October is Peak Fire Season |
Wildfires are a year-round concern in the East Bay, but fire risks are greatest in the fall, when vegetation is at its driest and offshore Diablo winds are common. Please be aware of fire hazards, restrictions, and Red Flag Warnings, and follow all fire safety rules.
• No smoking or vaping in parks. • No fireworks. • Report fire hazards and call 911 if you see an active fire.
To learn more about current fire danger levels, visit Fire Danger Levels and Restrictions. |
Park District to Receive $400,000 in State Funding for Stock Pond Restoration Projects to Reduce Wildfire Risk and Improve Habitat |
Good news for wildfire prevention in the East Bay: The newly approved State budget includes $400,000 for the East Bay Regional Park District to restore livestock ponds across our grazed grasslands.
The Park District uses targeted grazing on more than 87,000 acres to help manage vegetation and reduce wildfire risk. Healthy, reliable stock ponds are essential to keeping grazing animals hydrated allows them to roam farther into open space. Restoring these ponds also benefits the surrounding ecosystem by improving freshwater habitat for native plants, amphibians, birds, and other wildlife that depend on pond environments to thrive. Learn more. |
Golden Mussels Detected at Del Valle |
Golden mussels, recently detected at Lake Del Valle, are highly invasive and can spread quickly by attaching to boats, trailers, equipment, and aquatic plants. Boaters can help prevent their spread by remembering to clean, drain, and dry all watercraft and equipment after leaving the water. New boat quarantine rules are in effect. Learn more. |
Get a Preview of Doolan Canyon Regional Preserve: Oct. 3 |
Join Park District staff on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 8:30 to 11:30am, for an update on Doolan Canyon Regional Preserve in Livermore. Registration required.
Chat with staff about the land-use study that's underway and learn about potential public access opportunities. An optional 1.5-mile guided walk will depart the staging area after a brief welcome and trek to the preserve for a brief look at this protected open space. Space is limited. Learn more. |
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Celebrate 50 Years of the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail: Oct. 10 |
Join the East Bay Regional Park District in celebrating 50 years of community at the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail Open House and Exhibit Preview. Enjoy the open house on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 9 to 11am, at the Lafayette Community Center's Jennifer Russell Building. Don't miss the special presentation and unveiling ceremony at 10am. Preview new interpretive history panels before they are installed along the 7.65 miles of trail. Learn more. |
October Pink Patch Program Raises Breast Cancer Early Detection Awareness |
In October, the East Bay Regional Park District’s Police Department participates in the Pink Patch Project to increase awareness about the importance of early detection and treatment in the fight against breast cancer. Park District Police Department officers don a pink version of their agency's patch to show support for the program.
A limited number of commemorative pink patches are available to purchase, with all profits supporting the HERS Breast Cancer Foundation.
To purchase by mail, send $10 cash or check payable to HERS Breast Cancer Foundation to the Park District Police Department at the address below. Please include the number of patches you would like with your payment. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
EBRPD Police Attn: Pink Patch 17930 Lake Chabot Road Castro Valley, CA 94546 |
Hispanic Heritage Month Programs |
Celebrate the final weeks of Hispanic Heritage Month with special bilingual programs at Black Diamond Mines, a Hispanic Heritage Celebration at the Brazilian Room, and a community altar honoring DÃa de los Muertos.
Spanish/English Bilingual Coal Mine Experience at Big Break: Oct. 3 & 10 Experience an underground, self-paced walk and examine the layers of sediment from below. Safely explore the dangerous work of coal mining through exhibits and understand how the local mines powered the growth of the Bay Area.
Bilingual Coal Mine Experience Schedule: 10:30-11am 11:30am-noon 1:30-2pm
Brazilian Room Hispanic Heritage Celebration: Oct. 20, 4-8pm Explore the beauty of the historic Brazilian Room in Tilden Regional Park at the Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration. Enjoy special performances, connect with event professionals, and sample traditional and contemporary dishes representing various Latin American cultures.
DÃa de los Muertos Community Altar at Crab Cove: Oct 21-25 & Oct 28-Nov 1 Join us at the Crab Cove Visitor Center and contribute to our community altar in observance of DÃa De Los Muertos/Day of the Dead. Honor a loved one by bringing a small photo to glue onto or decorate a paper frame or write their name on a butterfly. |
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Fall Plant Sale at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden: Oct. 3 |
Mark your calendar for the Regional Parks Botanic Garden's annual fall plant sale on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 10am to 2pm. The sale will feature a wide array of California native plants propagated and grown from the Botanic Garden collection. More info. |
Gathering of Ohlone Peoples at Coyote Hills: Oct. 4 |
Immerse yourself in the rich heritage of local Indigenous Peoples. Join Ohlone community members from diverse tribes on Sunday, Oct. 4, from 11am to 3pm, as they bring their culture to life through music, song, dance, and storytelling. Come together to learn, celebrate, and honor the original stewards of this land. More info. |
Ardenwood Harvest Festival: Oct. 10 & 11 |
Enjoy old-time country fun at Ardenwood Historic Farm on Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11, from 10am to 4pm. Help harvest this year’s crop of flint corn and popcorn for Ardenwood programs and animals. Outside the field, enjoy seasonal activities, cider pressing, old-time music, and historic crafts. Ride a narrow-gauge train and learn what late-nineteenth-century life was like on a tour of the beautifully restored farmhouse. Bring a bag to take home harvested corn (one bag per person).
Advance tickets are recommended and available for purchase online or by phone. Online ticket sales end on Friday, Oct. 9. Purchase tickets online. |
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Sunol Heritage Festival:
Oct. 17 |
Celebrate the diverse heritage of the Sunol Wilderness at the Sunol Heritage Festival on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 11am to 3pm. Enjoy live music, Ohlone storytelling, crafts, and traditions, and all kinds of old-timey ranch activities and games. Bring a picnic to enjoy in the park! This is a free event with a $5 parking fee. More info. |
All Abilities Day at Big Break: Oct. 20 |
Explore nature at your own pace and in your own way at Big Break’s All Abilities Day on Tuesday, Oct. 20, from 10am to 1pm. This free drop-in program is inclusive, offering something for people of all abilities. Travel along paved trails to visit stations to touch fur, listen to birds, draw wildlife, sit on benches to scan the water, or paint the view. American Sign Language and Spanish interpreters will be on-site. More info. |
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Thank You for Another Successful Coastal Cleanup Day |
On Saturday, Sept. 19, nearly 1,300 participants collected more than 7,000 pounds of trash at Park District shoreline, lake, and park locations during the annual Coastal Cleanup events. Some locations had less trash than in previous years, thanks in part to other cleanups held throughout the year. Participants at those locations focused on removing microtrash and plastics, which wildlife can mistake for food. At Point Pinole, volunteers also removed invasive Salsola soda. Thanks to everyone who helped clean up parks and shorelines and support healthy habitats for plants, wildlife and people. |
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A Million Reasons to Give to the Regional Parks Foundation |
There are a million reasons to love East Bay Regional Parks: a child’s first glimpse of a deer, a teenager learning to swim, a family finding time to be together. The Regional Parks Foundation’s annual year-end drive helps protect precious habitats and expand opportunities for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to experience their parks. Make a special year-end gift today and help raise $1 million for the future of East Bay Regional Parks. Be One-in-a-Million. |
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Each year, Ardenwood comes alive in October, with visitors looking for the perfect pumpkin at the community pumpkin patch and rides on the spooky Haunted Train.
Ardenwood’s Pumpkin Patch: Saturdays and Sundays in October, 10am-4pm The pumpkin patch at Ardenwood is operated by Dig Deep Farms, which also offers arts, crafts, and games. Pumpkin patch admission is separate from admission to Ardenwood Historic Farm. More info.
Ardenwood's Haunted Train: Oct. 16-18 & 23-25 Enjoy nighttime train rides through Ardenwood Historic Farm's haunted forest, which is spooky – not scary – and designed for children under 12. Tickets must be purchased online in advance. Purchase tickets online. |
Free Family Movie Night at Contra Loma: Oct. 3 |
Head to Contra Loma Regional Park on Saturday, Oct. 3, for a free showing of the hit movie Super Mario Galaxy Movie, rated PG with a run time of 1hr 38min. The movie begins shortly after sunset (7:15pm). Arrive early to secure a good seat on the lawn. Bring a flashlight, warm clothes, and a blanket or chairs for sitting. No pets. Rain cancels. More info. |
Tule Boats Float at Coyote Hills: Oct. 18 |
Tule is a wonderful plant Ohlone Peoples traditionally used – and continue to use today – for housing material, sleeping, cordage, and more. At the Coyote Hills Visitor Center on Sunday, Oct. 18, from 10 to 11am, visitors can build their own miniature tule boat and see how well this unassuming plant can float and transport valuable cargo. More info. |
Halloween Community Campfire at Del Valle: Oct. 24 |
Explore the wonders of Del Valle Regional Park at dusk through activities, songs, a campfire, sweet treats, and s’mores, of course. Stop by the Visitor Center in your Halloween costume on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 4 to 7pm, to learn how creepy animals are actually pretty cool and see some of them up close, if you dare! More info. |
Autumn Open House Weekend at Black Diamond Mines:
Oct 24 & 25 |
At the Black Diamond Mines Autumn Open House Weekend on Saturday, Oct. 24 and Sunday, Oct. 25, visitors can hear stories from the mining past and explore the underground workings left behind.
Free Coal Mine Experience staff-led tours will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis, with a maximum of 20 participants per tour. No advanced registration and no waitlists. Must be at least age 7 to tour the mine. Parent participation required.
The underground Greathouse Visitor Center will also be open and additional activities will be available for those unable to join tours.
Coal Mine Experience Schedule: 10:30-11am 11:30am-noon 1:30-2pm 2:30-3pm More info. |
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Oaks, Acorns, and Friends at Huckleberry: Oct. 25 |
Head to Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve's Skyline Staging Area on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 9 to 11:30am, for an adventure among the trees. Learn about one of the oak’s closest relatives, the golden chinquapin, and other fascinating plants on this steep loop hike. More info. |
Family Friendly Tour - California Native People and Plants at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden: Oct. 25 |
Visit the Regional Parks Botanic Garden for a special family-friendly tour that highlights Indigenous heritage and California native plants on Thursday, Oct. 15, from 2 to 3pm. On this docent-led tour, grind acorns, wash your hands with soap root, play the staves game, and see artifacts and the plants that were used to make them. Meet in front of the Botanic Garden Visitor Center. More info. |
Garden Helpers, Scarecrow Edition at Tilden Nature Area: Oct. 25 |
On Sunday, Oct. 25, from 1 to 2pm, help build the scarecrow that will watch over the Tilden Nature Area garden this season. Will he be spooky or friendly? Help dress him and stuff him full of straw. Meet at the garden by the Little Farm. More info. |
Nature Photography Exhibit Opening Reception at Big Break: Oct. 31 |
Join us at the opening reception of Big Break's annual Celebrating Your Regional Parks Nature Photography Exhibit. On Saturday, Oct. 31, from 11am to 1pm, mingle with the local photographers who will have their nature photos on display. The photography exhibit can also be viewed anytime during the Visitor Center's open hours, Wednesday, Oct. 30, through Sunday, Nov. 8, from 10am to 4pm. More info. |
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Connecting Parks to People |
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