October Events in Marin

September 27, 2023

This October in Marin, you can find spooky-holiday-themed celebrations and pumpkin patches in our separate harvest events post. Look below for the monthly roundup of farm visits, walks, markets, nature talks, volunteer opportunities, and virtual events.

The beautiful vistas of MALT-protected land you see as you explore the region support our thriving agricultural community, sustain biodiverse habitats, and connect us to our local food and fiber producers. We hope you will get outside this month to enjoy all the events Marin’s open spaces and working lands have to offer.

Use these buttons to hop to different sections that interest you most.

Pumpkin Patches and Halloween

Farm Visits and Tastings

View the days and times of weekly farmers’ markets hosted by the Agricultural Institute of Marin around the Bay Area as well as this list of farmers’ markets sorted by the day of the week.

Sundays, U-Pick Apples at Chileno Valley Farms, by reservation, Petaluma
Wednesdays-Sundays, Valley Ford Creamery, between 8-3, Valley Ford
Fridays and Saturdays, Meadery Tour and Tastin g, Heidrun Meadery, Point Reyes Station
Daily, Little Wing Farm Stand, Point Reyes Station
Daily, Pasture Fresh Eggs at Petaluma Farm Stand, 8-8, Tomales
Daily, Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, 10-5, Nicasio
Daily, Hog Island Oyster Co., The Hog Shack, 9-5, farm tours by reservation, Marshall
Daily, Marin French Cheese, between 9-5, Petaluma
Weekdays, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company tastings, 11-3, Point Reyes Station
By Reservation, Ranch Picnic Experience, Tomales
October 1, Toluma Farm Tour, Tomales
October 6, 13, 20, 27, Guided Cheese Tasting, Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, Nicasio
October 7, Farm Brunch, Point Reyes Farmstead Creamery, Tomales
October 7, 14, 21, 28, Farm Tour & Tasting at Bivalve Dairy, Point Reyes
October 14, Stemple Creek Ranch 2023 Open House and BBQ, Tomales
October 14, 28, Family Farm Day, Slide Ranch, Muir Beach
October 14, 21, 28, Meadery Tour and Tasting, Point Reyes Station
October 15, Farm Trails Tours Stop, Marin Coast Ranch, Tomales
October 15, Flower to Flute Beekeeping Tour, Heidrun Meadery, Point Reyes Station
October 26, Hands On Cheeseboard Building Class, Point Reyes Farmstead Creamery, Tomales
October 28, McEvoy Ranch and Hog Island Seafood Dinner and Wine Pairing, Petaluma

You can book food and farm tours to visit multiple producers of local food and fiber in one day-trip!

A group of people on a hike, listening to a speaker talk about the area.

Hikes, Walks, and Rides

Saturdays and Sundays, Drakes Beach Discovery Hike, Point Reyes National Seashore
Thursdays, Point Bonita Lighthouse Sunset Tour, Marin Headlands
October 1, Battery Townsley Open House, Marin Headlands
October 4, Senior Stroll: Loch Lomond Birds, San Rafael
October 7, Slow and Say Hello Outpos t, Novato
October 8, Bioluminescence Kayak Tour, Marshall
October 8, Beyond the Shore: Sail the Bay with River Otter Ecology Project, Sausalito
October 8, Biking Adventure for Ages 8+, San Rafael
October 8, Monthly Community Hiking Group, location varies
October 8, Family Walk: Bahia, Novato
October 14, Birding Hike, China Camp State Park, San Rafael
October 14, Lighthouse Evening Progra m, Point Reyes National Seashore
October 14, Biketoberfest, Fairfax
October 14, Autumn Seed Seeker Hike, China Camp State Park, San Rafael
October 21, Inverness Ridge: The Missing Piece, Point Reyes National Seashore
October 22, A Walk in the Redwoods: The CCC at Muir Woods, Mt. Tamalpais
October 25, Redwood Creek Restoration Trail Tour and Hike, Mt. Tamalpais
October 28, Marsh Walk, San Rafael
October 28, Giacomini Wetlands 15 Year Celebration, Point Reyes National Seashore
October 28-29, Marin Endurance Festival, China Camp State Park, San Rafael
October 29, Deer Island Oaks Walk, Novato

Volunteer Opportunities

Nightly: Chileno Valley Newt Brigade, Petaluma
Every Mon and Wed, Slide Ranch Volunteer Day, Muir Beach
Fridays year-round, Native Plant Nursery Volunteer Days, Olema
October 1, Habitat Restoration Team, Mt. Tamalpais
October 1, Aramburu Island Enhancement, Tiburon
October 4, 12, 21, 24, Volunteer Park Maintenance, China Camp State Park, San Rafael
October 6, K ent Island Restoration, Bolinas Lagoon
October 7, Broom Busters of Old St. Hilary’s, Belvedere
October 8, Workday at the Bike Par k, Stafford Lake, Novato
October 10, 24, 31, Tennessee Valley Tuesday Stewards, Marin Headlands
October 11, 25, 28, Marin Headlands Nursery Volunteer Day, Marin Headlands
October 15, Habitat Restoration Team: Rodeo Lagoon/Valley, Marin Headlands
October 15, Bothin Marsh Restoration, Mill Valley
October 21, S tewardship W orkday at Martin Griffin Preserve, Stinson Beach
October 22, Habitat Restoration Team, Stinson Beach
October 28, Annual (One Tam and Parks) Volunteer Recognition Picnic, San Rafael

Wildlife and Nature Events

Every Sat, Sun year-round, Weekly Ranger Programs, Point Reyes National Seashore
Wednesdays thru October 25, Crabbing and Fishing at Fort Baker, Sausalito
October 4, Pickleweed Ranger Storytim e, San Rafael
October 4, Stellar Solar Science, Mill Valley
October 5, Rain Tanks, Rain Gardens, and Groundwater Recharge, Petaluma
October 9, Greywater Happy Hour, Petaluma
October 10, Raptors, Marin Headlands
October 11, Marin Master Gardeners: Succulents, Fairfax
October 11, Mushroom Talk, Mill Valley
October 12, Hawk Hill Exploration, Marin Headlands
October 12-16, California Native Plant Society Fall Plant Sale, Greenbrae pickup
October 13, Learn to Grow Mushrooms, Inverness
October 13, California White Shark Talk, Bolinas
October 13, Autumn Colors in Colored Pencil, Point Reyes National Seashore
October 14, Marin Audubon Society Open House, Corte Madera
October 14, Partial Solar Eclipse Viewing Party, Mill Valley
October 14, Mycoblitz Mushroom Foray, Tiburon
October 14, Partial Solar Eclipse, Corte Madera
October 14, Qijong in Harmony with Nature: Embracing A utumn, Point Reyes
October 17, Fall Planting and Pest Prevention, Inverness
October 17, Home Insurance and Wildfires Forum, Corte Madera
October 18, Marin Migrations Naturalist Lecture, Corte Madera
October 21, Autumn Seed Planting, Novato
October 21, Observe the Moon Night, Novato
October 22, Coffee with a Ranger, Kentfield
October 25, Limantour Birds, Point Reyes National Seashore
October 28, Marin Master Gardeners: Succulents, Inverness
October 28, What’s Next for Your Garden, Mill Valley
October 29, Designing Great Landscape Photos, Point Reyes National Seashore

Markets and Other Family Fun

Through November 26, 26th Annual International Exhibition of Botanical Art, Ross
October 1, Mill Valley Community Block Party, Mill Valley
October 1, 8, 22 B BQ on the Lawn at Rancho Nicasio, Nicasio
October 5-15, Mill Valley Film Festival, Mill Valley
October 7, 2023 Heart of the Valley Gala, San Geronimo
October 8, Latine Heritage Month Celebration, Corte Madera
October 8, The French Market Marin, San Rafael
October 13, Movies in the Park, Mill Valley
October 14, Artisan Faire Makers Market in the Yard, Mill Valley
October 15, Edible Garden Culinary Fundraiser, Ross
October 21, A Toast to Sausalito, Sausalito

Cute brown dog lies its head on the keyboard of a laptop. From Lev Akulov at schattenbank.info via Flickr Creative Commons.

Virtual Events

October 4, Equity in Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Summit, virtual
October 11, 25, Climate Action Workshop: Resilient Neighborhoods, virtual
October 12, Retain the Rain: Rain Gardens and Swales, virtual
October 17, Leveraging New Digital Technologies for Conservation Impact, virtual
October 19, Scales and Tales: Reptiles and Amphibians of the Bay Area, virtual
October 19, The Joy and Empowerment of Birding, virtual
October 28, Virtual Nature Journaling Workshop, virtual
October 29, Naturalist Book Club: The Soil Will Save Us, virtual

Please double check details for all events at the links above before venturing out, as MALT is not the event host organization for most of the Marin events listed here. Dates, times, fees, or restrictions may change.

EAT LOCAL, STAY CONNECTED

Every time you shop, you can choose to support your local food economy and the farmers and ranchers who help steward this vital landscape. Start today!

Buy Local

What’s Living in a Handful of Dirt

October 5, 2026

Pick up a handful of soil and you’re holding a city — one where most residents are hunting each other.

Bright orange pumpkins at a patch in Marin County - MALT

Where to Find Pumpkins in Marin County

September 28, 2026

We bring you the latest on where to enjoy the season’s harvest, partake in spooky fall delights, and pick up your home’s gourd season decor.

Teo and Maxima Zarate - of Zarate Family Farms

Teo and Máxima Zarate — The Ground They Know

September 22, 2026

Lea esta historia en español When I first met Máxima Zarate, her warm, “¡Buenos días!” called out from beneath the brim of her hat, welcoming me to their farm. We joined Teo, and all began trimming the edges of small bunches of garlic chives, talking about our families, the generations before them that farmed in…