Winters Salmon Festival

(Photo By:  Ken W. Davis)

The Winters Salmon Festival was inaugurated in 2016 to celebrate the return of salmon in the lower reaches of Putah Creek. This festive event is typically held the first Saturday in November, and features family-oriented programs from live music and local food trucks to educational programming and more. The festival is free to the public and takes place from 11:00am - 4:00pm in the downtown Winters in Rotary Park.

Other highlights typically include fly casting lessons, a guided educational walking tour, numerous raffle and auction items donated by local artists and businesses, and booths from local vendors and non-profits.

The festival is coordinated by a committee comprised of the City of Winters, the U.S Bureau of Reclamation, Solano County Water Agency, Putah Creek Council, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, Putah Creek Trout, and local businesses and interested individuals.

About The Salmon Run
Following several years of absence, in December of 2012, fall-run Chinook salmon returned to the lower reaches of Putah Creek where they could be seen spawning from the Railroad Avenue car bridge, the historic trestle bridge, and Winters Putah Creek Park. Their return may be attributed to a myriad of initiatives including removal of the Los Rios check dam, increased flows from the Putah Creek Diversion Dam, and enhancement of the riparian habitat and spawning areas within the waters of Putah Creek. Many of these efforts are the work of the City of Winters, Solano County Water Agency, the former Winters Putah Creek Committee (now Natural Resources Commission), Lower Putah Creek Coordinating Committee, Putah Creek Council, landowners, and many more.