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- 🌲 Stanford's Major Upgrade and the Positive Impact on Locals
🌲 Stanford's Major Upgrade and the Positive Impact on Locals
Plus we've got a jam-packed week of events, from a Whiskey & Bites Stroll, the Gilded Age at Filoli, Oktoberfest, and Fallfest!
Greg Kemper
September 17, 2026
In partnership with
Good morning neighbors!
Welcome to this week's Palo Alto Scoop! This week, about Stanford’s $100 million upgrade and how that will benefit locals, plus a new fire safety rule impacting your home’s landscaping. We also have tons of fun events this week, including Wild West Whiskey & Bites Stroll, Gilded Age at Filoli, Oktoberfest, Fallfest, and a Corvette Spectacular, plus fall events and workshops are just starting!
Let's get to it!
In this week’s edition:
Business Updates: Stanford’s $100 million upgrade and how that will benefit locals
Local Updates: New fire safety rule impacting your home’s landscaping
Events: Wild West Whiskey & Bites Stroll, Gilded Age at Filoli, Oktoberfest, Fallfest, and a Corvette Spectacular!
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Palo Alto Debuts a "Living Levee" at the Baylands
The Bay Area's first nature-based "horizontal levee" officially opened this month at Palo Alto's Baylands Nature Preserve, near the Byxbee Park entrance at 2500 Embarcadero Road. Unlike a traditional steep, rock-and-concrete levee, this $4.6 million, roughly 500-foot-long structure has a gentle slope planted with more than 2,000 native plants and is irrigated with treated water from the neighboring Regional Water Quality Control Plant. The design is meant to do triple duty: protect the shoreline from rising sea levels, provide an added layer of filtration for treated wastewater before it reaches the bay, and restore habitat for wildlife, including the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse. Researchers from the USGS, UC Davis, and Cal State Channel Islands will monitor the site for years to track how well it performs. For residents, it's a rare two-birds-one-stone climate project, and city leaders hope other Bay Area communities will follow suit as they grapple with flooding risk. Read more here.
New State Fire Rules Mean Big Changes for Yards Near the Foothills
California has approved first-in-the-nation "Zone 0" rules requiring homeowners in high fire-risk areas to clear or manage flammable vegetation and materials within 5 feet of their homes, and the change will affect more than 130 Palo Alto homes in the city's very-high fire severity zone, mostly in the Palo Alto Hills near the Foothills and Pearson-Arastradero preserves, plus hundreds more properties in Los Altos Hills and the Woodside Fire Protection District (which covers Redwood City's Emerald Hills, Portola Valley, Woodside, and Ladera). New construction must comply immediately, while existing homes get three- to five-year phase-in periods. Local landscape designers say residents don't have to choose between fire safety and a nice-looking yard, swapping mulch for gravel, adding metal privacy screens instead of dense shrubs, and using potted plants that meet size and container rules can keep the first five feet both attractive and ember-resistant. If you live in or near the foothills, now's a good time to start planning changes, since insurers are increasingly using drones to inspect properties for overhanging branches and vegetation touching homes. Read more here.
Stanford Unveils 20-Year, $100 Million Growth Plan
Stanford University has submitted a sweeping 20-year development proposal called StanfordNext to Santa Clara County, seeking a new general use permit to guide growth across its more than 8,300-acre campus. The plan calls for roughly 1% annual "infill" growth of academic and support buildings, about 1.8 million square feet total, over the next two decades, plus up to 500 units of workforce housing and 2,500 new student beds. Because Stanford's campus stretches across seven jurisdictions, including Palo Alto, Woodside, Menlo Park, Portola Valley, Los Altos Hills, and parts of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, the changes could ripple well beyond the main quad. To help offset the impact, the university is proposing a $100 million community fund for regional housing, transportation, and sustainability projects. For locals, that could mean years of construction activity ahead but also meaningful investment in nearby affordable housing and infrastructure; a county vote isn't expected until 2028, so there's plenty of time for public input.
Onki Bakery in Redwood City and Menlo Park
Onki Bakery is a small-batch bakery known for French-style pastries with Asian-inspired flavors. Its offerings include classic and flavored croissants, kouign-amann, milk bread, and seasonal Danishes. Distinctive flavors include black sesame, matcha, and misugaru, alongside traditional pastry ingredients and techniques. Onki is at the Redwood City Kiwanis Farmers Market and also offers limited pastry pickups through its Menlo Park kitchen. Its menu reflects a combination of careful pastry craftsmanship and creative flavor combinations.
Causwells in Menlo Park
Causwells in Menlo Park is a modern American bistro and cocktail bar located at Springline. The restaurant serves a menu of shareable starters, burgers, salads, and dinner dishes, with offerings such as housemade ricotta with rosemary honey and lavosh, smoked salmon sliders, and a Market Caesar Salad. Its Americana Burger features American cheese, Causwells sauce, lettuce, pickle, and onion. The restaurant also offers a selection of cocktails and indoor and outdoor seating. Causwells is part of a restaurant concept that also has a location in San Francisco’s Marina neighborhood.
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We do our best to verify dates/locations of events, but please independently verify before attending as details are subject to change
💐 Fleurs de Villes: THE GILDED AGE | Woodside | Filoli | 9/16 - 9/18 | more
Wander through Filoli's historic house to see 15 fresh-flower mannequins reimagining the iconic characters of HBO's The Gilded Age in full bloom.
🍻 Oktoberfest Downtown Redwood City | Redwood City | Courthouse Square | 9/18 - 9/27 | more
Courthouse Square transforms into a Munich-inspired Bavarian village complete with family-style bench seating, live German music, and steins full of fall cheer.
🥃 Wild West Whiskey & Bites Stroll | Los Altos | Downtown | 9/18 | more
Grab a partner and stroll through downtown sampling fine spirits and small bites from local restaurants while live music plays along the way.
🌺 Big Blanket Movie Night | Menlo Park | Hamilton Park | 9/18 | more
Bring a blanket big enough to share and settle in under the stars for a free family screening of Moana 2 at Hamilton Park.
🎲 Bay Area Games Day | Los Altos | Los Altos Library | 9/19 | more
Dive into a full day of convention-style open gaming featuring everything from hobbyist favorites to classics like Catan, with newcomers and families welcome.
🧘 Parent & Me Yoga | Palo Alto | Gamble Garden | 9/19 | more
Bring your little one to the Front Lawn for a gentle, connective yoga class designed for parents and kids to move together.
🌿 California Native Garden Design | Palo Alto | Gamble Garden | 9/19 | more
Learn to design a beautiful, resilient garden rooted in California's natural landscape through this hands-on class blending art and ecology.
✂️ Kid Makers Crafts | Redwood City | Redwood Shores Branch Library | 9/19 | more
Kids can let their creativity loose with a fun, hands-on craft project to make and take home at the library.
🌊 Annual Coastal Cleanup | Redwood City | Public Works & Services | 9/19 | more
Start the morning with free breakfast, then help clean up local waterways and streets as part of California's largest annual volunteer cleanup event.
🍂 Fallfest | Menlo Park | Flood Park | 9/19 | more
Celebrate the season with free tennis and soccer clinics, live music, face painting, and food trucks at this family-friendly community celebration.
🌼 "Daisy Mason Jar" Paint & Sip | Menlo Park | Barebottle Brewing Co | 9/20 | more
Sip a craft beer while a guided instructor walks you step-by-step through painting a cheerful daisy design on your own mason jar.
🏎️ Corvette Spectacular | Los Altos | Downtown | 9/20 | more
All eight generations of Corvettes line Main Street for a full day of informal judging, music, and camaraderie among owners and fans alike.
🎭 ASL Interpreted Show: A Gentleman's Guide | Palo Alto | Palo Alto Players Theater | 9/20 | more
Catch an ASL-interpreted performance of this Tony Award-winning dark comedy about a distant heir plotting his way up the family ladder.
🌸 Free Garden Tour | Palo Alto | Gamble Garden | 9/20 | more
Step back in time on a guided tour exploring the life of Elizabeth Gamble alongside the historic house and gardens she left behind.
🥐 Petals and Promises Pop Up | Redwood City | The Baker Next Door | 9/20 | more
Stop by this beloved neighborhood bakery's weekend pop-up for fresh-baked bread and pastries alongside a specially themed floral pop-up.
✈️ Airport Day | Palo Alto | Palo Alto Airport | 9/20 | more
Explore real aircraft cockpits and watch formation flight demonstrations at this free, family-friendly open house at Palo Alto Airport.
🎃 Upcycled 3D Fabric Pumpkin Door Decor | Los Altos | Los Altos Library | 9/24 | more
Learn to turn upcycled fabric and natural materials like pinecones into a charming 3D pumpkin decoration to hang on your door this fall.
🍁 Fall in Fabric | Los Altos | Library | 9/24 | more
Join a sustainable artist for a hands-on workshop transforming upcycled fabric into your choice of a pumpkin wreath, festive bunting, or ornament.