🎃 A Petaluma cemetery walk, Windsor's Trick or Treat Trail and Highway 37 slowdowns

Happy Monday, Sonoma County. The week holds steady and mild, and Halloween is less than two weeks out. If you're planning ahead, our Halloween guide has the full calendar through October 31.

In this week's Signal:

Highway 37 closures. Watch your commute folks. Caltrans starts work at the Marin–Sonoma line Monday, with overnight lane closures through Saturday morning. Both directions then close between Sears Point and Mare Island from Friday at 10 pm to Monday at 5 am, and again November 13–15; detours use Highways 12, 29 and 121. KSRO

Rohnert Park's downtown plan. Come on Rohnert Park, I'm rooting for you. Get a proper downtown. I like the plan for this, seems like they're learning from the Windsor Town Green, which I think has been a hit. CenterCal's plan for the 30-acre former State Farm campus calls for about 164,000 square feet of shops and restaurants, about 400 homes (100 affordable) and a 128-room hotel along the SMART line, done by summer 2030. Public hearings run over the next 9 to 18 months. Press Democrat

Cooley Fire smoke. My air in Santa Rosa this Monday morning was thick with smoke. It's from the Cooley Fire, a control burn north of Lake Sonoma that escaped Friday, and Cal Fire asks people not to call 911 about it. The air district says to stay indoors with windows closed if temperatures allow; rain chances start Monday night. Press Democrat

Our Halloween guide is updated through October 31: pumpkin patches and corn mazes, apples and cider donuts, Día de los Muertos, spooky places, where to trick-or-treat, nights out, and the full calendar of dates.

Read the Halloween guide →

Good eats: J&M's Midtown Cafe — Longtime chef Joel Shaw puts his own spin on the Santa Rosa breakfast favorite without messing with the dishes regulars love. (Sonoma Magazine)

More good eats: The best desserts in Sonoma County — Sonoma Magazine's food team rounded up its favorite desserts around the county for National Dessert Day on October 14. (Sonoma Magazine)

Newish: Super Thrift, Rohnert Park — Or, new to me at least: Redwood Gospel Mission's 10,000-square-foot thrift store at 375 Southwest Blvd. has been open since 2025. Most of the clothing runs at one set price, and there's a lot of furniture, plus shoes, bikes, sports gear, housewares, electronics and a well-stocked belt and purse rack. The mission's original shop on Piner Road in Santa Rosa has been going since 2008. (Redwood Gospel Mission)

🍎 Black Cod Week
Runs through Sunday, October 25.
Monday through Thursday, times vary
Sonoma County
See more →

🏈 49ers vs. Commanders at Graton
Monday, 5:15 pm
Graton Resort & Casino, Rohnert Park
See more →

📚 Flock & ALPR Community Forum
A public forum from the Sonoma County Commission on Human Rights on Flock and automated license plate reader cameras.
Monday, 6–8 pm
Saralee & Richard's Barn Room, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa
Free · See more →

🧺 East Side Farmers Market
Tuesday, 9:30 am–1:30 pm
Lucchessi Park, Petaluma
See more →

🚴 Taco Tuesday Bike Ride
Tuesday, 5:30 pm
SRJC parking lot, Santa Rosa
See more →

🎶 David Nail: Down To The Studs at the Mystic Theatre
Tuesday, 8 pm
Mystic Theatre & Music Hall, Petaluma
Cost: $32.56 · See more →

📚 Fruit Wine Making Workshop
Wednesday, 6–8 pm
Sebastopol Grange, Sebastopol
Free · See more →

🎶 John Moreland at Little Saint
Wednesday, 6–9 pm
Little Saint, Healdsburg
Cost: $42.08 · See more →

Out Loud Writers Hour
Wednesday, 6–9 pm
323 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa
Cost: $17.85 · See more →

🎬 Petaluma Cinema Series: Tuner
Wednesday, 7–10 pm
Carole L. Ellis Auditorium, SRJC Petaluma
See more →

🎲 SINGO at the Penngrove Pub
Bingo + Music = SINGO
Wednesday, 7–10 pm
Penngrove Pub, Penngrove
See more →

🎲 Karaoke Night at Clubhouse Bar & Grill
Wednesday, 8 pm
Clubhouse Bar & Grill, Santa Rosa
See more →

🎲 Big Stage Karaoke Wednesdays with KJ Danny D
Wednesday, 9 pm
Barrel Proof Lounge, Santa Rosa
See more →

🖼️ Family FUNtaz Night at the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County
Thursday, 4:30–8 pm
Children’s Museum of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa
Cost: $20 · See more →

Blind Scream Haunted House
Open nightly through Sunday.
Thursday, 7–10 pm
Blind Scream Haunted House, Santa Rosa
Cost: $25 – $50 · See more →

🎤 Don’t Tell Comedy Santa Rosa at Vintage Space
Thursday, 8 pm
Vintage Space at The Flamingo Resort, Santa Rosa
Cost: $27 · See more →

🎭 The Rocky Horror Show at The California
Also Friday and Saturday.
Thursday, 8–10 pm
The California Theatre, Santa Rosa
Cost: $60 · See more →

The full weekend rundown lands Thursday. Read the Halloween guide →

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— Ben, writing from Santa Rosa