October Weekend Events

October’s first weekend has many events to enjoy across the Mother Lode.

In Sonora Saturday October 5th, Celebrate Art Weekend with the Tuolumne County Arts Alliance at the Historic Dome Campus. Free workshops for children and adults with demonstrations by local artists both Saturday and Sunday. There will be a Japan City Children’s Art Exchange (Sonora’s sister city is Kirishima), along with storytelling and origami starting at 11:00am. Events at the Sonora Opera Hall will continue into the evening from 5-8pm. Prices and more information are listed in the Celebrate Art Weekend event listing here.

The 20th annual Calaveras Grape Stomp in Murphys begins with the first round of grape stomping at 9:15am on Saturday. The event draws large crowds and scores of stomp teams, many in costumes. The Winery Stomp will be held at 11:00am, the wineries compete for the President’s Trophy. The Gold Rush Street Faire will also be happening. For more information view the Gramp Stomp event listing.

The 31st Annual Fiddle and Bango (they like the mis-print of banjo) Contest and Chili Cook-off begins at 9am at Columbia State Historic Park. The contest will run from 10:30am-4:30pm and is limited to acoustic instruments only. Bring a lawn chair and sunscreen to enjoy free music all day. The Columbia Chamber of Commerce will also be hosting a Chili Cook-off. For more event details view the Fiddle and Bango event here.

Sonora and Groveland Fire Stations are both hosting an Open House
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CAL FIRE/Tuolumne County Fire Department and CAL FIRE/Groveland Community Service District Fire will be open for tours. Details about the open house are here.

This weekend and the rest of October, get in the spirit of the season by taking a family-friendly train ride aboard the popular “Harvest Haunt Express” at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown. A skeleton crew will entertain guests aboard a specially-decorated excursion train. Free pumpkins will be provided to those taking a train ride all month long, while supplies last. This weekend kicks-off the new fall season with live music, entertainment, tours, and more. For more information view the Harvest Haunt event listing.

Foothill Collaborative for Sustainability (FoCuS) 4th Annual Potato Harvest begins at 9am on Saturday at Indigeny Reserve off Lyons-Bald Mountain Road. All hands are welcome to help harvest, sort and box thousands of pounds of potatoes but remember to bring water and comfortable shoes. Proceeds are used for FoCuS grants and scholarships. More details are here.

The Mural in a Day Sonora will be dedicated at 11am. The event listing is here.

In Twain Harte, Oktoberfest runs all weekend. Visit Eproson Park for the annual Arts and Crafts Fair coupled with a Beer Tasting. The crafts and food booths will be open on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. The event is hosted by the Twain Harte Chamber of Commerce, canned food contributions will benefit the ATCAA Food Bank. For more information view the event listing here.