Weekend Picks: Martinez Zombie Brew Crawl, San Francisco Wharf Fest, Oakland Turfin World Dance Battle and Sacramento Ghost Tours

October 19, 2017

On the hunt for some fall revelry? Take a brew crawl with zombies through downtown Martinez, indulge in a waterfront chowder festival in San Francisco, watch some of the best turf style dancing in Oakland, and join a spooky ghost tour in Sacramento! There are so many things to do to experience fall along the Capitol Corridor!

Zombie Brew Crawl: 10/21, Martinez

Put on your best Walking Dead costume and join the crowd of the un-dead in downtown Martinez this Saturday, for the 6th Annual Zombie Brew Crawl. From 2:30pm to 5:30pm, the zombie-costumed revelers will be roaming the downtown corridor of Martinez sampling over 20 local craft beers. Zombie costumes are optional, but there will be a costume contest with prizes. Get creative with your costume ideas and compete for Most Creative Costume, Best Male Zombie, Best Female Zombie and Best Zombie Group. After the beer crawl, visit one of the downtown restaurants for dinner. Buy tickets online for $30 per person in advance until October 20 or $35 at the door.

Getting there: Take the train to the Martinez Station, which is just a short stroll from downtown.


Wharf Fest: 10/21, San Francisco

Come down to Fisherman’s Wharf this Saturday from 11am to 5pm for the 5th Annual Wharf Fest. Fifty booths featuring art vendors, exhibitors, and beverage sampling will be open to the public. Free activities include a Segway obstacle course, rock climbing walls, and a giant pirate ship bouncy house. The popular Chowder Cook-off Competition will pit twelve Fisherman’s Wharf restaurants against each other for the Best Chowder title. Festivities span the intersection of Jefferson and Taylor streets, two blocks of Little Embarcadero St., between Taylor St. and Powell St., and at the famous Fisherman’s Wharf crab wheel sign.

Getting there: Depending on your station of origin, take the train to the Richmond Station or Oakland Coliseum Station. There you can connect to BART for service into downtown San Francisco. Discount BART tickets are available for purchase in the Café Car. From downtown San Francisco, you can take Muni to Fisherman’s Wharf.


Turfin vs. the World Halloween Dance Festival: 10/21, Oakland

Get ready to watch some of the world’s best Turf dancing at Turfin vs The World Halloween Dance Festival in Jack London Square. On Saturday, October 21, from 12pm to 7pm, there will be a tournament of 16 pre-selected street dancers in costumes battling to be crowned King or Queen of ‘turfin’. The turf dance phenomenon that originated on the streets of Oakland showcases pantomime, footwork, and storytelling. In celebration of Halloween, there will be a costume contest with the winner taking home a special prize. Attendees can visit the vendor’s marketplace with food trucks, coffee, beers, and everything you need for a good time. This is a free, community-oriented, and family-friendly event. TURFinc mission is to spread the original dance culture of TURF and to utilize it as a positive platform for dancers, youth, and the overall community.

Getting there: Take the train to the Oakland Jack London Square Station, which is just steps from the waterfront.


Ghost Tours: 10/14 -10/29, Sacramento

With Halloween upon us, nothing sets a spookier mood than the Sacramento History Museum’s Ghost Tours. As part of the fun and interactive Old Sacramento Living History Program, the eerie and ever popular one-hour Ghost Tours return for the last three weekends in October. With tours running between 6:30pm and 9pm, guests will have the opportunity to relive 19th century lore and hear tantalizing narratives about the deaths of colorful citizens from Sacramento’s history. Departing every 30 minutes from the Sacramento History Museum, daring and inquisitive guests will be led through Old Sacramento’s infamous locales to experience the darker side of California’s history. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for youth online. Please note that tours are not recommended for children 8 years or younger. Reservations are recommended since tours are limited and do sell out.

Getting there: Take the train to the Sacramento Station, which is just a short walk from the museum.

 

 

Written by Sylvia Sheehan
Photo courtesy Fisherman’s Wharf