Come to Harvest Festival for food, music, gardening, and kids' activities. Enter the free Food Contest by October 16.
Come out for our annual Harvest Festival, a celebration of food grown, harvested, and prepared by community members, alongside live music and kids’ activities.
Compete for your food to be recognized as Berkeley’s best pesto, pie, pickles, baked goods, or homegrown produce. You can also swap crops and seeds and exchange tips with fellow gardeners.
Enjoy food from local vendors throughout the festival. Visit booths to meet City staff from Fire, Mental Health, Planning, Police, Public Works, Rent Board, Animal Services, and more. Ask questions and find City services and resources that can help you.
Harvest Festival
October 17, 2026, 11:00 am–4:00 pm
Cedar Rose Park, 1300 Rose St
Register for the food contest by October 16. Register to volunteer by October 13 or simply come out and join the festival on October 17.
Enter food contest by October 16
If you’re feeling competitive, submit an entry for our Food Contest. Contestants of all ages can register for the free Harvest Festival Food Contest online in our recreation portal.
Food contest categories include:
- Best Cookies
- Best Cucumber Pickle
- Best Gluten-free Baked Good
- Best Homegrown Fruit
- Best Homegrown Vegetable
- Best Jam and Jelly
- Best Pesto/Sauce
- Best Pie
- Best Salsa
- Best Savory Bread
Bring food submissions to the judging area between 9:00 am to 11:30 am. Judging occurs at noon. Winners will get their photo in the Berkeley Times, and ribbons will be awarded in each category.
Food entries must feature a main ingredient that can realistically be cultivated in Berkeley, even if it wasn’t grown here.
Swap crops, seeds, and gardening tips
The Food and Garden Exhibitions will promote urban farming, homemade food, and healthier eating.
Exchange surplus fruits and vegetables with other gardeners at our Crop Swap. All types of produce are welcome.
Share or swap garden seeds and tips with others. Even if you don’t want to swap seeds, just stop by to talk with fellow gardeners.
Bring the family for music and activities
Spend your time moving between kids’ activities, live performances, food vendors, and City booths. Bring a blanket or lawn chair to settle in for the live performances.
Kids’ activities
Kids can ride a zipline, climb a rock wall, bounce on inflatables, decorate pumpkins, make scarecrows, get their faces painted, visit the Tot Zone, and play carnival games for prizes.
Families can also stop by the photo booth.
See City vehicles up close
Explore some of the vehicles City crews use to serve the community. Climb aboard select vehicles, see the equipment and lights up close, and take photos.
Vehicles may include garbage trucks, street sweepers, police vehicles, and even a Vactor truck, which uses a heavy duty vacuum for sewers and underground infrastructure.
Listen and dance to live music
Hear live entertainment throughout the day:
- We Are 1 Somos 1: Salsa, reggaeton, cumbia, Latin pop, and Nu-Latin rock with English and Spanish lyrics
- Outta Pocket: Oldies, R&B, reggae, rock, and pop
- Andre Thierry: Accordion soul with soulful melodies and energetic rhythms
- DJ Disfunkshun: Party mixes between sets
Get food and drinks
Choose from food trucks and vendors serving ice cream, coffee, Southern food, Jamaican food, lobster, and more.
Meet City staff
Visit booths from City departments to ask questions and find services and resources.
Find spaces to take a break
A Sensory Tent provides children with a quiet space to take a break from the activities before returning to the event.
A Senior Seating area gives older adults a place to sit and take breaks while staying near the entertainment and activities.
Volunteering, accessibility, or getting to the event
Volunteers help make Harvest Festival possible by assisting with setup, carnival games, Tot Zone, and cleanup. Register to volunteer by October 13. Open to ages 12 and older.
To request an accessibility accommodation or ask other questions, please call (510) 981-6678 or email gbryant@berkeleyca.gov.
Consider biking using Ohlone Greenway or one of our bike boulevards. Free bike valet is available at the tennis courts. Alternatively, take AC Transit, BART, borrow an e-bike or scooter, or carpool with friends.
This is one of many free events offered by Berkeley’s Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront Department.
Check out our Online Recreation Portal and community calendar to find camps, classes, and activities for all ages, year-round.
Register for the Food Contest by October 16, then join the Harvest Festival on October 17.
Read more about Harvest Festival
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