San Diego’s food scene will get a taste of Baja California this November, when chefs, traditional cooks and wine producers from across the state take part in the 2026 San Diego Food + Wine Festival.
The festival runs November 1–8, with this year’s program placing an expanded emphasis on Mexico and featuring one of the event’s largest Mexican delegations to date.
Valle de Guadalupe Takes Center Stage
One of the ways the festival will connect visitors with Baja California is through a Baja Culinary Expedition, which will take participants across Valle de Guadalupe to experience restaurants and the region’s wine industry.
Baja wines will also be featured through Provino, including a class focused specifically on wines from the state.
The culinary representation will extend beyond wine. Regional specialties highlighted for the event include Baja California seafood, Mexicali beef, San Quintín oysters and Puerto Nuevo lobster.
80 Mexican Chefs and Traditional Cooks
The festival’s expanded Mexican presence will include 80 chefs and traditional cooks from several parts of the country.
Participants will come from Baja California, Oaxaca, Mexico City and Baja California Sur, giving the event a broader look at Mexico’s culinary traditions.
Michelle Metter, CEO and partner of the San Diego Food + Wine Festival, said the event has grown over its 22-year history and that this year’s edition will establish a closer connection with Mexico and Baja California.
Baja California Tourism Secretary Miguel Ángel Badiola said the participation provides an opportunity to showcase the state’s culinary identity and strengthen connections with California.
He described Baja California and California as a shared region where food, products and tourism experiences can cross the border.
Día de Muertos Will Open the Festival
The festival’s opening day will feature a Día de Muertos celebration organized with chef Flor Franco.
The November 1 event is expected to bring together approximately 500 guests and 32 chefs and cooks, along with music, wine, mezcal and tequila.
Altars, photographs of deceased family members and a procession will be part of the program, with the celebration designed to introduce an international audience to the cultural meaning of Día de Muertos.
The event will also support children in Baja California. Franco said each ticket purchased will provide food for one child for a year through the Tijuana Sin Hambre Foundation.
Across its eight-day program, the festival will use food as a meeting point between Mexico, Baja California and California, highlighting the products, stories and traditions connecting the region.
