The San Diego Food + Wine Festival is turning 22 and shaking things up in a big way. One of the nation’s top cross-border culinary festivals returns to the waterfront for eight days, drawing more than 11,000 food and wine lovers to celebrate the best of Southern California and Baja.

This year brings the biggest shake-up in two decades: a reimagined Grand Weekend presented by Southwest Airlines, the debut of Icons + Legends Presented by Blacklane, new “culinary districts,” and Grand Tasting and Grand Fiesta sharing one waterfront weekend for the first time.

Meet This Year’s Culinary All-Stars

This year’s lineup pulls talent from Food Network, Top Chef, the Michelin Guide, the James Beard Foundation, and Bocuse d’Or, with more than 150 gastronomic trailblazers taking part in SDFW’s Grand Weekend.

The roster spans Michelin-recognized chefs like Javier Plascencia, Carlos Gaytán, Drew Deckman, Eric Bost, and Roberto Alcocer, James Beard Award winners including Susan Bae, Jonathon Sawyer, and Maynard Llera, and familiar Food Network faces like Joe Sasto, Gale Gand, Fariyal Abdullahi, and Chris Oh.

A few standouts to keep an eye on:

• Javier Plascencia – Michelin-recognized chef and pioneer of Baja gastronomy
• Susan Bae – 2026 James Beard Award winner and North America’s Best Pastry Chef 2025
• Joe Sasto – Top Chef finalist and Food Network personality
• Suzette Gresham – chef of the two-Michelin-starred Acquerello and Antonin Carême Medal recipient

Turn up the heat, because Cat Cora, the first-ever female Iron Chef, is joining the lineup this November. A trailblazer on Iron Chef America, she was also the first woman inducted into the American Academy of Chefs Culinary Hall of Fame.

Beyond the kitchen, Cora has opened more than 18 restaurants worldwide and founded Chefs for Humanity, which champions hunger relief and opportunities for women in the culinary industry.

A Growing Presence From Mexico

More than 70 chefs and traditional cooks from across Mexico will showcase their regions through native ingredients, inherited traditions, and distinctive techniques.

Traditional Mexican cuisine, recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, anchors the program alongside Mexican wines and spirits, live-fire cooking, artisans, and producers, making this one of the festival’s most ambitious cross-border showcases yet.

Three Signature Grand Weekend Events

The whole thing builds toward three flagship experiences. Icons + Legends presented by Blacklane kicks off the Grand Weekend at JULEP Venue with an opening-night tasting featuring award-winning chefs, wines, and spirits.

Grand Tasting, presented by Southwest Airlines, follows with the festival’s flagship event at Embarcadero Marina Park North, complete with Michelin and James Beard-recognized talent, live-fire experiences, and the crowd-favorite “Chef of the Fest” competition.

Then Grand Fiesta, also presented by Southwest Airlines, closes things out, joining Grand Tasting at the Embarcadero for the first time ever, with expanded Baja programming and the always-fun “Taco TKO” competition.

New Culinary Districts to Explore

New this year, the festival is rolling out a set of culinary districts built to get you exploring:

• Smoke + Fire – a live-fire playground where premium proteins meet open flame
• Sweet Street – a full-on destination for pastry, desserts, and coffee, hosted by Kareem “Mr. Bake” Queeman
• So San Diego – a showcase of the city’s local indie food scene and arts and culture
• South of the Border – an immersive look at the people and craftsmanship behind Baja and Mexico
• Street Feast: Asian Market – inspired by Asian night markets
• Street Feast: Mercado – a marketplace of emerging Mexican brands and street food

800+ Wines, Spirits, and a Growing Food Rescue Program

Beyond the food, waterfront wine pavilions will pour more than 800 wines and spirits, featuring rare pours, standout vintages, and new discoveries from celebrated regions across Napa Valley, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Baja, Spain, France, and beyond, plus a lineup of rare whiskeys, tequila, and mezcal to explore.

On the giving-back side, SDFW is expanding its food recovery program this year in partnership with Rethink Food and the San Diego Food Bank, working to redirect surplus food from the festival to San Diegans facing food insecurity.

Beyond the Weekend: Exclusive Dinners and Experiences

The Grand Weekend is just part of the story. Leading up to it, a run of standalone dinners and experiences rounds out the week:

• Día de los Muertos at Grand Del Mar – an exclusive gala honoring Chef José Andrés, with proceeds benefiting Fundación Tijuana Sin Hambre
• Romesco Mexiterranean Bistro 20 Year Anniversary Dinner – featuring Chef Javier Plascencia and guests
• Legacy of the Land Dinner at Grand Del Mar – a multi-course celebration of San Diego’s small farms
• Baja Culinary Expedition – a cross-border journey through Valle de Guadalupe with founder Fernando Gaxiola
• Bevan Cellars Wine Lunch at Mister A’s – a five-course lunch paired with Russell Bevan’s acclaimed Napa Valley wines

See you there!

Twenty-two years in, San Diego Food + Wine Festival is still finding new ways to bring the best of this region and Baja to the table. This is the week to clear your calendar for.

📆 Sunday, November 1 – Sunday, November 8, 2026 | 11 AM – 3 PM
📍 Multiple venues across San Diego
🎟️ Grab your tickets here
ℹ️ See the full event lineup here

See you there, San Diego!