🍺 Oktoberfest at Brewsters, Sonoma Con, and the Grand Bazaar

Happy Friday, Sonoma County! We've got some cold mornings and hot afternoons this week. This is a packed issue so there should be something for everyone this weekend.

In this week's Signal:

Sonoma Con's cosplay contest. Award-winning cosplayer Cosbunny judges the SonomaCon Cosplay Contest on Saturday, Oct. 3, scoring contestants on both the costume and the play. Sonoma Con runs Saturday and Sunday at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds; details are in The Weekend below. Bohemian

Halloween at Howarth tickets. Santa Rosa's Halloween at Howarth is Saturday, Oct. 24, for kids 12 and under, with check-in slots from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. Tickets are $7, or $25 with train, carousel and pony rides, and the city expects it to sell out. City of Santa Rosa

COVID and flu in local wastewater. County health officials report rising COVID-19 and flu detections in sewer samples from Santa Rosa, Windsor and Petaluma, and ER visits for respiratory illness are ticking up. Updated COVID-19, flu and RSV shots are available now at local clinics, and protection takes up to two weeks to build. KSRO

Farewell: Starbucks — the Calistoga Road and Mendocino Avenue cafes closed in a cut of about 250 North American stores, and a 1,280-square-foot drive-thru with no seating is approved for 131 College Ave. (KSRO)

Good eats: Old Caz Backyard — the brewery's new kitchen on Grey Street in Petaluma makes three-day-fermented pizzas, including a Hot Pot pie with Sichuan peppercorns and kimchi. (Sonoma Magazine)

🧺 Grand Bazaar of Petaluma
Friday 12–5 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am–3 pm
Petaluma Fairgrounds, Petaluma
Free · See more →

Sonoma Con 2026
Saturday and Sunday, 8 am–8 pm
Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa
Cost: $15 – $30 · See more →

🎶 Oktoberfest at Brewsters Beer Garden
Those Darn Accordions play both days.
Saturday and Sunday, 12–5 pm
Brewsters Beer Garden, Petaluma
See more →

🎪 Big Blue Weekend at Sonoma State
Harvest Night on Friday, then the Palooza & Community Day on Saturday.
Friday 4:30–7:30 pm, Saturday 4–7 pm
Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park
Free · See more →

🧺 Big Book Sale at the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building
Saturday 10 am–5 pm, Sunday 10 am–4 pm
Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building, Santa Rosa
Free · See more →

🧺 Hallberg Butterfly Gardens Fall Plant Sale & Fundraiser
Friday and Saturday, 9 am–4 pm
Hallberg Butterfly Gardens, Sebastopol
Free · See more →

🎭 Sebastopol Cemetery Walk
Friday and Saturday, 6–8 pm
Robinson Road, Sebastopol
Cost: $50.00 · See more →

🎨 Día de Muertos exhibit at the Museum of Sonoma County
Runs through Nov. 29, Wednesday through Sunday.
Friday through Sunday, 11 am–5 pm
Museum of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa
See more →

🖼️ Pumpkins in the Parks: A Santa Rosa Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt across 20 city parks, through Oct. 30.
Friday through Sunday, 8 am–6 pm
Santa Rosa city parks
Free · See more →

🎨 Art Trails Opening: Itinerary Check!
Friday, 5–7 pm
Corrick's, Santa Rosa
Free · See more →

🎨 First Friday Art Walk at SOFA Art Galleries
Friday, 5–8 pm
SOFA Art District, Santa Rosa
See more →

🎨 First Fridays at Chimera Arts
Friday, 5–8 pm
Chimera Art Space, Sebastopol
See more →

🎶 Ross Street Sessions: Funky Milagro opens for Michael Capella Band
Friday, 6–9:30 pm
Ross Street, Santa Rosa
Free · See more →

🎬 Movies in the Park: "The Addams Family"
Friday, 7 pm
Lucchesi Park, Petaluma
See more →

🔭 Bring Your Own Binoculars and Chairs
Friday, 8–10 pm
Robert Ferguson Observatory, Kenwood
Cost: $30.00 – $35.00 · See more →

🖼️ Sensory-Friendly Family Morning at the Schulz
Saturday, 9–10:30 am
Charles M. Schulz Museum, Santa Rosa
See more →

🥾 Creek Cleanup on the Greenway
Saturday, 10 am–12 pm
Olive Park Footbridge, Santa Rosa
See more →

🖼️ Floating Into Fall Festival: A Fundraiser for Water Safety
Saturday, 10 am–2 pm
Heart and Hands Farm, Petaluma
Cost: $8 – $12 · See more →

🎪 Many Moons Festival
Saturday, 11 am–7 pm
Ives Park, Sebastopol
Cost: $10 – $15 · See more →

🎶 The California Jug Band Festival
Saturday, 12–8 pm
Lagunitas Petaluma Taproom, Petaluma
See more →

🎶 Downtown Sound: Pazifico
Saturday, 12–9:30 pm
Ross Street, Santa Rosa
Free · See more →

🧺 Psychic Fair
Saturday, 12–6 pm
Milk and Honey, Sebastopol
See more →

🍎 Lodge Oktoberfest Fundraiser
Saturday, 4–8 pm
855 7th Street, Santa Rosa
Cost: $39.19 · See more →

🖼️ The Line Up Car Show
Saturday, 4–8 pm
Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa
See more →

🏟️ UFC 332 at Playbook
Saturday, 5 pm
Playbook, Graton Resort & Casino, Rohnert Park
See more →

🎶 Groundation at the Mystic Theatre
Saturday, 8:30 pm
Mystic Theatre & Music Hall, Petaluma
Cost: $38.72 · See more →

🏃 Cindy’s Race
Sunday, 7:45–11 am
Howarth Memorial Park, Santa Rosa
See more →

🎨 Día de Muertos: Ofrendas for the London Legacy
Sunday, 10 am–5 pm
Glen Ellen
See more →

🧺 Spring Hill Halloween and Fall Market
Sunday, 10 am–4 pm
Spring Hill Gardens, Petaluma
Free · See more →

🧺 Ross Street Sundays
Sunday, 12–4 pm
Ross Street, Santa Rosa
See more →

🍎 Ukrainian BBQ Benefit for Sister City Relief Effort
Sunday, 1–4 pm
Ragle Ranch Regional Park, Sebastopol
Cost: $75 · See more →

🎬 The Voice of Hind Rajab
Sunday, 2–4 pm
Presbyterian Church of the Roses, Santa Rosa
Free · See more →

This Is Our City
Sunday, 5–8:30 pm
Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa
See more →

That's the weekend. Stay cool out there, and hit reply any time with questions or suggestions, I read everything.

Forward this to a friend who'd want a weekend plan. They can sign up here.

— Ben, writing from Santa Rosa