october 14-18 @ 5pM – 9PM
Celebrating 26 years, this multi-venue festival highlights bold independent cinema, filmmaker Q&As, and lively evening gatherings across iconic local theaters.
Del Mar Theatre, 1124 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
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october 15-17 @ 6pm - 11pm
Prepare to be dazzled, mesmerized and amazed at this magical benefit for the non-profit Friends of the Gardens at Lake Merritt where you will experience 75 locally produced illuminated art displays sparkling and beaming throughout Oakland’s beloved eight-acre municipal gardens. Be sure to buy your tickets soon as this typically sells out.
Gardens at Lake Merritt
666 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland 94610
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october 16 @ 6PM – 8PM
Gather with your neighbors for an afternoon of fall fun, community, and seasonal festivities at SPARK Social. Bring the family, meet your neighbors, enjoy live music, visit the petting zoo, pick out a pumpkin, and cozy up around the fire pit for free s’mores.
SPARK Social SF, 601 Mission Bay Blvd North, San Francisco, CA 94158
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october 17 @ 10am - 4:30pm
Celebrate the harvest season at Metini-Fort Ross State Historic Park! Enjoy a festive day of apple picking, pumpkin carving, live performances, local food, and guided tours of the historic orchard and the San Andreas Fault in a beautiful and historic Sonoma County setting.
Metini-Fort Ross State Historic Park, 19005 Coast Highway One, Jenner, CA
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Napa Kids, ‘St. Helena Hometown Harvest Festival (All Ages) — Napa Kids,’ accessed 10.13.2026.
october 17 @ 11Am - 3pm
St. Helena's beloved fall tradition returns! The Hometown Harvest Festival features a Pet PAWrade, live music, a 5K and Fun Run, an array of arts and crafts vendors, a kids zone, and a food alley with wine and beer. A fun-filled day for all ages.
Library Lane & Adams Street,
Library Lane, St. Helena, CA, 94574
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october 17 @ 1pm - 5PM
Celebrate 60 years of the Peanuts classic, "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," at the Charles M. Schulz Museum! This nostalgic event features behind-the-scenes stories, live music, crafts, a film screening, and festive Peanuts costume and mustache contests.
Charles M. Schulz Museum, 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
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october 17 @ 2PM – 6PM
Sip and stroll along 4th Street at the 6th Annual Hops & Vines Stroll in Downtown San Rafael. Discover craft beer, wine, spirits, and cider from local makers inside unique shops. Enjoy a vibrant community atmosphere and a charming cable car shuttle along the route.
Downtown San Rafael, 1000 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901
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october 17 @ 11am - 4PM
Experience The Wonder of Science at BASF 2026! 125+ jaw-dropping demonstrations, hands-on experiments, astounding games, stage performances, behind the scenes lab tours, film screenings and science talks. FREE for all attendees.
UCSF Mission Bay Campus, Koret Quad, San Francisco, CA
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october 17 @ 10am - 12pm
RSVP Required
Join us for a morning of live music, seasonal snacks and treats, making, playing, tinkering, and exploring across the Park Day campus. Younger visitors can also explore the Bay Area Discovery Museum’s Try-It-Truck and our playground. And with Halloween around the corner, stop by the pumpkin patch to pick out a pumpkin of your own.
Park Day School
360 42nd St. Oakland, CA
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october 17 @ 11am - 4pm
Spend the day at Cedar Rose Park enjoying live entertainment, interactive activities, food contests, and community booths hosted by City departments and local organizations. The festival also features a seed swap and a variety of hands-on experiences for children and adults alike.
Cedar Rose Park
1300 Rose St. Berkeley, CA 94702
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october 18 @ 10am - 2pm
Celebrate the fall harvest with the whole family at Connolly Ranch! Enjoy a day of meeting farm animals, exploring the gardens, engaging in hands-on activities with community partners, and savoring delicious food. A perfect way to connect and welcome the changing season.
Connolly Ranch Education Center, 3141 Browns Valley Road, Napa, CA 94558
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october 22 - 25 @ 10am - 2pm
Celebrating 18 years of cinematic storytelling, this premiere Bay Area festival showcases over 150 world-class short films across multiple genres at Santana Row.
Cinemark CineArts Santana Row, 3088 Olsen Drive, San Jose, CA 95128
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image source: Visit San Jose, ‘Jim Henson's Labyrinth: In Concert,’ accessed 10.15.2026.
october 22 @ 8pm
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the cult classic with a screening accompanied by a live band performing the iconic soundtrack in sync with David Bowie's vocals.
San Jose Civic, 135 West San Carlos Street, San Jose, CA 95113
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october 24 @ 1pm - 3PM
Enjoy a family-friendly Halloween celebration in Downtown San Rafael! Trick-or-treat at participating Fourth Street merchants, show off your pet's outfit in the costume contest, enjoy Trunk or Treat with the SR Police, and spin the prize wheel for a festive afternoon.
4th Street, Downtown San Rafael, CA 94901
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image source: Discover Santa Clara, ‘Children's SpooktaClara Halloween Party,’ accessed 10.15.2026.
october 24 @ 12pm - 4pm
A festive, family-friendly Halloween celebration in Santa Clara featuring a Pumpkin Walk, carnival games, crafts, live music, and trick-or-treating for kids ages 10 and under.
Central Park, 909 Kiely Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95051
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image source: Visit San Jose, ‘Harvest Celebration,’ accessed 10.15.2026.
october 25 @ 5:30pm-8:30pm
An intimate autumn wine-paired dinner nestled in New Almaden, featuring seasonal course creations by Chef Matt Close matched with award-winning estate wines.
Alamitos Vineyards, 23505 Alamitos Road, San Jose, CA 95120
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october 25 @ 9:45 AM (Arrival) – 10:30 AM (Launch)
Witches and warlocks are returning to the Napa River! Don your best costume and join the festive procession on a kayak, canoe, or paddleboard. The group will launch from the Main Street Dock and paddle to Oxbow and back for a spectacularly spooky morning on the water.
Napa's Main Street Dock, Napa, CA
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october 25 @ 10aM – 4PM
Celebrate agricultural heritage at the Geyserville Fall Colors Festival & Vintage Car Show! Enjoy a pancake breakfast, browse fabulous vintage cars and craft vendors, savor great food, and watch Ballet Folklorico performances. A fun-filled day for the whole family.
Downtown Geyserville, Geyserville, CA
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october 25 @ 11am - 5pm
Calling all furry friends and spooky souls—it’s time to paw-ty! Bark at SPARK: Howl-O-Ween! 🎃 is a celebration of pups, people, and community. Come meet fellow dog lovers, make new friends, and let your four-legged bestie make some new friends of their own—all while enjoying a day of Halloween fun, festive activities, and tail-wagging fun.
SPARK Social SF, 601 Mission Bay Blvd North, San Francisco, CA 94158
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image source: Visit San Jose, ‘Trick-or-Treat The Row Halloween Family Festival,’ accessed 10.15.2026.
october 27 @ 10am-12pm
A vibrant, community-focused Halloween festival offering trick-or-treating, live entertainment, stilt-walkers, balloon twisting, and pumpkin decorating.
Santana Row, 377 Santana Row, San Jose, CA 95128
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weekends through oct. 31
@ 9am - 5:30PM
Fall is just around the corner, and we’re excited to share a great local opportunity for families to enjoy a seasonal tradition while supporting our schools. 100% of pumpkin sales benefit Cornell Elementary in Albany.
Westbrae Nursery
1272 Gilman St. Berkeley, CA
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october 31 @ 3 - 5pm
Come in your costume and join us for a super fun Halloween festival and trick or treating - magic shows, face painting, scary hair booth, arts and crafts, live music and trick or treating at 80 merchants shops all for FREE!
Fourth Street Shops
1776 Fourth Street, Berkeley CA 94710
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A spooky and festive autumn cocktail featuring red wine, brandy, and tart fruit juices, layered with seasonal fruit garnishes. Perfect for bringing a playful, eerie vibe to Halloween gatherings across the Bay Area.
image source: Delish, ‘Halloween Sangria Recipe,’ accessed 10.15.2026.
View recipe ↗
A spooky Halloween treat featuring a rich almond-buttermilk cake injected with tart cherry "blood" sauce and topped with whipped cream for a gory finish.
image source: Delish, ‘Vampire Poke Cake Recipe,’ accessed 10.15.2026.
View recipe ↗
When it comes to metabolism, the focus tends to be on what or how much you eat, but rarely on the timing. Meal timing—including when you eat lunch—may affect important aspects of metabolic health, including hunger hormones and blood sugar levels, throughout the day.
Read more ↗
Gas and Bloating,’ accessed 10.14.2026.
Yoga poses to relieve gas and bloating stretch and massage the abdominal organs. You can do the following moves with or without a mat to ease discomfort.
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