Rodney Atkins, A Flock of Seagulls lead Lodi Grape Festival concerts

The 2026 Lodi Grape Festival runs Sept. 17-20 in Lodi, California, with four nights of free concerts, daily entertainment, carnival rides and fair discounts. Rodney Atkins, A Flock of Seagulls, Dream Like Taylor and Sunday co-headliners Grupo Bryndis and Ezequiel Peña Jr. Y Banda Vallarta anchor the lineup.

Why it matters: - The Lodi Grape Festival is using free concerts to draw crowds to its four-day fair in San Joaquin County. - The event combines live music, carnival rides, food, vendors, exhibits and admission specials into a single weekend outing. - The 2026 fair theme is "Out of this World," and the festival marks more than 80 years of grape harvest celebrations in Lodi.

What happened: - The 2026 Lodi Grape Festival opens Thursday, Sept. 17, and runs through Sunday, Sept. 20. - The festival is presented by Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Medical Center. - Rodney Atkins headlines Saturday, Sept. 19 on the Sky River Casino Stage. - A Flock of Seagulls opens the free concert series Thursday, Sept. 17. - Friday, Sept. 18 features Dream Like Taylor, a Taylor Swift tribute act featuring Cassie B. - Sunday, Sept. 20 closes with Grupo Bryndis and Ezequiel Peña Jr. Y Banda Vallarta.

The details: - All concerts are free with fair admission, and no separate ticket is required. - Seating is first come, first served. - Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. - Sunday’s show starts at 6 p.m. - A Travis Kelce lookalike contest starts at 6:30 p.m. Friday before the concert. - The contest winner receives an official Travis Kelce jersey, two tickets to the Raiders vs. Chiefs game in Las Vegas and a $500 Visa gift card. - A Flock of Seagulls is known for hits including "I Ran (So Far Away)," "Space Age Love Song," "Telecommunication" and "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)." - Rodney Atkins has sold more than 14 million records and logged more than 1.5 billion on-demand streams. - Atkins’ catalog includes "Take a Back Road," "Watching You," "Farmer’s Daughter" and "He’s Mine." - Grupo Bryndis and Ezequiel Peña Jr. Y Banda Vallarta are billed as romantic grupero and high-energy closing acts. - The festival is at the Lodi Grape Festival and Event Center, about 45 miles south of Sacramento in the northern San Joaquin Valley.

Between the lines: - The festival is leaning on nostalgia, country, Latin music and tribute entertainment to appeal to multiple age groups. - Free concert access with fair admission is a key traffic driver, especially with no extra ticketing hurdle. - The Travis Kelce contest adds a pop-culture hook designed to boost Friday attendance. - Daily admission deals suggest the festival is pushing attendance across all four days, not just opening night and Saturday.

What's next: - Discounted pre-sale tickets and carnival wristbands are available through Wednesday, Sept. 16. - Pre-sale fair admission is $8 per person. - Unlimited carnival ride wristbands are $30 in pre-sale and valid for any one day of the festival. - Beginning Thursday, regular fair admission is $15 for adults ages 13 and older and $10 for youth ages 6-12. - Children 5 and under are admitted free. - Thursday-only unlimited ride wristbands cost $25 at the carnival ticket boxes. - Friday through Sunday wristbands cost $38. - Online tickets are available at more information. - Pre-sale tickets and wristbands are also sold in person at Food 4 Less and Rancho San Miguel in Lodi, Food 4 Less on Wilson Way in Stockton, Rancho San Miguel on Airport Way or Hammer Lane in Stockton, and the festival office at 413 E. Lockeford St. in Lodi. - Parking costs $12 in official lots and must be paid by credit or debit card. - Cash is not accepted for parking. - Thursday is Clark Pest Control Value Day, with free admission for kids 16 and under. - Friday is California Waste Recovery Systems Free til’ 5 Day, with free admission from noon to 5 p.m. - Saturday is F & M Bank Community Day, with a $2 admission offer from noon to 2 p.m. for people who bring two cans of food for the Lodi Salvation Army. - Sunday is Habanero Hots Variety is the Spice of Life Day, with the same $2 admission and food-donation offer from noon to 2 p.m.

The bottom line: - The 2026 Lodi Grape Festival is pitching free headline concerts, fair discounts and family attractions as a four-day end-of-summer draw for the region.