No More 2026 Weekends Available. Inquire about weekdays (M-TH). 2027 pricing now uploaded and bookings start March 1.

Day-Of Guide

Timeline & Curfews

Music curfews are set by county ordinance and strictly enforced. They vary by day of week. Please build your vendor schedule around these hard stops.

Morning

As early as needed.

The venue can be accessed from the morning of your event as early as needed. Coordinate your exact setup start time with Black Walnut in advance.

Black Walnut may arrange early drop-off of rental items in a staging area away from the main event space. Must be coordinated in advance.

Curfew

9 PM (Sun–Thu) or 10 PM (Fri–Sat)

All music and alcohol service must conclude. County ordinance. No exceptions, no extensions.

After Curfew

As long as needed.

Guests may remain and cleanup crews may work as long as needed. Be mindful of neighbors.

All third-party rental items (chairs, tents, equipment) must be picked up the same day unless otherwise arranged with Black Walnut. We can often arrange temporary storage areas for pickup the following day.

Tip for coordinators: For Sun–Thu events, plan your send-off by 8:40 PM. For Fri–Sat, by 9:40 PM which leaves a buffer for sparklers or final toasts before music must cut.

Event Area Map

Use the map below to help guide your layout. Please reach out with any questions.

Parking

Parking is available in designated areas on the property. A little coordination prevents backups onto the road and keeps the lawn protected.

Designated areas only

Guests and vendors must use marked parking areas only. No parking along the road edge, or in vendor load-in zones.

Parking attendant

For events expecting 80 or more cars, we strongly recommend a parking attendant to help guide cars into the overflow area.

Parking arrangement

The main parking field can fit approximately 75-80 cars if arranged correctly. We recommend parking in three rows as illustrated below.

Rideshares: Black Walnut is close to the airport so getting a rideshare is usually fairly straightforward given the large number of drivers in close proximity.

Decorations

All decorations must be freestanding (no nails and staples)
No hanging from light fixtures or bistro lights
No nails or staples on the trees (zip ties and similar methods are fine)
No fake petals or paper confetti. Only real, biodegradable flower petals and buds permitted.
All decorations removed the same night
Any heavy objects with a flat bottom intended to be left on the grass should either have some kind of grid system underneath, be elevated or minimize the amount of time it's located on the grass.
Sparklers are allowed but please ensure none are left in the grass and every sparkler is returned to a container with water or sand. Sparkler wires are easy to lose in the grass and can seriously damage lawn mowing equipment.

Never leave heavy flat objects on the grass for extended periods of time.

Leaving heavy flat items on the lawn can damage or kill the grass by blocking sunlight and airflow. This includes unapproved dance floors, stacked tables and chairs, tent bases, umbrella weights, and cable covers. Any heavy objects with a flat bottom intended to be left on the grass should either have some kind of grid system underneath, be elevated or minimize the amount of time it's located on the grass.

Grounds & Natural Areas

The estate's natural landscape — the lawn, oak trees, pond, and gardens — is what makes Black Walnut special. Help protect it.

Dance floors on grass must be pre-approved and sourced from a preferred vendor. Most portable floors are incompatible with the turf and will damage it. If your dance floor fits on the existing 18' by 18' pad, then no pre-approval is required.
Do not pour any liquid on the lawn. Use the utility sink. Ice melt, alcohol and spilled drinks at scale cause turf damage.
Do not disturb plants, rocks, or trees. These have been carefully landscaped and hardscaped for your enjoyment.
No entering the water, walking on rocks, throwing rocks, or disturbing plants. Children should be supervised at all times.
Feed fish only with food provided by Black Walnut, if available.
There is a pool on-site that is gated and locked. No access for guests, bridal party, or family. Children must be watched at all times to prevent access to the pool gate.
The dock is accessible for walking and taking pictures. Please, no jumping, running, or dancing. Children may not play here. Do not sit, hang, or lean on the dock ropes.
This is a natural area that has wildlife, insects, and even plants that can cause allergic reactions. Mosquitoes are common near dusk due to the nearby river. We encourage you to bring insect repellent for outdoor evening events.

Caterer Guidelines

Caterer Staging Area

The vendor prep area ("kitchen") is for drop-off of ready-made food, desserts, and drinks - not meal preparation (no heating elements).

The room is equipped with a commercial fridge (about 5 feet wide inside), freezer, stainless steel tables and a utility sink.

Onsite cooking (e.g. taquiza) are allowed but should be coordinated with Black Walnut in advance.

What's Included

Prep area water is not potable and can be used for flowers, handwashing, and rinsing only. Bring potable water jugs.

No food waste in the sink.

Drum liners and garbage cans provided. Please dispose of trash in the trash trailer parked onsite.

Closing & Clean Up

When closing down the vendor prep area, please ensure:

Fridge is empty, unplugged and left open to air out.
Freezer can be left on if there is ice remaining.
Remove any items that weren't there originally. Wipe down counters, floors.
Ensure sink is clean and operable (no food items clogging drain).
Turn off lights and A/C unit.

Vendor Guidelines

The property has multiple outlets available for vendor use. Vendors may inspect locations before the event.
No smoking within 100 ft of structures.
All areas available for photo sessions. Black Walnut reserves the right to use event photos in their marketing materials.
Designate one reachable person as the day-of contact. They must be available throughout the event and not tied up with other duties. Do not designate anyone from the bridal party, photographer, caterer, florist, or musician as your liaison — they will be unavailable when you need them.
Black Walnut recommends hiring a professional day-of coordinator. The client assumes responsibility for vendor timelines, communication with Black Walnut, and resolving issues throughout the day.
Family pets may be considered if leashed and waste is promptly removed. Any pet-related damage will be billed to the client.

DJ Guidelines & Noise Ordinance

We are strict about noise. Residences are very close by.

Noise complaints are taken seriously and will result in music being turned down immediately. DJs, live bands, and sound engineers, please plan around the ordinance limits, not push against them.

For DJs and sound engineers:

Measure levels at the property boundary during soundcheck, not just at the stage. If your system typically needs to run loud to fill a space, this venue may not be the right fit. Reach out to Black Walnut before the event if you have questions about equipment compatibility.

Permitted

DJs with appropriately sized systems — must soundcheck and verify boundary levels before guests arrive
Live bands and string quartets at compliant volumes
Single vocal or speech mic for ceremony
Acoustic or low-amplification performances
Sparklers — coordinate with Black Walnut first

Not permitted

Large Bandas — brass-heavy groups consistently exceed the ordinance limits and are not allowed at this venue.
Oversized speaker stacks and subwoofers — large PA systems frequently exceed 80 dBA at the boundary. If you're unsure whether your rig fits this venue, contact Black Walnut before the event.
Any amplified sound after curfew (9 PM Sun–Thu, 10 PM Fri–Sat)
Fireworks of any kind
Chinese sky lanterns with flames (illegal in California)

Cleanup & End-of-Night

Vendors may stay as long as needed after curfew to complete cleanup. The $500 security deposit is returned once the property passes inspection.

Trash

Collect all trash during the event. Bag it and place in the trash trailer or designated area. Black Walnut handles final disposal. Make sure any small trash is removed from the field as well. Any flower petals should be picked up to the best of your ability.

Decorations & Rentals

All decorations removed the same night. Nothing left on-site unless pre-arranged in writing with Black Walnut before the event. Sprinklers go on as soon as grass is clear.

Caterer and Bridal Areas

Please ensure everything is removed and all trash is disposed off in the waste baskets provided.

Security deposit: The $500 deposit is returned within two weeks of the event, after inspection. Damage to the lawn, fixtures, dock, plants, pond area, or any part of the venue will be deducted. Leave it exactly as you found it.

Day-of FAQ

Does a two-tier wedding cake fit in the refrigerator?

The fridge is roughly 5' by 5'. Each door opening is about 30" wide.

Can the dance floor be installed the day before?

If you reserved the day before, this may be possible. However, any dance floor on grass requires prior approval and must come from a preferred vendor. Heavy items cannot be left on the lawn overnight. Confirm with Black Walnut in writing.

Is there someone from Black Walnut's team who helps with ceremony chair setup?

Black Walnut does not provide setup labor. Chair arrangement is the responsibility of the client, coordinator, or a hired vendor team.

Will there be somebody around to provide support?

Yes, we will have a venue manager available to ensure things operate smoothly. We keep an eye on the bathrooms, ensure appliances, lighting and outlets are operating correctly, and answer any vendor questions.

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