Redwood City Presents Fall Festivals and Events

Redwood City is celebrating its Sesquicentennial year in style, with special events all year long! Our annual festivals are part of this celebration. Read on in this blog for more information about upcoming festivals and events around town!

Fiestas Patrias

On September 16 Courthouse Square will be transformed into a festive, beautiful, and fun setting in celebration of this important patriotic holiday in the Mexican culture. Kids and families will love the hands on arts and crafts area hosted by Art in Action. Everyone will enjoy trying authentic Mexican food from local restaurants, and there will be a traditional Flag Ceremony conducted by Consul General de Mexico. The Square will be filled with colorful and glamorous Ballet Folklorico dancing, live Mariachi music, kids activities including an inflatable play area, and a very special live performance by Grupo Miramar.

This is a free community celebration! No tickets necessary. Festivities will take place 3–8 p.m.

For more details about this event, visit here.

Oktoberfest

For the fourth year, Redwood City celebrates Oktoberfest in Downtown Redwood City, featuring a fabulous traditional German Oktoberfest setting with over 1,100 feet of “family style” bench seating, lots of fun and merriment, music, dancing, contests like stein holding and yodeling, cold beer and other beverages, food including pretzels and brats, and more!

Opening with a new Happy Hour Seating on September 21, plus five festival seatings through Sunday, September 24, the huge decked-out Oktoberfest tent will transform Courthouse Square, for revelers of all ages to enjoy.

Advanced online ticket purchase is recommended, as this event may sell-out prior to door sales. An entrance fee ($18-$20 and $10-$12 for kids & designated drivers) includes a commemorative stein & one drink ticket (beer or soda depending on ticket type), along with great German-style entertainment featuring AlpinersUSA and The Golden Gate Bavarian Club.

While children are welcome to join Oktoberfest and enjoy the music, dancing, and food, it is important to note that due to the reduced footprint of the event there will be no dedicated children’s area or activities.

To learn more about Redwood City’s Oktoberfest and purchase tickets, go here.

Salsa Festival 10th Anniversary Party — Spanish Harlem Orchestra

For the 10th anniversary of its Salsa Festival, Redwood City presents a very special evening at the Fox Theatre on Friday, September 29, featuring the Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Fresh from the Bronx, this two-time Grammy winning Salsa and Latin Jazz powerhouse band sets the standard for excellence with authentic, New York style salsa. As a warm up to Redwood City’s Salsa Festival the next day on September 30, this 10th Anniversary Party will be a salsa swinging Spanish Harlem of a good time for the community to kick up their heels. Downtown Redwood City, with its lively and active music, theater, dining, and shopping scene, is a great place to enjoy the festivities for the Salsa Fest 10th Anniversary weekend. Doors open at 8:00 p.m. and the show begins at 9:00 p.m. in the Fox Theatre. Tickets are $60 per attendee. For more information about the Spanish Harlem Orchestra and to purchase tickets for the Anniversary Party on September 29, go here.

For more details about this event, visit here.

Redwood City 10th Annual Salsa Festival

At Redwood City’s Salsa Festival on September 30, Salsa music, Salsa dancing, and salsa tasting are at the forefront. Our salsa tasting competition unites amateur and professional salsa chefs seeking fun, prizes, and salsa glory, and showcases succulent salsa for festival-goers to sample and take part in the judging. Public tasting is from 12:00–5:00 p.m. Arrive early to try them all! Along with an array of salsa choices, local restaurants will offer their scrumptious fares throughout the day. This free festival also boasts public tequila tasting, free hands-on art projects, a children’s play area complete with bounce houses, three stages with a variety of music, including Salsa, Latin Jazz, and Reggae, and much more. Redwood City’s Salsa Festival guarantees a fun-filled day of tasty salsa, great activities, music, entertainment, dancing, food, beverages, and a fine time for the entire family from noon — 8:00 p.m. Don’t forget to bring your dancing shoes!

Get even more excited for Salsa Fest by watching this video.

For more details about this event, go here.

PortFest

PortFest is a free community celebration of the working and recreational waterfront that takes place October 7, 10 a.m. — 3 p.m. Attendees can enjoy harbor and working waterfront trolley tours, free boat rides, live music, kid’s activities, tasty food, a beer garden and tiki bar, vendor booths, and more.

Headliner bands include the Fog City Swampers and Touch of Class. The Woodside High School Orchestra, Sequoia High School Band, and the West Bay Community Band will also perform on stage. The Redwood City Fire Department engine and boat will be on display and the Redwood City Fireboat “Sequoia Guardian” will have an on-the-water viewing. Kids and teens can get an introduction to sailing and get out on a boat! Other special exhibits will include the Marine Science Institute shark tank and marine touch table display and the San Mateo County History Museum Woodside Store Interactive Logging exhibit.

This is a free community event. For more information go here.

Zoppé Italian Family Circus

The Zoppé Italian Family Circus welcomes guests into the intimate 500 seat tent for a one-ring circus that honors the best history of the old-world Italian tradition. Starring Nino the clown, the circus is propelled by a central story that features acrobatic feats, equestrian showmanship, canine capers, clowning, and plenty of audience participation.

This show takes family entertainment to new heights this year, performing matinée and evening shows from October 13–29 under the intimate, one-ring tent in Red Morton Park.

The show changes every year, so if you saw last year’s performance you are in for another treat! There will be several performances by new guest artists!

For more information about the Zoppé Italian Family Circus go here.

OktobeRun

From competitive runners on our USA Track & Field certified half marathon, to a 5K fun run perfect for kids and their families, the 2017 rc.oktoberun is open to runners of all ages and levels!

The rc.oktoberun half marathon course is flat, partly off-road, and perfect for a personal record. Beginning in booming downtown Redwood City, the out-and-back course circles the saltwater marina at One Marina, joins the Bay Trail next to Bair Island in the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and after some more roads to Redwood Shores, continues to a beautiful gravel and dirt trail next to Steinberger Slough. Almost half of the course is next to water or wildlife refuge.

The rc.oktoberun 5K follows the same course, but turns around at the One Marina community next to Redwood Creek.

Run the half marathon or 5K on October 28 in Redwood City. Go here for more information and to register.

More Details

Thank you to all of our amazing sponsors who make all of these events possible!

Don’t forget to snap some photos of your family and friends at these events. Submit those photos to our photo contest! We would love to see all the fun you have, you may even win a prize. More details on the Redwood City Through Your Lens Photo Contest can be found here.

To learn more about festivals and holiday events go here.