Oktoberfest Cotati-Style: On Saturday from noon to 6 p.m., La Plaza Park transforms itself into a lively biergarten, with plenty of oom-pah-pah tunes by Karl Lebherz and his Bavarian Band, polka dancing and, 'tis true, Weiner Dog Races at 2 p.m.
There will be a Women's Beer Stein Race at 4 p.m. and a Men's Tankard Hold at 3 p.m. in the park at Old Redwood Highway and West Sierra Ave.
Admission is free, and for $15 you can enjoy a meal of grilled bratwurst, sauerkraut, German potato salad, gingerbread and a beverage, either beer, wine, root beer or water. Vegetarian bratwurst will be available on request.
Celebrating the Season at Shone Farm: Santa Rosa Junior College's Shone Farm hosts a Fall Festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Look for a petting zoo, games for kids, sawmill and equestrian drill team demonstrations, apple pressing and tasting, and a tasting of the farm's olive oil and award-winning wines.
In addition, students from the Culinary Arts program will prepare a barbecue at the farm, located at 7450 Olson Lane, off Eastside Road, southwest of Forestville.
Fruits and vegetables from the farm and estate wines and olive oils will be available for purchase. If you are so inclined, you can pick your own pumpkins and take a tour of the farm.
For more information and a map to the farm, visit shonefarm.com.
Admission to the festival is free.
Loving Your Laguna: Saturday is Laguna Keepers Day, when volunteers will gather from 9 a.m. to noon at Duer Creek at Kelly Farm to remove planting and irrigation hardware from a successful riparian restoration project.
From 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, there's an opening reception at Heron Hall for a new show of paintings by Marge Mount, a longtime friend of the Laguna. The reception will feature refreshments and live music by the Tempos. Proceeds from art sales will benefit the Laguna Foundation.
For details about Laguna Keepers Day, including directions to the farm that is owned by the City of Santa Rosa, visit lagunafoundation.org.
Heron Hall is located at the Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa.
Sonoma County Museum News: On Friday from 5 to 8 p.m., a new addition to Sonoma County Museum's Sculpture Garden will be dedicated.
"The Peace Tree," executed by Mario Uribe, is the result of a year-long collaboration between the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art in Korea and students from Elsie Allen High School.
The dedication is part of a larger event, a block party that also celebrates the new Street Art installations at 505 B St. by Julia "Bud Snow" Davis, Carlos de Villasante and Judy Kennedy.
The free event will include beer, wine and live music by Batacha with Joel Bennett.
Columbus Day Weekend in Valley Ford: If you've been missing Jackie Martine, chef and charming proprietor of the long-closed Seaweed Cafe, you can see her this weekend at the First Annual Valley Ford Antique Fair, taking place this Friday through Sunday.
Since closing her restaurant, Martine has traveled many times to her native France, in part for her newest endeavor, Califrench Antiques, which is based in San Francisco. Now, she's bringing her wares north for the long weekend.
She will be joined by Jack Avery of Avery Arts and Antiques, Lou Rosenberger of Far West Trading Co. and Tracey Sheppard Alexander of Spirit Mountain Design. The fair takes place at the Old Dairyman's Bank and at Avery Art and Antiques, both in downtown Valley Ford.
Free parking is available at Rocker Oysterfeller's Kitchen and Bar, located at the Valley Ford Hotel. Both locations are wheel-chair accessible.
The fair is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a preview for antique dealers at 9 a.m. Friday.
Rocker Oysterfeller's, where Shona Campbell and Brandon Guenther are your hosts, will be transformed into a German biergarten throughout the weekend, with a special menu, German beer and Bavarian music.
What's the buzz? On Saturday, Bear Foot Honey Farm (4372 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma) hosts its final public bee tours of the year.
Tours are offered hourly between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., provided the weather cooperates. It must be at least 60 degrees and cannot be raining.
Visitors will see life inside a bee village and, following the tour, sample a selection of raw honeys.
Although chances of being stung are very slim — protection is provided — tours are not recommended for anyone allergic to bee venom. Children should be at least 4.
Cost is $4 per person. Reservations are not necessary; all you need to do is show up.
For more information about Bear Foot Honey, founded in 2008, visit bearfoothoney.com.
Arrivederci, Carlo: The North Bay Italian Cultural Foundation hosts its annual Festa Italiana from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Sunday at the Santa Rosa Veterans Building, 1351 Maple Ave.
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