Summer is coming to a close, but there’s still plenty to see and do in the East Bay Regional Park District. For example, sampling of rare apple varieties, live music, dancing, old-fashioned games and lots of family-friendly fun are all on tap at the Garin Apple Festival from noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 8 at Garin Regional Park in Hayward.
The park has an orchard of apple varieties no longer generally available, tended by a group of dedicated volunteers. Festival activities are centered at the park’s Red Barn Visitor Center, which has displays and activities evoking the area’s farming and ranching history. Garin Regional Park is at the end of Garin Avenue off Mission Boulevard. Parking costs $5 per vehicle, but the festival is free. For information, call 510-544-3220.
Fremont: At Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont, naturalist Dino Labiste plans a series of five “skills of the past” programs, involving techniques used for millennia by the Ohlone culture. The first is a two-session basket-making program. From 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 9, the group will gather tule reeds, a basic component of Native American baskets.
Then from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 16, the group will use the material to create a twined basket. There’s a fee of $15 for the program ($17 for nondistrict residents). Registration is required. To register, call 888-327-2757. Select option 2 and refer to program number 22600.
Other programs will cover fire making on Sept. 30, cordage on Oct. 6, acorn processing on Oct. 13 and shell necklaces on Oct. 27. Coyote Hills is at the end of Patterson Ranch Road in Fremont. For more information, call 510-544-3220.
Oakland: The only known surviving “old growth” redwood tree in the East Bay is on an inaccessible slope in the Oakland hills. You can get a view of it during a 5-mile hike through Leona Canyon and beyond from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sept. 9, led by naturalist Michael Charnofsky. A bonus is the view of five bridges that cross San Francisco Bay. The hike is for ages 9 and older. No bathrooms are available. Meet at the Canyon Oaks parking area. It’s off Keller Drive near the corner of Canyon Oaks and Campus Drives. For information, call 510-544-3187.
Alameda: Crab Cove Visitor Center in Alameda offers Family Nature Fun programs from 2 to 3 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. There’s a different topic each time, including nature exploration and hands-on activities. The center is at 1252 McKay Ave. off Alameda’s Central Avenue. For information, call 510-544-3187.
Berkeley: A nature ramble led by naturalist “Trail Gail” Broesder is on the agenda from 2 to 3 p.m. Sept. 8 at Tilden Nature Area near Berkeley. It’s an easy walk to Jewel Lake in search of signs of wildlife. Meet Gail at Tilden’s Environmental Education Center, which is at the north end of Central Park Drive.
Gail also has scheduled a series of “Welcome to Autumn Walks” to look for signs of fall. The first is from 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 8 at Briones Regional Park. Meet Gail at the Alhambra Staging Area. It’s on Reliez Valley Road between Martinez and Pleasant Hill. For information on either program, call 510-544-2233.
Oakley: Two great programs are on the calendar at Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley. Watercolor artists can gain skills in a painting session from 2 to 3 p.m. Sept. 8. And “Stories of the Night Sky” is the topic of naturalist Cat Taylor’s family campfire program from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 9. Bring a picnic dinner, join in nature exploration and save room for s’mores, that gooey, delicious campfire standard. Big Break is at 69 Big Break Road off Oakley’s Main Street. For information, call 888-327-2757, ext. 3050.
Online: This is just a sample of what’s upcoming in the regional parks. For the full story, check out the district website at www.ebparks.org.
Ned MacKay writes a regular column about East Bay Regional Park District sites and activities. Email him at nedmackay@comcast.net.