On a beautiful sunny day with activities galore, hundreds of local residents celebrated the beginning of fall on Sept. 26 during Moraga’s annual Pear & Wine Festival at Commons Park.

    Held between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., things kicked off a bit earlier with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to honor the placement of Moraga’s newest sculpture – a giant pear – located at the intersection of Moraga Road and St. Mary’s Road.

    There were inflatable bounce houses, a petting zoo, face painting, and craft activity booths for the kids.  The Moraga-Orinda Fire District brought a fire truck for festival-goers to enjoy up-close and handed out red plastic helmets to the little ones. 
 
    Food and drink included barbecue, wine, beer, pear lemonade, and pear pies for sale. Community vendors sold specialty food items, and artisan merchants displayed a variety of wares for sale.  Local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and Town departments had informational booths, while the Parks & Recreation Department’s “Pear Necessities” stall sold Moraga apparel and specialty pear items.

    Taped music could be heard all around the park in addition to “The Houserockers” performing live at the bandshell.  Quite possibly the biggest crowd-pleasing entertainment was when dozens of Donald L. Rheem Elementary School’s youngest students dressed in monarch butterfly wings accompanied by three of Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School’s Lamorinda Idol contestants all sang the 60-year-old song, “The Hills of Moraga.”   

    More fall events in Lamorinda are happening in October, including the annual “Res Run for Education” co-presented by the Lafayette Chamber and City of Lafayette on Sunday Oct. 18 in downtown Lafayette (5k: 8 a.m., 10k certified race: 8:15 a.m., 2-mile run/walk for fun: 8:45 a.m.).  According to the Lafayette Chamber, last year’s Res Run for Education brought together just under 2,200 runners and raised $37,611 benefitting local public schools (info at https://lafayettechamber.org/resrun/). 

    Halloween-themed events include Orinda Parks and Rec’s “Trunk & Treat” event offered in three 45-minute blocks between 4:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. at the Orinda Library parking garage and plaza (see story, Page A7).  And the Lafayette Chamber will hold two events – the “Witch Way to Mocktails” event will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, where attendees wear witch hats or Halloween costumes and sample signature mocktails at participating stores (lafayettechamber.org), and the free “Trick or Treat Street” event from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30 in downtown Lafayette where children and their parents are invited to Trick-or-Treat at participating merchants along Mt. Diablo Blvd. from Lafayette Plaza to Dewing Ave, Lafayette Circle and La Fiesta Square (see story, Page A2).