Working historic farm. Patterson House tours and train rides run Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays through mid-November and are included with admission. Free parking.
Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-4pm
Cost
Thu, Fri, Sun: $6 adults, $5 seniors (62+), $4 children (4-17); Tue, Wed, Sat: $4/$3/$2; under 4 free
Former mining district in the Mount Diablo Coal Field, now nearly 8,533 acres for hiking, picnicking and nature study. The Greathouse Visitor Center is open Fridays 10am-2pm and weekends 10am-4pm.
Boat-in-only wilderness park on Lake Berryessa with rustic camping and a limited trail system. No campfires and no potable water. Capell Cove boat launch is currently closed except by Special Event Permit.
Farm-fresh produce and local food in a downtown city parking lot. CalFresh shoppers get double benefits for fruits and vegetables. No pets except trained service animals.
On Sundays a 3.8-mile stretch of Cañada Road, between the Filoli entrance and Highway 92, closes to cars for cycling, walking, jogging and roller-skating.
Bayside park for picnicking, swimming, windsurfing, cycling, fishing and sailing, with a beach promenade, marina, saltwater marsh and views of SFO planes. The Magic Mountain Playground and the picnic area around it are closed for construction; the new playground is expected to open in spring 2027.
Cost
$6 vehicle entry. Vehicle entry fee waived for veterans and placard holders, and for seniors 62+ on non-holiday weekdays.
Paved multi-use trail on a former stretch of Highway 1, with benches, observation scopes and interpretive signs above the Pacific. Separate lanes for walkers and cyclists.
4,163 acres on a former mercury mining site, with over 37 miles of trails, historic mining remnants and the Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum. No entry fee.
Cellar and tank tastings of Di Arie's new 2026 vintages with small bites, and a rare chance to visit the winery itself. The event is at the Mt. Aukum winery, not the Plymouth tasting room; the winery advises avoiding Upton Road, which is closed to the public.
Dates
Oct 24, 2026
Hours
11am-4pm
Cost
Free; reservations required at (530) 620-6500
Where
Di Arie Winery, 5200 Di Arie Road, Mt. Aukum, CA 95656
Lighting of the 65-foot fresh-cut Christmas tree at The Shops at Heavenly Village, hosted by Senator Alexandra Duarte and Sheriff Jeff Leikauf, with a live performance by Mark Mackay. Afterward, Santa lights the tree daily at 5:30pm through Christmas. Parking in the Bellamy Way garage.
Apple Hill farm market open year-round, with fresh pastries, pies, cider and produce, BBQ lunch, wines and hard ciders. Leashed dogs are welcome on the property, but not in the open market.
Hours
Daily 7:30am-6pm; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
Halloween haunted house at the 1908 Watson Cabin, the oldest log structure remaining in the North Lake Tahoe area, from the North Lake Tahoe Historical Society. Free 5th annual haunted house during the Tahoe City Trick or Treat event.
Biddy Mason: A Community Celebration of Her Legacy
Nov 7, 2026Free
Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum's free afternoon honoring Biddy Mason, with a talk, book signing and conversation for teens and adults, plus resource tables and a family craft activity in the lobby.
Dates
Nov 7, 2026
Hours
1-4pm (talk with author Dr. Kevin Waite at 1:15pm)
Cost
Free (does not include museum admission)
Where
California State Railroad Museum, 125 I Street, Sacramento
Sacramento's original certified farmers' market, running since 1980, with the region's biggest selection of produce, flowers, nuts, breads, eggs and honey. Open rain or shine; closed Christmas Day.
Hours
Sundays 8am-noon, year-round
Where
Under Hwy 50 at 6th St & W St, Sacramento, CA 95818
Screening of the documentary co-directed by Rajan Gill and Reaa Puri, a Yuba City story of community, resilience and celebration, followed by a panel with the director and others involved. Tickets at yubasutterarts.org.
Dates
Nov 6, 2026
Hours
Doors 5:30pm; film 6pm
Cost
$10
Where
Sutter Theater Center for the Arts, 754 Plumas Street, Yuba City, CA
Free opening reception for the Art Box Holiday Marketplace, featuring local artists, with 10% off during the reception. The marketplace stays open through Dec 19.
Dates
Nov 20, 2026
Hours
4:30-7pm
Cost
Free
Where
Sutter Theater Center for the Arts, 754 Plumas Street, Yuba City, CA
The story of the Yuba-Sutter region, from the Nisenan people to the Gold Rush, farming, floods and the area's many cultures, plus a handmade 3D relief map of the Sutter Buttes. Now showing Abuelita's Kitchen: Mexican Food Stories, through Nov 21.
Hours
Wed-Fri 9am-5pm; Sat noon-4pm; closed Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and the day after; occasional unexpected closures, call 530-822-7141 before visiting
Free, family-friendly open house at the Bohart Museum, home to about eight million insect specimens and a live petting zoo of hissing cockroaches, stick insects and tarantulas. UC Davis entomology students share their research. Weekend parking is free.
More than 600 acres of oak woodland, pine and riverside meadow in Cache Creek Canyon, a Wild and Scenic River. Hike the 5-mile Frog Pond loop or the steep 8-mile Blue Ridge Trail to Fiske Peak. No potable water and little cell service.
Free guided caravan along the auto tour route of more than 400 acres of reconstructed wetlands, oak woodland and native plants, with stops to watch birds. Registration required.
Hours
First Sundays, year-round, 9-11am
Cost
Free
Where
City of Davis Wastewater Treatment Plant, 45400 County Road 28H, Davis, CA 95616
Guided tours of the Warren P. Miller house, a Gothic Revival landmark, tracing Marysville from trading post to Gold Rush city through exhibits, artifacts and period furnishings. Free street parking nearby.
Hours
Tours Sat 1-4pm (the museum's FAQ also lists Fri 1-4pm) or by appointment; call (530) 743-1004 to confirm
A multimedia concert by songwriter and scholar Dr. Julian Saporiti that blends original music, storytelling, archival images, field recordings and historical research about Asian American communities, refugees and immigrants.
Dates
Nov 4, 2026
Hours
7:30pm
Cost
$20 general admission; $5 college students and under 18; free for UC Merced and Merced College students with ID
Where
The Art Kamangar Center at The Merced Theatre, 301 W. Main St., Merced, CA 95340
One of the Central Valley's few remaining intact native grassland, wetland and riparian woodland habitats, along the San Joaquin River, with bank fishing and a boat launch for personal watercraft.
Hours
8am-5pm
Cost
Free
Where
Highway 165, 1 mile south of Highway 140, Stevinson, CA
The 28th annual festival celebrates the cranes' return to the Delta with presentations, workshops, an art show, vendors and conservation exhibits, plus guided tours to crane-viewing sites (tour prices vary). Opening events Friday evening.
The Kiwanis Club of Greater Lodi's 29th annual parade fills downtown with more than 80 lighted floats, marching bands and dance troupes, ending with Santa on a Lodi fire truck. Arrive early; parking fills quickly.
Now showing Prism Play: A Full Spectrum of Art Quilts (through Jan 2), 62 works by Studio Art Quilt Associates members, and Our Sierra: Works by David & Vivian Patton (through Jan 23). Free for children 12 and under with an adult and for SNAP EBT cardholders plus up to 3 guests.
Hours
Tue-Sat 10am-5pm; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
Cost
$7; $5 seniors and students; children 12 and under free
Three loop trails covering about 5 miles through salt marsh, woodland and grassland, plus a visitor center. The slough is home to more than 100 southern sea otters and over 340 bird species.
An overwintering site for western monarch butterflies, which typically arrive in mid-October and leave in February; peak viewing is November through January. Museum docents are often there 11am-3pm, October through February, weather permitting. No pets.
Winter Wonderland at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Nov 26, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027Free
Free holiday admission to the Boardwalk: a tunnel of lights, festive decor, free light shows every 15 minutes from 5 to 8pm in the Main Plaza, photos with Santa and 10-15 rides (weather permitting), with $2 rides after 5pm.
Dates
Nov 26, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027
Hours
12-7pm: Nov 26-29; Dec 5-6 and 12-13; daily Dec 19-Jan 3
The 3rd annual Witches Walk brings live music by Triple Threat (4-7pm), the dancing Witches of West Point, food, games, crafts, face painting, a vendor fair, shopping and a 5pm costume contest in the auditorium with categories for adults, children and dogs.
A free, family-friendly Friday evening with live music from Green Broke, Italian Brothers Pizza and wines from the outdoor bar. Kids' activity table; picnic tables first come, first served. RSVP requested.
Dates
Oct 30, 2026
Hours
Doors and food truck 5:30pm; music 6-9pm
Cost
Free; RSVP requested
Where
D'Agostini Wines, 12557 Steiner Rd., Plymouth, CA 95669
Exhibits on Chico history in the downtown Carnegie Library building, including the Mechoopda, the Bidwells, the Chico Chinese Temple and Chico's natural history.
Hours
Thu-Sun 11am-4pm
Cost
Suggested admission $5 adults; $3 seniors, veterans and students; under 5 free
Exhibits on Oroville Dam, the area's geology, wildlife, hydropower and cultural artifacts, plus a theater, a 47-foot observation tower with lake views, and access to the Dan Beebe Trail.
A temple built in 1873 that is both a place of worship and a museum, with Confucian and Buddhist temples, Tapestry Hall's embroidered art and costumes, and a garden with bamboo planted in the 1860s.
Hours
Sat-Sun 11am-3pm; other days when volunteers are available
Free classic film screenings: The Maltese Falcon (Oct 27), Casablanca (Nov 10), Arsenic and Old Lace (Nov 24), Forrest Gump (PG-13, Dec 8) and Beauty and the Beast (G, Dec 22). Doors 5:30pm; concessions for purchase; assistive listening devices available.
Dates
Tuesdays Oct 27, Nov 10, Nov 24, Dec 8 and Dec 22, 2026
Hours
6pm
Cost
Free; donations appreciated
Where
Soper Reese Theatre, 275 South Main Street, Lakeport, CA 95453
Northern California Old Time Fiddlers Association players jam in the red barn on the first Sunday of each month; burgers, hot dogs, beer, wine and soda from the grill.
Dates
Sun Nov 1 and Sun Dec 6, 2026
Hours
Starts at noon (the calendar lists 12-1pm; the event description says the jam runs noon-2pm)
Cost
$5 (includes parking); free for Historical Society members and under 18
Where
Ely Stage Stop & Country Museum, 9921 Soda Bay Rd, Kelseyville, CA 95451
Grace Hudson's artwork, Pomo basketry and Carpenter-Hudson family history, the 1911 Sun House, and the current exhibition Deep Valley: People, Places, Memory (through Feb 7, 2027). Docent-led Sun House tours generally Fri-Sun 12-3pm.
Hours
Wed-Sat 10am-4:30pm; Sun 12-4:30pm
Cost
$7; $5 students and seniors; $15 families; free on first Fridays
Where
Grace Hudson Museum & Sun House, 431 South Main Street, Ukiah, CA 95482
The Future We Create: Legacy Giving for Arts in Nevada County
Oct 23, 2026Free
A free community conversation on legacy giving and the future of arts and culture in Nevada County, with panelists Janice Dunn, Huck Ingram, Scott Beesley, Julie Baker and Robin Garcia. Pizza by Bicycle Thief and wine by Szabo are provided.
Dates
Oct 23, 2026
Hours
5:30-7:30pm
Cost
Free; RSVP required
Where
The Center for the Arts, 314 W. Main St., Grass Valley, CA 95945
Buy and sell new and used winter gear for the whole family ahead of ski season, with local shop and resort reps on hand and a silent auction supporting the district's scholarship fund.
Dates
Nov 7, 2026
Hours
11am-4pm
Cost
Free for all ages
Where
Steve Randall Community Recreation Center, 10981 Truckee Way, Truckee, CA 96161
The 58th annual old-fashioned Christmas street faire turns Mill and Main Streets into a festive marketplace with twinkling lights, local artisans, seasonal treats, carolers, live music and hot cider, honoring Grass Valley's Cornish Gold Rush heritage.
