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- 🎃 The Great Glass Pumpkin Patch and Mid-Autumn Festival!
🎃 The Great Glass Pumpkin Patch and Mid-Autumn Festival!
Plus, check out Oktoberfest and updates on the Redwood Life redevelopment project.
Greg Kemper
September 25, 2026
Good morning neighbors!
Welcome to this week's Palo Alto Scoop! This week, learn how Redwood City is getting another $250k for the Redwood Life redevelopment and read about the new levee proposal. Plus, fall is officially underway with The Great Glass Pumpkin Patch, HEAD WEST, and the Mid-Autumn Festival!
Let's get to it!
In this week’s edition:
Business Updates: A new Coffee Bar location
Local Updates: More funding for the Redwood Life redevelopment and an updated levee plan
Events: The Great Glass Pumpkin Patch, HEAD WEST, and the Mid-Autumn Festival
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Redwood Life Bioscience Project Gets a Price Bump
The Redwood City Council has approved an additional $250,000+ for the ongoing Redwood Life redevelopment, bringing the total contract for consulting services up to about $1.7 million. City staff cited "unanticipated technical complexities" in shepherding the massive project, which aims to transform the office and life-science campus at 800-3400 Bridge Parkway into a 2.8-million-square-foot complex through its Environmental Impact Report and Precise Plan process. The extra funds come from the developer, not the city's General Fund, thanks to Redwood City's cost-recovery program. The Redwood Shores Community Association has pushed back hard on the project, citing worries about a capped landfill on the site, building heights and construction disruption, so expect more public debate as a draft environmental report heads to review this fall. Read more here.
Redwood City Raising Downtown Parking Rates, Weighing Bigger Changes
Downtown Redwood City drivers should brace for costlier parking, as the city has approved higher meter rates and is now considering expanding metered zones, boosting enforcement and adjusting operating hours further. The move follows a familiar pattern for the city, which periodically raises rates in high-demand areas to encourage turnover and free up spaces for shoppers and diners. If you park downtown regularly, keep an eye on posted signage in the coming weeks, since enforcement details and specific new zones are still being finalized. Read more here.
Redwood City Advances Gentler Levee Design for Redwood Shores
The Redwood City Council voted to move forward with a less-disruptive levee design meant to protect Redwood Shores from sea-level rise and flooding, choosing an option that keeps the same general look and feel as today's levee. The approved design would raise the levee about 3.5 feet using a sheet pile wall and maintain the existing 10-foot-wide trail, rather than doubling the levee's width as an alternative plan proposed. Redwood City faces the highest coastal flood risk of any California city, according to Climate Central data, so this project carries real stakes for homes, schools and Highway 101 access in and around Redwood Shores. The city still faces a major funding gap, with the project estimated at roughly $324 million and full completion not expected until around 2034, so residents should expect years of planning, environmental review and cost-sharing conversations ahead. Read more here.
Coffeebar Opening a New Los Altos Location
Coffeebar is set to open at 170 State St. in Los Altos in early October, adding another Peninsula outpost for the Truckee-founded coffee company. Started in 2010 by former competitive skier Greg Buchheister, Coffeebar built its brand around Italian-inspired coffee culture and already has locations in Menlo Park, Redwood City and Sunnyvale. The new shop will serve classic drinks like lattes, cappuccinos and cold brew, plus seasonal specialties such as a pistachio rose mocha and yuzu caramel latte and it's slated to eventually become the company's main pastry production hub for its Bay Area stores. Read more here.
Timber and Salt in Redwood City
Timber & Salt is a Redwood City restaurant featuring American comfort food, steakhouse staples, seafood, and a craft cocktail program. The menu includes starters such as Korean fried chicken bao with gochujang, cucumber and miso aioli, Brentwood corn elote with chipotle lime mayo and Cotija, and a Mission Fig Flatbread with goat cheese, prosciutto and Modena balsamic glaze. Main dishes range from wild mushroom pappardelle and honey garlic salmon with coconut rice and Thai basil to yuzu jalapeño miso-glazed Chilean sea bass with Israeli couscous. The restaurant also has a selection of steaks, including filet mignon, Angus ribeye, Wagyu New York strip and a 40-ounce tomahawk, with steaks aged for 28 days and broiled at 1,400°F. Its menu incorporates a variety of global influences, including Korean, Japanese, Mexican, Mediterranean and Southeast Asian flavors, alongside familiar American dishes.
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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
🎃 Upcycled 3D Fabric Pumpkin Door Decor | Los Altos | Los Altos Library | 9/24 | more
Turn upcycled fabric and pinecones into a charming pumpkin decoration to hang on your door, no registration needed.
🧵 Fall in Fabric | Los Altos | Library, Orchard Room | 9/24 | more
Choose your own fall project — a pumpkin wreath, festive bunting, or ornament — in this hands-on upcycled-fabric craft workshop.
🥮 Mid-Autumn Festival | Los Altos | Los Altos Library | 9/25 | more
Kids ages 5–12 can nibble mooncakes, craft a DIY glowing lantern, and hear the origin tales behind the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.
🌙 Moonlight Run & Walk | Palo Alto | 9/25 | more
Lace up for the 42nd annual evening 5K/10K run or walk, benefiting local nonprofits and independent journalism.
🍺 Oktoberfest | Redwood City | Courthouse Square | 9/25 - 9/27 | more
Oktoberfest takes over Courthouse Square with 1,100+ feet of family-style bench seating, live music, dancing, contests, brats, pretzels, and cold beer. Tickets required, and seatings tend to sell out.
🎃 Great Glass Pumpkin Patch | Palo Alto | Palo Alto Art Center | 9/26 & 9/27 | more
Browse over 10,000 handblown glass pumpkins at Northern California's largest glass pumpkin sale, with demos and food trucks.
🦀 Seaside Story Hour with Marine Science Institute | Redwood City | Redwood Shores Library | 9/26 | more
Marine Science Institute staff bring rocky-shore tales and real sea creatures kids can gently touch after storytime.
🚒 Fire Museum Tours | Menlo Park | Schapelhouman Fire Museum | 9/26 | more
Get a hands-on look at vintage fire apparatus and local firefighting history at this small museum tour.
🦪 Wine and Oyster Anniversary Party | Redwood City | Feast and Floral | 9/26 | more
Toast to Feast and Floral's anniversary with fresh oysters and a well-paired wine list.
🛍️ HEAD WEST | Los Altos | State St. at 3rd St. | 9/27 | more
Browse 30+ local makers, art activities, and live music at this monthly outdoor artisan marketplace in downtown Los Altos.