35th Annual Hoes Down Harvest Festival: Oct 3 at Full Belly Farm
Thirty-five years ago, a group of flower farmers opened their gates and invited the public to experience farming and rural life firsthand. On October 3, 2026, the Hoes Down Harvest Festival returns to Full Belly Farm in Guinda, California, to celebrate 35 Years of Digging Deep, honoring the people, traditions, and community that have shaped the event over the past three and a half decades. Tickets are on sale now at eco-farm.org/hoes-down.
For 35 years, the Hoes Down Harvest Festival has welcomed thousands of families to a 400-acre working farm in Yolo County’s Capay Valley. Just two hours from San Francisco or Sacramento, the valley is home to a thriving community of small, family-owned farms, many of which are organic or sustainably managed.
One of Northern California’s most beloved rural traditions, Hoes Down brings together live music, local organic food, sustainable living, hands-on learning, family-friendly activities, and community connection. Guests can explore the fields and orchards, meet farmers, learn new skills, and discover where their food comes from. The festival offers a rare opportunity to experience a working farm and camp beneath Full Belly Farm’s iconic walnut orchard.
Around every corner, there is something to discover. Roll up your sleeves in hands-on workshops, watch live demonstrations, and experience farm life up close with sheep shearing, cow milking, a 4-H petting zoo, farm relay races, live-fire cooking, soil health and backyard gardening workshops, flower farming, wreath making, and a natural fibers learning area. Families can enjoy an interactive kids’ area with activities including grain grinding, giant bubbles, wreath making, clay creations, pot painting, sing-a-longs, puppet performances, compost activities and an epic hay fort and grass maze.
For decades, talented folk, bluegrass, and Western swing artists from across Northern California have filled the festival with unforgettable sounds and cherished memories. From family string bands and funky brass ensembles to heartfelt songwriters, there is a little something for everyone. This year’s lineup features The King Street Giants, The Dogweeds, Floratura, Home Pie String Band, Loud Flower, Raices, The Real Jon Gary, and Wealth of Nations.
The fun doesn’t stop at Hoes Down. At the Capay Valley Grown Open Farm Day on Sunday October 4, 2026, guests can visit small family farms in the valley for a tour, workshop, demonstration, tasting or to shop at their farm stands.
The Hoes Down Harvest Festival is a project of the Ecological Farming Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All proceeds support sustainable agriculture and rural community initiatives. In 2025, the event donated nearly $100,000 to organizations working to protect the environment and strengthen California’s farming communities. Benefiting organizations of the Hoes Down include: Ecological Farming Association, California Alliance for Family Farms, Esparto School District, Real Organic Project, Cache Creek Conservancy, Yolo Land Trust, CalCAN, RISE Inc., Capay Valley Health Center, Capay Valley Fire Department, Capay Valley Grown, UC Davis Student Farm, Manzanita Learning Center and more!
About EcoFarm
The Ecological Farming Association is a 46-year-old nonprofit educational organization. EcoFarm’s mission is to nurture safe, healthy, just, and ecologically sustainable farms, food systems, and communities by bringing people together for education, alliance building, advocacy, and celebration. Our programs bring together a diversity of stakeholders in California food production to promote grassroots leadership and regional solutions to decrease the negative impacts of industrial agriculture on environmental and community health. EcoFarm operates the largest sustainable agriculture conference west of the Mississippi every January.
About Full Belly Farm
Full Belly Farm is a 400-acre certified organic farm located in the beautiful Capay Valley in Northern California, north of Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay area. Full Belly has been farmed using organic practices since 1985 and is certified by California Certified Organic Farmers. The farm was established in 1984 by Dru Rivers and Paul Muller, who were both active environmentalists and young farmers looking to create a sustainable farm that could provide for their family and community for many generations. The current farm owners are Paul Muller, Dru Rivers, Andrew Brait, Amon Muller, Jenna Muller, Rye Muller, and Hannah Muller. With help from about 80 employees, the farm produces an amazing diversity of vegetables, herbs, nuts, flowers, and fruits year-round.
Tickets to the 35th annual Hoes Down Harvest Festival are on sale now at eco-farm.org/hoes-down.
