Ohlone Day

Once a year, the non-​profit organization Friends of Deer Hollow Farm holds an Ohlone Day fair, where participants can learn about the culture of the Ohlone Native Americans, the Bay Area’s first inhabitants who lived here for 10,000 years.
Ohlone Day is held on the third Saturday of every October. Admission is $ 5 per person and free for children younger than 1 year old. Proceeds help pay for upkeep of the Deer Hollow Farm. The fair is held at the Ohlone Village near the Deer Hollow Farm in Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve. The fair today was from 1−4pm, and it took us 2 hours to see mostly everything.
Here are the various fun and educational activities you’ll find at Ohlone Day:
Fire Starting demonstration: A guide picked a volunteer to use a wood and rope tool to make fire.
Flint Knapping: Crafts made from obsidian and tule on display.
Tool Making: A guide explained in much detail how to make arrows and bows.
Sweathouse: This aint no sauna. A guide explained how hunters camped in a hut filled with smoke to mask their scent before a hunt.
Archery demonstration: Done twice by the guy who did the fire starting demonstration. He picked a volunteer to help shoot a couple arrows at a target 10 yards away.
Cooking: Learn some Ohlone recipes!
Face Painting: You may not look Ohlone, but you can get your face painted like one.
Hoop & Spear Game: Simulates hunting game with a spear. Throw a spear throw a hoop rolled across the ground. Harder than it sounds.
Games of Chance: Ohlone gambling games!
Acorn Grinding: Learn about one of the staples of the Ohlone diet.
Rope Making: Pick up a useful skill. You never know when you’ll be in the wilderness and need to tie somebody up.
Shell Drilling: Use a wood and rope tool to drill a hole in a seashell, commonly used as ornaments the Ohlones would wear.
Dancing: Learn how to drop it like an Ohlone!
Each station was staffed with a friendly and knowledgeable guide. The fair got crowded, so it was hard to get into some of the stations at certain times. We just had to walk around and find what was available.
This place is great for families. All of the kids I saw seemed to be having a good time. Just make sure to eat lunch beforehand, since this fair is run by a small group of volunteers and all they can provide is snacks at a snack station. Nobody’s going to go butchering the cow at the farm next door to make you a steak.