This column was updated March 15 to reflect a bike ride cancellation.
Hello Richmondside readers. Some highlights for this week’s What’s Up column include: A meeting tonight on changes to bus service and amenities on Macdonald Avenue and Cutting Boulevard; things to do for St. Patrick’s Day and a total lunar eclipse watch party.
Also: Find out how PG&E is trying to work with communities to prevent fires — something to take note of given that CalFire has increased the number of acres in Richmond presenting a “very high” risk.
And finally, if you’re looking for information about ongoing Richmond events, we’ve got you covered. Find out about exercise classes, government meetings and family friendly activities via our daily things to do list.
Things to know and do in Richmond
- Things to know and do in Richmond
- Things to know
- Things to do
- Total lunar eclipse watch party tonight
- Happy harp sounds for spring, St. Patrick’s Day
- Cocktail fundraiser tonight to raise money for Black equity group
- Music and tostadas evening at cultural arts center
- Pollinator garden cleanup at Booker T. Anderson center
- Registration ends today for bird watching walk in Wildcat Canyon
- A discussion on the importance of the Tuskegee Airmen
- Bike ride to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day— cancelled
- Bookstore hosting seniors, grandparents and caregivers
- Come hear stories of strong women and girls
- Live music, comedy at local establishments
- Related stories
Things to know
AC Transit meeting on Macdonald Avenue, Cutting Boulevard bus service
AC Transit is holding a community meeting tonight to discuss its plans for making it easier to travel by bus along Macdonald Avenue and Cutting Boulevard.
Transit officials will provide updates on the projects and get public feedback on new signal equipment, better signal coordination, bus boarding areas (“bulbs”), bus stop relocations, bus stop amenities and access improvements.
The project is focused on Macdonald Avenue between the Richmond Parkway and San Pablo Avenue and Cutting Boulevard between Interstate 580 and the El Cerrito del Norte BART station.
“These changes are aimed at enhancing safety and accessibility for bus riders and pedestrians, streamlining bus operations, and improving the overall customer experience,” transit officials said.
The AC Transit community meeting is set for Thur., March 13, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Bermuda Room of the Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza.
PG&E holding virtual town hall on reducing wildfire risk (use + to zoom in on map)
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has organized a virtual town hall for Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco and San Mateo counties.
The webinar is focused on how the utility and residents can cooperate to reduce wildfire risks. PG&E officials, including Regional Vice President Jake Zigelman, will take questions from attendees.
Residents who live in higher risk areas, such as the hillside neighborhoods of east Richmond as well as Point Richmond, have been stepping up efforts to reduce wildfire risks in their neighborhoods by making sure brush and other vegetation is cleared around PG&E towers and other utility facilities. A recent update to the state fire hazard maps shows Richmond now has 4,395 acres classified as a “very high” risk zone, compared to 4,129 acres in 2011.
The PG&E webinar will be held on Tue., March 18, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The call-in number is 800-369-1953 with a conference ID of 8240426.
LGBTQ virtual town hall focuses on togetherness
The Horizons Foundation, the world’s first community foundation for LGBTQ people, is hosting four virtual town halls in the Bay Area.
The East Bay webinar will be held on Wed., March 19. It will feature Lasara Firefox Allen, the executive director of the Pacific Center for Human Growth, as well as Joe Hawkins, the chief executive officer and co-founder of the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center, and Mateo Sanchez Morales, the development and communications manager for Oasis Legal Services.
The town hall will be moderated by Francisco Buchting, vice president of grants, programs and communications at the Horizons Foundation.
“As the LGBTQ community finds itself at a crossroads, with political and cultural threats emerging from multiple fronts, these town halls are designed to bring the Bay Area’s LGBTQ community together, provide a platform for people to express what they’re experiencing in their communities and connect people with LGBTQ nonprofit services,” said Justin Seiter, senior communications manager at the Horizons Foundation.
The East Bay LGBTQ town hall is scheduled for Wed., March 19, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. You can register for the free event at this website.
Sierra Club to discuss protecting San Francisco Bay shorelines from sea rise
The Sierra Club is offering a webinar to discuss a regional plan to protect San Francisco Bay shorelines.
The online gathering, entitled “The Bay is Rising, Let’s Rise to the Challenge Together,” is being sponsored by the Sierra Club’s San Franciso Bay Alive campaign.
The webinar will highlight the Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP) adopted by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC).
The RSAP guidelines establish standards that shoreline communities must follow to gain approval from BCDC as well as to access to state funding to develop their local sea level rise plans.
“Now that the RSAP is approved, there’s a finite window of time for every shoreline community to develop their sea level rise plan,” said Arthur Feinstein, the Bay Alive campaign’s Sea Level Rise Committee Chair. “We have this once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of those conversations, ensuring each plan is the strongest it can be, putting nature first and protecting vulnerable communities.”
The Sierra Club webinar on San Francisco Bay shoreline plans is scheduled for Thur., March 20, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. You can register here for the free online session.
Things to do
Total lunar eclipse watch party tonight
If you want to watch the first total lunar eclipse since 2022, head to the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley later this evening.
The Berkeley institution is hosting a Lunar Eclipse Watch Party where experts will explain how lunar eclipses happen and what makes total lunar eclipses like this one special.
The event is included with general admission to the science center. Cost is $20 for adults and children ages 3 and older.
The Lunar Eclipse Watch Party will be held Thur., March 13, from 10 p.m. to midnight at the Lawrence Hall of Science, 1 Centennial Drive in Berkeley. $20; free for UC Berkeley students, staff, members, ages 2 and under, Museums for All, active-duty military.
Happy harp sounds for spring, St. Patrick’s Day
You can get into the mood for St. Patrick’s Day, which is Monday, with a harp performance at the library today.
Musician Diana Stork accompanied by Teed Rockwell will perform to welcome the spring season as well as the St. Patrick’s Day holiday.
Stork is a composer, performer and teacher who has played internationally for three decades.
The St. Patrick’s Day Harp Happy Hour will take place on Thur., March 13, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the West Side Branch Library, 135 Washington Ave. Light refreshments will be served.
Cocktail fundraiser tonight to raise money for Black equity group
A cocktail hour will raise money for programs that promote equity for Black women and girls.
The event this evening is being sponsored by RCF Connects, a division of the Richmond Community Foundation.
Organization officials say they are facing a $60,000 funding gap and hope to raise enough money to continue programs such as Sistas SOAR, which helps promote Black women entrepreneurs.
The event is free. There is a raffle, and donations are encouraged.
The Equity for Black Women and Girls cocktail hour will be held on Thur., March 13, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Lara’s Fine Dining, 1900 Esplanade Drive in Richmond.
Music and tostadas evening at cultural arts center
An evening of music and Mexican food will be held tomorrow at a cultural arts center in Richmond.
Music & Tostadas at the Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy will feature traditional and popular Mexican music and dance along with food available for purchase.
Tickets for adults are $15. Youth under the age of 18 are admitted free.
The nonprofit academy has a production studio and community space for youths and their families. Its goal is to amplify Mexican roots in the Bay Area.
Music & Tostadas will be held on Fri., March 14, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy, 13108 San Pablo Ave.
Pollinator garden cleanup at Booker T. Anderson center
You can help clean up a unique garden at an event this weekend sponsored by The Watershed Project.
The Love Your Bioswale Day will be held at the Booker T. Anderson Community Center. A bioswale is a garden that helps filter rainwater and creates pollinator habitats.
At the Saturday event, volunteers will be weeding, mulching and adding new plants to the garden. The Watershed Project will provide gloves and tools. Lunch and snacks will also be provided.
The Love Your Bioswale Day is scheduled for Sat., March 15, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Booker T. Anderson Community Center, 960 S. 47th St. in Richmond.
Registration ends today for bird watching walk in Wildcat Canyon
You can take a leisurely stroll while looking for a variety of birds in Wildcat Canyon Regional Park in East Richmond Heights this weekend.
The Golden Gate Bird Alliance is sponsoring the free outing and welcomes beginners as well as experienced bird watchers.
Participants will take a 2-mile loop through groves of coast live oaks and California bay laurel trees while trying to spot passerines, woodpeckers, raptors and other birds.
The hike has a maximum of 12 participants, and you must register by 11 p.m. tonight.
The Wildcat Canyon bird watching hike will be Sat., March 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., beginning at the Alvarado Staging Area off Park Avenue.
A discussion on the importance of the Tuskegee Airmen
History & Culture.
The Richmond Museum of History & Culture will host a presentation on the Tuskegee Airmen this weekend.
The seminar will be led by Leigh Roberts, the western region representative of the Tuskegee Airmen Heritage Chapter of Greater Sacramento. She will talk about her father, George Roberts, who was the first African-American aviation commander of the Tuskegee Airmen’s 99th Fighter Squadron.
The Tuskegee Airmen was formed in 1941 despite opposition from proponents of segregation and “Jim Crow” laws. The squadron flew 15,000 missions and earned a number of awards and decorations for their contributions in the air during World War II.
The free seminar is co-sponsored by the Richmond Museum and The Walking Ghosts of Black History, an organization formed in Hercules in 1989 to work with historians and community leaders help showcase African American involvement in the U.S. military.
The seminar on Tuskegee Airmen Commander George Roberts is set for Sat., March 15, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Richmond Museum of History & Culture, 400 Nevin Ave.
Bike ride to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day— cancelled
Rich City Rides has cancelled a planned three-hour cycle through Richmond, according to its website.
Bookstore hosting seniors, grandparents and caregivers
Older adults as well as caregivers can enjoy an afternoon of fun at the Multicultural Book Store in Richmond.
The children’s book shop is sponsoring the afternoon with a focus on caregivers, grandparents and seniors to “sip, eat, relax and have some fun.”
The dice game Left, Right, Center will be played along with arts, crafts and door prizes. Food is free for people who RSVP, and $5 for walk-ins.
The Contra Costa Youth Service Bureau is co-sponsoring the event.
The afternoon of fun for older adults and caregivers is scheduled for Sun., March 16, at 2 p.m. at Multicultural Bookstore & Gifts, 260 Broadway.
Come hear stories of strong women and girls
The Richmond Public Library will pay tribute to Women’s History Month with a story time.
Professional storyteller Hanna Takashige will present stories about strong women and girls.
Takashige has worked in early childhood, pediatric, special needs, memory care, skilled nursing and hospice settings. She provides practical training in embodied language and storytelling for individuals and groups, students, community volunteers, educators, professional caregivers and healthcare personnel.
The seminar about strong women and girls will be held on Tue., March 18, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the West Side Branch library, 135 Washington Ave.
Live music, comedy at local establishments
A number of establishments in Richmond feature live music, entertainment and other events each week.
The Backyard, 205 Cutting Blvd., is a family and dog friendly outdoor beer and wine garden with food and live music. This weekend’s lineup includes DJ e-LIVE and rap duo Tall Tee on Saturday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. On Sunday, the jazz quartet Pied-a-Terre will take the stage from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The restaurant is featuring St. Patrick’s Day themed food and drinks all weekend.
The Baltic Kiss restaurant, 135 Park Place in Point Richmond, will feature a variety of bands the next five days. On Thursday, the Bay Area cover band Velvet Fog will be joined by the San Francisco-based grunge era band X-Gen will perform from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. On Friday, the West Marin jam band Tangled & Free will provide entertainment from 8 p.m. to midnight. On Saturday, the Oakland-based power pop group The Bye Bye Blackbirds will perform along with the East Bay indie group Desoto Reds and guitarist Owen Adair Kelley from 8 p.m. and midnight. On Sunday, the Sacramento punk rock band Tashow will share the stage with the Marin County psychedelic jam group Jerry Crow Band from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. On Monday, the San Francisco-based band Dirty Cello will perform blues and bluegrass music from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. as part of an early St Patrick’s Day celebration.
The Factory Bar, 12517 San Pablo Ave., which features indoor and dog friendly patio seating, will have food trucks Thursday and Friday with karaoke set for Tuesday night as well as Whiskey Wednesday the following evening.
The waterfront Riggers Loft Wine Company, 1325 Canal Blvd., will have live music Friday and Saturday. On Friday, guitarist Lee Waterman and the Bob Scott Group will perform jazz tunes from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. On Saturday, the Latin Jazz ensemble Key Elements will play from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The outdoor waterfront Sailing Goat restaurant, 1900 Stenmark Drive, with views of San Francisco Bay at San Pablo Harbor, will feature live music this weekend. On Saturday, musician Vince Charming will be on stage from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. On Sunday, accordionist Khalifa do Accordion will perform from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The Windchaser Wine Company, 1352 S. 49th St., is hosting a Pizza and Oyster Sunday this weekend from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. with a pop-up from Rocky Island Oyster Company. Live music returns to Windchaser next weekend. The winery also hosts live music and food trucks on its outdoor patio the first Friday of every month.
Be sure to check out our list of recurring activities and our calendar for more things to do in Richmond and add your local events for free.
