Every Thursday we share what's happening around Etna for the week ahead, from Main Street to a little farther afield. This week a touring songwriter plays the brewery, the last of the fall color holds on along the creeks, and the moon comes up full on Sunday.
In the valley
Thursday, October 22: Dillon Havins at Etna Brewing Co., 6 pm. An indie folk songwriter from Austin and a Berklee alum, out on his first national tours. A new voice in a small room is the best kind of Thursday. Show details.
All week: the last of the color. The second half of October is when the oaks, bigleaf maples, alders and dogwoods along the creeks turn, and this is the week to catch them before the wind takes the leaves. Take the short loop at golden hour; our drives guide has maps and mileage.
Thursday to Sunday: Denny Bar Co. The new fall menu is in, with weekly specials from 4 to 8 pm, Thursday through Sunday. Free distillery tours run Friday to Sunday and end with a tasting for guests 21 and over. Call (530) 467-5115 to book.
Wednesday to Saturday: Martin's Experienced Items, 9 am to 4 pm. The best vintage store in town, on Main Street for more than 25 years, with a furniture annex for the bigger finds. Give yourself longer than you think.
Friday, October 23: live music at Five Marys Burgerhouse in Fort Jones, about 15 minutes up the road. Music is a Friday night habit there. Call (530) 468-4555 for a table, and plan a sober driver.
Friday and Saturday: rib-eye nights at the Callahan Emporium, 15 to 20 minutes south. Bands play some Saturdays, so call (530) 467-3395 to see who's on.
All week: yoga with Chai Perlman. See Chai's schedule for this week's classes and book a spot.
All week: Rough and Ready Fitness. Rough and Ready Fitness is our friends' gym in Etna, with $10 drop-ins for guests. Go early, then breakfast on Main Street.
Keep an eye out: Little Whisk Baking Co. Her macaron drops sell out fast. Follow along so you're ready for the next one.
A little farther
Through Sunday, October 25: the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's final week in Ashland, about an hour and a quarter away. A Midsummer Night's Dream plays through Sunday; Come From Away, King Hedley II and Smote This through Saturday; and Yellow Face through Friday. See the season.
Sunday, October 25: Bridge City Sinners and Liam St. John at the Historic Ashland Armory, 7 pm. Portland's punk and old-time band, with a young Spokane roots and blues player whose first album went to number one on Apple Music's blues chart. Show details.
Monday, October 26: Anna Tivel with Lo Pony at Live in the Boxcar near Weed, 5 pm, by donation. A Portland folk songwriter in an intimate room, about an hour from the house. Show details.
Tuesday, October 27: the Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market in Ashland, 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. Late-season apples, squash and bread for the week.
Look up
Sunday evening, October 25: the full moon. October's full moon, the Hunter's Moon, rises around sunset. Watch it come up over the eastern hills from the garden, then turn the porch lights off and let it light the lawn.
At Blossom Sanctuary we plan to gather for the full moon with intentions, celebration, and time to honor the land and the season. Part of the evening is a small ceremonial burn of oak limbs and foliage that have come down on the property over the years. Fire is one of the oldest ways of caring for a forest in this part of California. The Karuk Tribe and other Indigenous peoples of the region have long used fire to tend oak groves, black oak among them, and to keep the forest open and healthy, and the Karuk have documented how a century of fire suppression has changed those forests. We're grateful to learn from that stewardship. Our fire is a small one, kept the ordinary way: natural material from our own land, a modest pile, on an approved burn day, attended the whole time. Learn more from the Karuk Tribe's work on cultural burning. Looking for full moon plans? Message the concierge.
Coming up
Saturday, October 31: Halloween at The Garage on Main Street in Etna, across from Denny Bar Co.: Sundown Poachers at 7:30 pm and JT & The Ignitors at 9 pm. Free and all ages.
Saturday, October 31: Halloween at Denny Bar Co. The distillery releases the third and final bottle of its Heritage Collection, a bourbon and rye whiskey, in the tasting room on Halloween, followed by a Halloween party. Signed bottles open to email subscribers online on Friday, October 30 at 8 am. The tasting room is open 11 am to 9 pm Saturdays; call (530) 467-5115 for the party details and a table.
Good to know this week
Fire restrictions are in effect in the Klamath National Forest through October 30 unless lifted sooner. Check the forest's alerts before you build anything that burns.
The first snow can come any time now at Etna Summit and the high lakes. Check conditions before you drive up.
It's hunting season in the mountains around the valley. Wear bright colors on the trails.
Daylight saving time ends next Sunday, November 1. Enjoy the extra hour by the fire.
Small-town hours change with the season. Check before you drive in.
Planning a visit? See open dates and prices at Blossom Sanctuary, and join the Orbit to get the week's picks in your inbox, with a welcome gift for your first stay. See you next Thursday.
Businesses in this post
Etna Brewing Company, Etna · Denny Bar Co., Etna · Rough and Ready Fitness, Etna · Yoga with Chai Perlman, Etna · Little Whisk Baking Co., Etna · Five Marys Burgerhouse, Fort Jones · Callahan Emporium, Callahan