Two weekends this October turn parked cars into a reason to gather in downtown Novato. On October 9 and 10, Nostalgia Days fills Grant Avenue for its 30th anniversary. Two weeks later, on October 24, the City of Novato's Día de los Muertos celebration on the Civic Green adds something new. Residents will turn the trunks of their vehicles into altars for loved ones who have died. One weekend is about chrome and the other is about memory. Both put the car at the center of a crowd, a few blocks apart.
Thirty years, three seasons
The first Nostalgia Days was a three-day event in May 1997. It opened with a Friday night cruise along Grant Avenue, had a Saturday night sock hop and ended with a show of prize vehicles on Sunday afternoon. More than 200 custom and vintage cars came that year. The weekend raised money for the Novato Human Needs Center, which was celebrating its 25th anniversary, and also served as the center's thank-you to the community. "For the first time, I think it went real well," organizer Skip Tozzi said then. "There were some things we could have done better, but we learned."
Marv Giambastiani was quoted in that first story as a car customizer who showed his work all over the West Coast. By 2016 he was the event's chairman, in his eighth year running it, and the show had moved to August 12 and 13. He hoped parents would bring their kids so a younger crowd could see the hot rods up close.
These days the show runs on the second weekend of October. Last year's 29th edition opened on Friday, October 10, 2025, with a cruise led by Novato police, and the Downtown Novato Business Association organized it as a free event. The 2026 show keeps that pattern. The DNBA presents it, and the city closes seven blocks of Grant Avenue for the full day.
Friday night belongs to the cruise
The cruise is the half of the weekend that nearby residents can enjoy without planning much. It is free, and drivers can take part whether or not they registered for Saturday's show. Here is how Friday, October 9, runs according to the official 2026 schedule:
- 4 p.m.: Cars line up and shine up at Our Lady of Loretto, 1806 Novato Blvd. Drivers enter the lot from Grant Avenue on the side or Virginia Avenue at the back. The staging area has no bathrooms.
- 4 to 5:15 p.m.: Show entrants pick up their registration number, swag bag and t-shirt at the staging area.
- 5:15 p.m.: The Novato Police Department leads hundreds of cars through downtown. The 2026 sponsor packet lists the cruise window as 5:15 to 7:30 p.m. The DNBA's online calendar shows 5 to 7 p.m., so plan on the later start.
The organizers' own advice is to watch from Grant Avenue anywhere between Machin Avenue and 7th Street. For dinner along the route, they name Finnegan's, Mi Pueblo, Batika, Trek Wine & Pod's Brew, Grazi Restaurant, Village Restaurant, Carmen's La Hacienda, Mai Thai II, Masa Sushi, Bicycle Brüstop, Blue Barn and HenHouse Brewery. They also recommend booking ahead, because it's a busy night.
Saturday on Grant Avenue, hour by hour
On Saturday the cars stay parked and the crowd moves. The show fills Grant Avenue between Redwood Boulevard and 7th Street.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 6:30 a.m. | Gates open to registered cars at 1st Street and Grant Avenue |
| 10 a.m. | Show opens to the public |
| 11 a.m. | DJ starts with music from the '50s |
| 11:30 a.m. | Kegs tapped and drinks mixed |
| 1 p.m. | Mitch Polzak and The Royal Deuces take the stage |
| 3:30 p.m. | Awards |
The band plays rockabilly and '60s country. On the event site, the organizers compare the group to Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings. Each category gets a trophy, and Best in Show and People's Choice also win cash. This year's registration form has 21 judging categories, including Tri-Five Chevys, wagons, pony cars, customs and rat rods, and motorcycles.
Owners of vintage trailers get their own "Trailer Park" area inside the show. Every attendee gets one People's Choice ballot. The ballot boxes sit at the alcohol ticket table between 2nd and 3rd streets, and volunteers keep an eye on them so each person votes only once.
Neighbors who drive Saturday morning should know about one detail in the entrants' guide. Show cars must reach the 1st Street gate from Vallejo Avenue because all other access streets will be closed for the show. That same guide lists early coffee and breakfast for anyone up with the cars. Peet's Coffee opens at 6 a.m., Dr. Insomniac's at 6:30, and Marvin's Breakfast Club, Bacon and Rustic Bakery at 7.
Two weeks later, the trunk becomes an altar
The City's Día de los Muertos celebration runs Saturday, October 24, from 3 to 6 p.m. on the Novato Civic Green at 901 Sherman Avenue. It includes traditional foods, music, activities, face painting and a community ofrenda where anyone can honor loved ones who have died.
This year's addition is the City's first-ever Día de los Muertos Car Ofrenda Display. A car ofrenda turns the trunk or rear of a vehicle into a traditional altar. The City suggests decorating it with photographs, marigolds, LED candles, papel picado, favorite foods and other ofrenda elements. Participation was free, but space was limited and the City required applications. The deadline was September 25, 2026, so this year the display is something to visit, not something to sign up for.
Seen next to Nostalgia Days, the new display makes for a fitting pairing. On October 10, a car's open hood or polished trunk invites a stranger to stop, look and talk with the owner. On October 24, the same open trunk holds photographs and marigolds, and people stop to remember someone. Both happen within a short walk of each other, on ground the City and the DNBA program side by side every fall.
The rest of October on the same few blocks
The car weekends anchor a month of events packed into the same downtown blocks around Grant Avenue, Sherman Avenue and City Hall.
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesdays through Oct. 27, 4 to 7 p.m. | Downtown Novato Community Farmers' Market, in its third season | Sherman Ave. between Grant and De Long |
| Fri., Oct. 9, from 5:15 p.m. | Nostalgia Days Cruise | Grant Ave. |
| Sat., Oct. 10, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Repair Fair and Halloween Costume & Decor Swap | City Hall, 901 Sherman Ave. |
| Sat., Oct. 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Nostalgia Days Car Show | Grant Ave., Redwood Blvd. to 7th St. |
| Sat., Oct. 17, 10 and 11:30 a.m. | Free Not-So-Scary Halloween Magic Shows | City Hall |
| Sat., Oct. 24, 3 to 6 p.m. | Día de los Muertos with the first car ofrenda display | Civic Green, 901 Sherman Ave. |
| Sat., Oct. 31, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Safe Trick or Treat | Downtown businesses |
The October 10 Repair Fair and swap at City Hall overlaps the car show's opening hours, so you can do both in one morning on foot. No reservations are needed for the magic shows, and doors open 30 minutes before each start. The farmers' market's final Tuesday, October 27, falls between the ofrenda weekend and Halloween. Safe Trick or Treat takes kids business to business downtown on the Saturday closest to Halloween, which this year is October 31 itself.
The Kristie Martinelli Team is based in Novato, and Nostalgia Days is one of the weekends that make downtown feel like home. If the cruise has you curious about the streets within walking distance of Grant Avenue, our Novato neighborhood guide is a good place to start. We're always happy to talk through it with you over coffee on Grant. Work With Us.
