Happy Thursday, Valley Hoppers!

October is here, and this is one of those weeks when the hard part is choosing what to do. The Manteca Pumpkin Fair and Lodi Street Faire are both back this weekend, and Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo take the stage at the Gallo Center in Modesto on Tuesday.

We’ve rounded up more music, family outings, and date-night ideas below. And thanks to your votes in last week’s poll, we have something extra for the pumpkin planners—more on that right after the features.

Happy Hoppin’
🐰 🎃

🎟️ Top Picks This Week

Oct 2 - Oct 8

Manteca Pumpkin Fair
📅 Sat–Sun, Oct 3–4
📍 Downtown Manteca
🎃 Fall Fair | Food, Vendors & Live Entertainment
👦 Kid-Friendly: All Ages
🎟️ Event Info

Lodi Street Faire
📅 Sun, Oct 4
📍 Downtown Lodi
🎡 Street Fair | Hundreds of Vendors
👦 Kid-Friendly: All Ages
🎟️ Event Info | Free

Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo
📅 Tue, Oct 6
📍 Gallo Center for the Arts, Modesto
🎸 Live Music | Rock Classics
👦 Kid-Friendly: All ages
🎟️ Tickets & Info | $$

👀 Announcements

🎃 Thank you to all of our Poll respondents last week!
The clear winner from last week was a comprehensive list of all of the pumpkin patches and corn mazes across the 209 — so that’s what we made!

You’ll find the list below. For those that prefer a more visual layout, you can see our Instagram post including them HERE.

While you’re there, give us a follow!

🎶 For Our Music Lovers

  • Queen Nation & Ride Captain Ride
    📍 Jessie’s Grove Winery, Lodi — Sat, Oct 3
    🎟️ Tickets & Info

  • Dallas Brass
    📍 Grand Theatre Center for the Arts, Tracy — Sat, Oct 3
    🎟️ Tickets & Info

  • Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives
    📍 Turlock Community Theatre, Turlock — Sat, Oct 3
    🎟️ Tickets & Info

  • Donna & Tim Christensen (alternate)
    📍 Haggin Museum, Stockton — Thu, Oct 1
    🎟️ Event Info

🌳 Outdoors, Activities & Family Fun

  • Central Valley Lebanese Festival
    📍 St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church, Stockton — Sat, Oct 3
    🎟️ Event Info

  • Monster Truck Madness
    📍 San Joaquin County Fairgrounds, Stockton — Sat, Oct 3
    🎟️ Tickets & Info

  • International Heritage Festival
    📍 Graceada Park, Modesto — Sat, Oct 3
    🎟️ Event Info | Free

  • Modesto Day of the Dead Celebration
    📍 I and 15th Streets, beside McHenry Museum, Modesto — Sun, Oct 4
    🎟️ Event Info

  • World of Wonders Free Admission Day
    📍 World of Wonders Science Museum, Lodi — Sun, Oct 4
    🎟️ Event Info | Free

  • Fierce’s Fall Fest
    📍 Delta College main campus quad, Stockton — Fri, Oct 2
    🎟️ Event Info | Free

  • USS Lucid Fall Open House
    📍 USS Lucid, 3100 Monte Diablo Avenue, Stockton — Sat, Oct 3
    🎟️ Registration & Info

  • Autumn Garden Tour
    📍 Five private gardens, Oakdale — Sat, Oct 3
    🎟️ Tickets & Info

🍷 Date Nights, Comedy & More

  • Brews & BBQ
    📍 Front Street Plaza, Tracy — Sat, Oct 3
    🎟️ Event Info

  • Silent Sky
    📍 Prospect Theater Project, Modesto — Fri–Sun, Oct 2–4
    🎟️ Tickets & Info

  • Once Upon a Tomb
    📍 Oakdale Citizens Cemetery, Oakdale — Sat, Oct 3
    🎟️ Tickets & Info

  • Witch Walk Sip & Stroll (21+)
    📍 Downtown Turlock; check-in at Little Red Door — Sat, Oct 3
    🎟️ Tickets & Info

  • Riverbank Witches Walk Sip & Stroll (alternate; 21+)
    📍 Santa Fe Street, Riverbank — Fri, Oct 2
    🎟️ Tickets & Info

  • Lewis Belt Comedy Show (alternate; 21+)
    📍 The Standard Pub, Modesto — Sat, Oct 3
    🎟️ Tickets & Info

  • Oaktoberfest (alternate; 21+)
    📍 Dying Breed Brewing, Oakdale — Sat, Oct 3
    🎟️ Tickets & Info

🎃 Pumpkin Patches & Corn Mazes

Stanislaus County

North San Joaquin County

South San Joaquin County

🔭 Look Ahead

A few major events worth getting on your calendar early:

  • Lodi Pumpkin Harvest Festival
    📍Jessie’s Grove Winery, Lodi — Sat–Sun, Oct 10–11
    🎟️ Tickets & Info
    More than 50 vendors, food trucks, pumpkins, fall flowers, train and gondola rides, a petting zoo and seasonal drinks.

  • Riverbank Cheese & Wine Festival
    📍Downtown Riverbank— Sat, Oct 10
    🎟️ Event Info
    The 49th annual, newly condensed from two days into one, so the whole thing lands on a single Saturday; the street expo is free and the tasting is ticketed separately.

  • UB40: The Unstoppable Tour
    📍Gallo Center for the Arts, Modesto— Tue, Oct 20
    🎟️ Tickets & Info
    Four decades of British reggae in a seated hall, and a rare midweek marquee booking.

  • The Expendables
    📍Five Window Beer Co., Lodi— Sat, Oct 24
    🎟️ Tickets & Info
    A national touring act in a small Lodi brewery, rooms this size sell through fast.

  • Fall Turlock Swap Meet
    📍Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, Turlock— Sun, Nov 1
    🎟️ Event Info
    The next date in the quarterly series after this week's; kids under twelve get in free.

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