Manhattan Beach Food & Wine Festival 2026

The Manhattan Beach Food & Wine Festival is back for a third year, and Saturday, September 26 is the second of its two nights. If you're sorting through LA events this weekend and want something that isn't a bar crawl or a stadium show, this is a good one: you pay once, then eat and drink your way around for three hours.

Local Anchor, the South Bay community outlet that lists the festival, puts the evening at 7 to 10 p.m. Friday was night one. Saturday gets its own lineup of chefs, so it's not a rerun of the first night.

What you actually get

Every ticket covers unlimited tastings from the participating chefs. Across both nights there are roughly 46 chefs and restaurants, split between Friday and Saturday. On the drinks side, more than 50 wineries, spirits producers and breweries pour for the full three hours.

There's a live DJ, too. The crowd treats it more like a party than a sit-down tasting, which is part of why it's caught on so fast with South Bay locals. For food people, it's one of the easier things to do in Los Angeles on a Saturday night: no reservations to chase, no menu to pick from.

Where it is

Our listing places the festival at Manhattan Village. Local Anchor's full write-up names westdrift Manhattan Beach as the host, with the party spread over the hotel's indoor and outdoor spaces. The hotel sits on the edge of the Manhattan Village shopping area, so you're headed to the same corner of town either way. Double-check the address on your ticket before you leave.

Tickets

Local Anchor lists three ticket tiers. There's the standard Festival Admission Pass for one night of the Grand Tasting. A Delta VIP Early Entry Pass gets you in at 6 p.m., an hour ahead of everyone else. And a Reserved Table for 4 gives a small group dedicated seating. The Friday reserved tables had already sold out when Local Anchor published, and the organizers say the festival tends to sell out overall. If you're going Saturday, buy early. Prices weren't listed in our source, so check the festival's own ticket page for current rates.

Before you go

This one's 21 and up, full stop. Bring a valid ID; organizers say there are no refunds if you're turned away for age. Leave the chairs, blankets and outside food at home, and pets other than service animals aren't allowed.

If you have allergies or a strict diet, ask at each station. With that many chefs, the organizers won't promise accommodations for specific dietary needs. There's no dress code, but people tend to dress for an evening outdoors, and the coast gets cool after dark in late September.

Getting there

Valet and self parking are both available in the structure next to westdrift, with a bit of street parking nearby. It's a drinking event, so rideshare is the easy call, and organizers encourage it.

A bit of good done

Part of the proceeds goes to C-CAP, Careers through Culinary Arts Program. It's a national nonprofit that helps underserved teenagers get into cooking and hospitality careers.

For more Things Happening In Los Angeles, browse our festivals section or see what else is on around the Los Angeles area. Plan on the 6 p.m. VIP entry if you'd rather hit the busiest chef stations before the lines build.