Things to Do in North Bay CA in August 2026
August is the North Bay at its golden best — tawny hillsides, vineyards heavy with fruit as harvest edges closer, and long, warm evenings made for gathering outdoors. From county fairs and apple orchards to plaza concerts and movies under the stars, here’s your guide to the season’s best across Sonoma, Napa, and Marin before summer slips away.
Every date and link below was checked and verified for 2026.
Napa Farmers Market
One of the largest certified farmers markets in the region sets up in downtown Napa every Tuesday and Saturday morning, with 100-plus local farms, bakers, ranchers, and artisan producers. Come for peak-season peaches and tomatoes, chef demos, and Master Gardener tips — and go early before the day heats up.
Official siteHotcakes & Hotrods
Cornerstone Fellowship opens the month with a free, family-friendly morning of classic cars, hot rods, and muscle cars from around the valley — paired with a free pancake breakfast and hot coffee. Roll in, admire the chrome, and start August over a stack of hotcakes.
Official siteTuesdays in the Plaza
Healdsburg’s beloved free summer concert series fills the Plaza every Tuesday evening through late August. Bring a blanket and a bottle of local wine, grab dinner from the food vendors (from 5 p.m.), and settle in for live music from 6 to 8 p.m. under the trees.
Official siteSanta Rosa Wednesday Night Market
Sonoma County’s biggest street fair takes over Old Courthouse Square for the final two Wednesdays of its 37th season. Expect a live headline concert, rows of street-food vendors, local makers, and a kids’ zone from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Catch it before the season wraps on August 12.
Official siteNapa Town & Country Fair
Napa’s hometown fair returns to the Napa Valley Expo for four days of carnival rides, livestock shows, live music, fair food, and family fun in the heart of wine country. Kids 12 and under get in free on opening day, August 6.
Official siteCalistoga Concerts in the Park
Upvalley’s favorite summer tradition brings free live music to Pioneer Park every Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., with local wineries pouring and food for sale. Spread out a picnic blanket in downtown Calistoga — August 20 is closing night.
Official siteWindsor Summer Nights on the Green
The Town of Windsor and the Windsor Farmers Market host free Thursday-evening concerts on the Town Green, with a street fair and farm-fresh produce from 5 p.m. and live music from 6 to 8. The series runs into August — check the town’s page for the final dates and weekly lineup.
Official siteSonoma County Fair
Ten days of the North Bay’s favorite fair: live thoroughbred horse racing, the famous Hall of Flowers, carnival rides, grandstand concerts, the Wine Country Rodeo, livestock competitions, and every fair food you can dream up, at the Santa Rosa fairgrounds.
Official siteGravenstein Apple Fair
Now in its 53rd year, Sonoma County’s sweetest end-of-summer festival celebrates the heirloom Gravenstein apple with two stages of music, an artisan tasting grove, farm animals, crafts, and all things apple. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; proceeds support the nonprofit Sonoma County Farm Trails.
Official siteBack-to-School Season
Summer break winds down as North Bay classrooms reopen. Napa Valley Unified students head back first, on Wednesday, August 12, with most other districts resuming between mid- and late August (San Rafael City Schools start the 19th). Check your district’s calendar for exact first-day and back-to-school-night dates.
District calendarsBroadway Under the Stars
Transcendence Theatre Company’s 15th-anniversary season lights up the Field of Dreams near Sonoma Plaza, pairing world-class Broadway singing and dancing with a wine-country picnic (gates and picnicking from 5 p.m.). August performances run the 13th through the 30th — see the schedule for titles, including the company’s staging of Mamma Mia!, and showtimes.
Official siteCotati Accordion Festival
One of the North Bay’s most delightfully offbeat traditions returns for its 35th year: two days of accordion music from around the world — zydeco, conjunto, polka, jazz, and more — plus 60-plus vendors, food, and wine at La Plaza Park in downtown Cotati. Roughly 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; tickets required.
Official siteMarin Shakespeare Company
Over the Golden Gate in San Rafael, Marin Shakespeare stages the Bard outdoors under the summer sky at the Forest Meadows Amphitheater. The season plays on weekends into September — see the company’s site for August performance dates and tickets.
Official siteMovies in the Park
Close out the month with a free family movie night under the stars. San Rafael’s Movies in the Park series opens on Friday, August 28 at Victor Jones Park, with the film starting about 10 minutes after sunset. Bring blankets, low chairs, and a picnic.
Official siteHere’s to one last golden stretch of North Bay summer — get out there and enjoy it before the harvest fog rolls back in.
