Happy Tuesday, Walnut Creek!

💡 Did you know? Walnut Creek celebrated its 112th birthday last Wednesday, October 21! The city was incorporated in 1914, becoming the eighth city in Contra Costa County, and by 1920 it was home to about 538 people.

This week: Howl-ooo-ween at Lindsay Wildlife tonight, the Chamber's 100th birthday celebration Thursday, an outdoor screening of Coco and a pet-friendly Halloween festival Friday, plus costume parties, live music, and a few spooky surprises around town on Saturday.

Last week's poll ended in a three-way tie between Diwali and the drone show, the Makers Market, and a quiet weekend at home. Apparently, Walnut Creek was split between going out and staying in! This week's question is at the bottom.

Let's get to it.

Sean Casey

Lindsay Wildlife Experience throws its fall party for little ghouls and wizards this afternoon, with not-so-spooky animal encounters, crafts, games, face painting and a visit with a Mad Scientist. Rosie’s Mexican Food Truck and Kona Shaved Ice will be parked outside, so dinner is handled.

Costumes are encouraged, with one house rule for the animals’ sake: no large hats, masks, inflatable costumes or swords. Online sales have closed, but you can still buy tickets at the door, and every kid and adult needs one.

📍 Where: Lindsay Wildlife Experience, 1931 First Ave.
📅 When: Tuesday, October 27 | 3:00–8:00 PM
💲 Price: $20 • $15 members • Family pass for 4 or more $18.50 each, $13.50 for members

Howl-ooo-ween Details

The Ruth Bancroft Garden is trading its usual quiet evenings for a little Halloween movie magic this Friday. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and settle in for an outdoor screening of Disney Pixar's Coco, surrounded by the garden after dark.

The fun starts before the movie, with craft stations, face painting, hair tinsel, and time to explore the garden and nursery. El Donas Catering and 'Bout Them Apples will be serving food and treats, with drinks available for purchase.

Gates open at 5:30 PM, and the movie begins at 7 PM on the Plaza. Bring an extra layer for the evening chill!

📍 Where: Ruth Bancroft Garden, 1552 Bancroft Rd., Walnut Creek
📅 When: Friday, October 30 | Gates 5:30 PM • Movie 7:00 PM
💲 Price: $20 adults • $10 children ages 5–17 • Free ages 0–4

Get Movie Night Tickets

Have a four-legged family member who deserves a Halloween outing too? Joybound People & Pets is hosting its free Howl & Meow-O-Ween Fest this Friday, with plenty of fun for both pets and their humans.

Expect trick-or-treating for kids and pets, pumpkin decorating, crafts, games, a Halloween photo booth, raffles, and a chance to meet the Pet Hug Pack therapy animals. Costumes are encouraged for everyone, furry friends included.

📍 Where: Joybound People & Pets, 2890 Mitchell Dr., Walnut Creek
📅 When: Friday, October 30 | 3:00–8:00 PM
💲 Price: Free

Event Details

🗳️ Election Day is next Tuesday, November 3. Today is the last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot. Early in-person voting comes to Walnut Creek this weekend at the Center for Community Arts, 111 N. Wiget Lane, on Friday and Monday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Election Day, polling places are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and drop boxes, including one at City Hall, close at 8 p.m. sharp. Contra Costa Elections

🕰️ Clocks fall back this weekend. Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, November 1, so you get an extra hour of sleep after Halloween. A good night to check the smoke detector batteries too.

Still figuring out your Halloween plans? From costume parties and live music to a little morning yoga, there's plenty happening around town.

🎤 Friday, October 30 — Halloween Sing-Along at Rotator Taproom

Warm up those vocal cords for a night of spooky favorites, from Thriller to Monster Mash. Costumes encouraged, with wine and beer available.

📍 Rotator Taproom, 1415 Pine St.
📅 7:00–10:00 PM
💲 Price: Free

🧘 Saturday, October 31 — Halloween Community Yoga

Start Halloween with an hour of all-levels yoga led by Christy Brown, followed by a beverage. Costumes welcome!

📍 Rotator Taproom, 1415 Pine St.
📅 10:00 AM
💲 $20, includes yoga and first beverage • Ages 21+

Reserve Your Spot

🍩 Tasty Treat — Free Donut for Dressing Up

Wear your Halloween costume to Duck Donuts on Saturday and get a free donut with purchase.

📍 Duck Donuts, 2920 N. Main St.
📅 Saturday, October 31 • Until 6:00 PM
💲 Free donut with purchase, in costume

🎸 Saturday, October 31 — Live Music at Mike Hess Brewing

Hazy Operation brings country and rock to the taproom for an afternoon Halloween soundtrack. Grab a pint and come in costume.

📍 Mike Hess Brewing, Walnut Creek
📅 Live music 4:00 PM • Last pour 7:00 PM
💲 Price: Free

🎸 Saturday, October 31 — Frankenfest at Retro Junkie

Retro Junkie's fourth annual Halloween night features a Nine Inch Nails tribute, an all-female Rage Against the Machine tribute, a costume contest, and prizes.

📍 Retro Junkie, 2112 N. Main St.
📅 Doors 6:00 PM • Show 7:00 PM • DJ 10:30 PM
💲 Price: $28.52 general admission • $12.51 late entry (10:30 PM–1 AM) • Ages 21+

Get Tickets

👻 Saturday, October 31 — Halloween Bash at WC Kitchen & Bar

Costumes, DJs, a contest with prizes, and a Halloween party hosted by La Borirican.

📍 WC Kitchen & Bar, 1532 N. Main St.
📅 7:00–11:00 PM
💲 Price: No Cover

🎹 Saturday, October 31 — Halloween Dueling Pianos at Gibson’s

Gibson’s Irish Pub is celebrating Halloween with dueling pianos, festive cocktails, and a costume contest with a $100 gift card prize. Expect live music, audience sing-alongs, and plenty of familiar favorites. Costumes encouraged!

Make a Reservation

📍 Where: Gibson’s Irish Pub, Walnut Creek
📅 When: Saturday, October 31 | 9:00 PM
💲 Price: Reservations recommended; check booking details • Ages 21+

The California Symphony plays From Tchaikovsky to Copland at the Lesher on Saturday, November 7 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, November 8 at 4 PM, with its own principal clarinet, Cory Tiffin, as the soloist in Copland’s Clarinet Concerto. Come an hour early for the free pre-concert talk. That same Saturday morning, Ersten Imaoka, the Ruth Bancroft Garden’s longest-standing docent, leads What’s in a Name?, a tour of the stories behind plant names, from 11 to noon ($15 members, $25 non-members). And the free Holiday Tree Lighting is Friday, November 20 at 5:30 PM in Civic Park.

California Symphony | Plant Names Tour | Tree Lighting

🥗 Weekly Walnut recipe: Nan-e Gerdui (Persian Walnut Cookies). A cup and a third of walnuts gets ground right into the dough with rice flour, cardamom and a little rose water, then each cookie gets a pinch of ground pistachio on top. It makes five dozen small cookies in about an hour and fifteen minutes.

🎵 Who we are listening to: the California Symphony’s playlist for From Tchaikovsky to Copland. Copland wrote his Clarinet Concerto for Benny Goodman, and you can hear it live at the Lesher a week from Saturday.

👻 Halloween book pick: Halloween Activity Book for Kids, spooky mazes, word searches and jokes for ages 6 to 12.

🙏 Positive news around the globe: A couple in Sandy Springs, Georgia, heard honking on the way to work and found a tiny black kitten stuck in their car’s suspension. Three firefighters and two police officers got him out, and since the couple was married on Halloween, they took it as a sign and adopted him. His name is Friday Shadow. Read Article

✨ “Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.” Emily Brontë

As always, we read every reply and truly appreciate hearing from you. If there’s something you’d like to see more of locally, let us know. Thanks for being part of the Walnut Creek Digest community.

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