October might be one of the best months to live in the North Bay. Harvest is in full swing, the weather is starting to change, downtowns are filling up with fall festivals, and Halloween gives everyone an excuse to do something a little different.
From a night at “Woodsboro High” in Sonoma to watching the Blue Angels from the Bay, stomping grapes in Napa Valley, classic cars taking over downtown Novato and a brand-new Hallowine Walk in Yountville, there is a lot happening before the month is over.
We narrowed it down to 15 events across Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties worth putting on your October calendar.
- Catch the final days of the Mill Valley Film Festival
Through October 11 | Marin County
The 49th Mill Valley Film Festival turns Marin into a celebration of independent and international film, with screenings, premieres, filmmaker conversations and special events throughout Mill Valley, San Rafael and Larkspur. If you have never actually attended despite living nearby, this might be the year to change that.
- Watch the Blue Angels from the water
October 9 | Tiburon
Fleet Week looks a little different from the middle of San Francisco Bay. The Angel Island-Tiburon Ferry is offering an approximately two-hour Blue Angels cruise departing Tiburon, giving passengers a front-row perspective as the air show happens overhead.
- Watch downtown Novato go back in time
October 9–10 | Novato
The 30th Annual Nostalgia Days starts Friday with a police-escorted Hot Rod Cruise and continues Saturday when hundreds of classics, hot rods, trucks and motorcycles take over seven blocks of Grant Avenue. Add live music and free admission, and this one has an old-school small-town feel that is hard to beat.
- Taste the best of Sonoma County harvest
October 10 | Santa Rosa
The Sonoma County Harvest Fair Awards Gala brings together award-winning local wines and food for one big harvest celebration at the fairgrounds. More than 100 wineries are expected to pour, with the evening culminating in the live announcement of the Sweepstakes wine winners.
- Raise a stein in Corte Madera
October 10 | Corte Madera
Old Corte Madera Square gets the Oktoberfest treatment with beer, live music, local food and plenty for the kids, including games, crafts and face painting. It is a nice change of pace if your idea of fall involves more beer garden than wine tasting.
- Spend Sunday afternoon at Healdsburg Crush
October 11 | Healdsburg
More than 60 California producers will gather at Bacchus Landing for an afternoon centered around Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wine. Even better, Healdsburg Crush benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin, so there is a good cause behind all that wine tasting.
- Stomp some grapes in St. Helena
October 16 | Napa County
If you have ever wanted the full harvest-season experience, V. Sattui’s Crush Party gets pretty close. There is an old-fashioned grape stomp, live music, dancing, food from the winery’s live-fire grill and pizza ovens, and more than 45 wines to taste throughout the evening.
- Discover what makes the Petaluma Gap different
October 17 | Petaluma
The Wind to Wine Festival heads to the historic Gambonini Family Ranch with more than 20 Petaluma Gap wineries, artisan cheese and charcuterie, paella, live music and vineyard views. It is also a rare opportunity to visit the historic ranch while tasting wines grown in one of Sonoma County’s most distinctive wine regions.
- Make a day of St. Helena’s Hometown Harvest
October 17 | St. Helena
For something less wine-focused, the Hometown Harvest Festival brings live music, food, arts and crafts, a kids zone, wine and beer to St. Helena. And because it is October, even the pets get involved with the annual Halloween Pet PAWrade.
- Spend Saturday night laughing with John Mulaney
October 17 | Napa
Harvest festivals aren’t the only thing happening in Napa Valley this month. John Mulaney brings his Mister Whatever tour to the outdoor Blue Note Napa Summer Sessions at The Meritage Resort, giving you a completely different reason to head to Napa for the evening.
- Try something completely different in Calistoga
October 23 | Calistoga
Festival Napa Valley and the Brannan Center are presenting composer and pianist Eleanor Alberga with The Green Room Ensemble for an evening of chamber music that includes both U.S. and world premieres. With choose-your-price tickets starting at $5, it is also an unusually accessible opportunity to experience a world-class classical performance.
- Put on a costume and go wine tasting
October 24 | Yountville
Here is Napa County’s spooky pick. The inaugural Yountville Hallowine Walk combines Halloween, wine and downtown Yountville into one afternoon. Guests check in, grab a tasting map and make their way between participating wineries, tasting rooms, restaurants and businesses along Washington Street. Costumes are encouraged.
- Spend a fall Sunday in Geyserville
October 25 | Geyserville
The Geyserville Fall Colors Festival & Vintage Car Show is the kind of event that feels made for locals. There is a firefighters’ pancake breakfast, vintage cars, local food, crafts, music, children’s activities and plenty happening throughout downtown.
- Spend the night inside Woodsboro High
October 30 | Sonoma
This might be the most unusual event on our entire list.
For the 30th anniversary of Scream, fans have the opportunity to spend the night inside the Sonoma Community Center, whose halls appeared as Woodsboro High. The evening begins with a screening before moving into Ghostface races, midnight food, nighttime photo opportunities, interactive activities and even the reveal of a paranormal investigation of the building.
The organizers say this overnight experience is being offered once for the anniversary, with no plans to repeat it. Definitely our spooky Sonoma County pick.
- Finish October with Halloween in Larkspur
October 31 | Larkspur
Marin County gets the last word on Halloween with the Halloween Spectacular at Marin Country Mart. There will be trick-or-treating throughout the shops, a costume contest and the reveal of the winner of its giant-pumpkin weight contest. It’s an easy daytime Halloween outing before the evening festivities begin.
The Pacific Direct Mortgage Bottom Line
We spend plenty of time talking about real estate around here, but one of the best parts of living and working in the North Bay is everything happening outside our front doors.
October gives us harvest season, wine, food, film, music, classic cars, community festivals and just enough Halloween weirdness to keep things interesting.
So pick a county, grab a friend or the family, and get out there. There are still plenty of reasons to enjoy October before it disappears.
