The Main Event
Santa Margarita Ranch, Santa Margarita California
Admission to The Main Event for Saturday or Sunday with a single day ticket is $85.00 and $75.00 for locals. 2-day (Saturday and Sunday) admission ticket is $150.00 and $130.00 for locals. Local ticket purchases are based on the ZIP codes of San Luis Obispo County.
From Farmer’s Market to Meal
Sponsored by the California Farm Bureau Federation
Come face-to-face with the Central Coast growers who feed California and the nation with the freshest, most flavorful produce. Meet the growers and ask them questions about their crops, methods, tricks, and their commitment to sustainability. Then witness an educational presentation in the demonstration kitchen by local chefs, farmers, and Sunset Magazine editors on everything from cheese-making to canning and preserving to tips and techniques for seasonal cooking.
Sunset Kitchen Garden
With both practicality and aesthetics as guides, the Sunset - Savor the Central Coast team has planned and planted a 2-acre kitchen garden on the grounds of the Santa Margarita Ranch. This 2-acre garden will be at its peak during the event for attendees to behold. This garden demonstrates how to mix fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers to beautifully stunning and useful effect, and shows the potential for a truly local agricultural experience that’s translatable into your own backyard.
The Marketplace
Prepare your palate for a grand tour of the Central Coast’s top wineries—Monterey to Ventura—all in one stop! Arranged by sub-region, more than 100 wineries will pour their very best, paired with small plates from the Central Coast’s top chefs. The SAVOR Marketplace stage will showcase everything from barrel-making to the secrets of pairing wine and food. Also, shop the Central Coast Marketplace Market for culinary delights including local olive oils, truffle butter and olallieberry jam.
Central Coast Pavilion
Experience the interactive tourism displays of the four Central Coast counties—San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Monterey, and Ventura—all under one roof! Afterward, grab a glass of wine from Sunset’s Western Wine Awards paired with delicacies prepared by local chefs. The Central Coast Pavilion will also feature a general store and bookshop filled with Sunset books, books by local authors, and celebrity and regional chefs. You can also pick up your must-have SAVOR items such as commemorative shirts, water bottles, hats, and more!
Meet Celebrity Chef Tyler Florence and many participating writers and chefs at the Central Coast Pavilion book signing stage to get your autographed copy of your favorite book.
A Movable Feast—
The Best of the Best Food Carts
Concession Area
Often, the tastiest meals are found on the food carts at street corners across the West. At the SAVOR main event, attendees can purchase meals from the Central Coast’s best food carts, from rotisserie chickens to wood-fired pizzas, tacos, and Ian McPhee’s killer hamburgers, you can enjoy the perfect picnic in Santa Margarita Ranch’s Estrada Garden while you listen to great local musicians. Tired of wine? Firestone Brewery will provide you with a glass of their latest brew!
Chickens, Chickens, and More Chickens!
Backyard chickens are all the rage these days, and when you taste their eggs, you’ll understand why! Taking inspiration from Sunset’s own chicken coop at its Menlo Park headquarters, California Polytechnic University Poultry Science students will bring a diverse range of chicken breeds to the event in addition to showcasing some of the most creative new backyard-coop ideas. Students and other experts will be on hand to inform and assist you in deciding how to set up your own coop at home!
Ranch Tour by Train—All Aboard!
Take a tour-by-rail of the beautiful and storied Santa Margarita Ranch on train cars designed and built by Walt Disney for use at Disneyland in 1955. First stop: the Volvo Test Track… Volvo Cars of North America is proud to be the exclusive automotive sponsor of Sunset’s Savor the Central Coast event. Come experience great food and wine as well as the innovative design and technology of Volvo’s newest generation of cars. At the event, enjoy a unique driving experience by test driving a Volvo amidst the lush beauty of Santa Margarita Ranch. You’ll also have the chance to win a trip to Sweden to complete your Volvo experience.
