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.

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 Tasting, 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!

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 Outpost, 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 Program, 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, Kent Island Restoration, Bolinas Lagoon
• October 7, Broom Busters of Old St. Hilary’s, Belvedere
• October 8, Workday at the Bike Park, 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, Stewardship Workday 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 Storytime, 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 Autumn, 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 BBQ 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

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!