be undiscovered, with its “laid-back and fun” vibes and reputation for seizing California’s wine-country spotlight. But every fall gives reason to taste anew, and this year will be no different. Local farms, ranches, and the bounty of the Pacific Ocean inject fresh flavors into the Santa Ynez Valley’s farm-to-table culinary culture. Outdoors lovers can capture breathtaking views with a morning hike, a bike ride down a country road, on horseback through rolling vineyards, or from California’s longest and fastest zipline.

Coquelicot Estate Vineyard Tasting Room – courtesy visitsyv.com

Fall is also fertile ground for some of the region’s most cherished events. Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley is always a headliner, but other popular fall and early winter events include Solvang Danish Days (Sept. 20-22), Los Olivos Day in the Country (Oct. 12), Santa Barbara Vintners Festival (Oct. 19 ), Buellton Fall Festival (Nov. 8-10), and the Solvang Julefest (Nov. 29-January 2025).

“There’s something enchanting about visiting the Santa Ynez Valley this time of year,” said Shelby Sim, CEO of Visit the Santa Ynez Valley. “With mild weather and a slightly slower pace, it’s the perfect season to experience the area. Local chefs are creatively inspired by fresh, locally-grown ingredients, and winemakers are at their most inventive, uncorking the latest vintages of world-class wines.”

To begin exploring the Santa Ynez Valley and all it offers, visit www.visitsyv.com.