October 6, 2012 Loomis Eggplant Festival
Loomis, California
loomischamber.com
The 25th annual festival will offer music, games, refreshments, arts & crafts, and eggplant! Try unique eggplant dishes and enter the recipe contest. Time: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Oct 5-7, 2012  Sonoma County Harvest Fair
Santa Rosa, California
World Championship Grape Stomp and more in three days of wine tasting with 150+ wineries. Wine sales, marketplace, chef demonstrations and workshops, farm and harvest agricultural activities for all ages, live music, an art show and sale, crafters pavilion, farm animals to meet, and much more. Hours: Friday Noon - 7 p.m.   Saturday & Sunday 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. General Admission: $10, children $5, 6 and under free. Tasting Pavilion age 21+ only on Friday, October 5.  harvestfair.org

October 2, 2012 Taste of Downtown Visalia
The 19th Annual Taste of Downtown takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. A ticket admits you to all of the participating Downtown restaurants as well as entrance to wine tasting by the Bank of the Sierra and beer tasting hosted by Visalia Community Bank. Spend the night strolling the streets enjoying culinary treats and live music or jump on the Visalia Towne Trolley for a lift to your favorite restaurant. Ticket holders are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and loose waist bands. Reserve your tickets now! $35 For more information e-mail info@downtownvisalia.com or downtownvisalia.com

October 1 - 31, 2012 Epicure
Santa Barbara County, California
 SBepicuresb.com
Epicure.SB is 31 days of food and beverage events throughout the Santa Barbara regions. 

October 6-7, 2012   CSD Giant Pumpkin Festival of Elk Grove
Elk Grove, California
yourcsd.com
The 18th annual festival will be held at Elk Grove Regional Park. The winning entry weighed 1,645.5 pounds several years ago! Highlights will include weigh-off, entertainment, recipe contest and pumpkin boat race.  Takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

October 6-7, 2012  World Veg Festival Weekend
San Francisco, California
sfvs.org
Visitors may attend October 6 & 7, 2012 - 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.  Featured Events: Children’s Corner, Green Lifestyle Film Festival, Healthy Food Demos with Recipes & Samples, International Speakers & Workshops, Live Entertainment, Vegan Cuisine to sample or buy, Urban Gardening. Catered Vegan Dinners ($26 each) Saturday & Sunday, 6:45 p.m.  Location: San Francisco County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park Entrance at 9th Avenue at Lincoln Way, next to the Arboretum. Cost: $10 at Gate; Free for Children under 12, Students with ID, & Seniors over 65. Advance reservations: treasurer@sfvs.org

Oct 5-7, 2012   Sonoma County Harvest Fair  
Santa Rosa, California
harvestfair.org
A celebration of harvest featuring three full days of wine tasting with 150+ wineries, wine sales, chef demonstrations, microbrew tasting (Saturday only), farm and harvest agricultural activities for children and adults, the World Championship Grape Stomp, continuous live jazz, an art show, crafters pavilion, farm animals to meet, and much more.

October 6, 2012   Mission San Jose Olive Festival  Fremont, California,  msjchamber.org
Fun for the whole family! The Olive Festival features food, live music, wine tasting, arts & crafts, entertainment, kids' games, drawings, prizes and much more.

Los Banos Tomato Festival October 6-7, 2012,   9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Los Banos Fairgrounds
403 F St.,
Los Banos, CA
Call: (209) 704-4384
losbanos.com

October 7, 2012 Arts & Olive Festival
Redwood City, California. The 15th Annual celebration includes more than 80 vendors consisting of some of the olive industry’s top experts to provide the community with olive education, olive and olive oil tasting, olive related products, and an abundance of quality art works and gifts. olivefest.org

October 13-14, 2012  Riverbank Cheese & Wine Exposition
Riverbank, California
riverbankcheeseandwine.org
The Riverbank Rotary Club invites you to enjoy the many offerings of more than 200 arts & crafts, antiques and food vendors. Attend this event, and let the award winning cheeses and wines tantalize your taste buds.  Free admission.

October 13, 2012 Celebration of Harvest
Santa Maria, California
Our annual celebration of the year's bounty, where vintners take a break from the vineyards and cellars to share with you harvest tales and wines. The highlight of the weekend is the Festival itself, where every one of our 100+ member wineries gather to present their wines, often poured by the winemakers themselves. The Festival also presents some of the best local food from restaurants, catering companies and gourmet food creators. This weekend, wineries also present their own events, ranging from Winemaker's Dinners through library tastings and sales to new wine releases and barrel tastings. A favorite feature of the weekend is the Vintners' Visa - your passport to twelve winery tasting rooms - use the Vintners' Visa to explore new wineries - or revisit old friends.

October 14, 2012 Little Italy FESTA - San Diego, California
Hip and Historic Little Italy welcomes over 120,000 attendees with the tantalizing sights, sounds and aromas of Italian culture. A full palette of Italian cuisine is complemented by traditional and modern Italian music, arts and crafts.

October 14, 2012 5th Annual Field to the Fork - Temecula, California
The Premier Wine, Craft Beer and Food Pairing Event in the Temecula Valley! ENJOY delicious food from some of the region’s finest chefs. TREAT yourself to wine and beer tastings from our local wineries and breweries. LEARN about farming, viticulture, gardening, water conservation and more. GATHER for an inspired afternoon of local cuisine, premium wines, cold beer, and friendship.

October 14-17, 2012 National Beer Wholesalers Association Annual Convention 75th Annual Convention San Diego, California
 is designed to provide valuable education programs and important networking opportunities for the beer industry. Education programs offered during the Convention feature speakers and seminars on a number of topics of importance to beer distributors.

October 17, 2012 Whisky Live - Los Angeles, California
The very best whiskies of the world under one roof. Mingle with producers and distillers, independent bottlers and brand ambassadors and meet the stars of the industry.

October 19-20, 2012 Harvest Wine Weekend - Paso Robles, California
Harvest is the most colorful time of year in Paso Robles Wine Country and those in the know have long since discovered the experience that can be had while visiting wine country at its height of activity. Held the third weekend in October, wineries celebrate the beginning of the vintage by inviting you into their individual events that are as diverse as the wineries themselves.

October 26-29, 2012 Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition - Anaheim, CA
Brings together leaders from around the world and from every segment of the global fresh produce supply chain.

October 8-9, 2011  Los Banos Tomato Festival
Los Banos, California
losbanos.com
This festival is a celebration of tomatoes with Celebrity Chefs, Heritage cooking demonstrations, Tomato Alley, The Tomato Patch kids area, entertainment, ag displays that show the role of tomatoes in the local agricultural community and much more! Vendor spaces available.

October 11, 2012 Taste of  Downtown San Diego
 
13th Annual Taste of Downtown on Thursday, October 11, 2012 from 5-9 p.m. Culinary journey spans across the neighborhoods of East Village, Gaslamp, the Financial District and Horton's Plaza. 50 participating neighboring restaurants. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 the day of the event. See: mcfarlanepromotions.com or call(619) 233-5008.

October 13-14, 2012   Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival 
Half Moon Bay, CA
miramarevents.com
Includes pumpkin pancake breakfast, world's biggest pumpkin contest, pumpkin pie eating contest, pumpkin carving, and lots of food, entertainment, art and festive pumpkin themed fun.

October 27, 2012 Monterey Bay Sardine Festival - Monterey, California
Celebration of the history of the sardine and those came to fish them and families that still do. Sardine Cook-0ffs by Local Chefs, featuring all local Monterey Food and Beverages. Held in the historic Monterey Custom Plaza at the historic Fisherman's Wharf.. Free Event. Plenty of Parking. All day entertainment. montereybaysardinefestival.org

October 27-November 3, 2012 Madera Pomegranate Festival
pomegranatefestival.com
Sponsored by the Madera Chamber of Commerce, the festival includes a fun run, art show, live musical entertainment, kids activities and lots of food, include recipe contests.