“Savor the San Juans” is a fall celebration of food, farms and film, and it’s already in its 17th year. During this annual celebration, visitors can enjoy farm tours and farmers markets, two film festivals, brew fests, harvest dinners, wine and spirits tastings, fall hiking and so much more.
Start off strong with the Madrone Cellars Harvest Dinner on September 8, where guests can sit under the 100-year-old heritage apple trees at the winery while enjoying dinner from Salmonberry Catering and wines from Madrone. Expect locally sourced and seasonal ingredients to be at the forefront of this dinner menu, paired with Madrone’s newest releases. Afterward, tour the Madrone winery with owners Shaun and Amy Salamida, and sample one of the vintages aging in barrel.
The weekend of September 27-29, take a San Juan Island Farm Tour. There will be educational presentations, delicious foods to try, cider pressing, free activities for the kiddos and lots of farm animals. San Juan Oktoberfest is happening that same weekend on Saturday, September 28, at San Juan Island Brewing Company in Friday Harbor. This award-winning brewpub specializes in old world ales and lagers that are well balanced and pair well with their traditional American pub fare with options for everyone to enjoy, including wood stove pizzas, burgers and salads.
Orcas Island Farm Tours will take place October 4-6, and Lopez Island Farm Tours will take place the following weekend, October 11-13. Soon after, catch the 10th anniversary edition of the Orcas Island Film Festival, taking place October 16-20. During this annual festival, you can watch more than 30 incredible films over the course of five days in three different venues that boast state-of-the-art cinema projection systems. In addition to the films, attendees can also enjoy various parties, panels and special events.
Just after the Orcas Island Film Festival wraps up, you can head to Friday Harbor to enjoy the Friday Harbor Film Festival. Attendees will embark on a cinematic journey through a curated selection of award-winning documentaries, complete with engaging live-stream Q&As.
On November 9, the seventh annual Hops on the Rock festival will take place on Orcas Island, where more than 30 breweries, cideries and wineries come together for a day of food, live music and island-style fun. In addition to the festival, various breweries on the island will be doing beer-themed events throughout the weekend. There will be pairing dinners, brewer’s nights, and tastings at the different pubs and restaurants in town.
In between all of the amazing festivals and events taking place this fall, make sure to stop by Westcott Bay to enjoy fresh oysters and seafood right on the water. Westcott Bay Shellfish Co. is a working shellfish farm in Friday Harbor that grows manila clams, Mediterranean mussels, and Pacific oysters. Guests can purchase freshly harvested shellfish to take home and cook, or can eat lunch at the Tide Tables restaurant that overlooks the cultivated tidelands operations, providing a unique lunch experience.
There are so many fantastic restaurants to visit in the San Juans as well, with options like Coho Restaurant, Duck Soup, McMillin’s Dining Room, Madrona Bar & Grill and Lime Kiln Café on San Juan Island, Ursa Minor and Blue Heron Bistro on Lopez Island, and Doe Bay Café, Kingfish at West Sound Restaurant, and New Leaf Café on Orcas Island.
The San Juan Islands are famous for many flavors, including oysters-on-the-half-shell, crab, grass-fed lamb, Mangalitsa pork, goat cheese, lavender, handcrafted wine and beer, heirloom cider, and gins with locally foraged botanicals. These unique, local flavors are what make the San Juan Islands so special.
Fall is a wonderful time to take a drive to Anacortes and catch a ferry to the San Juans. You can also get there by airplane or seaplane. No matter how you choose to travel, it will be a beautiful ride!
Events Calendar:
September 8: Madrone Cellars Harvest Dinner
September 27-29: San Juan Island Farm Tours
September 28: San Juan Oktoberfest
October 4-6: Orcas Island Farm Tours
October 11-13: Lopez Island Farm Tours
October 16-20: Orcas Island Film Festival
October 24-27: Friday Harbor Film Festival
November 9: Hops on the Rock
In partnership with San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau.
