6 Reasons to Visit Petaluma During 2026 World Cup

If you’re in California anyway, you simply must visit Petaluma during World Cup 2026. Located less than an hour north of San Francisco, Petaluma is an easy side trip for World Cup travelers seeking an authentic Northern California experience. This walkable riverfront town sits at the gateway to Sonoma County wine country, a 45-minute drive will take you to the Redwoods or the Sonoma Coast. Enjoy world-class, farm-to-table cuisine, local wine, craft beer, live music, and shopping without the crowds. Ideal for a midweek stay or an overnight, Petaluma combines scenic beauty, local culture, and convenient access to San Francisco, making it a rewarding stop between World Cup matches. Read on to find the perfect things to do in Petaluma, based on your interests.

1. Relaxing Reset

If you need to reset and regroup, while experiencing a hometown slice of Northern California, Petaluma has just the right low-key activities to help you slow your roll before, in between, or after World Cup matches in San Francisco.   

Bay to Hay

For a different perspective, seeing the bay from the water and the countryside glide by from a train window, consider a trip on SMART (Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit). Working in a North Bay detour is easy. From SFO or your hotel, you can take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to the Embarcadero, which is a short walk to the Port of San Francisco Ferry Building. From there, ride the Golden Gate Ferry to Larkspur, then rail to downtown Petaluma. If you’re 65+, the train is free through June 30, 2026 (unless extended again to 2027). A free downtown shuttle can take you to the walkable downtown filled with shops, restaurants, art, and wine bars. The next train station to the north puts you in Maker Alley, where you’ll find Lagunitas Brewing, HenHouse Brewing Company Palace of Barrels, and Griffo Distillery. You won’t even need a rental car!

Art Therapy

For art lovers, Usher Gallery near the Mystic Theater on the Boulevard and Nanny Goat Gallery near the waterfront brim with beautiful works of art and artisan goods. Near the train depot on Lakeville Street, you can spend an afternoon (Thursday – Saturday) at Petaluma Arts Center. The town is also dotted with numerous murals. Pull up the City of Petaluma Public Art Map to find them.

Nurturing Nature

Natural beauty abounds in Petaluma’s parks, trails, and wetlands. Shollenberger, Helen Putnam, Tolay, and Petaluma River parks have trails with wildlife, vistas, and even fishing. For bird watching and the zen of the water, consider renting a human-powered watercraft at The Floathouse or Clavey Paddlesports. 

For a guided river or wetlands walk, explore these options:

• Join the weekly Petaluma River Walk on Tuesdays 9 am – 10 am.
• Petaluma Wetlands Alliance docents lead free mile-long (longer by request) bird and nature walks at Ellis Creek Wetlands.

2. Sporting Events & Activities

If you’re between World Cup matches, but still crave sporting events or activities, Petaluma has a few options for the sports-minded that won’t break the bank. You can take to the hills on foot or mountain bike, kayak the river, or head to the races.

The Floathouse, which boasts a large selection of human-powered watercraft (16 types!), often hosts boat races. Anyone can join in on the fun.   

Petaluma Playland is the place to go for paintball and laser tag. Its outdoor course is located near the Petaluma Fairgrounds.

To get the blood pumping and feel that Petaluma Gap wind in your hair, consider the many hiking and cycling trails in Petaluma. Learn more on our Outdoor Recreation page.

Sonoma Raceway, less than a half an hour east, is the largest motorsports raceway in Northern California, where you can see NASCAR racing and various regional races. The Petaluma Speedway also hosts plenty of events around World Cup time.

3. Shopping Stroll

Petaluma’s historic, walkable downtown features unique, independent stores from chic to quirky amid wine bars and nationally recognized restaurants. There’s something for everyone. On the north end of town, while away an afternoon at Petaluma Village Premium Outlets. Here’s just a small snapshot of the shops that await you for your World Cup side trip.

• Goblin Bros. and Nostalgia Alley for gamers
• Ceto Home and ILeoni for home décor and kitchenware
• Heebe Jeebe, Chick City, and Hunter & the Bird for unique gifts and souvenirs
• Copperfield’s Books and The Velvet Chapter Bookshop for book lovers
• Chelsea Antiques, Sienna Antiques, Yankee Girl Antiques, and Opera House Collective for treasure hunters
• Robindira Unsworth, Estuary, Ethical Clothing, Nan Winters, and Sidecar Mercantile for designer clothing
• Banana Republic Factory, Brooks Brothers Factory Store, Clarks, Coach Outlet, and Levi’s Outlet for deals on the brands you love all in one place at the Petaluma Village Premium Outlets mall.

4. Dining in Style

Petaluma has long been known as a foodie town, a reputation that has spread across the nation and occasionally around the world. Taste your way through Petaluma with these fine restaurants.

• Italian Cuisine: Cucina Paradiso, L’Oro Di Napoli, Volpi’s, Hank’s, or Risibisi
• French Cuisine: Brigitte Bistro (Check, Please! Bay Area) or Bijou
• Surf and Turf: Seared, The Shuckery, or Central Market
• Something Exotic: Ayawaska (Peruvian), Levant (Middle Eastern) or Stockhome (also on Check, Please!, Michelin Bib Gourmand; Swedish and Middle Eastern cuisine)

5. Tasting Wines, Craft Beer, and Spirits

Petaluma-made wines are served all over the county and shipped to many states in the nation. You can take a walking tour of downtown tasting rooms like Barber Cellars, Portworks Wine Lounge, Brooks Note Winery, Adobe Road Winery, and Montagne Ruse Winery and Record Lounge. For beautiful vistas, taste wines at the picturesque vineyards that dot the hills, like Keller Estate, Karah Estate, Parum Leo, Reis River Ranch Vineyards, or McEvoy Ranch.

Craft beer lovers flock from around the world to the flagship Lagunitas Brewing and taproom where it all started and find their way across the street to sample craft beer at HenHouse Palace of Barrels as well.

If you’re into spirits you can drink, you’ll find a couple distilleries open for tastings (Griffo and Barber Lee Spirits) and Petaluma-made spirits served with your dinner or when you’re out for drinks.

6. Music for Listening & Dancing

Sonoma County is brimming with musicians, many who have made it big, and Petaluma offers perhaps the most venues at which to hear them.

In addition to the Petaluma Music Festival, the Art & Garden Festival, and Bands on the Basin, outdoor music includes a summer music series at Theatre Square, Sunday Jazz with Chuck Sher and Friends in Putnam Plaza, and a busking hot spot near Copperfield’s Books on Kentucky Street.

Live music enhances the visitor experience and draws thirsty music lovers to these purveyors of Petaluma-made libations: Lagunitas, Brewsters Beer Garden, Griffo, Brooks Note Winery, and Adobe Road Winery. 

You can catch a concert with local or national talent at The Big Easy, The Mystic Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, and occasionally at the Mercury or Polly Klaas Theaters. The Hall of the Above, a venue in a 1925 bank building, also hosts live music events regularly.

Aqus Café and Willowbrook Ale House also host weekly music events, on Fridays and Thursdays, respectively.

That’s not even the whole list, and summer brings even more.

Planning a short stay in Petaluma during your 2026 World Cup trip (or even as a consolation, if you can’t get World Cup tickets) is a winning idea, whether you enjoy small-town sporting events, outdoor recreation, shopping, dancing, sipping locally made adult beverages, or live music. There’s plenty here, too, for the history buff (see our historical attractions and history page) or the movie buff (Peggy Sue Got Married, American Grafitti, and many more shot here). If there’s a Star Wars fan in your group, they will never forgive you for not adding a tour of Rancho Obi-Wan. Explore these pages, plan your itinerary, and book your stay.