Through Halloween, crews are breaking up and repouring the sidewalks on two stretches of downtown Hopland's Highway 101 frontage. Every business on the strip is still open. The fall calendar is full, with an oak festival, a barn dance and a hotel Halloween party. And the work going in under the cones is the pedestrian infrastructure that a town now known for walking between tasting rooms has needed for a while.
What Caltrans Is Building on Half a Mile of 101
The project's formal name is the "Accessibility and Roadway Improvement Project." As the Ukiah Daily Journal reported in July, it covers less than a mile of Highway 101, from postmile 10.7 to 11.2. The work includes "improving curb ramps, sidewalks, and driveways, reconstructing the roadway, rehabilitating pavement, and signage" to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to Caltrans, the goal is pedestrian safety.
Hopland is a highway town, so its main street is a state route, and any change to its sidewalks goes through Caltrans. That explains the scale. The project page budgets $11,187,000 for roadway and construction, plus $804,000 for right-of-way. The contractor is OC Jones and Sons.
The start slipped a little. Work was announced for July 7, but the Mendocino Voice reported that the main phase was pushed to July 12. PG&E's gas-line relocation ran long, and the broadband conduit work needed more time. Caltrans now lists both the utility relocations and the broadband installation as complete. What's left is the part people on foot will use.
The Two Stretches Under Construction Until October 31
Caltrans calls the current window Phase 5A. It runs from September 8 through October 31, and it's the sidewalk phase. Crews are demolishing and rebuilding the southbound side from Mountain House Road to Center Road, and the northbound side from First Street to the north end of the project.
Here's what that means day to day, based on the project page:
- On foot: Expect pedestrian detours around both stretches, and driveway access may be blocked for short periods during demolition and repouring.
- Parking: Street parking along 101 stays open wherever crews aren't working. Extra spaces are available near the Great Redwood Trail Agency parking area.
- Driving through: Between the Feliz Creek Bridge and north of First Street, expect occasional delays of up to 10 minutes during work hours. The speed limit in the work zone is 25 mph.
- Businesses: Caltrans states in bold that "All businesses are open during construction."
The 10-minute delay is the same figure Caltrans gave in July. Back then it applied to overnight hours, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday through Thursday. In this phase, it applies during work hours. For anyone running errands in the middle of the day, the main stretch of 101 is now slower than it was in summer.
How the Phase Lines Up With the Calendar
The sidewalk phase and Hopland's fall events share the same weeks, so it helps to see them side by side.
| Date | What's happening | Construction status |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 3 to Dec. 5 | Climate Stewards Course at UC Hopland Research and Extension Center | Phase 5A, then final work |
| Fri., Oct. 16 | Campovida barn dance fundraiser, 5 to 7 p.m. | Phase 5A |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | Oak Discovery Day at UC Hopland REC, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Phase 5A |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Thatcher Hotel Halloween party | Last scheduled day of Phase 5A |
| Sat., Nov. 7, 14, 21 and 28 | Campovida's Thriftmas Holiday Barn Sale, open to the public on Saturdays during its Nov. 1 to 29 run | Caltrans lists completion in November |
October 17 Is About the Oaks
Oak Discovery Day is the busiest single day of programming on Hopland's October calendar. General admission is a $0 to $10 sliding scale, and anyone under 18 gets in free. When you arrive at Rod Shippey Hall, you'll find an exhibit of photographs and paintings of local oaks contributed by the community. Tables out on the patio cover community science projects, oak woodland management and regeneration, acorn processing and oak identification.
The schedule is easy to plan around:
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oak arts and information booths
- 10:30 a.m. to noon Oak woodland guided walk with naturalist and author Kate Marianchild, or a beginners' birding walk with Helen Magruder Menasian
- 12:30 to 2 p.m. Nature journaling with artist and ecologist Robin Lee Carlson, or "Amazing Oaks of Hopland REC" with botanist Jen Riddell and UCCE oak specialist Lina Aoyama
- 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. And Who Shall Heal the Ground, an original play organized by Quercus Collaborative member Diana Pepetone
The walks fill the morning and the talks fill the early afternoon, which leaves time for a late lunch in town. Stock Farm serves pizza and pub food from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturdays. If you're coming back through downtown, keep the Phase 5A stretches in mind and park where the curb is open. The Great Redwood Trail Agency lot is the overflow option Caltrans names.
The research center also runs a longer program this season. Its Climate Stewards Course mixes online learning with field sessions from October 3 through December 5.
Friday Nights in the 1890 Barn, and Halloween at the Thatcher
Campovida starts a barn dance fundraiser on Friday, October 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. in its 1890 barn. Entry is $10 at the door, and the money goes to the Mendocino County Safe Space Project. Mo of Rise and Thrive Line Dance Fitness in Ukiah teaches three line dances. The series runs through December 12.
Two weeks later, Phase 5A's last scheduled day falls on Halloween. That night, the Thatcher Hotel hosts a Halloween party. The hotel's site also lists Café Poppy and Bar Thatcher alongside its rooms. If Caltrans stays on schedule, the party marks the end of the sidewalk demolition.
The Weekly Routine Still Works
Here are the tasting room and restaurant hours confirmed for this fall, taken from each business's own site:
- Terra Sávia: Open seven days, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. All ages and pets are welcome, and groups under six don't need an appointment.
- Campovida: Tastings by reservation, Thursday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Stock Farm: Pizza and pub service Friday through Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. Table-side dining runs noon to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Hours change often in the shoulder season, especially in a small town. These were current as of this writing, and a quick check before a weekday visit costs nothing.
When the Cones Come Down
Caltrans hasn't given one firm finish date. Its project page lists "Construction complete – November 2026." Its statement of ongoing contracts, dated September 2026, puts the Hopland job at 67 percent complete with an estimated completion date of December 15, 2026. In July, the Ukiah Daily Journal reported a winter 2026 finish. The working assumption is late fall, with a cushion into December.
The most direct place to track it is the Hopland Municipal Advisory Committee. Caltrans said it gives monthly project updates at the committee's meetings. The committee posted agendas for its August 19 and September 16 meetings.
By the time Campovida opens its Thriftmas Holiday Barn Sale on November Saturdays, the sidewalk phase should be done. The sale includes furniture, fixtures, books and cellar finds, with wine promotions. Walking from the barn sale to dinner should mean new curb ramps, rebuilt sidewalks and driveways, and fresh pavement across the half mile between Feliz Creek and the north end of town.
If you own property in Hopland or the Sanel Valley and want to talk through what the rebuilt frontage means for your corner of town, Kevin McDonald is glad to have that conversation. Get in Touch.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
