Families looking for an affordable way to enjoy the fall season won't have to travel far or reach for their wallets. The 2026 Harvest Festival returns to East Stockton on Saturday, October 17, offering four hours of free family entertainment at Harvest Church Ministries, 3051 E. Main Street. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., families can enjoy pony rides, carnival games and prizes, live performances and music, community resource booths, food and other activities.

For families trying to navigate developmental disability services, finding help can sometimes mean figuring out which agency to call, which program applies, what paperwork is required and where to go next. On Friday, October 9, Valley Mountain Regional Center is bringing many of those connections together in one place. The VMRC Cultural & Disability Resource Fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 702 N. Aurora Street in Stockton, with community organizations, service providers and microbusinesses gathering for what VMRC is calling its biggest event.

For more than half a century, the music of the Mike Torres Band has been part of the soundtrack of Stockton and the San Joaquin Valley. On Thursday, October 8, that history will take center stage at San Joaquin Delta College as Mariachi Los Mesteños and the Mike Torres Band come together for a special concert honoring Mike Torres Sr. and his musical legacy. The free community concert runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at Atherton Auditorium, 5151 Pacific Ave. in Stockton.

Students in grades 7-12 from across San Joaquin County can join Families United's inaugural nine-month leadership program, launching Saturday, October 3, with a welcome breakfast and hands-on career exposure.

Service First of Northern California kicked off construction on The Hunter House, a $69 million, 120-unit affordable housing development in Downtown Stockton, backed by state, county and city funding.

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.

Before the turkey reaches the table and before the first slice of pie is served, thousands of people are expected to spend Thanksgiving morning doing something that has become a Stockton holiday tradition: running and walking to help feed their neighbors. The 22nd Annual Run & Walk Against Hunger returns Thursday, November 26, 2026, bringing runners, walkers, children, families and community teams to downtown Stockton for the Emergency Food Bank Stockton/San Joaquin's largest annual fundraising event. This year's event is once again presented by the Aaron Judge ALL RISE Foundation.

As the holiday season begins in Stockton, thousands of lights will soon glow from a towering tree at San Joaquin Delta College. But each light is meant to represent something far more personal than a holiday decoration. On Tuesday, November 24, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., Hospice of San Joaquin will hold its annual Tree of Lights ceremony at San Joaquin Delta College, continuing a tradition that began in Stockton decades ago and has since spread to communities throughout San Joaquin County and the surrounding region.

For one evening this October, University of the Pacific's brick walkways and ivy-covered buildings will become a giant trick-or-treat route as hundreds of costumed children and their families explore one of Stockton's most recognizable campuses. The Annual Pacific Trick or Treat returns Wednesday, October 28, from 5 to 7 p.m., inviting Stockton families onto the University of the Pacific campus for a free evening of Halloween fun. This year's event will be centered at the Don and Karen DeRosa University Center Lawn, with families making their way around campus to collect candy from Pacific students, faculty and staff.