The Goleta Lemon Festival is back at Girsh Park on September 26 & 27, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.! This vibrant community event brings together local businesses, artists, and families for a weekend of fun, food, and festivities.
This Goleta tradition, which is in its 33rd year, celebrates the region’s rich history and role lemon harvesting has played dating back to around 1875 when Sherman Patterson Stow of Goleta’s Rancho La Patera planted the first known commercial lemon orchard in California.
The Goleta Lemon Festival has grown to attract more than 40,000 residents, visitors, community leaders, nonprofits, and elected officials, celebrating the Good Land’s zest. The festival is Goleta’s largest community event of the year, hosting over 80 booths featuring local non-profit organizations, crafts, lemony foods and beverages, and lemon-themed souvenirs.
The Goleta Lemon Festival is a family-friendly event for kids of all ages. An all-inclusive activity wristband will get you endless rides and games. Save $5 pre-purchasing your activity wristband at LemonFestival.com.
The festival also features the largest interactive display of Fire, Police, and Emergency Services in the County at Safety Street. Meet the people who help keep us safe and get an up-close look at their state-of-the-art vehicles and technologies.
On Saturday only from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., the festival will feature the 19th Annual Goleta Fall Classic Car Show showcasing a variety of cool classic cars ranging from Corvettes and Camaros to trucks and pick-ups along with motorcycles and bicycles. If you have a classic you would like to enter, registration is now open. Visit LemonFestival.com/goleta-fall-classic.
The festival could not happen without the many volunteers ages 14 and up who spend time planning the festival and lending a hand over the weekend. Visit Visit LemonFestival.com/get-involved to sign up!
The Lemon Festival is put on by the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce. Learn more here: LemonFestival.com.
Be sure to come stop by the City of Goleta and Goleta Valley Library booths!
