This edition is for the birders, the matcha mavens, the fall fans and the fellow Swifties listening to “The Life of a Showgirl” (again).
With the onset of October, we’ve got a new guide to events happening around the region this month. That includes food and drink festivities like the Upscale Pub Crawl in Redwood City or Chocolate Fest in Belmont, cultural celebrations like the Mid-Autumn Festival and Diwali, fall-themed events and much more.
October also marks the centennial celebration for the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance, a Cupertino-based nonprofit that works to help birds and educate the community about their needs. The organization also holds public bird walks and an online speaker series, and it teaches Santa Clara County elementary school students about the importance of wetlands and the wildlife that call it home. Magali Gauthier writes about the nonprofit’s centennial and the free avian activities you can check out to celebrate all month long.
And Edwina Dueñas has the story of how more matcha cafes are coming to the Peninsula despite an ongoing shortage of TikTok’s tea powder of choice.
Happy start of spooky season,
Julia Brown
Six Fifty Editor
editor@thesixfifty.com
From fall festivals to artisan markets, here’s what’s happening around Silicon Valley in October
October means 31 days of fall festivities, including the hallmark Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, cultural celebrations like the Mid-Autumn Festival and Diwali and annual culinary events like the Upscale Pub Crawl and Chocolate Fest.
Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance celebrates a major milestone with a month of free avian activities
The Cupertino nonprofit is celebrating its centennial with a month of free activities open to the public as well as member-exclusive events. Festivities kick off Oct. 4 with the Wildlife Fair.
How new Peninsula cafes are handling the matcha shortage to meet customer demand
Matcha has reached a fever pitch in today’s culinary world, and more matcha-focused cafes are cropping up on the Peninsula — even with an ongoing shortage of the green-hued tea powder.
Congrats to Regina G., who was the first reader to correctly identify where last week’s photo was taken (it’s Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Colma!).
The first person to reply to this email with the correct place where the below photo was taken will win a prize from The Six Fifty and a shoutout in our next newsletter!
Nightfall at Filoli: Oct. 3-Nov. 10 Glowing mushrooms, a meadow full of pumpkins, spooky scarecrows and more await visitors to Filoli after dark during its Nightfall takeover, during which folks can stroll the estate by moonlight and find seasonal fun.
Lee Herrick: Oct. 4 California Poet Laureate Lee Herrick presents an afternoon of poetry for all ages, inviting families to listen, learn and try writing some poems of their own. According to Linden Tree’s website, Herrick’s work explores identity, community and hope.
Scholastic Community Book Fair: Through Oct. 5 Channel your childhood as the South San Francisco Public Library hosts a four-day Scholastic Book Fair with books for all ages. Proceeds benefit South City schools.
FabMo Artisans Market: Oct. 5 Check out the handcrafted treasures made from fabric and other materials cleverly repurposed from samples sourced from design showrooms in San Francisco (and saved from the landfill), on sale at FabMo’s annual public artisans market.
Full Moon Market: Oct. 6 Little Green A Plant Bar features a spooky and whimsical pop-up market in honor of the full moon. Find crystals, candles, tarot readings and more.
Upscale Pub Crawl: Oct. 8 Redwood City Library Foundation’s fourth annual Upscale Pub Crawl is a fundraiser in conjunction with Banned Books Week. Participants stroll through downtown Redwood City, with 16 establishments offering discounted drinks and featuring a banned book and information about censorship.
San Carlos Art & Wine Faire: Oct. 11-12 Find art by more than 200 artists, food, wine, live entertainment and a family fun zone at the annual San Carlos Art & Wine Faire.
Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women: Through Oct. 12 Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March are back on stage in a new play by Lauren Gunderson, presented by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.
Plan Ahead:
Murder for Two: Oct. 9-Nov. 2 A cast of just two hardworking actors bring to life (no pun intended) a zany crew of characters in this madcap musical murder mystery, staged by Hillbarn Theatre.
The B-52s and Devo: Oct. 16 New wave legends The B-52s and Devo come to Mountain View for the “Cosmic De-evolution Tour.”
United Nations Association Film Festival: Oct. 16-26 The annual film festival this year has a theme of “Messages for the Future,” with screenings in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, Stanford and San Francisco.
Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival: Oct. 18-19 The “world pumpkin capital” holds its annual celebration of the mighty autumn gourd, featuring a pumpkin parade, harvest-inspired arts and crafts, live music, pumpkin sculpting, pumpkin-flavored food and drinks and more.
Halloween at Gamble Garden: Oct. 26 Meet Eloise the opossum and other animal guests from Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo at Gamble Garden’s Halloween event, which also includes face painting, crafts, a scavenger hunt and more.
An Evening with Joan Baez: Oct. 29 Iconic singer and activist Joan Baez will discuss her memories of the early days of Kepler’s at a fundraiser celebrating the 70th birthday of the beloved bookstore.
Laser ABBA: Nov. 1 Among the many offerings from De Anza College’s Fujitsu Planetarium is a laser show featuring hits by the Swedish supergroup such as “Dancing Queen” and “Mamma Mia” set to a dazzling light display.
The Raven at Windy Hill: Nov. 1 Learn about ravens and listen to Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem “The Raven” while taking a leisurely walk led by Midpen docent naturalists at Windy Hill Preserve.
Dı́a de los Muertos: Nov. 2 Redwood City’s annual Dı́a de los Muertos celebration includes a speech and procession, ceremonial altars made by community members, food vendors, live entertainment, face painting and more.
Pretty nuts: Pick your way through the Peninsula’s hidden chestnut farm
La Honda’s Skyline Chestnuts is the last of its kind in the Bay Area
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