Seasonal happenings bring new meaning to the term Golden State, and several California towns are just getting warmed up for fall. Wineries across the state pour on the charm during harvest time, with new releases, vineyard tours and dinners showcasing the pairing potential between their bottled bounty and creations of chefs taking advantage of the year-round growing season. The al-fresco Harvest Lunch series offered by Jordan Vineyard & Winery near Healdsburg, is a prime example of how important the fall season is to Sonoma County’s appeal and identity as an essential California destination.

© Jordan Vineyard & Winery

Beyond wine country, there’s more to love as the weather cools down and the colorful glow of the season is celebrated throughout the state. Lompoc is regarded as one of the Central Coast’s hidden gems for good reason. This little corner of Santa Barbara County is poised for its moment thanks to its own award-winning wines from Santa Rita Valley producers, scenic country roads connecting the town to the Pacific, and hidden natural surprises such as the 1.5-mile Bodger Trail for hikes and Nojoqui Falls tucked into an unassuming park. Its Old Town comes alive in fall with its many antique stores, coffee shops proffering pumpkin-spice lattes and more than 40 murals which are easier to appreciate in fall’s cooler temperatures (there’s even a downloadable mural map from Lompoc’s website detailing the region’s history and cultural heritage).

© Explore Lompoc

While Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark offers guests of all ages an immersion into California’s agricultural milieu and has a Harvest Festival in early October, its annual Wild West Weekend (this year, on Oct. 29) delivers seasonal fun rooted in the state’s colorful history. Attractions include tractor-drawn wagon rides; a corn maze and corn stalk labyrinth; access to the farm’s “Pick-Your-Own” fields and pumpkin patch; a pumpkin play house; and live entertainment, which includes a line-up of wandering Old West characters including a Banjo Cowpoke, Old Time Miner and sidewalk swindlers demonstrating the card games of the Old West and more.