Folks in West Marin have been hard hit by the Great Shutdown and its closing of national parklands. They are feeling the pinch as the crowds usually drawn there at this beautiful time of year simply didn't show up. Be a good, caring neighbor! Whether you spend a little or a lot, every penny will be appreciated.
Have a meal in any of the restaurants from Muir Beach (Pelican Inn) to Marshall (Nick's Cove) even a stop at snack bars and take-out places will help. Before or after you eat, shop at local venues like bookstores, specialty retailers (Cowgirl Creamery, bakeries, gift shops). Go to the Point Reyes Farmers Market—Marin's only totally organic seasonal market—on Saturdays, 9am-1pm. It will be open through Sunday, Nov. 2. Support our farmers, producers, restaurants and businesses: They need your help.
PABULUM AT THE PATCH Speaking of West Marin, the Nicasio Farms Pumpkin Patch will be open until Halloween, but the big party happens Sunday, Oct. 20 (10am-4pm) when MALT Day is celebrated. Besides hunting for the perfect pumpkin, you can have a great organic lunch: Farmer's Wife sandwiches and salads, flatbread pizza from Mike the Bejket, Stemple Creek burgers, Equator Coffee and Lagunitas Brewing Co. beers. Kids (and grown-ups) can learn to make mozzarella, bake flatbread, press apple juice, and create some farm arts and crafts. Bring a cooler if you want to purchase Stemple Creek meats to take home. This event is free; 10 percent of the earnings from pumpkin sales will go to Marin Agricultural Land Trust. Information: www.malt.org.
A BONUS FOR BLOOD Marin Brewing Co. will happily feed you a free meal Saturday, Oct. 19 (noon-5pm) when you make a donation at the mobile lab from Blood Centers of the Pacific parked at Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur. Register in advance at www.bloodheroes.com (Code: BREW).
SWEET AS SUGAR While we don't have much of a celebration for El Dia de los Muertos here, it is only a short drive to Petaluma where a two-week observance takes over the town. The Petaluma Arts Council is the force behind this annual recognition of Hispanic culture, from workshops (how to make those fanciful sugar skull candies) to poetry readings, dance and music performances, art exhibits and best of all, the procession through the streets on Saturday, Nov. 2. Most shop windows are decorated with colorful altars and candles and flowers, and people in traditional Mexican dress mingle with the crowds who follow the bands in a walk to the Petaluma Arts Center where more music, food and art displays make for an evening of fun. For complete information, maps, etc., visit www.petalumaartscenter.org.
SHALOM SONOMA Another adventure to the north, this one unique, is the fourth annual Jewish Winemakers' Tasting and Nosh—Kugels, Knishes & Cabernet—Sunday, Oct. 27 (1:30-4:30pm), at Congregation Shir Shalom in Sonoma. Dozens of winemakers will be pouring varietals that are a far cry from the old Mogen David and there will be heaping amounts of food. Expect everything from Reuben sandwiches to brisket to matzoh ball shooters (really). There have been Jewish winemakers in Napa and Sonoma since 1878 when Freidrich (Fritz) Rosenbaum planted his first vines in St. Helena. Find out how far his followers have progressed in the art. Tickets are $45 per person in advance, $50 at the door. Proceeds benefit the congregation's educational program and cultural events. www.shir-shalom.org .
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER Register now for a slightly belated Ocktoberfest-style gathering, a perfect autumn event at Fresh Start Chef Events in Novato, Thusday, Nov. 7 (6:30-9pm). Celebrity butcher David Budsworth will teach a class in sausage-making where participants can learn to make crepinettes, a traditional French saucisson and to see how to operate home sausage-making equipment. A communal dinner will include specialty sausages, handmade soft pretzels and German side dishes as well as beers from Baeltane Brewing of Novato. Cost is $55 per person, which includes the class, dinner, beer-tasting and take-home sausages. Register at www.hbofm.org or at 415/382-3363, x243.
Whet Pat's appetite at patfusco@sonic.net.
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