The Best Time of Year to Visit Temecula

A year-round guide to exploring the valley. Events and things to do in Temecula season by season.

The longer days of spring and summer means tasting rooms and winery restaurants stay open later and start holding more evening events. June, in particular, is stunning. The wineries are surrounded by lush rows of vines, flowers are blooming, and the heat of July has yet to set in. It’s an ideal time of year to take off on a hot-air balloon ride or visit the Rose Haven Heritage Garden. Find a table on the patio at Leoness Cellars, Chapin Family Vineyards, Lorenzi Estate, or poolside at VOUX Wines and enjoy some of the best views in the valley. For a weekend full of seating tastings and fine dining, follow along on our Luxe Escape itinerary.

Spring Events in Temecula

• Pechanga’s Annual Sushi & Sake Festival
• Old Town Temecula Rod Run
• Temecula Art & Street Painting Festival
• Memorial Day Concert

Spring Average Daytime Temperatures

• 71 – 76°F

The strong summer sun may turn the valley hills brown, but this is when the vineyards are at their prettiest: the vines are flourishing and the sky is always blue. Sangria also flows in the tasting rooms during the summer. Berries and stone fruit are at their peak, and practically begging wineries to turn them into wine cocktails, and a perfectly crafted sangria on a warm summer afternoon is one of the great treats of the season. Speaking of berries and fruit, there are several local farms in the area, like the Temecula Berry Co., and Sunmist Estate that welcome guests seasonally for U-Pick.

Since the wineries are staying open later, several also start summer concert series. Check the event pages of Doffo Winery, Thornton Winery, and South Coast Winery for their concert series schedules.

The Fourth of July is celebrated with live music and BBQ’s all over the valley and fireworks at Pechanga Resort Casino. Temperatures can get high in late summer, so follow our Beat the Heat Itinerary which keeps you cool as you travel through beautiful indoor tasting rooms and restaurants. Or, book a cabana at Bottaia Winery’s seasonal pool, and dream the day away in an Italian resort-style setting. Don’t let the heat put you off of a visit. Days almost always turn into cooler, or at least more comfortable, evenings.

Summer Events in Temecula

• Pechanga’s Whiskey & Wings Festival
• 4th of July Parade in Old Town Temecula
• Fireworks at Pechanga and at Ronald Reagan Park
• Shakespeare in the Vines at Lorimar Winery
• South Coast Winery Rhythm on the Vines

Summer Average Daytime Temperatures

• 84-92°F

Everyone loves wine country in the fall—it’s harvest time! Wineries hold grape stomps, Peltzer Winery opens its family-friendly pumpkin patch, and the Oak Grove Center puts on their annual So-Cal Chef Open. This year, the valley-wide culinary event will take place at the beautiful Galway Downs Equestrian Center and benefits the Center’s support of at-risk youth and families. There’s always live music, guests dress to impress, and it feels like a valley-wide cocktail party.

October usually brings a deep sigh of relief as temperatures cool down, making it more pleasant to enjoy a wine country lunch with a view.

Dozens of wineries throw costumed Halloween events like the Vampire Ball at Briar Rose Winery or the CarnEvil Ball at Europa Village, and Big Horse Feed & Mercantile opens up their annual corn maze and rides for kids of all ages.

Fall Events in Temecula

• September Temecula Valley Wine Month
• Grape Stomps at Somerset Winery, Bella Vista Winery, and Callaway Winery
• Tacos & Tequila Festival at Pechanga
• Great Taste of Europa Wine & Food Festival
• Peltzer Pumpkin Farm
• So-Cal Chef Open
• Big Horse Feed Corn Maze
• De Portola Wine Trail Harvest Celebration

Fall Average Daytime Temperatures

• 75-89°F

In the December, the sun lowers, and the leaves that linger on the vines start to turn, making for a spectacular color display.

Temecula turns into a Hallmark movie during the holidays, with countless events and small markets all over the valley. Seasonal ice rinks open at Peltzer Winery and outside City Hall. Galway Downs, Temecula’s equestrian center, holds a multi-weekend Winterfest with skating, food vendors, and live bands. Restaurants and bars around town also join in the fun—local favorite 1909 in Old Town completely transforms and visitors trek from miles around just to see it. Holiday-themed cocktail menus can be found virtually everywhere thanks to Old Town Temecula’s Holiday Taste of Old Town. An evening of restaurant and bar hopping for seasonal bites. You’ll find wreath making workshops and other crafting events at local farms and wineries, and the Temecula Valley Women’s Club unveils the lineup for its annual Holiday Home Tour and Christmas Market.

New Year’s Eve festivities are also plentiful, with everything from a kid-friendly party at South Coast Winery to a grand ball at Wilson Creek Winery to a Grape Drop and live music at City Hall.

Holiday Events in Temecula

• Temecula Valley Women’s Club Holiday Home Tour
• Peltzer Ice Skating Rink
• Ice Skating at City Hall
• Tree lightings and holiday markets at the wineries
• Holiday Taste of Old Town
• New Year’s Eve Events

December Average Daytime Temperature

• 68°F

In Temecula, we celebrate dry January by relaxing and enjoying dry wine. It’s low season for visitors, which means that the tasting rooms are quieter and easier to navigate. Winter is when the hills surrounding the valley look their prettiest. The low sun creates beautiful shadows that define all of the nooks and crannies, showing off their rugged beauty. Winter can also usher in the rain, but when it does rain, it brings views of snow covered mountains in the distance, and greenery to the hills. A cool but sunny day calls for a visit to the Murietta Hot Springs Resort, or a cozy dinner at Corbeaux Wine and Tea House. A rainy one would be an excellent excuse to check out Pechanga Resort Casino, enjoy a seated tasting inside the clubhouse at Raúl Ramirez Winery, or to sneak off to Oak Mountain’s Distillery for a custom cocktail.

February is when the Temecula Winegrowers present their Annual Barrel Tasting Event. A weekend where over forty wineries open their barrels, and offer food pairings and live music. Valentine celebrations abound, with 5-course winery dinners, chocolate + wine pairings, and Galentine gatherings filling the calendar.

Winter Temecula Events

• Temecula Winegrower’s Annual Barrel Tasting – January 31 and February 1, 2026
• Valentine and Galentine Events
• Annual Chocolate Decadence & Wine Festival at Pechanga

Winter Average Daily Temperature

• 64°F

---