Most San Ramon fall weekends this year come from two calendars. One belongs to Forest Home Farms Historic Park, where the City of San Ramon and the San Ramon Historic Foundation run free activities every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The other belongs to City Center Bishop Ranch. Its season builds toward the Kristi Yamaguchi Holiday Ice Rink, which opens Nov. 6.
The two calendars hand off. The farm carries October with its harvest and Victorian-era programming. City Center picks up in November with the rink, the tree lighting and the Turkey Trot. From Nov. 6 through Dec. 12 they run side by side. Once you see that pattern, planning the next three months gets much easier.
October Belongs to the Farm
Fun on the Farm is free. A few events need registration, and the city marks those with an asterisk. Each Saturday has a theme tied to farm life or local history. Here are the October weekends still ahead:
- Oct. 10, Indigenous People's Day: a program on the Tribal Nations that lived in the San Ramon Valley.
- Oct. 17, Iron Horse: the history of trains and the Iron Horse Trail in the San Ramon Valley, with a craft to take home.
- Oct. 24, Trick or Treat on the Farm: costumed kids go from station to station for activities and treats.
- Oct. 31, Pumpkins, Gourds & Squash: how pumpkins and gourds get used, plus a winter squash recipe and a craft.
The farm also has an evening event for older kids and adults. On Friday, Oct. 30, the Glass House hosts Victorian Mourning Tours, with tours starting at 6, 6:30, 7 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10 for residents and $12 for nonresidents. The tours are open to ages 12 and up, and the city says they're geared for adults. The tour covers the hazards behind untimely deaths in the Victorian era, including some in the Glass family, who gave the house its name. Children 15 and under need an adult with them.
Families with younger kids have one more October option. Crow Canyon Gardens hosts Fall Nature Storytime on Fridays from 10:15 to 11 a.m. October's themes are leaves and fall colors, corn, pumpkins, and a Halloween special on Oct. 30.
The Weekend Everything Lands at Once
On most fall Saturdays, the farm and City Center hardly compete for your time. The San Ramon Farmers Market runs at City Center, 6000 Bollinger Canyon Road, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday, year-round. The market's homepage lists more than 70 growers, food artisans and small businesses each week. Fun on the Farm starts two hours after the market opens, so a single Saturday can include both.
The exception is Oct. 24–25. Both calendars peak that weekend, and the city fills in the rest of it:
- Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Trick or Treat on the Farm at Forest Home Farms. It's free and open to all ages. Food is for sale, and the Gift Shoppe will be open with holiday goods.
- Saturday, noon: Halloween Bingo at the Alcosta Senior & Community Center, presented by the San Ramon Senior Center Foundation. Tickets are $25 through Oct. 17 and $30 after that, with lunch and three bingo cards included. Costumes are encouraged.
- Saturday, 7:30 p.m.: the San Ramon Library Foundation Jazz Series at the San Ramon Main Library. General admission is $39.69, and student tickets are $24.23.
- Sunday, 2 to 3 p.m.: the free Howl-O-Ween Costumed Pet Parade in Alexander Square at City Center. George San Ramon will hand out treats, and The Hub by Pack Animals will bring a mini obstacle course and sniff patch.
The Dougherty Station side of town has its own busy stretch around that weekend. The 3rd Thursday Arts & Eats series wraps up its 2026 season on Oct. 15 from 5 to 9 p.m. outside the Dougherty Station Community Arts Center. The next night, TEAM Theatre performs "Oh My Gourd," a short-form improv show, at 8 p.m. at the Front Row Theatre. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and students. TEAM Theatre then stages "Hadestown: Teen Edition" at the Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center from Oct. 30 through Nov. 2, including Halloween afternoon shows at noon and 4:30 p.m. Tickets run $20 to $30, and the show is rated PG-13. The city's October newsletter lists one show on Nov. 26, but the official ticketing page lists it on Sunday, Nov. 1. Go by the ticketing page.
The Handoff Happens in November
This is the stretch where the relay shows. City Center's holiday season starts Nov. 6, and Fun on the Farm keeps running every Saturday. Through November, the two calendars trade off weekends:
| Date | Forest Home Farms | City Center Bishop Ranch and around town |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 6 | Ice rink opening ceremony, 6–7 p.m. | |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Quality Quilts | Kristi Yamaguchi Skating Clinic, 9–10 a.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Bread & Jam | Library Foundation Jazz Series, 7:30 p.m. |
| Fri., Nov. 20 | Holiday Tree Lighting, 6–7 p.m. | |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Turkey Time | |
| Thu., Nov. 26 | Bishop Ranch Turkey Trot, 8–10 a.m. |
Saturday, Nov. 7, is the clearest example. Yamaguchi's skating clinic at City Center includes skate rental, an introductory lesson led by an instructor, and her own tips. The clinic page still says tickets and more details are coming soon. Later that morning, Forest Home Farms covers the history of quilting and helps kids make paper quilt squares.
The rink's opening night on Nov. 6 includes skating performances, carolers, and Yamaguchi cutting the ribbon. The Nov. 20 tree lighting brings the Monte Vista Band, singers, and Santa's arrival. The Thanksgiving morning Turkey Trot offers a 5K around Bishop Ranch and a .05K for kids under five, and it supports the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.
The farm's November Saturdays end Nov. 21 with Turkey Time. According to the farm's program notes, the wild turkeys seen around town were brought in from Oklahoma and Texas.
What's Different at City Center Since Summer
The plaza hosting the November events has changed since summer. In June, the East Bay Times reported a new group of merchants announced by Sunset Development, the firm that created Bishop Ranch.
- Rico Rico Taco opened in late July at 6000 Bollinger Canyon Road, Suite 1207. It's an offshoot of an Oakland taqueria, with handmade tortillas and spit-roasted al pastor.
- lululemon leased the former 5,500-square-foot Nike store for a one-year pop-up. The center's directory places it on Level 1 near Sephora.
- lil sweet treat now has a directory listing that describes globally sourced candy and hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. In June, the shop said it planned to carry sweets from Sweden, Spain, France, Belgium and other countries.
- Escapology announced a 1,400-square-foot party space next to its existing 4,800-square-foot escape room site. The June report didn't give a completion date.
Two restaurants have also closed. LB Steak at City Center closed June 22 when its operator, Vine Hospitality, shut down its restaurant portfolio, Patch reported. On Crow Canyon Place, Dos Coyotes Border Café closed its location at No. 3191 on Sept. 24. It was the chain's last Bay Area restaurant.
The Farm Gets One More Turn in December
The relay doesn't end in November. Fun on the Farm has two more Saturdays. Dec. 5 is Candle Making, where kids learn how families made candles from beeswax in the 1800s and make one to take home. Dec. 12 is Holiday on the Farm, with visits with Santa, old-fashioned ornament making, a puppet show and refreshments. The evening of Dec. 5, the Library Foundation Jazz Series plays the last date on its fall schedule at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, Dec. 19, Forest Home Farms brings back the Glass House for Victorian Christmas Tours. Tours start every half hour from 10 a.m. to noon and cost $12 for residents and $15 for nonresidents. Each tour ends with carols on the walk to the Boone House, then nutcracker nibbles and mulled apple cider.
The rink is scheduled to stay open through Jan. 3. As of early October, City Center hasn't posted 2026–27 admission prices or session times, so check the center's site before you go. Six days after the rink closes, Crow Canyon Gardens holds its third annual Winter Wassail. It's a free event on Saturday, Jan. 9, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
At The Bermudez Team, we keep track of San Ramon's calendar because the weekends here are part of what we talk about with clients every day. If you're planning around the rink opening or a Saturday at the farm and wondering what your home is worth heading into the holidays, ask us for a free home valuation. We'll put it together with the same local detail.
