Photo above: The Orinda Theatre sign and the Theatre Square fountain in Orinda, California, August 2012. Erica Fischer, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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Get outside, mostly, and keep the in-town list short and local. Orinda sits between San Pablo Reservoir, Briones Regional Park and EBMUD watershed trails, and its downtown has a year-round Saturday farmers market, the Orinda Theatre, a county library branch and a community park, all within a few blocks of the BART station.
Below is the list, with hours and sources, plus what’s on the calendar next.
What is there to do in downtown Orinda?
A market, a library, a theater and a park, clustered on Orinda Way and around Theatre Square.
- Orinda Farmers’ Market. Every Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., year round, on Orinda Way in front of the Community Park (Contra Costa Certified Farmers’ Markets, Orinda Market page, checked September 25, 2026).
- Orinda Library. 26 Orinda Way. Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday (Contra Costa County Library, Orinda branch page, checked September 25, 2026).
- Orinda Community Center Park. 28 Orinda Way, next to the library. The city takes court reservations, posts pickleball information and books picnic areas there, and it lists an off-leash dog area among its facilities (City of Orinda, Parks and Facilities page, checked September 25, 2026).
- The Orinda Theatre. The movie house on Theatre Square, and the venue for the city’s October 29 wildfire evening listed below. Check the theater’s own listings for what’s showing.
For a longer restaurant list, Lafayette and Walnut Creek are the next two BART stops east.
Where can I hike near Orinda?
In three big open spaces that touch the city, each run by a different agency.
- Briones Regional Park. The East Bay Regional Park District’s 6,255-acre park has trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Its Bear Creek staging area is at 1611 Bear Creek Road. Parking is $5 per vehicle when the kiosk is staffed, cash only (East Bay Regional Park District, Briones page, checked September 25, 2026).
- EBMUD watershed trails. The city notes Orinda is next to the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s San Pablo and Briones reservoir trails (City of Orinda, Parks and Facilities page). Most EBMUD trails need a trail use permit: $10 for one year, $20 for three or $30 for five (EBMUD, Trail Use Permits page, checked September 25, 2026).
- San Pablo Reservoir Recreation Area. Picnicking, fishing, boat rentals, a boat launch, kayaking and hiking, at 7301 San Pablo Dam Road (EBMUD, San Pablo Reservoir page, checked September 25, 2026). More on its season below.
Trails in all three have steep sections and seasonal closures. Check the agency’s page the morning you go.
Is San Pablo Reservoir open right now?
Yes, through early November. EBMUD lists 2026 hours of 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in September and 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in October. From November 1 through the second Sunday of November, which is November 8 this year, it’s open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. After that it closes for the season, November through January (EBMUD, San Pablo Reservoir page, checked September 25, 2026).
Boat owners need an EBMUD inspection before launching. Read the reservoir page before you tow anything there.
What events are coming up in Orinda?
Two on the city’s calendar this fall, plus the market every Saturday.
- Trunk & Treat, Thursday, October 22, 2026. The city’s Parks and Recreation department lists its annual Trunk & Treat in the Library Parking Garage and Plaza (City of Orinda home page, checked September 25, 2026). Check the city site for the time.
- Safe at Scale, Thursday, October 29, 2026. A wildfire preparedness evening at the Orinda Theatre: doors at 6 p.m., a screening of the PBS documentary “Weathered: After the LA Firestorm” at 7 p.m., and a panel discussion at 8:10 p.m. (City of Orinda home page; Town of Moraga staff update, September 10, 2026, both checked September 25, 2026). The panel lists MOFD among its participants. If you’re buying in Orinda, it’s a useful hour on fire zones and home hardening.
For classes, camps and programs, the city posts its seasonal Activity Guide on its Parks and Recreation pages. Dates change, so confirm on the city site before you go.
Can I get to all of this without a car?
Downtown, mostly. The Orinda BART station is at 11 Camino Pablo (BART, Orinda station page, checked September 25, 2026), and the library, Community Center Park and farmers market are on Orinda Way nearby. Map the walk from the house you’re considering. The regional parks and the reservoir are a drive.
Questions people also ask
When is the Orinda farmers market?
Every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., all year, on Orinda Way in front of the Community Park, per Contra Costa Certified Farmers’ Markets, which runs it (Orinda Market page, checked September 25, 2026). The Orinda Library at 26 Orinda Way is next door. Confirm holiday weekends on the market’s page.
Where can I walk my dog in Orinda?
The City of Orinda lists an off-leash dog area among its park facilities, and Community Center Park is at 28 Orinda Way, per the city’s Parks and Facilities page checked September 25, 2026. In Briones Regional Park, dogs must be leashed on certain trails. EBMUD watershed trails need a trail permit, so read each agency’s dog rules before you go.
Is San Pablo Reservoir open year round?
No. EBMUD’s 2026 schedule for the San Pablo Reservoir Recreation Area runs from February 6 through the second Sunday of November, which falls on November 8 in 2026, and it closes from November through January, per EBMUD’s San Pablo Reservoir page checked September 25, 2026. Hours change by month, with the shortest in November.
What events are happening in Orinda in October 2026?
The City of Orinda lists its annual Trunk & Treat for Thursday, October 22, 2026, in the Library Parking Garage and Plaza, and Safe at Scale, a wildfire preparedness screening and panel at the Orinda Theatre, for Thursday, October 29, 2026, with doors at 6 p.m. Check the city’s home page for times and any changes.
Your next step
Want to see Orinda the way you’d live it? Tell us the streets you’re considering, and we’ll map the walk or drive to BART, the market and the nearest trailhead for each. Talk to our team about Orinda or call (510) 949-5525.
More on Orinda: Is Orinda, CA a good place to live? · Orinda market update · What’s my home worth?
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Orinda, CA. Updated September 24, 2026.
Sources
- Contra Costa Certified Farmers’ Markets, Orinda Market page: cccfm.org/orinda-market (checked September 25, 2026)
- Contra Costa County Library, Orinda branch: ccclib.org/locations/19 (checked September 25, 2026)
- City of Orinda, Parks and Facilities page: cityoforinda.gov/184 (checked September 25, 2026)
- City of Orinda, home page events (Trunk & Treat; Safe at Scale): cityoforinda.gov (checked September 25, 2026)
- Town of Moraga, staff update, September 10, 2026: moraga.ca.us (checked September 25, 2026)
- East Bay Regional Park District, Briones Regional Park: ebparks.org/parks/briones (checked September 25, 2026)
- East Bay Municipal Utility District, San Pablo Reservoir and Trail Use Permits pages: ebmud.com (checked September 25, 2026)
- BART, Orinda station page: bart.gov/stations/orin (checked September 25, 2026)
- Photo: “Orinda” by Erica Fischer, August 26, 2012, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons