Morgan Hill's October Food Festival Comes From the Team Behind a Hotel That Hasn't Opened Yet
October 8, 2026
October 8, 2026
The biggest culinary event on Morgan Hill's fall calendar shares its "MOHI" name and its presenters with a hotel that isn't open yet. Léal Hospitality and Appellation present the 3rd Annual MOHI Food & Wine Festival, which takes over 3rd Street downtown on Sunday, October 18. A short walk away, The MOHI by Appellation at 17490 Monterey Road is still under construction, and its four restaurants are not expected before early 2027.
For anyone who lives here, that gap shapes the month. October 18 is the one afternoon this fall when the companies building and running that hotel host a food and wine event downtown. General admission is $200, and it sits on the same blocks where almost everything else this month is free.
The hotel's owner and developer is Léal Hospitality, led by local developer and vintner Frank Leal. Appellation will manage it. That's the hospitality brand from chef Charlie Palmer and industry veteran Christopher Hunsberger, which got its start in Healdsburg and Lodi. Some longtime residents will remember the site for something else. During the pandemic, Leal turned part of it into MOHI Social, an outdoor dining spot lined with olive trees.
The opening date has slipped more than once. In March 2026, the Morgan Hill Times reported that rooms were expected later this year, with the restaurants and other amenities finishing in 2027. By April, the Mercury News was describing an early-2027 opening for the whole hotel. Appellation's own meetings page now says the hotel will "debut in early 2027." Local coverage from May through early October hasn't changed that date.
The East Bay Times described what the building is supposed to bring to downtown once it opens:
None of those will be serving this fall. Charlie Palmer, whose name is on HOLT, appears on the festival's chef roster page, though that page doesn't say which year's event it covers.
The festival has two ticket tiers. Both are listed on Eventbrite:
| Ticket | Hours | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIP | Noon to 1 p.m., then the main event | $400 per person | Celebrity chef meet-and-greet, book signing with Chef Joe Sasto, Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Hog Island oysters, Tsar Nicoulai caviar, Point Reyes Cheese Co., a swag bag, full main-event access |
| General admission | 1 to 4 p.m. | $200 per person | Chefs, vintners, and local artisans across the afternoon, plus a meet-and-greet with the MOHI Minis |
The event is 21 and over, and tickets can't be refunded. Proceeds support hospitality programs and culinary scholarships for future chefs and restaurant workers.
One detail on the listing sums up the timing. Out-of-town guests who want to stay the weekend are offered 20 percent off at the Hampton Inn. The hotel that the festival's presenters are building on Monterey Road can't host them yet.
The full 2026 lineup is still unannounced. The official festival homepage still says chefs and vintners "will be revealed this August." The site's talent page lists 2026 vintner selections as "coming soon." Another official page names chefs such as Charlie Palmer, Joe Sasto, Elizabeth Falkner, and Neal Fraser, but it doesn't say which year that roster is for. As of early October, Joe Sasto is the only chef confirmed for this year's event, through the VIP book signing.
3rd Street on October 18 is the same stretch that fills up most other October weekends. Every one of those weekends is free to walk into.
That means October 10 has Sidewalk Saturdays and the Farmers Market on the same morning, practically on the same corner. Together, they bring more vendors to Third and Depot than any other free morning this month.
Those blocks also show a quieter way downtown dining grows. Pre-Hispanic MX Cuisine at 30 East Third Street started as a food truck and opened its storefront last fall. The Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce wrote about it this past May. Downtown also added something new this year. The Twilight Market started holding evening markets on Third Street, and the first one, on June 18, drew more than 40 vendors. A second followed on August 20. Both evenings have passed, and the Friday Night Music Series ended its summer run on August 21. October's evening plans downtown come down to the festival and Halloween.
October 10 also has one event worth leaving downtown for. The Tarantula Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Henry Coe State Park. The day includes live tarantulas, snakes, birds of prey, guided tarantula hikes, geocaching, beehive demonstrations, and expert talks. Admission is free, though the state park charges $8 per car for day-use parking, or $7 for seniors 62 and up. Grilled lunches are sold on site, and organizers encourage carpooling.
Because the Farmers Market and Sidewalk Saturdays both run 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the Tarantula Festival runs 10 to 3, the same Saturday works for families either way. You can shop downtown first and head to Coe after, or take the hike first and catch the downtown vendors before they close at 1.
After Halloween, the downtown calendar turns toward the holidays, still centered on the same streets:
If the early-2027 timeline holds, Léal Hospitality and Appellation's next big downtown food opening will be the hotel's own dining rooms at 17490 Monterey Road. That's when Youngstock, HOLT, Nashelle, and Solene are scheduled to open as permanent restaurants a short walk from 3rd Street.
Whether you're getting festival tickets or just planning a Saturday around Third and Depot, I like trading notes on what's changing downtown and what it means for the blocks we all use. If the new hotel or this fall's calendar has you thinking about your own plans in town, Amy Martinez is glad to talk it through. Let's Connect.
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