10 Great Dates
compiled by JEREMY FLETCHER
PUMPKIN MAZE AT DELL’OSSO FARMS
October 3-31, Lathrop
In its twelfth season of celebrating the fall by launching pumpkins 200 yards in the air with the now-famous pumpkin cannon, the Dell’Osso Pumpkin Maze is the one-stop shop for your Halloween and fall festival enjoyment. A mile-long train ride, haunted house, pumpkin patch, and famous corn maze are just a few of the things the farm has to offer. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Price varies by rides and attractions. Dell’Osso Family Farm, 501 S. Manthey Rd., Lathrop, (209) 982-0833, www.pumpkinmaze.com
TRACY FIRE DEPARTMENT PANCAKE BREAKFAST
October 3, Tracy
Get National Fire Prevention week off to a blazing … er … fun start, with the Tracy Fire Department’s annual pancake breakfast. Join Tracy’s firefighters, enter for the chance to win prizes at the raffle, meet Sparky, and if nothing else, enjoy some pancakes. Maybe you’ll even get to slide down the pole. 6-11 a.m. $5 adults, $4 children. Tracy Fire Station 91, 1701 W. Eleventh St., Tracy, (209) 831-4710, www.ci.tracy.ca.us/departments/fire
MANTECA PUMPKIN FAIR
October 3-4, Manteca
Get into the Halloween spirit early and often with one of the first pumpkin celebrations of the month. The annual Pumpkin Fair is back in Manteca, complete with pumpkin patch, kids zone, truck show, car show, motorcycle run, three stages, and over 150 vendors. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Downtown Manteca near Library Park, (800) 592-7419, www.manteca.org
STOCKTOBERFEST
October 10, Stockton
Modeled after a traditional German Oktoberfest, Stocktoberfest takes place outdoors on long benches and tables under a lit tent at Stockton’s historic Waterfront Warehouse. Enjoy collectable glass beer steins, authentic German food, live entertainment ranging from polka to local rock, and activities like keg lifting competitions and pretzel tosses. Come in your traditional German folk outfit and receive $2 off your first beer. 4-11 p.m. $35 VIP, $25 general admission, $15 designated driver. www.stocktontickets.com, www.downtownstockton.org
TREASURE ISLAND WINEFEST
October 11, San Francisco
A little wine by the Bay anyone? Lodi wineries will be on full display Sunday, October 11 at the Pavilion by the Bay at Treasure Island for the inaugural Treasure Island Winefest. The event is intended to give wine lovers the chance to enjoy Lodi’s award-winning wines outside of the Central Valley, all while tasting the culinary delights of Wine Valley Catering. 1-5 p.m. $55 in advance, $65 at the door. For more information: Lodi Winegrape Commission, (209) 367-4757, www.lodiwine.com
LODI OPEN STUDIOS TOUR
October 17-18, Lodi
Get up-front-and-personal with Lodi area artists at the third annual Lodi Open Studios Tour, a self-guided tour of eight area studios and the work of 16 artists. The tour offers the public an opportunity to visit artists in their working spaces, where they will demonstrate their work in progress, and exhibit and sell finished pieces. The event features a broad range of media and styles including oil, sculpture, and watercolor. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $10 admit two. Sold at Knowlton Gallery and Lodi Community Center, various locations in Downtown Lodi, (209) 333-5511, www.lodiarts.org
SAN JOAQUIN AIDS POKER RUN
October 24, Stockton
Poker and motorcycles—not necessarily the most common of combinations, but here’s your chance to take part in both activities as the San Joaquin AIDS Foundation teams up with the Alano Club for breakfast, a motorcycle ride, and day of poker. The first 125 participants receive a t-shirt, poker buy-in, lunch, and a raffle ticket. Whether you’re in it for the ride or just feel like “letting it ride,” this is the place to do it. 8 a.m. $25-$40. Alano Club of Stockton, 1812 Monte Diablo Ave., Stockton, (209) 476-8533, www.sanjoaquinaidsfoundation.org
MICHAEL ESSINGTON’S BROADWAY
October 24, Lodi
Maybe you didn’t have time to get to New York for Phantom of the Opera or Jesus Christ Superstar. No worries: Broadway is coming to you as entertainer Michael Essington pays homage to fifty years of entertainment. Early musicals to salutes, to Rogers and Hammerstein and George Gershwin, to selections from Aida and Jekyll and Hyde are just a few of the night’s showstoppers. 7 p.m. $23-$33. Charlene Powers Lange Performing Arts Theatre, Hutchins Street Square, 125 South Hutchins St., Lodi, (209) 333-5550, www.hutchinsstreetsquare.com [SJM]
TRICK-OR-TREAT AND FALL FESTIVAL
October 31, Lodi
Get into the Halloween spirit (pun intended) by strolling downtown Lodi in the afternoon. The carnival-themed festival with games, stilt-walkers, costume and pumpkin contests, live entertainment, and plenty of libations and food selections will be held alongside the opportunity for kids to trick-or-treat at downtown Lodi businesses. Family activities like pumpkin painting and a petting zoo are complemented by live music, dancing, and celebrating. 12-5 p.m. Free. Downtown Lodi, (209) 369-8052, www.downtownlodi.com
THE PACIFIC INVITATIONAL
November 1-4, Stockton
Tomorrow’s professional golfer gets his start somewhere. For many it will be at the University of the Pacific hosted Pacific Invitational at Brookside Country Club. The 12-team event features some of the best schools in the nation, such as 2009 NCAA participants Oregon and UC Davis. Walk the ropes with the players for the practice round on Sunday, and come back for three rounds of golf at the championship event on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday morning. Free to the public. Brookside Country Club, 3603 St. Andrews Drive, Stockton, (209) 956-6200, www.pacificinvitational.com
