OCTOBER 12–18, 2026
Lisa’s Neighborhood Briefing: October 12–18
Pumpkin season, Diwali, local stories—and a few good reasons to explore.
Hi friends,
October is giving us plenty of reasons to get out, meet a neighbor and try something new. From the coast to Silicon Valley, this week brings big celebrations and smaller discoveries worth making time for.
Explore 18 event picks below, plus community notes, a home-preparedness reminder and weekly farmers markets. Choose a few favorites and enjoy the week ahead.
This week on the Peninsula & beyond
Monday, October 12
World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off · Half Moon Bay
From 7am; weighing expected to finish around 11am
IDES Grounds, 735 Main Street. See the giant contenders reach the scales. Spectators are welcome; awards follow the weighing.
Indigenous Peoples Day · San Francisco
Noon–4pm
Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission between 3rd and 4th. A free gathering of Native art, music and culture, including a special performance by Jeremy Dutcher.
Wednesday, October 14
Filipino cooking: vegan sinigang · Online
5:30–6:30pm
Menlo Park Library via Zoom. Cook along with RG Enriquez-Diez of Astig Vegan. Free; register for the link and download the recipe ahead of time.
Thursday, October 15
Make & Take Thursday · Redwood City
Noon–2pm
Center for Creativity, 800 Main Street. Drop in for a free creative project with supplies provided. Allow roughly 30–45 minutes to make something to take home.
Richard Howell’s John Coltrane Tribute · San Francisco
12:30–1:30pm
Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission between 3rd and 4th. A free outdoor lunchtime concert celebrating Coltrane’s music.
UNAFF opening night · Palo Alto
Reception 5:30pm; remarks 6pm; films from 6:30pm
Mitchell Park Community Center, 3700 Middlefield Road. The documentary festival opens its October 15–25 run. Opening reception and session: $60. Regular sessions are $19; students with valid ID attend free.
San Francisco Fall Show · San Francisco
October 15–17, 10:30am–7pm; October 18, 11am–5pm
Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason, 2 Marina Boulevard. Explore art, antiques and design, with a separate program of talks. Paid admission; choose show-day and lecture tickets on the organizer’s site.
Friday, October 16
Ranger night hike · Cupertino
7–8:30pm
McClellan Ranch Preserve, 22221 McClellan Road. Explore about a mile of trails and paths after dark. Bring a flashlight, walking shoes and a warm jacket. Everyone must register; children need an adult. $10 residents / $13 nonresidents.
Saturday, October 17
Art & Pumpkin Festival · Half Moon Bay
October 17–18, 9am–5pm both days
Main Street, between Miramontes and Spruce. Art, music and pumpkin season fill downtown. Free admission; food and purchases extra. Saturday’s parade starts at noon. Service animals only.
Introduction to vegetable gardening · Palo Alto
9:30–11am
Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley Street. Learn practical growing basics in a workshop for adults and teens. Supplies included; bring gloves. $40 general / $32 members; registration required.
Campbell Oktoberfest · Campbell
October 17, 10am–6pm; October 18, 10am–5pm
Downtown Campbell, East Campbell Avenue. A weekend of music, food and festival browsing. Admission is free; food, drinks and activities cost extra. Service animals only.
Bay Area Diwali · Cupertino
11am–6pm
Memorial Park, 10185 North Stelling Road. The Festival of Lights brings the community together for an all-ages celebration. Check the organizer’s page for the latest program.
Starlab planetarium · San Carlos
1:30pm and 2:30pm; 30-minute sessions
Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Road. Explore the night sky inside an inflatable planetarium. Ages 5+ recommended; entry requires crawling through a short tunnel. $5 / $4 members, plus museum admission; limited day-of tickets.
Joe Bataan · San Francisco
2–4:30pm
Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission between 3rd and 4th. A free outdoor afternoon of Latin soul, with an opening set by MeloDious. The pre-show DJ set starts at 1pm.
Zootoberfest · San Francisco
October 17–18, 1–3pm
Leaping Lemur Café, San Francisco Zoo. Live Oktoberfest music accompanies German-inspired menus and beer specials. Plan for zoo admission and food or drink purchases.
Sunday, October 18
Robot Roundup · San Carlos
11am–noon
Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Road. Young learners explore coding and sequencing with VEX 123 robots. Included with museum admission; members free.
Garden tour · Palo Alto
11am–noon
Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley Street. A free guided outdoor walk for adults and children 10+. Expect about half a mile; this is a garden tour, not a house tour.
Escher String Quartet · Burlingame
7pm concert; 6pm pre-concert talk
Kohl Mansion, 2750 Adeline Drive. An evening of chamber music, followed by a wine-and-dessert reception. $68 adults / $65 ages 62+ / $30 ages 30 and under, including fees.
Two dates to put on the calendar
Autumn floral design: register by Monday
October 12 registration deadline; class October 17, 9:30–11:30am
Gamble Garden, Palo Alto. Make a seasonal arrangement with materials included. Bring clippers. $185 general / $148 members. Reserve by Monday if this is your Saturday plan.
Looking ahead: Lit Crawl
Saturday, October 24
San Francisco’s Mission District. The free literary crawl returns the following weekend. Keep the evening open and check the organizer’s schedule as it is released.
Art, access and new perspectives
Disabilities Arts Showcase reception
Friday, October 16 · 10am–1pm
Center for Creativity, 800 Main Street, Redwood City. Meet artists and celebrate work from San Mateo County’s disability community at the 18th annual showcase. Free and open to the public.
A community conversation at UNAFF
Sunday, October 18 · 4:30pm
Mitchell Park Community Center, Palo Alto. The festival’s free panel, “Communities Between Homelessness and Extreme Wealth,” brings a local lens to questions about community and housing. Check the schedule for panel details.
Meet the people behind the books
Indie Author Fest
Saturday, October 17 · 10am–3:30pm
Millbrae Library, 1 Library Avenue. Browse books from 40 Bay Area authors, join publishing conversations, and meet fellow readers. Free, with no ticket required. A welcoming stop for readers and aspiring writers alike.
One minute for a more prepared home
The Great California ShakeOut
Thursday, October 15 · 10:15am
At home, school or work. Join the statewide earthquake drill: Drop, Cover and Hold On. Use the reminder to review your household plan and check your emergency supplies. Follow Cal OES guidance for your setting and mobility needs.
Farmers markets, by day
Tuesday
3–7pm · 194 West 25th Avenue
Thursday
3–7pm · Park Road, between Burlingame and Howard avenues
Saturday
8am–1pm · Broadway, 200–300 blocks
8am–1pm · Arguello Street, between Broadway and Brewster
9am–1pm · 1700 West Hillsdale Boulevard
9am–1pm · 1010 Metro Center Boulevard
8am–noon · Gilman Street, between Forest and Hamilton
Sunday
9am–1pm · El Camino Real at O’Neill Avenue
9am–1pm · Park Road
9am–1pm · Chestnut Street at Crane Street
9am–2pm · 222 East 4th Avenue
9am–1pm · California Avenue
9am–1pm · Caltrain station, 600 West Evelyn Avenue