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A Sierra art reception on Thursday. Pumpkin painting on Friday. The Carnegie Arts Center has two free evenings coming up in downtown Turlock, and you can choose between meeting the artists behind a new exhibition and getting the family’s Halloween decorating started.
The dates are October 15 and 16, 2026. Both events are at the Carnegie, 250 N. Broadway, Turlock. Thursday’s reception runs from 6 to 8 p.m.; Friday’s Pumpkin Party runs from 7 to 8 p.m.
Thursday: meet the artists behind Our Sierra
The new Lobby Gallery exhibition, Our Sierra: Photographs & Pastels by David & Vivian Patton, pairs two ways of looking at the foothills and mountains. David works with a camera; Vivian works in pastels. The Groveland couple’s subjects draw on the landscape, wildlife and history of the Mother Lode and Sierra foothills.
The Turlock Journal’s exhibition coverage shows the difference through two works: David’s Wheeler Ridge from Laws and Vivian’s Grinding Rock Shadows. Together, the photographs and pastels move between broad views and details that might otherwise be easy to walk past.
The free public reception is Thursday, October 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. If you cannot make opening night, there is time to see the show: it opened October 13 and continues through January 23, 2027. Admission to the Lobby Gallery is free.
Friday: paint a pumpkin with the family
The next evening’s Family Friday: Pumpkin Party is a hands-on activity rather than an exhibition reception. From 7 to 8 p.m. on Friday, October 16, visitors can paint and decorate pumpkins, with a pumpkin treat also included.
The Carnegie will supply one small pumpkin per person, while supplies last. That last part matters if the pumpkin is the main attraction for your children: plan around the 7 p.m. start rather than assuming supplies will still be available near closing.
Family Fridays are free, with support from Turlock Dental Care. For other outings beyond this week, our Turlock kids’ activities guide covers parks, indoor play and places to spend an afternoon.
What else is on the gallery walls?
The Ferrari Gallery is showing Prism Play: A Full Spectrum of Art Quilts through January 2, 2027. Its 62 works, made by members of the Northern California and Northern Nevada region of Studio Art Quilt Associates, are arranged as a color wheel. Each quilt uses a monochromatic palette; the artists’ subjects and construction methods vary.
That is a separate exhibition from Our Sierra. Ordinary Ferrari Gallery visits follow the Carnegie’s admission rates, while the October 22 gallery talk listed below is free. The distinction is useful when planning a visit: a free evening program does not mean every exhibition is always free.
Three more free October dates
- Tuesday, October 20, 5:30–6:30 p.m.: Art Chat Happy Hour, an informal monthly discussion of ideas and issues in the arts. The event page links to reading and videos for the month’s topic.
- Thursday, October 22, 6–7 p.m.: the Prism Play gallery talk in the Ferrari Gallery, with curator and artist Cara Gulati and other participating artists.
- Saturday, October 24, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.: Saturday Studio. Drop in without preregistration; children must be accompanied by an adult. Off Center Thrift & Gift sponsors the program.
Parking, hours and admission
The Carnegie’s visitor information lists street parking on Broadway and lots behind the arts center on Florence Street and in front of the police department. Accessible parking spaces are behind the Carnegie.
Regular gallery and gift-shop hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. The evening programs have their own later hours. General gallery admission is $7, or $5 for seniors and students with valid ID. Children 12 and younger accompanied by an adult, CAC and NARM members, and SNAP EBT cardholders with up to three guests receive free admission.
Save the Carnegie’s calendar for the event details, or browse our Events Calendar for more upcoming Turlock-area plans. For this week, the choice is simple: Thursday for the new Sierra exhibition, Friday for pumpkins—or both.
