Whooooa. Back-to-back Callie weeks?

That’s right. Your girl is officially back full time, and honestly, just in time for one of my favorite stretches of the year.

The vines are changing, everything around the valley is starting to look ridiculously beautiful, and that little cold spell we just had felt like someone flipped the switch straight into fall.

I am very much here for it. So grab a sweater, enjoy the fact that we can finally stop pretending 90 degrees is pleasant, and let’s get into it.

But first, a little spooky-season trivia.

Room 208 at which downtown Napa property has long been associated with reports of paranormal activity?

A. Archer Hotel
B. Andaz Napa
C. Napa River Inn
D. River Terrace Inn

Napa Valley College is putting on its Children’s Business Fair this Saturday, and get this: the kids are ages 5 to 17.

Not to belittle it because it is actually very cute, but the idea is also kind of awesome.

They set up their own little businesses and actually sell whatever they have come up with. That could be handmade jewelry, food, lemonade, pet-sitting services, crafts, or really whatever business idea they want to test out.

Apparently they can fit up to 75 different businesses in there too.

And if two kids show up selling cupcakes?

Their official answer is basically: let the market decide.

Honestly, incredible.

So if you want something easy to do Saturday morning, go walk around, buy something from a tiny entrepreneur, and maybe help create the next Napa business owner before they are even old enough to drive.

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Did you know Napa has been throwing a giant lobster boil for 20 years Because somehow I had no idea.

Soroptimist International of Napa is hosting its 20th Annual Lobsterfest this Saturday night at First Presbyterian Church downtown.

And this is not just a little lobster dinner…

Everyone gets their own whole lobster, plus shrimp, corn, artichokes and potatoes, all done New Orleans-style by Napa Valley Lobster Company. (And shoutout to them because they are awesome)

There are also live and silent auctions, prize drawings, a wine toss and a dessert auction featuring local chefs.

The event actually started 20 years ago with local families doing all of the cooking and serving themselves. Now it has grown into Soroptimist Napa’s biggest fundraiser of the year.

And the money stays local - Soroptimist uses the proceeds to support education, training and grants for women and girls in our community.

It is definitely not a cheap Saturday night at $175 a ticket. But a whole lobster, a giant communal boil, auctions, wine and 20 years of local tradition is also not exactly your average fundraiser.

Mostly, I am just amazed this has been happening for two decades and somehow stayed off my radar.

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Connolly Ranch has kind of become a Napa Lowdown favorite at this point.

Not gonna lie, I still have not actually been myself, so I feel a little disingenuous continuing to recommend them. If one of you has, please give me the in-person Lowdown because I need it.

But I do love the idea that you can be driving through a completely normal Napa neighborhood and then, a few minutes later, you are surrounded by gardens, chickens, goats, sheep and an actual little farm.

And they always seem to give us a pretty good excuse to go check it out.

What do you know, we have another one this Sunday.

Connolly Ranch is holding its annual Harvest Festival, opening up the property for a few hours of farm animals, garden activities, local community groups and plenty of space for kids to wander around.

A lot of their events seem to have this really nice, laid-back community feel to them too. This one has fresh wood-fired pizza, hard cider and wine, which feels like a pretty solid upgrade from the snacks I normally associate with hanging around farm animals.

So if you have never been, this might be the weekend to finally check it out.

And then please report back to me so I can stop recommending Connolly Ranch entirely from behind a computer screen.

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And the answer to today’s trivia:C. Napa River Inn.

Room 208, directly above Sweetie Pies Bakery in the old Hatt Mill building, has been at the center of Napa ghost stories for years.

Guests have reported doors opening and slamming on their own, unexplained footsteps in the hallway and even sightings of a woman dressed in white.

So if you ever wanted to test how seriously you take Napa’s ghost stories, apparently you know which room to request.

Here’s the history if you want to go down the rabbit hole:

https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/napa-river-inn/history

And that is what I have for you this week.

A few very local finds, some tiny entrepreneurs, a giant lobster boil I somehow missed for 20 years, and another excuse to finally make it out to Connolly Ranch.

Have a great weekend, enjoy this little stretch of proper fall weather, and I’ll see you Monday for Town Notes.

Callie