After the Village Fair: Where Glen Ellen and Kenwood Spend Their Fall Weekends
October 15, 2026
October 15, 2026
On Sunday, Arnold Drive was closed from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Glen Ellen's 34th Village Fair, with the parade stepping off at noon, according to the Sonoma Index-Tribune. That was the last big open-street day of the season in the village. For the next seven weeks, the local calendar runs through Jack London State Historic Park, Bouverie Preserve, and Sugarloaf Ridge, and it gets much smaller in headcount.
Small headcounts mean something practical. One of Jack London's October programs is already sold out, a bird walk there caps at 15 people, and Bouverie wants registration before its one open day. Through Thanksgiving, the households that book in October get the spots.
Jack London State Historic Park's events page lists "Rocktober—The Sonoma Creek Watershed" on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. as sold out. The next morning's program has a hard ceiling. "Migrations: Birds and Words on Oona-pa'is" runs Sunday, Oct. 18, from 8:30 to 11 a.m., and the bird walk is limited to 15 people at $20 each.
With 15 spots, the walk can fill from a single neighborhood email thread. The rest of the park's fall programming follows the same model of guided groups, set start times, and a leader who can only take so many people up a trail:
The page doesn't post capacity numbers for most of these. Because Rocktober sold out first, it makes sense to check availability early, before a weekend gets planned around one of them.
All Hands Ecology is holding a community-access hike day at Bouverie Preserve on Saturday, Oct. 24, and calls it a "rare opportunity" to visit.
The preserve covers 535 acres of mixed evergreen forest, riparian woodland, and chaparral. All Hands Ecology counts 130 bird species and 350 species of flowering plants there, and notes bobcat, gray fox, coyote, mountain lion, and the occasional black bear. Staff will be on site with maps and suggested routes, and visitors can choose their own trails or just bring a picnic.
A family with one free Saturday this month has an easy decision. The Jack London bat walks run twice, and Sugarloaf's star parties run twice in November. Bouverie's open day happens once.
That Saturday and Sunday pack more into the valley than any other weekend this fall. The split between booked and walk-in events matters most here, because a household can fill both days without overbooking.
Saturday, Oct. 24
Sunday, Oct. 25
Sunday is the easier day. Los Colores and the Tabletop talk both take walk-ins, which leaves the Observatory's Family Day as the only Sunday event that needs a ticket bought ahead. The Saturday options all ask for a commitment in advance.
As the days shorten, the evening programs move uphill to Kenwood. The Robert Ferguson Observatory's "Spooky Skies" runs Friday, Oct. 30, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Registration is required, and the event page doesn't list a price. That evening overlaps the second Jack London bat walk, so a household choosing a Halloween-week outing has two night programs a few miles apart on the same Friday.
The observatory's public star parties fall on Saturday, Nov. 7, and Friday, Nov. 27, both from 7 to 10 p.m. Admission is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, $12 for students, and $7 for ages 6 to 12. Children 5 and under, members, and EBT card holders get in free. Nov. 27 is the day after Thanksgiving, so the second star party lands on a night when many local homes have visiting family.
Nov. 7 is the fullest single day on the Sugarloaf calendar. Solar Observing runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the calendar doesn't list a cost. That evening's star party starts at 7. The next afternoon, Sunday, Nov. 8, another free, no-RSVP Tabletop Nature Talk covers animal colors, patterns, and signals from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
The daytime programs keep going too. The Sugarloaf Ridge events calendar lists volunteer Trail Crew Saturdays on Oct. 17 and Nov. 14, both from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A "Slow Birding By Ear" program runs Oct. 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Park Rx yoga hikes run Oct. 17 and Nov. 21 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., free with a recent Park Rx. The park's conditions page says Sugarloaf is open for day use with all roads and trails open. It also recommends checking with staff or the kiosk after storms.
Sugarloaf's fall intermediate Hiking for Fitness series costs $80, or is free for current Park Rx holders from a Sonoma County provider, though parking fees still apply. Its November route links the open spaces around Glen Ellen and Kenwood. The Oct. 31 session meets at Trione-Annadel. Nov. 7 moves to the Sonoma Developmental Center, and Nov. 14 ends up back at Sugarloaf's White Barn lot, each at 9 a.m. A free group fitness hike follows on Saturday, Nov. 28, at 9 a.m. from the Goodspeed lot, and it requires an RSVP.
The SDC stop raises a question that comes up around Glen Ellen. California State Parks says access to the SDC open-space area remains unchanged for now, and hiking, biking, and horseback riding continue. Its posted rules prohibit dogs on the trails.
The fencing on the core campus is separate from the trails. The Sonoma Index-Tribune reported on Oct. 8 that about 2,000 square feet of temporary fencing went up around buildings affected by vandalism and around areas where workers are running soil and water tests for the revised environmental analysis. Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo told the paper the fencing could come down as soon as Oct. 10. Ross Markey of Permit Sonoma said it "is not expected to create a barrier to wildlife movement or prohibit the public's access to the adjacent open space." As of this writing, there's no confirmation that the fencing has been removed. The same report says the revised environmental analysis will likely be released next year.
The book-ahead pattern extends past the trailheads. Glen Ellen Star has a Failla wine dinner on Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 6 to 9 p.m.: five courses with pairings at $165 per guest, plus taxes, fees, and gratuity. A weeknight dinner falls between the busy Oct. 24 and 25 weekend and the two Friday-night programs on Oct. 30, which makes it the one fall evening on the calendar with no park event competing for it.
Up Highway 12, Stella in Kenwood is taking Thanksgiving reservations from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The menu is $79 per adult and $45 for children 10 and under, not counting beverages, tax, and gratuity. Both restaurants share an owner, as the Press Democrat's July restaurant feature noted. For a household hosting family over the holiday, Stella on Thursday followed by the Nov. 27 star party on Friday covers two days of the visit, and both need to be booked ahead.
All of these dates come from live event pages that can change. Confirm times, prices, and availability on each organizer's site before heading out.
When you're in the valley this fall, Brianna Benz is happy to talk about the parts of Glen Ellen and Kenwood that don't show up on a map, from the trailheads to the tables worth booking ahead. Schedule a free consultation any time.
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