Olive Harvest in California 2026: Festivals, Mills & Olive Oil
June 10, 2026 · 7 min read
California's olive harvest runs October through January, when growers from the Sacramento Valley to the Central Coast pick, cure, and press the state's signature Mediterranean crop. You won't find u-pick olives — fresh olives are inedible off the tree — but harvest season is still the best time to visit: mills run tours, tasting rooms pour just-pressed olio nuovo, and olive festivals celebrate the crush. Here's how the season works and where to experience it.
When is olive harvest season in California?
Olive harvest runs from October through January, with timing depending on what the olives are destined for. Table olives are picked first — usually starting in late September and October, while the fruit is still green and firm. Oil olives follow from mid-October into winter, with harvest date driving the oil's style: earlier picks give grassy, peppery oils, while later picks yield softer, buttery ones.
- Corning / Tehama County— Corning has called itself "Olive City" for over a century and remains the historic heart of California's table-olive industry, known for big Sevillano and Manzanillo olives. Harvest and processing run through fall.
- Capay Valley (Yolo County) — A small agricultural valley northwest of Sacramento with modern olive-oil production, including the Séka Hills mill in Brooks, owned and operated by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. The annual crush runs October into November.
- Lake County — High-elevation groves around Clear Lake produce award-winning oils, often milled at combined winery-and-olive-mill operations in Kelseyville.
- Sonoma Valley — Olives have grown here since the Mission era, and many wineries now press estate olive oil alongside their wine. Harvest typically runs November through December.
- Paso Robles / Central Coast— Olive orchards thrive in the same Mediterranean climate that supports the region's vineyards, with a growing cluster of artisan oil producers.
Why there's no u-pick for olives
Olives are one crop where picking your own simply doesn't work. Fresh olives contain oleuropein, a compound so intensely bitter that fruit straight off the tree is inedible. Every olive you've ever eaten was cured first — in brine, salt, or lye — a process that takes weeks to months. Oil olives have it even harder: they need to be milled within hours of picking, before the fruit starts to oxidize and ferment, which is why mills run around the clock during the crush.
That's why our directory has no u-pick olive farms — there's nothing a visitor could do with a bucket of raw olives. The harvest-season experience here is different: visit a mill during the crush, taste oil pressed days earlier, and hit an olive festival. Browse all California olive festivals to plan around the season.
Olio nuovo: the harvest-season treat
Olio nuovo — "new oil" — is olive oil sold fresh from the press, unfiltered and cloudy with suspended olive particles. It's bold, grassy, and peppery, with a throat-tingling bite that mellows as the oil ages. Because the suspended solids shorten its shelf life, olio nuovo is a strictly seasonal product: mills and tasting rooms sell it from roughly November through January, and it's meant to be used within a few months, not cellared. Pour it over bread, beans, or soup where the fresh flavor shows.
Buying tip: look for a harvest date on the label, not just a "best by" date. Extra virgin olive oil is best within a year or two of harvest — a bottle from the current California crush will taste noticeably livelier than one that has sat on a shelf.
California olive festivals
Olive festivals follow the crop's calendar in both directions — some celebrate the fall crush itself, others toast the finished oil in winter and spring. All six festivals in our directory are free to attend.
- Corning Olive Festival & Car Show Corning — Olive City celebrates its signature crop with food, vendors, and a classic car show on October 10, 2026, right as harvest gets going in Tehama County.
- Seka Hills Olive Crush Festival Brooks— A free public festival at the Séka Hills mill in the Capay Valley with mill tours, oil tastings, food, and live music while the crush is running. Typically held in early November — check the official page to confirm this year's date.
- Mission San Jose Olive Festival Fremont — A free celebration of the harvest in the historic Mission San Jose olive grove, traditionally held the first weekend of October. The 2026 festival runs October 4–5, 2026.
- Festival of Olives Sonoma — A free late-winter celebration of Sonoma olives with oil tastings, tapenades, and local vendors. The 2026 edition was held February 21; watch the official page for the next date.
- Kelseyville Olive Festival Kelseyville— Lake County's free spring celebration of olives, oil, and local food at Chacewater Winery & Olive Mill. The 2026 festival was held April 18; expect a mid-spring date next year.
- Paso Robles Olive & Lavender Festival Paso Robles— A free downtown festival pairing Central Coast olive oils with local lavender. The 2026 festival was held May 9; check the official page for next year's date.
Visiting mills and tasting rooms
The closest thing to u-pick in olive country is a mill visit during the crush. From late October through December you can often watch fruit come in from the orchard and leave as oil the same day — and taste the difference freshness makes. Many tasting rooms operate seasonally or by appointment, so call ahead before making the drive.
Corning / Tehama County
The I-5 corridor through Corning is the easiest place to see California's olive heritage — olive oil tasting rooms and table-olive shops sit minutes off the freeway, and the Corning Olive Festival in October is the town's signature event.
Capay Valley
The Séka Hills mill in Brooks runs tastings year-round, and the annual Olive Crush Festival opens the working mill to the public at the height of the season — the best single day to see California olive oil being made.
Lake County
Kelseyville's combined winery-and-mill operations let you taste oil and wine from the same property. The Kelseyville Olive Festival each spring showcases the county's producers in one place.
Sonoma Valley
Several Sonoma wineries press estate olive oil and pour it alongside their wine flights — ask at tasting rooms in late fall whether olio nuovo is available. The Festival of Olives caps the season in late winter.
Frequently asked questions
When is olive harvest season in California?
Olive harvest runs October through January. Table olives are picked first, usually starting in late September and October while the fruit is still green; oil olives follow from mid-October into winter. Olio nuovo — fresh-pressed new oil — shows up at mills and tasting rooms from November through January.
Can you pick your own olives in California?
No — u-pick olives aren't a thing, and our directory has no u-pick olive farms. Raw olives are inedibly bitter and must be cured for weeks or milled within hours of picking. Instead, visit a mill during the fall crush or plan around a California olive festival.
What is olio nuovo?
Olio nuovo is olive oil sold fresh from the press, unfiltered and cloudy, with a bold grassy, peppery flavor. Because the suspended olive solids shorten its shelf life, it's a seasonal product sold roughly November through January and meant to be used within a few months — pour it over bread, beans, or soup.
Where can I taste fresh California olive oil?
The main regions are Corning in Tehama County, the Capay Valley (home of the Séka Hills mill in Brooks), Lake County around Kelseyville, Sonoma Valley, and Paso Robles. Late October through December is the best window — many mills offer tours and pour just-pressed oil during the crush. Some tasting rooms operate seasonally or by appointment, so call ahead.
Are California olive festivals free?
All six olive festivals in our directory are free to attend, including the Corning Olive Festival in October and the Seka Hills Olive Crush Festival in early November. Food, tastings, and some activities may cost extra.