In a season dominated by online shopping, mass-produced gifts and next-day delivery, a longtime Stockton arts tradition is offering something decidedly different: art made by hand. The San Joaquin Potters Guild Fine Arts Festival returns Friday and Saturday, November 20 and 21, 2026, bringing ceramic and glass artists together with other creators for a two-day celebration of craftsmanship at Central United Methodist Church, across from University of the Pacific.

For one November morning, one of Stockton’s most popular park lakes is about to become a whole lot more crowded beneath the surface. More than 2,000 pounds of rainbow trout will be planted in the 10-acre lake at Shumway Oak Grove Regional Park ahead of the Annual Trout Bout on Saturday, November 21, setting the stage for a morning of fishing, friendly competition and family tradition.

Nearly a century after one of American theater’s most daring plays first challenged audiences, Machinal is coming home to the city of its playwright’s birth. Beginning October 9, Delta Drama at San Joaquin Delta College will present Sophie Treadwell’s Machinal, an expressionist drama inspired by a notorious 1920s murder case and centered on a woman struggling to find freedom in a world that seems determined to control her. Performances will continue through October 18 at the Al Muller Studio Theatre on Delta College’s Stockton campus.

A November 5K in Stockton is asking participants to run for something larger than a finish-line medal. The Her Fall Forward 5K, scheduled for Saturday, November 7, 2026, will bring runners and walkers together to support women and girls while raising money to help local women and children's shelters provide necessities to families in need. The race begins at 8 a.m. at 5250 Cosumnes Drive in Stockton.

Downtown Stockton will trade business suits for superhero capes, princess dresses and plenty of Halloween costumes when Monster Mash 2026 takes over Courthouse Plaza on Friday, October 30.

A night of dining, music and philanthropy in Stockton will also offer something the public has never seen before: the first look inside the planned expansion of the World of Wonders Science Museum.

Colorful traditional clothing, cultural performances, music, sports and the aromas of Hmong cooking will fill the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds this November as Stockton's Hmong community welcomes families from across the region for its annual New Year celebration.

University of the Pacific is preparing for a Homecoming unlike any other in its history. From October 9 through 11, alumni, students, families and friends will gather on Pacific's Stockton campus for Homecoming and Family Weekend 2026, a three-day celebration that takes on special significance this year as the university marks its 175th anniversary.

Churches and community organizations from across the region are preparing to take their message of faith and service outdoors as The Encounter: Jesus in the City 2026 returns to downtown Stockton for a two-day gathering at Weber Point Events Center on October 3 and 4.

Stockton families will have an opportunity to take care of their health while connecting with valuable community resources during Family Wellness Day, a free event bringing health screenings, vaccinations, family activities and support services together in one place.