* Friday, Oct. 28: Poetix: Engaging the Sacred is a monthly experiential gathering for those who yearn for a spiritual grounding but might not cross the threshold of a church on a Sunday morning. Using art, music, ritual and movement, the gathering will meet you wherever you are on your spiritual journey. Participants will be invited to live the questions in their lives, trusting that answers will come. The group will meet at 5:45 p.m. on the last Friday of each month in the DCC sanctuary at Fourth and C streets. Child care will be provided, and older children are welcome. For more information, visit dccpres.org.
* Friday, Oct. 28: The film “God Grew Tired of Us” will be screened at 7 p.m. at the Davis Friends Meetinghouse, 345 L St. A discussion will follow. Filmmaker Christopher Quinn observes the ordeal of three Sudanese refugees as they try to come to terms with the horrors they experienced in their homeland, while adjusting to their new lives in the United States. The 2006 documentary won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize.
* Saturday, Oct. 29: Davis Farmers Market visitors can kick off their Halloween celebrations early in Central Park. The market will usher in this celebration of local food, local farmers and the harvest season with music, free craft activities for kids, a petting zoo, pony rides, refreshments and the Central Park Gardens plant sale and open house. Kids can make a felted pumpkin at Fiber Connections and Regal Beezers will offer crowd-pleasing Americana music. The petting zoo presented by Greenich Acres includes a mini-horse, mini-cow and mini-donkey plus alpacas, goats, llamas, ducks, a lamb and bunnies. Members of Soroptimist International of Davis will return with their pumpkin patch, where kids can choose and paint a pumpkin for free.
* Saturday, Oct. 29: Yolo County’s Book Bike will visit the Davis Farmers Market in Central Park, Fourth and C streets, at 10 a.m. Visitors can check out library materials and enter a raffle to win copies of Raj Patel’s “Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System” through the UC Davis Campus Community Book Project.
* Saturday, Oct. 29: Celebrate World Origami Days (Oct. 24 to Nov. 11) with the Davis Origami Group from noon to 5 p.m. in the Blanchard Room of the Stephens Branch Library, 315 E. 14th St. There will be an exhibit and origami instruction throughout the day for folders of all ages and ability. Various models will be taught, including finger puppets, toys/games, practical items [containers/wallets], dollar folds and airborne models. At 1 p.m. Glenn Sapaden will present the talk “Bringing Origami into the Classroom,” which will be followed by an Origami Story by Tom Vinik. For information, email [email protected] or call 530-753-6093.
* Saturday, Oct. 29: A pet Halloween party and costume contest are planned from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Davis Ace Hardware, 815 Third St. in downtown Davis. There will be prizes, giveaways and fun stuff for the pets! The photo contest will be a like-and-tag event on Facebook and Instagram.
* Saturday, Oct. 29: The Yolo Cabrillo Civic Club No. 26 will hold its All-Sports Halloween Pedro Party beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the Holy Rosary Community Center, 575 California St. in Woodland. The $15 entry fee includes a sandwich lunch with hot sides, beverages and dessert, pedro card tournament and player prizes. Card playing will immediately follow lunch. A raffle also is planned; club members are asked to donate a prize. All proceeds will benefit Yolo Hospice patient services. To reserve a seat, call Betty Cadwallader at 530-662-1976.
* Saturday, Oct. 29: The Davis Origami Club will meet at noon at the Stephens Branch Library, 315 E. 14th St. in Davis. Paper folders of all skill levels and ages are welcome.
* Saturday, Oct. 29: The India Association of Davis will host a gala to celebrate Diwali at 3:30 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Center, 203 E. 14th St. in Davis. Tickets are $22 general, $17 for students and India Association of Davis members, and $12 for children ages 5-10 ($27, $22 and $17, respectively, at the door). The celebration will feature a variety of cultural programs, snacks and a multi-course dinner. For tickets, [email protected]
* Saturday, Oct. 29: Trick-or-Treat so Others Can Eat, a Halloween celebration and canned food drive to benefit the Yolo Food Bank, takes place on Main Street between Third and Elm streets. Kids are invited to trick-or-treat down Main Street from 3 to 5 p.m. and enjoy three special events — a Trevor the Magician magic show inside the Woodland Opera House, Second and Main streets; a kids dance party with DJ Robb at the former Woodland Travel Agency, 524 Main St.; and a kid-friendly haunted house at United Way, 716 Main St. Admission is a small cash donation or a can of food — one donation per person. The annual costume contest in Heritage Plaza will take place from 5 to 6 p.m. For more information, visit dowoodland.com.
* Sunday, Oct. 30: NAMI-Yolo, the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, will hold the next Davis meeting of the Connection support group from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Community Room at César Chávez Plaza, 1220 Olive Drive in Davis. The group meets every Thursday at the same time and place. NAMI Connection is a free, 90-minute support group run by people who live with mental illness for other people who live with mental illness. The group is led by NAMI-trained peer facilitators.
* Sunday, Oct. 30: Pine Trails Ranch will host a pony ride to support Measure H, the Davis school parcel tax, from 1 to 4 p.m. at 35270 County Road 31 (4 miles west of Highway 113). Horses will be dressed up for this special day, and there will be treats to feed the horses as well as horse-painting. Pony rides are $5 each; children must be at least 3 years old. All proceeds will be donated to the Measure H campaign. For more information, visit ptranch.com.
* Monday, Oct. 31: Halloween is celebrated in style with the Davis Downtown Treat Trail from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Participating downtown merchants invite costumed kids ages 10 and younger to come downtown and trick-or-treat. The event always occurs, rain or shine. Take a break from the candy hunt at the Varsity Theatre, 616 Second St., with a free showing of “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” Showtimes are at 2, 2:35 and 3:10 p.m.
* Monday, Oct. 31: Davis’ annual El Día de los Muertos celebration runs from 2 p.m. to sunset on the E Street Plaza in the 200 block downtown, honoring our ancestors. Participants are invited to come dressed in traditional dress and make-up. A community altar will be built on the plaza, and residents may contribute photos, letters, flowers, food and mementos. Voice of the Wood performs at 2 p.m., mariachi music can be heard from 2:45 to 4:15 p.m. and a procession of Aztec dancers will leave Tres Hermanas, Second and H streets, at 4 p.m. for the plaza.
* Tuesday, Nov. 1: A three-hour informal orientation meeting for prospective foster parents will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Room 101 at Woodland Community College, 2300 E. Gibson Road in Woodland. Parking is free after 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.yolofostercare.com and scroll down the first page for short informational videos, or call Cherie Schroeder at 530-574-1964.
* Tuesday/Wednesday, Nov. 1-2: The Davis Baha’i Community will celebrate the birth of its founders — Husayn Ali (Baha’u’llah) and Ali Muhammad (The Bab) — on two consecutive evenings, Nov. 1 and 2, at 7:30p.m. at the Davis United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 1620 Anderson Road. The Baha’is call these annual celebrations the Twin Holy Days. Each evening will feature music, stories, and readings from Baha’i scripture. All are welcome.
* Thursday, Nov. 3: The Valley Oak Chapter of the Embroiderers Guild of America will meet at 9:30 a.m. in the Blanchard Room of the Stephens Branch Library, 315 E. 14th St. in Davis. Margo Glenn-Lewis will teach making cords with a lucet. It was a Viking method; a while ago the group learned a Japanese method. Every culture must have its own. Supplies will be available for those who don’t have them. For more information, call Diane Moore at 530-756-0380.
* Thursday, Nov. 3: COOL Cuisine members will gather for dinner at 6:30 p.m. at Ike’s Love Sandwiches, 212 F St. COOL Cuisine encourages local restaurants to offer a larger (or any) selection of plant-based dishes on their menus and to be more responsive to those who do not eat animal products.
* Saturday, Nov. 5: Yolo County Master Gardeners will present a workshop on “Dormant Pruning, Winter Care and IPM for Fruit Trees and Ornamentals” from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at Central Park Gardens, Third and B streets downtown. This workshop will provide pruning, and garden maintenance techniques for a bountiful spring garden. Topics included will be why, when and how to prune; disease prevention through garden hygiene; integrated pest management; and a demonstration of pruning techniques. For more information, call 530-666-8143.
* Saturday, Nov. 5: The UC Davis Arboretum’s Public Plant Clearance Sale runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Arboretum Teaching Nursery (Garrod Drive near La Rue Road, across from Vet Med). If you converting your lawn to a low-water landscape, this is the sale for you. Every plant (except a limited inventory offered by the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory) will be on clearance. Parking is free and available in Lot 55 and the Putah Creek Lodge parking lot. For information and directions, visit http://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/calendar.aspx or call 530-752-4880.
* Saturday, Nov. 5: The Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis presents its fall auction, “Beyond the Bridge II,” from 6 to 10 p.m. at the church, 27074 Patwin Road. Entry to the event is $30 in advance or $35 at the door, and includes hearty appetizers and wine. Auctioneer Paul del Bene will help attendees bid on a wine cellar, lead games with cash prizes, call the live auction, and more. To see the auction catalog and for more information, visit http://togetherauction.com/uudavis or email action chair Autumn Labbé-Renault at [email protected]
* Saturday/Sunday, Nov. 5-6: St. James Catholic Church will host its 17th annual Holiday Faire and Café from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days in the St. James Memorial Center, 1275 B St. Visitors should plan to shop and enjoy a beverage, snack or lunch offered by the women of St. James. Vendors will sell hand-crafted quilts, woodcraft items, soaps, plants and bulbs, jewelry, crochet and knit items, ornaments, scarves, kitchen accessories, framed photographs, art prints, potpourri, cloth bags, purses, books, clothing and stationery. Home-made baked and canned goods also will be available, just in time for storing or freezing for the holiday meals ahead. All proceeds will be donated to local charities that serve primarily women and children.
* Sunday, Nov. 6: The Woodland Roadrunners Motorcycle Club will host its 27th annual toy run starting at 9 a.m. at Les Schwab Tire Center, 65 W. Main St. in Woodland. Members and guests are asked to bring new, unwrapped toys for donation to the Marine Corps League’s Toys for Tots holiday program. Coffee, hot chocolate, doughnuts and bagels will be available for all who bring a toy.
* Wednesday, Nov. 9: Join Warren Roberts, superintendent emeritus of the UC Arboretum, for Walks with Warren, an engaging noontime exploration of fall at the UC Davis Arboretum’s west-end gardens. Meet at noon at the Arboretum Gazebo. The event is free; limited free one-hour parking is available along Garrod Drive near the Gazebo or in nearby Visitor Parking Lot 55 where parking can be paid by meter or by purchase of a $9 daily pass. For more information and directions, call 530-752-4880 or visit http://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/calendar.aspx.
* Wednesday, Nov. 9: Do you enjoy quilting, knitting or sewing? Join Project Linus from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Davis Senior Center, 646 A St., to make blankets for children in the community who are seriously ill, traumatized or otherwise in need. Project Linus members may take home donated fabrics and yarn each month to complete a blanket. Finished blankets can be brought to the next monthly gathering. For more information, drop-off location questions, or fabric and yarn donations, contact Diane McGee at [email protected] or 530-753-3436, or visit www.facebook.com/projectlinusyolocounty.
* Thursday, Nov. 10: The Active Older Adult Wisdom Circle meets to explore the conscious aging movement at 11 a.m. at the Stephens Branch Library, 315 E. 14th St. in Davis. All are welcome.
* Thursday, Nov. 10: The Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter of Davis will host an open house for prospective volunteers who are interested in being part of the shelter organizational teams at 7 p.m. at the First Church of Christ Scientist, 510 Sixth St. in Davis. Volunteers are needed to work on the host site and shelter operations teams, providing two to five hours of service per month. Those interested in attending should RSVP to [email protected] For more information, visit interfaith-shelter.org.
* Thursday, Nov. 10: The Yolo County Taxpayers’ Association’s monthly meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at Norton Hall, 70 Cottonwood St. in Woodland. Meetings are the second Thursday of each month. Visit the group on Facebook by using the keywords Yolo County Taxpayers’ Association. For more information, call John Hoover, president, at 530-666-4354.
* Saturday, Nov. 12: Yolo County Master Gardeners will lead a free flower-arranging workshop from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall at the Davis United Methodist Church, 1620 Anderson Road. Participants will learn how to arrange beautiful bouquets for the holidays. Please bring a vase and pruners. For more information, contact UC Cooperative Extension at 530-666-8737 [email protected]
* Saturday, Nov. 12: UC Master Gardener Leslie Olaya will share her expertise on how to turn your garden, lawn and kitchen waste into a valuable soil amendment when she speaks from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in Building 400 at Woodland Community College, 2300 E. Gibson Road in Woodland. Check out the red wiggler worms that munch your kitchen vegetable scraps. Free worms are available. For more information, call 530-666-8737 or email [email protected]
* Saturday, Nov. 12: The Yolo County Sheriff’s Posse will host a crab feed in Waite Hall, at the Yolo County Fairgrounds, 1250 East Gum Ave. in Woodland. Doors open at 6 p.m. with no-host cocktails and dinner is served at 7 p.m. The Jim Hunter Band will perform country-western dance music and there will be games and a drawing to win outdoor recreational prizes. Dinner tickets are $45 per person. Those buying a table of eight will have a choice of a free bottle of red or white wine on their reserved table. The dinner supports the Yolo County Sheriff’s Posse in its search-and-rescue training. The organization is not government funded; the members are volunteers and their personal mounts. For tickets, call Saundra Snyder at 916-719-0573 or Vicky Fletcher at 530-237-6212
* Nov. 12-13: Learn skills and information to provide responsible care for children in the absence of adults in this American Red Cross course for ages 11 to 15. Students will learn Child Infant CPR, rescue breathing, choking rescue, preventing disease transmission and first aid. This course includes hands-on activities, videos, role-plays, and lively discussions. You’ll gain confidence to make smart decisions in various babysitting situations. Participants must be at least 11 years old by the last day of this two day course. Upon successful completion of the course, participants will receive certifications in Babysitter Training, and Pediatric CPR First Aid (valid for 2 years). The class is being held November 12-13. The class is two days from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Davis Senior Center, 646 A Street, Davis. The cost is $150 and pre-registration is required. Register at the City of Davis Parks and Community Services office, 23 Russell Blvd. or online www.cityofdavis.org.
* Sunday, Nov. 13: The Davis Odd Fellows will host their Second Sunday Bingo fundraiser to benefit Yolo Hospice. Doors to the Odd Fellows Lodge, 415 Second St., open at noon and play begins at 1 p.m. Cash prizes up to $250, pull-tab instant winners up to $100, and raffle prizes will be awarded. Snacks and beverages will be available for purchase. For details, visit www.DavisBingo.com or follow Davis Odd Fellows on Facebook.
* Sunday, Nov. 13: “Reduce Stress with Tai Chi” at 12:15 p.m. at the Stephens Branch Library, 315 E. 14th St. in Davis. Participants will learn relaxing, meditative exercises in this beginner tai chi class based on Chinese martial arts. All ages are welcome.
* Sunday, Nov. 13: NAMI-Yolo, the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, will hold the next meeting of the family support group in Woodland from 1:30 to 3 p.m., in the Cafeteria Conference Room at Woodland Memorial Hospital, 1325 Cottonwood St. The group is for adults who have close relatives or significant others living with such mental illnesses as clinical depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. For information about ongoing meetings in West Sacramento, leave voice mail at 530-756-8181.
* Sunday, Nov. 13: Author Elizabeth Rynecki will speak about her journey of discovery and her book at 3 p.m. at Congregation Bet Haverim, 1715 Anderson Road in Davis. The great-granddaughter of the Polish-Jewish artist, Moshe Rynecki (1881-1943), her research makes up her book, “Chasing Portraits,” about her family’s lost art legacy.
* Wednesday, Nov. 16: The Yolo Food Bank will distribute food to eligible Davis residents from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Davisville Apartments, 1221 Kennedy Place; 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. at the Davis Senior Center, 646 A St.; and 5 to 5:30 p.m. at the Owendale Community, 3023 Albany Ave. Eligible participants may receive food at only one site and are asked to bring a bag in which to carry their food home. For more information, call the Food Bank at 530-668-0690.
* Sunday, Nov. 17: Davis Community Meals and Housing will serve a Thanksgiving meal from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 640 Hawthorn Lane in Davis. All members of the community are welcome to attend. For more information, call Bill Pride at 530-756-4008.
* Thursday, Nov. 17: The Davis Library Book Group will gather at 7 p.m. to discuss Jonas Jonasson’s “The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared” at the Stephens Branch Library, 315 E. 14th St. in Davis. Participation is free.
* Thursday, Nov. 17: Tuleyome’s “Nature and You” lecture series continues with Rebecca Green speaking about “The Secret Lives of Pacific Fishers” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Stephens Branch Library, 315 E. 14th St. in Davis. Admission is free.
* Thursday, Nov. 17: Soroptimist International of Davis and Davis Rebekah Lodge No. 253 are teaming up again to offer a Good Fellowship Soup Night from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Odd Fellows Hall, 415 Second St. Members of both organizations bring an array of soups, bread and desserts, and members of SI Davis organize a silent auction that is perfect for holiday shopping, hostess gifts and more. The event is free and open to the public. Visitors are invited to enjoy soup, shop the auction, and find out more about the good work of these clubs. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., soup is served at 6 and the silent auction runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit sidavis.org.
* Saturday, Nov. 19: UC Master Gardener Jim Schulte will demonstrate how to create Thanksgiving floral arrangements from 9 to 10 a.m. in Building 400 at Woodland Community College, 2300 E. Gibson Road in Woodland. Participants should bring a vase and pruners. For more information, contact UC Cooperative Extension for more information at 530-666-8737 or [email protected]
* Saturday, Nov. 19: International House will host its annual Thanksgiving Dinner at 10 College Park. Doors open at 5:30 and the buffet dinner begins at 6 p.m. Community members, international visitors and scholars and international students are welcome. Tickets are $20 general and $15 for I-House members, students and youths. They may be purchased online at http://ihousethanksgiving2016.eventbrite.com or in person at 10 College Park between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For more, call 530-753-5007.
* Sunday, Nov. 20: Yolo County Master Gardeners will be available beginning at 2 p.m. at the Stephens Branch Library, 315 E. 14th St. in Davis, to answer questions about preparation for planting bare-root trees and vines, and planting edibles in your landscape. The event is free. For more information, contact UC Cooperative Extension at 530-666-8737 [email protected]
* Thursday, Nov. 24: The eighth annual Running of the Turkeys 5K fun run and walk starts at 8 a.m. at Heritage Plaza, 600 Main St. in downtown Woodland. Proceeds will benefit the Yolo Food Bank’s programs and services. Online registration is open now at www.runningoftheturkeys.org.
* Thursday, Nov. 24: Davis Community Meals and Housing will serve a traditional Thanksgiving feast with all the fixings — the 13th annual — from 2 to 3 p.m. at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 640 Hawthorn Lane in Davis. All members of the community are welcome to attend. For more information, call Bill Pride at 530-756-4008.
* Friday, Nov. 25: Poetix: Engaging the Sacred is a monthly experiential gathering for those who yearn for a spiritual grounding but might not cross the threshold of a church on a Sunday morning. Using art, music, ritual and movement, the gathering will meet you wherever you are on your spiritual journey. Participants will be invited to live the questions in their lives, trusting that answers will come. The group will meet at 5:45 p.m. on the last Friday of each month in the DCC sanctuary at Fourth and C streets. Child care will be provided, and older children are welcome. For more information, visit dccpres.org.
* Sunday, Nov. 27: “Reduce Stress with Tai Chi” at 12:15 p.m. at the Stephens Branch Library, 315 E. 14th St. in Davis. Participants will learn relaxing, meditative exercises in this beginner tai chi class based on Chinese martial arts. All ages are welcome.
* Sunday, Nov. 27: NAMI-Yolo, the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, will hold the next meeting of the family support group in Woodland from 1:30 to 3 p.m., in the Cafeteria Conference Room at Woodland Memorial Hospital, 1325 Cottonwood St. The group is for adults who have close relatives or significant others living with such mental illnesses as clinical depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. For information about ongoing meetings in West Sacramento, leave voice mail at 530-756-8181.
* Wednesday, Dec. 14: Join Warren Roberts, superintendent emeritus of the UC Arboretum, for Walks with Warren, an engaging noontime exploration of fall at the UC Davis Arboretum’s west-end gardens. Meet at noon at the Arboretum Gazebo. The event is free; limited free one-hour parking is available along Garrod Drive near the Gazebo or in nearby Visitor Parking Lot 55 where parking can be paid by meter or by purchase of a $9 daily pass. For more information and directions, call 530-752-4880 or visit http://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/calendar.aspx.