Great Outdoor Music Concerts and Summer Festivals

Sing a song of summer, with so many live music concerts and music festivals taking place this season in the Sonoma Wine Country region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Enjoy Broadway Under the Stars in Jack London State Park, wine festivals, Fourth of July Fireworks at the Green Music Center, plaza concerts, and much more.

Take in the spectacular weather of long warm days and cool nights, and make plans to get your groove on at local music festivals, rock-n-roll parties, and tastes of uncommon favorites like zydeco and Mexican pop. 

Already thinking about how to get here? Consider flying into STS - Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa, where you can fly direct from Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, San Diego, and more.  

Due to the ever-changing nature of travel and events for this summer, we recommend visiting each event’s website for info about the latest postponements and cancellations.

Petaluma Music Festival

August 7, 2021

Plan for a whole day of entertainment, with gates opening at 11:30 a.m. and live music continuing until 9:30 p.m. Enjoy 14 bands — including national recognized artists — on four stages. Spread out on the expansive lawn areas in front of the main stage and garden stage, or grab a VIP Premium ticket for shaded reserved seats under a canopied area complete with complimentary hors d'oeuvres, wine and beer.

Food is a highlight, offered for sale by specialty food vendors. Quench your thirst with the Sonoma County Wines or the fine beers of the Lagunitas Brewing Company, and browse a variety of craft and local business vendors. Bid on the silent auction and celebrity autographed guitar raffle, and let the youngsters play in the awesome Kids Area.

The Petaluma Music Festival raises money for local public school music programs.

Healdsburg Jazz Festival

June 17-20, 2021

Healdsburg Jazz Festival enjoys a national reputation for artistic excellence, hosting internationally acclaimed jazz musicians, showcasing the area’s foremost jazz performers and nurturing new talent.

Broadway Under the Stars, Jack London State Historic Park

June 4 through September 19, 2021

Jack London State Historic Park is breathtakingly beautiful at dusk, and turns even more mystical in the summer, with the sounds of Broadway musical theater acts serenading under the stars. The 2021 season marks the Company’s 10th anniversary of presenting musical theatre to the Bay Area and beyond. The new season will have much to celebrate including heroes, ten inspiring years of Broadway Under The Stars, and the return of live theatre at Jack London State Historic Park. 

Each of the performances begins before sundown at the spectacular Kohler & Frohling winery ruins in the park. 

Festive pre-show picnicking and warm-up band music begins at the Beauty Ranch at 5 p.m., so bring your own feast or purchase food and beverages including signature wines from local wineries at the park. Then, prepare to dance and sing, when the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Tuesdays in the Plaza Concerts, Healdsburg

Season begins July 6, 2021 

A true community gathering, hundreds of locals and visitors stake out their blankets and folding chairs early in the day to secure prime viewing of bands playing everything from swing to cool jazz to country and rockabilly.

Bring a picnic and wine (some regulars bring small, low tables and set up candelabras and flower vases), then settle back in the grass for a variety of acts that often include favorites like Roy Rogers & The Delta Rhythm Kings, Stompy Jones, The Dixie Giants, and Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys.

The free music runs from 6 to 8 p.m. each Tuesday, with plenty of food trucks to feed you, too.

Country Summer Music Festival, Santa Rosa

Canceled for 2021. June 17 through June 19, 2022

As Northern California's largest country music festival, the weekend includes 20 acts on two stages, on the grassy, five-acre Carnival field at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. The main Chevy Silverado Stage features 14 nationally known country music artists while six up-and-coming local and regional bands perform on the Redwood Credit Union Stage between the main acts.

State-of-the-art staging and sound are enhanced by two 16-foot video walls, showcasing talent like Eric Church, Kelsea Ballerini, Chris Young, and many more. Concessions serve beer, wine, spirits and Wine Country food alongside an array of western themed and festival activities.

Friday Night Live at the Plaza, Cloverdale

July 2 through October 1, 2021

Cloverdale's summer-long, free concert series plays alongside the Farmers Market in the Downtown Plaza. The market begins at 6 p.m. and the music plays from 6:30 p.m. until around 10 p.m. 

There's music for everyone, in a weekly changing showcase of alternative country, pop, rock, blues, American rock, soul, funk, salsa, Latin jazz, and indie - even zydeco and Cajun French tunes. 

For even more family fun, there are food booths, premium Sonoma County wines and craft beers, hand-crafted arts for sale, and kids' activities like jumpy castles and rock climbing walls.

Rodney Strong Vineyards Summer Concert Series, Healdsburg 

July 31, August 28, and September 25, 2021

Every year for the past 30 years, fans of Rodney Strong's lavish celebrations have looked forward to seeing intimate performances by world-class musicians in a stunning vineyard setting topped off by sweeping views of the Russian River Valley. 

This year's Rodney Strong Summer Concert Series is titled the "Americana Music Festival,"  featuring three special evenings of wine, music, and local food trucks. Bring your chairs and blankets and settle in on Rodney Strong Vineyards' Concert Green.

Doors at Rodney Strong's "Americana Music Festival" open at 4 p.m., and each artist (The Highways Poets, John Courage Trio, and David Luning) will perform from 5-7 p.m.

Summer Nights on the Green, Windsor Town Green

2021 season tentatively scheduled for Thursdays, August 26-October 7

There's simply too much good music to pack into the small town of Windsor, which is why this weekly event is always packed, with thousands of partygoers converging on Thursdays.

The Windsor Certified Farmers Market, complete with food trucks and lawn games, runs from 5 to 8 p.m., and the free music concerts start at 6 p.m. 

Huichica Music Festival, Sonoma

October 15-16, 2021 

First, it's pronounced We-Chica. Second, it's an annual concert at Gundlach Bundschu Winery in Sonoma, selected because the 152-year-old Gun-Bun (as regulars call it) was once part of the land called Rancho Huichica by Mexican General Mariano Vallejo, and Huichica is the name of the unique soil of the region that makes for great winegrowing. 

The festivities Friday run from 2 -10 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. on Saturday, with a diverse lineup across four stages. 2021 performers include Yo La Tengo and Devendra Banhart. 

Keeping everyone fueled are pizza, barbecue, salads, yakitori, craft beers and plenty of Gun-Bun wine.

Valley of the Moon Music Festival, Sonoma

July 17 through August 1, 2021

It's an authentic taste of centuries old inspiration, with three weekends of concerts that were introduced as the first in the nation devoted to classical and romantic chamber music on period instruments.

The 2021 festival theme "Living and Longing: Reaching Across the Distance" tells stories of separation, longing and coming together. From Clara Schumann to the American composer Harry Burleigh, the Festival will also feature a series of beautiful art songs.

Fort Ross Festival, Jenner

Canceled for 2021

Fort Ross State Historic Park is wonderful to visit all on its own, with historic crafts, militia cannons, and living breathing history of its founding in the 1800s. 

Set in a dramatic natural outdoor amphitheater with the Pacific Ocean as its backdrop, authentic re-enactors will perform periodic songs accompanied by historic instruments and twirling dancers.

 

The Sonoma County Fair Concert Series, Santa Rosa

Postponed to 2022

One of the biggest parties of the year, the Fair attracts top-notch performers amid the carnival rides, games, great food and wine. 

As always, headline acts this year will be big names, with the exact lineup announced in spring. All concerts are free with fair admission ticket purchase. 

Summer Concerts at Montgomery Village, Santa Rosa

July 1-August 26, 2021 — every other Thursday

Summer concerts in the heart of the picturesque Montgomery Village Shopping Center make shopping and dining on the patios even more fun with a bit of groove.

Concerts Under the Stars are held every other Thursday in Village Court from 6 to 8 p.m. These concerts are open by reservation only, and a table for two to six people will be $15 per person.