Eat, Sip & Savor Under the Tahoe Sky
Picture this: the sun is filtering through the pines, live music is drifting across Bijou Community Park, there’s something delicious waiting around every corner, and your biggest decision of the afternoon is whether your next stop should be a local chef, a California winery, a craft brewery, or the Makers Market.
Sounds like a pretty perfect Tahoe day to us.
On Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 1:00–4:00 p.m., Sample the Sierra returns to Bijou Community Park for an afternoon dedicated to the flavors, makers, and community that make the Sierra so special.
Whether this is your first Sample the Sierra or it’s already one of your favorite September traditions, here’s our recipe for making the most of every delicious minute.
12:30 PM: Pack Your Festival Essentials
Before you head out the door, there are a few things you’ll want to grab.
Bring a chair. Bring a blanket. Bring a reusable water bottle.
Sample the Sierra is meant to be enjoyed at Tahoe pace, so come prepared to find a shady spot beneath the pines, settle in between tastings, and stay awhile.
And don’t forget that reusable bottle. There will be no single-use cups at the festival, and there will be water refill stations throughout, so bringing your own is an important part of helping us reduce unnecessary waste.
Add sunglasses, sunscreen, and a shopping bag for your Makers Market finds, and you’re ready to go.
1:00 PM: Arrive Hungry
The gates are open, your tasting glass is ready, and now comes the fun part: deciding where to start. Our advice? There’s no wrong answer.
Sample the Sierra brings together chefs and restaurants with wineries, breweries, distilleries, and specialty beverage producers for an afternoon of tasting your way through the region.
One of the signatures of the festival is the collaboration between food and beverage vendors, with participating restaurants paired alongside beverage producers to showcase complementary flavors.
Try something you’ve never ordered before. Taste a wine from a vineyard that’s new to you. Ask a brewer what they’re pouring. Meet the chef behind the bite on your plate.
This isn’t a race to visit every booth. Take your time, talk to the people behind the flavors, and enjoy the experience.
1:45 PM: Find Your New Favorite Sip
Once you’ve sampled a few bites, it’s time to explore what’s being poured.
Wine lover? Follow your palate through the festival’s participating wineries.
More of a beer person? Find your way to one of the craft breweries.
Looking for something a little stronger? Stop by the participating distillers and discover a new spirit or cocktail.
And if you’re enjoying the festival without alcohol, don’t worry, there are non-alcoholic and specialty beverage options to discover, too.
The best tasting strategy is to stay curious. You may arrive devoted to your usual drink and leave talking about something completely unexpected.
2:15 PM: Shop the Makers Market
Give your tasting glass a little break and make your way through the Makers Market, where local and regional artists and artisans bring another side of Sierra creativity to the festival.
Browse handcrafted jewelry, pottery, candles, apparel, art, home goods, specialty foods, gifts, and plenty of one-of-a-kind finds. It’s the perfect place to pick up a Tahoe-inspired keepsake, find a gift for someone back home, or get a suspiciously early, but very responsible, start on your holiday shopping.
Even better, you’re purchasing directly from small businesses and makers.
Ask about their process. Learn the story behind what caught your eye. Meet the person who actually made it.
That’s what shopping local is all about.
2:45 PM: Find a Spot Under the Pines
By now you’ve earned a break.
Grab that chair or blanket you remembered to bring and settle in beneath the towering pines of Bijou Community Park.
This year’s festival features live music from The Residents and Mic Smith, giving you the perfect soundtrack for an afternoon outside.
This is the part of Sample the Sierra we don’t want you to rush.
Catch up with friends. Compare your favorite tastings. Show off what you found at the Makers Market. Sip some water. Listen to the music. Take in the September sunshine and remember that sometimes the best Tahoe plans are the ones that leave a little room to simply hang out.
3:15 PM: Round Two
Feeling refreshed? It’s time for another lap.
Go back for something you loved or head toward the part of the festival you haven’t explored yet.
Maybe you started with wine and it’s time to discover a local beer. Maybe you spotted a food booth earlier that you’ve been thinking about ever since. Or maybe your friend found something incredible while you were shopping and now you need to see what all the fuss is about.
With regional restaurants, wineries, breweries, distilleries, specialty beverage producers, and artisans gathered together in one place, there is always another flavor to discover.
3:45 PM: One Last Bite
You know the rule: there’s always room for one more Sample the Sierra tasting.
With the afternoon winding down, revisit a favorite or squeeze in that booth you’ve had your eye on all day.
Then take one last stroll through the Makers Market, grab any goodies you couldn’t stop thinking about, and soak up those final moments beneath the Tahoe pines.
Because after three hours of eating, sipping, shopping, listening, laughing, and discovering local businesses, you’ll understand why Sample the Sierra is about so much more than what’s on your plate.
Getting to Sample the Sierra
Want to make your perfect day even easier? Consider leaving the car behind.
Complimentary bike valet will be available, and guests are encouraged to bike, carpool, rideshare, or use public transportation when possible.
If you do drive, festival parking is available at Lake Tahoe Community College, directly across from Bijou Community Park, with additional overflow parking options nearby.
However you arrive, give yourself a little extra time so you can be inside the festival and ready to taste when the fun begins.
Don’t Forget Before You Go
Your perfect Sample the Sierra day starts with a little preparation:
- Bring a chair
- Bring a blanket
- Bring a reusable water bottle
- Remember: there will be no single-use cups at the festival
- Come hungry
- Wear your Tahoe-outdoor-festival best
- Bring a shopping bag for Makers Market finds
- Most importantly, come ready to discover something new
Thank You to Our Sponsors
A perfect day at Sample the Sierra wouldn’t be possible without the businesses and community partners helping us bring the festival to life.
A huge thank you to our 2026 sponsors The Idle Hour, Tahoe Cruises, Camelot Party Rentals, Winters Electric, Crystal Foods, and South Tahoe Refuse for supporting this celebration of local flavor, creativity, and community.
Their support helps us bring together the chefs, restaurants, wineries, breweries, distilleries, makers, musicians, and small businesses that make the Sierra such an incredible place to call home.
Your Perfect Tahoe Saturday Is Waiting
Three hours. Dozens of flavors. Local makers. Live music. Tahoe sunshine. And one beautiful park filled with people celebrating the best of our region.
Join us Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 1:00–4:00 p.m. at Bijou Community Park for Sample the Sierra.
Bring your chair, your reusable water bottle, and your appetite.