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The 2024 Broadway Plaza Summer Concert Series begins tomorrow August 8th at 7 pm! Will I see you there? I love taking advantage of one of Walnut Creek’s best free, outdoor events each year. Thursday night, they kick things off with 24K Magic, a tribute to Bruno Mars. You can’t beat that kind of sound for an opening night! Seating is limited, get their early and bring a chair, friends and some beverages.
There are drinks for sale at each show, and the surrounding restaurants will be open for food, too. Though the event is free, A Brighter Day is a sponsor of the series and accepts donations for their cause. It’s a great cause, so please learn more about it and consider a donation if you go to the concerts. Below are a couple of pictures from past events.
More acts for the month of August include Evolution August 8th (a Journey tribute) and Kalimba August 15th (an Earth, Wind & Fire tribute). This is always a really fun time and the Walnut Creek Downtown Association does a wonderful job putting it on. Let me know if you’re stopping by!
If you don’t get the “This Week in the Creek” newsletter, make sure you sign up. It is a great resource for those of us living in or around Walnut Creek who like to go out and do things. Just visit www.walnutcreekdowntown.com and scroll to the bottom to find the “stay in touch with eNews” button.
Anyway, one of the most valuable aspects of the newsletter for me is the events calendar. I love to know what’s going on in my backyard, both for my own personal benefit and so I can help clients get acclimated to the town. So, as you can see on the graphic from the newsletter below, here are some upcoming events!
Next month, you can join the Walnut Creek Downtown Business Association, the City of Walnut Creek, and Steinway Piano Gallery for an Earth Day “beautification project” called Painted Pianos. This is a really unique event designed to bring the community together through music and art. To learn more, visit this website.
That cool event will be going on for about six months! And you can never go wrong with live music, First Wednesdays, or the fan-favorite Uncorked in June. They even have the local skating rink opening and Oktoberfest mapped out so we can plan way ahead. There is never a shortage of fun things to do where we live!
Are you going to any of these? Maybe I’ll see you there!
Things are finally starting to open up here in California, and public events are starting to be planned again. It’s been a long stretch without music, festivals, and more. But live music returns soon, including one of the best and free ones in the Bay Area: Stern Grove.
These shows are run by the Stern Grove Festival Association, which is a non-profit dedicated to making live musical experiences accessible to all. They’ve been putting on shows since 1938 in Sigmund Stern Grove, an outdoor amphitheater in Golden Gate Park (19th and Sloat) in San Francisco.
As with any post-COVID events, precautions are still being taken. So, if you do want to go to a Stern Grove show, please consider:
advance reservations are required
there are designated entrances at doors, which open at 12 p.m.
limited capacity and perimeter fencing
masks are subject to current SF Dept. of Public Health order
Some artists for this year’s lineup include the SF Symphony, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, and Fitz and the Tantrums. You have to go check it out! Oh, did I mention…Stern Grove shows are absolutely FREE! It’s a really great way to spend a day in the city. I have seen Fitz and the Tantrums at BottleRock and would love to see Joan Jett – I love the 80’s!
Wine tasting in the East Bay! It exists, it’s real, and it’s plentiful! Check out this image, shared by Anneta Tsapouklis of the Placer Title Company:
Those are all wineries in Livermore! That’s just a short jaunt down the freeway from Walnut Creek, and though you might not find Napa-level quality here, you’ll definitely find good value and still plenty of fun.
I have only been to Wente and that was to golf, so I might have to try some of these vineyards on a day off. I have also heard of a few people getting married at some of the venues. If you have any favorites, give me a shout out.
Also don’t miss the Wente Vineyards concert series, which has some legitimate names coming through the beautiful amphitheatre there: Daughtry, Matt Nathanson, and Styx to name a few. Who knew!
We’re going to go a slightly different direction here today, as I usually pull from a larger list of events and compile them for you. Instead, I’d like to focus on the Broadway Plaza Concert Series which has started this month. First, a few thoughts on the series itself:
Since they re-did the mall and have moved these concerts into the event plaza by Macy’s, I don’t really enjoy these shows as much as I used to. It is too crowded and it is fenced off, so people can still walk through.
I really liked the casual area that was once next to Stanford’s and behind the parking structure. It never felt too crowded there. I was thinking it might be better to move it to the top of the parking structure by Macy’s in the future.
With all that said, this is a good opportunity to get downtown on a warm summer night and enjoy some music with family and friends. Even if the layout isn’t as good as it used to be, the music is still there! So, here is the schedule for this summer – go check it out and let me know how you like it!
(We’ve already had two of the shows go by, but there are still three more! You can bring blankets or chairs to the venue. Music always starts at 7 p.m.)
Here’s a fun thing to do in the Bay Area summers: go see live music! I love going to Bottlerock Music Festival in Napa every spring, and if you’ve never been to a proper festival, you really are missing out on a cultural phenomenon.
Sunshine, good music, unique eats and drink vendors everywhere? What could possibly go wrong? Here are some music festivals coming up in the second half of the summer in Northern California:
Stern Grove Music Festival
I encouraged everyone to check out this free festival in San Francisco in a previous blog, and my urging stands! It goes through mid-August!
Festival Napa Valley
This takes place from July 12-21, so you still have time to squeeze it in! Opera, jazz, wine, food, and a gala hosted by Seal. Seriously! Check it out.
Guitarfish Festival
From July 25-28, you can enjoy live music in a family-friendly setting on the banks of the Yuba River near Truckee. What a scene! More info here.
Petaluma Music Festival
On August 3rd, you can benefit the Petaluma public school system by attending this one-day festival with four stages of music. Very cool!
Outside Lands
This is the big one – the annual 3-day festival extravaganza in Golden Gate Park is worth every penny! This year, enjoy Paul Simon, Childish Gambino, Twenty One Pilots, and more! Visit the website here.
We’re almost all the way into summer here in Walnut Creek! The kids will be out of school soon, and the days will keep getting longer and warmer, giving us ample opportunities to take advantage of some awesome Bay Area events.
Diablo Symphony – May 19th (Walnut Creek)
The Diablo Symphony presents Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony and Bach’s Double Violin Concerto tomorrow at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek! You can get tickets at the door, preceding the 2 p.m. concert. The Symphony Orchestra will be joined by members of the San Ramon Valley High School orchestra for this performance!
Rooftop History Walking Tour – May 31st (San Francisco)
Real estate nerd alert! This sounds so interesting to me, and if you like rooftops with beautiful views, you’ll be amazed by which buildings in the city might have them. This is a really cool tour to take if you like history, as you’ll get into some of the more exclusive private buildings in SF. Tickets are just $35.
Art & Wine Festival – June 1st (Walnut Creek)
For the weekend of June 1st, you can take advantage of an awesome event right in our own backyard! Pair your wine and beer with food vendors, art, live music, a Kids Zone, and more! It’s time for the Walnut Creek Art & Wine Festival. More info here.
Walnut Creek First Wednesdays – June 5th (Walnut Creek)
Did you miss out on last month’s First Wednesday celebration? Because they are a great time! You can make up for it by coming downtown on Weds., June 5th to take part in a small street fair right here in Walnut Creek. Get more info here – you won’t want to miss it!
Walnut Creek Uncorked – June 20th (Walnut Creek)
Sip, stroll, socialize. Walnut Creek’s Uncorked event is taking place on June 20th downtown! You can sip wines, eat local food, listen to live music, and just wander downtown with your wine. I’d recommend getting tickets in advance, as this event is popular every year!
I’m going to keep it super local for the December events this holiday season. After all, isn’t that what the holidays are for? Spending time at home with family and reveling in each other’s company? Well, that and lots and lots of food and cocktails. I’ve got you covered on all fronts here!
Pic: Golf Advisor
Holiday Gala & Fundraiser: Boundary Oak Golf Course – Dec. 20th (Walnut Creek)
Take in a great night for an even greater cause at a premiere venue in Walnut Creek! For $50, entry gets each person a surf and tur dinner, a wine and beer sampling, access to live music, and entry into a live auction and gift boutique. If you bring a new book for ages 0-11, you receive a free raffle ticket! Proceeds go to the Bay Area Crisis Nursery. Register here!
80’s Prom New Year’s Eve Bash: Retro Junkie – Dec. 31st (Walnut Creek)
Now this is what I’m talkin’ about! On New Year’s Eve, you can enjoy live 80’s music all night. There will be a themed photo booth, a midnight countdown and balloon drop, a complimentary champagne toast, and a huge game room with pinball, arcade games, pool, and more! Pizza by the slice and a full bar top things off – but, hurry! Tickets must be bought in advance!
Everybody loves a good Christmas lights show! If you want a more family-friendly night in the month of December, pop on down to Pleasanton and take in the Widmer-World holiday extravaganza. Their light show is timed to music and the entire place will be covered in holiday cheer! It’s completely free!
What better way to knock off the New Year’s rust than taking in one of Walnut Creek’s greatest artistic gems for FREE? It’s in the Bedford Gallery on New Year’s Day, which always has really cool, unique installations. I’d highly recommend going if you haven’t already! Take it in from 12-5 p.m. on the 1st.
That’s right! Back-to-back Bedford Gallery exhibitions here. It’s always fun to go to the opening night of a new exhibit, and this one will only run non-members $5. The guest curation from Heather Marx features “artists across generations living and working along the California coast who harness natural elements or the environment to create their artwork.” This sounds pretty neat!
There’s one event – a holiday, even, if you stretch that definition – that takes place each Fall that all adult should take part in. It’s not Thanksgiving. Not Halloween. It’s the German beer event known as Oktoberfest! The festival has become so popular, that pretty much every town has their own version.
Even here in Walnut Creek, we have an Oktoberfest event, and it’s taking place this coming weekend! This year, it will be held at Civic Park from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can head there to drink copious amounts of beer, eat great food, and meet fun people! This is the 4th annual Walnut Creek Oktoberfest and will span all 16-plus acres of the park.
At the Walnut Creek event, there will be a Biergarten, Microbrews, gourmet food, live music, Autobahn and vendors. All ages are welcome to the Kids Zone but the beer areas will be the main draws. Best of all, tickets are FREE.
Oktoberfest, of course, originated in Germany and is celebrated widely in cities like Munich and Berlin, where people dress up and stand on tables and drink beer all day. I actually had the pleasure of attending Oktoberfest in Munich back in my 20’s – lots of drinking, a carnival…and I really don’t remember much else. Walnut Creek’s isn’t quite as celebrated, but it’s still a good time! Hope to see you there – lederhosen and dirndls not required, but encouraged!
There’s nothing better than a summer night in the Bay Area. We’re spoiled with perfect weather here, and it means we can spend every evening outside, enjoying the twilight with drink in our hand and a happy hour entree on our plates. It also means it’s time for Summer Concert Series season!
You don’t have to stray too far from home to get to the closest concerts. There will be four free performances outside The Lesher Center, starting with a show this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. All shows go from 5:30-7 p.m. and will sell beer, wine and snacks:
July 26: The T Sisters (highly recommend this one – love their sound!)
If you like what you hear in July at The Lesher Center, carry on that momentum into August with Broadway Plaza’s Summer Concert Series. These will take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in Event Plaza, and they are also free to the public:
Aug. 16: Kalimba (The Spirit of Earth, Wind & Fire)
Aug. 23: Caravanserai (The Santana Tribute)
Aug. 30: Bee Gee’s Gold (The Tribute)
Lastly, if you want to venture a bit outside of Walnut Creek, check out our neighbors’ Summer Concert Series in Pleasant Hill’s Plaza in front of Jack’s Restaurant & Bar. The shows take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and are, of course, free!
July 5: Fleetwood Mask
Aug. 2: Top Shelf Classics
Sept. 6: Illeagles
No matter which series you choose – or if you try out all three – you’re sure to have a good time jamming to some fun music! Let me know if you visit any of these shows, and how they are!
