Olives All Around
Taste olive oils, watch cooking demos, and meet baby goats and turtles at the Orinda Olive Festival.
It’s olive harvest time, and there are two local opportunities to celebrate!
Bring your family and friends to the Wagner Ranch Nature Area, a historic site and nature preserve that’s open only twice a year to the public. Taste olive oils from local producers and attend olive-themed cooking demos. Pet the baby goats, search for turtles in the pond, try your hand at nature-based arts and crafts, and take a docent-led tour of the ranch. The “Olive Pit Spit” contest is a favorite for kids of all ages. Wagner Ranch Nature Area offers hands-on experiential education for 1,000 school children each year. Free. Info: here
8th Annual Orinda Olive Festival
Sunday October 1, 11:30am–4:30pm
Wagner Ranch Nature Area
350 Camino Pablo, Orinda
And there’s even more olive love the very next weekend …
Fremont’s Mission San Jose Chamber of Commerce serves up a delightful weekend event in the olive grove behind the old Mission. Celebrate with olives, olive oil, wine and beer, good food, and live music. Games and crafts are offered in a festive kids’ area. Guests may also sign up for special docent-led tours at 1pm on Sunday. Please don’t bring pets to the festival. Free admission. Info: here
16th Annual Olive Festival
Saturday & Sunday, October 7 & 8, 10am–5pm
43326 Mission Blvd, Fremont
(on the Dominican grounds behind the Historic Old Mission San Jose)
Photo courtesy of Wagner Ranch.
