Fall Tarantula Fest
Join us October 7th, 2023 for the Fall Tarantula Fest.
Come to the Coe Park Tarantula Fest and rub elbows (so to speak) with some of our fuzzy, friendly eight-legged guests of honor. The event is held at the headquarters campground, which has breathtaking views across the ridges and canyons of the backcountry.
- See live birds of prey and other local wildlife presented by the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center (WERC)
- Tarantulas and other spiders on display
- Go on a leisurely hike with a volunteer to look for tarantulas in the wild
- Learn about some of the animals that live in Coe, hold a snake if you wish
- Go on a guided geocache hike to look for hidden treasures
- See the inside of a beehive and find out about these fascinating insects
- Find out what Coe Park geology has in common with candy
- Make a tarantula memento at the craft table
- If available, visit with firefighters and maybe sit inside a fire engine
- Listen to music by the Coe Park Jug Band while you enjoy lunch
- Click here for more information
Food
Hamburgers, veggie burgers and hot dogs will be available for purchase. Meal includes chips, cookies and lemonade.
Raffle
Buy raffle tickets for a chance to win a prize. Some of the items are a day in the Coe Back Country with a ranger, passes for Coe Park events like Back Country weekend ( $100 value), Campout (up to $180 value), Mother’s Day breakfast, 5K-10K Fun Run, gift certificates at local restaurants and the Coe Park visitor center, gift baskets and many more. Need not be present to win. Raffle tickets can be purchased now at https://henrycoe.net/events/TFEST_2023/.
Raffle tickets will be available for purchase at the event. For those that wish to buy raffle tickets online at the link above: All raffle tickets purchased online will be put in the raffle ticket drawing container. If you do not attend the event and have a winning ticket, you will be contacted and arrangements made to get your prize to you.
Parking
The event is free, parking fee is $8 ($7 if there is as senior 62+ in the car). PARKING IS LIMITED, PLEASE CARPOOL IF YOU CAN.
Getting There
Coe Park is in the Inner Coast Ranges east of Morgan Hill, a town about 15 miles south of San Jose on U.S. Highway 101.
Highway 101 has three Morgan Hill exits. The middle one, East Dunne Avenue, is the one you take to get to the park. Heading south on 101, take the exit, turn left at the stop light, and cross over 101. Heading north on 101, take the exit and turn right.
You'll be heading east and climbing into the hills through residential areas for the first three miles. At the top of the first ridge of hills, when you come to a Y in the road, look for a sign that says "Henry W. Coe State Park, 10 miles." You'll bear right at the Y.
The road crosses a bridge and follows alongside Anderson Reservoir for a ways. Then it turns into a narrow, winding, scenic mountain road.
Note: If you're going to be driving a large mobile home or pulling a trailer, keep in mind that the road to the park has narrow, almost one-lane sections and several tight hairpin turns and blind curves. If you're used to navigating narrow, winding roads and you drive cautiously, you shouldn't have any problems. However, if you've had little experience with such roads, you may want to reconsider your plans.
For passenger cars, Coe Park is about a 30-minute drive from Highway 101.
