Hangar One: Good times!

I went to a tasting/pouring event at Hangar One Vodka in Alameda recently, and wanted to share my experience! First, the good: food and pours of vodka were $46 for the event. It was a perfect price point for what we got.

They had a very nice layout, beautiful flowers, and a stunning view of the city from the event. Overall, we had a great time trying drinks and enjoying a night outside in the East Bay.

Of course, nothing is perfect. This was the first event of this kind coordinated by Hangar One. There was room for improvement. Some tables were too close to the lines at the bar, which caused servers to have trouble getting through. They only had one bar line with two servers hand mixing drinks. People ordered one drink, and then stood in line for the next one.

There were five different cocktails you could choose from; we basically tried them all. My favorite was the Honeycomb Mule and Hecho En Alameda. At the end, they started bring out Honeycomb Mule from another bar to serve those standing in line. However, everybody kept standing in line to order the next drink.

All in all, though, it was a really fun time and I’d highly recommend trying to book a tour at the distillery or showing up for one of these events in the future!

Nordstrom’s Trend Event

Every spring Nordstrom has a trend event where customers are invited to a fashion show with giveaways, goodie bags and an all-day event downstairs with makeovers and more freebies.

I got the invite because I went to a fashion consult with the local Pi Phi alumni in March where they had a makeup consult and I volunteered to have makeup done and of course ended up buying a couple $100 of beauty products. That is when Sebastian, Assistant Manager in the C0smetics Department, invited me to the Trend Event. I had to buy the tickets $20 apiece, but then got a $20 Nordstrom gift card. He also reserved two seats up front for me.

I invited Maria, our office Administrator, as a birthday gift and we had a fun day taking in taking in new fashions, having a makeover and buying a few things. Nordstrom does this event every April, so keep an eye out for it next year. It was a fun morning, as they open Nordstroms at 7 am before shoppers come and you get some time downstairs before they open up to the public!

Oktoberfest: Not enough beer, but tons of fun!

I went to the Walnut Creek Oktoberfest at Civic Park a few weeks back – an event I’d recommended in a previous blog! It did not disappoint, however, I don’t think the people running the event had any idea what they were in for. They ran out of beer fairly quickly, and also didn’t have enough pretzels or funnel cake for the hungry and thirsty masses!

Overall, it was still an awesome event. There were a few people dressed up and the beer they did have was served from Brauerei Weihenstephan, which is apparently the oldest brewery in the world. They also had some local artisanal beer selections, as well as wine. The main issue (besides running out of it!) was that the drink lines were so long, that you had to wait for 20 minutes to get a stein or in this case a glass of beer and then you could only have up to two at a time.

So, even though the food and drinks were good, the crowd was large, and the Civic Park venue was much more appropriate than the old location on Locust St., there were some operational issues to work out for future events. There was a kids area, plenty of food vendors, art vendors, beer batter dipped french fries (What?!), music, and a bunch of new people to meet. I went towards the end, but the consensus seemed to be that it was a very successful event.

Oh, and did I mention it was dog-friendly? What a bonus! I would have brought Bodie if he would do well in crowds with dogs everywhere, but I didn’t want to risk it. Still, what a great event for downtown Walnut Creek that will surely be replicated in the Octobers to come and may surpass Clayton – just with more beer next time! Did you go? Let me know what you thought!

Twilight Tour with wine and cheese on Friday 9/7!

With the kids back in school and the last wisps of summer fading away, you might be busier than ever. You might just need your own little Open House night to wind down and get away from it all for a few hours! If that’s the case, stop by 1947 Eagle Peak Ave. in Clayton for a wine and cheese Open House event!

This condo is so beautiful, it could star in the next Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. It’s a quiet respite with breathtaking views, top-of-the-line finishes and a serene appeal. It boasts 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a deck overlooking the cozy backyard, and modern updates.

As usual, we will have our normal Open Houses this Saturday and Sunday from 1-4 p.m. each day, but you don’t want to miss the chance to see the house on Friday night from 5:30-7 with wine in hand. Join the neighbors for this exclusive event and take a look at this stunning space! I would love to see you! If you like what you see, contact me at www.kristinlanham.com , 925.899.7123 or kristin@lanham.com. I’m happy to help with sell or buy the perfect home for you!

Client Appreciation Party

After sending out invites, speaking with past clients and those who have referred me, coordinating with the venue, and designing the event, I am happy to share some pictures of a fun day with my wonderful clients and friends. I also want to give a big shout-out to Prima Ristorante, where we enjoyed appetizers, wine tasting of old and new-world wines, great company and friendship all in the cozy space of their room with a fireplace.

Frank, our sommelier, did a wonderful job of introducing us to the nuances of French vs. California wines, and we finished with a blind tasting of a white and red. We had to guess if it was a French or California wine based on the taste. We also had a seasoned waiter who served us some amazing appetizers of calamari, shrimp, antipasto platters, rice balls and deep friend olives – yum!

We also gave away some door prizes: two $50 gift cards to Whole Foods donated by Lukasz Wilk of Wolf Construction, a certificate for house cleaning donated by my stager Heather Farry, and two bottles of wine from Prima as part of the day’s event.

Many may think the job of a realtor only involves buying and selling homes with my clients. But being a guide, friend and advocate for my clients is actually the biggest part of the job and celebrating them is my favorite part! I look forward to seeing new and old faces at future events!

Check out Boundary Oaks’ Harvest Block Party!

Are you looking for a fun, free, family-friendly event this weekend? Check out the Harvest Block Party tomorrow (Fri., Nov. 17) from 3-7 p.m. It should be a real hole-in-one!

The Boundary Oaks Golf Course is hosting the party, which is free for Walnut Creek residents. They will have games for kids, a pie-eating contest, live music, pumpkin decorating, and food and drinks. Even if you don’t live right next door, you can swing on over to a beautiful venue to take part in the free (!) festivities (again, as long as you’re a Walnut Creek resident).

You don’t have to be a golfer, either, to appreciate Boundary Oaks. And you don’t have to be a neighbor to appreciate free events like this, just a Walnut Creek city resident! It’s a perfect way to keep your kids entertained for a few hours and mellow out before the weekend.

Boundary Oaks is at 3800 Valley Vista Rd., over by Arbalado Field and Northgate High School. For more information, you can call (925) 943-4775, or visit their website.

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New City Manager & the Walnut Festival is coming!

Walnut Creek has a new City Manager as of August 7th: Dan Buckshi. I attended a welcoming reception at Lesher last week. After 15 years in San Luis Obispo County and the last five as County Administrative Officer (similar to County Manager), Dan is excited to be in Walnut Creek.

He just wrote his first City Manager’s Update, including a nugget about the Walnut Festival …

If you’re new to Walnut Creek – or haven’t been in some time like myself – I recommend going to the festival! I especially have wonderful memories with my boys and as they got into their tweens. It was a safe place to drop them off for a couple of hours, allowing them to gain some independence. You’ll be amazed by the number of people who show up to ride the rides, test out the carnival food and play games.

There is also live music and performances, and the nearby glory of Heather Farm Park in and of itself. This is truly the biggest event of the year in Walnut Creek.

Don’t forget about the nostalgic twilight parade that kicks off the event is this Saturday at 6 p.m. It will travel along Walnut Creek’s Main Street from Mt. Diablo Boulevard to Civic Drive, ending at Civic Park.

This year’s theme, “Through The Wide Eyes of a Child,” is all about imagination and whimsically-created costumes, floats, decorated cars, motorcycles, bicycles, bands, drill teams, cheer teams
and all others who will entertain us with their talents and creativity. They are encouraging people to join in on the theme and attend the parade in costume.

The Carnival portion of the 81st Annual Walnut Festival will take place from September 21-24 at Heather Farms.

Did you know the original festival was held in 1911 and was called The Grape Festival? For more information and a little bit of history, you can visit The Walnut Festival Association website here.

Enjoy this wonderful Walnut Creek tradition!!!