Hello Richmondside readers. Some highlights of this week’s What’s Up column include: A public hearing for WCCUSD’s budget, Richmond’s annual Pride celebration and a party to celebrate the Parchester Village mural.
Also: Sip some wine and stomp some loquats, learn how to grow California native plants and sign your young ones up to take summer classes at the RYSE Center and the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts.
And finally, don’t miss this preview of Richmond summer events as well as a roundup of where to go swimming (Friday’s high temp is expected to be 83) and ongoing things to do in Richmond (many of which are free).
Things to know and do
- Things to know and do
- Things to know
- Things to do
- Parchester Village mural reveal event is Saturday
- Colorful parade, festival to support LGBTQIA+ community
- It’s time to stomp some loquats and try some wine
- Get in shape at Marina Bay Park community workout
- Bookstore hosting Friendship Fun Day
- Last May meeting for proposed Richmond arts corridor
- Learn how to grow California native plants
- El Cerrito Pride flag raising set for Monday
- Summer bike rides being held on Sundays
- Live music and more at local establishments
- Related stories
Things to know
Here’s your chance to comment on WCCUSD’s 2024-2026 budget
The West Contra Costa Unified School District has scheduled a public hearing next week to gather input for its 2025-2026 budget.
The school board will also discuss its Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), a 196-page set of goals and actions that guide how the district serves its most vulnerable student groups.
Community members can attend the hearing in person or join via Zoom.
Last year the budget was approved late due to disagreements between parents, school board members and district staff over what they said were LCAP shortcomings.
The 25,000-student district cut nearly $20 million earlier this year from its $509 million 2024-2025 general fund budget. The board expects to reduce spending by another $7 million next school year and an additional $6 million the following school year.
The WCCUSD budget hearing is scheduled for Wed., June 4, at 6:30 p.m. at DeJean Middle School, 3400 Macdonald Ave. in Richmond.
RYSE Center offers free summer programs for youths, young adults
Youths and young adults can sign up now to participate in the free summer programs being offered at the RYSE Center, 3939 Bissell Ave. in Richmond.
The sessions start on June 24 and last until Aug. 7. The programs are offered Mondays through Fridays from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The activities are for children and young adults ages 13 to 21. They include cooking classes, art spaces, writing and poetry, gardening, dance and resume assistance.
Free catered meals and snacks are provided daily.
Music, dance and theater classes for children at Richmond arts school
There’s still time to register for summer classes for children at the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, 339 11th St. in Richmond.
The free classes for children ages 3 to 18 begin on June 28 and last until Aug. 2.
The classes include ballet, hip hop, guitar, chorus, strings, woodwinds and brass. Most of the courses are five sessions each.
Pre-registration is encouraged.
El Sobrante artist needs your help to finish mural
A fundraising effort for a mural that will beautify a busy street in El Sobrante is more than halfway to its goal and is still seeking donations.
The Triangle Works mural project hopes to raise $5,000.
Artist Yulia Pinkusevich is painting the mural, titled “We Are All in This Together,” on the side of a building next to the parking lot for Krispy Krunchy Chicken on Appian Way.
Pinkusevich describes the project, depicting the relationship between local wildlife and the watershed, as a “labor of love” that she hopes everyone in the community will be able to enjoy.
Things to do
Parchester Village mural reveal event is Saturday
Parchester Village will celebrate the completion of its “Seeds to Harvest” mural with a reveal event on Saturday.
The mural, billed as one of Richmond’s largest, was painted last year by more than 500 community volunteers, according to the city. The event will feature live music by blues artist Tia Carroll, movie theater-themed food, and the premiere of a documentary about how the project came to life.
“This mural is a representation of our beautiful history, our resilient community and our shared pride,” Richmond Love Your Block posted on its Instagram page. The group was among a number of organizations that collaborated on the piece, which was completed last summer.
The lead artist on the project was Richard Muro Salazar, who was assisted by Richmond muralist John Wehrle as well as Mike Connors, Rene Garcia and Mauricio Ortiz.
The mural reveal is Sat., May 31, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Parchester Village Community Center, 900 Williams Drive, Richmond.
Colorful parade, festival to support LGBTQIA+ community
A parade followed by a festival this weekend will celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community. The abbreviation stands for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual,” with a plus sign to include other identities not mentioned.
The Richmond Rainbow Pride festivities kick off with a parade that begins at 10 a.m. on Sunday at Nicholl Park, 3230 Macdonald Ave.
The parade will wind its way to the Richmond Civic Center, 2569 Nevin Ave., where a celebration will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The free festivities will include live performances, community speakers and information booths.
The 11th annual Richmond Rainbow Pride celebration will be held on Sun., June 1, starting with a parade at 10 a.m. and a celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Richmond Civic Center, 2569 Nevin Ave.
It’s time to stomp some loquats and try some wine
You can get a hands-on — as well as a feet-first — experience during an annual East Bay wine fruit harvest.
But it’s not grapes being gathered. Participants in the East Bay Loquat Harvesting & Winemaking celebration will pick loquats from 30 trees in Berkeley and Oakland between Thursday and Sunday and then stomp them and enjoy a free taste of the wine at the Richmond Wine Collective, where 21 winemakers share space at 1401 Marina Way South, Ste. 280, in Richmond.
Loquats are a small, sweet orange fruit that is rich in nutrients. The fruit will be brought to the collective where it will be stomped into a mushy liquid to make wine.
Community members are also invited to bring loquats from their yards to the collective and join in the stomping. Wine vouchers will be given to those who participate.
“This is a special opportunity to come together and celebrate nature’s abundance and engage in a ancient food preservation practice that will allow us to build community resilience and deepen our connection to the land,” collective members said.
You can stomp loquats and sample wine on Fri., May 30, at 6 p.m. or Sun., June 1, at 2 p.m. at the Richmond Wine Collective, 1401 Marina Way South, Ste. 280. Contact Daniel Goldberg at Feral Ecology for more information.
Get in shape at Marina Bay Park community workout
The Richmond community is invited to get together for an outdoor evening workout.
Let’s Shape Up Richmond is taking place at Marina Bay Park on Friday.
At the free event, instructor Sanyade Baratu will lead everyone through a fun fitness routine that includes a walking group, low impact cardiovascular exercises and Zumba.
You can enter into a raffle prize drawing by pre-registering.
Let’s Shape Up Richmond is Fri., May 30, at 6:30 p.m. at Marina Bay Park at Regatta Boulevard and Marina Bay Parkway.
Bookstore hosting Friendship Fun Day
Fun for all ages is being promised at a community celebration.
Multicultural Bookstore & Gifts is hosting a Friendship Fun Day this weekend.
There will be a puppet show as well as food and crafts. The bookstore owners say the free event is designed for everyone from grandparents to grandchildren as well as single people and working people.
The Friendship Fun Day will be held on Sat., May 31, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Multicultural Bookstore & Gifts, 260 Broadway in Richmond.
Last May meeting for proposed Richmond arts corridor
The final session in a series of public meetings hosted by Richmond Renaissance will be held this weekend to gather input for a plan to create an arts corridor in Richmond that would turn Macdonald Avenue and 23rd Street into a regional cultural destination.
The focus of this final gathering will be on BIPOC artists.
The gatherings have been designed to spark creativity, connection and community spirit for the arts corridor plan.
The Richmond Arts Corridor plan was approved by the Richmond City Council in October. A November report on funding for Bay Area arts organizations noted that the corridor idea has the potential to “bring visibility and resources to the rich tapestry of arts and culture in Richmond.”
One proposal calls for creating a museum on Macdonald Avenue to honor the city’s Black history.
The final May Richmond Arts Corridor meeting is set for Sat., May 31, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Rich City Gallery, 1500 Macdonald Ave.
Learn how to grow California native plants
An educational session will be held to teach participants how to care for California native plants.
The free Creating Habitat at Home session this weekend will feature Ann-Marie Benz, the horticultural programs manager at the California Native Plant Society.
Benz will discuss how to choose plants that boost biodiversity and how to turn small spaces into thriving habitats for birds, butterflies, and other pollinators and wildlife.
The Creating Habitat at Home seminar will be held on Sun., June 1, at 11 a.m. at the Curious Flora Nursery, 740 Market Ave. in Richmond.
El Cerrito Pride flag raising set for Monday
Officials in El Cerrito will raise a flag to show their support for the LGBTQIA+ community.
The Pride Flag Raising Event & Celebration will take place on Monday afternoon at the town’s City Hall.
The flag will fly through the end of June, which is gay pride month. The city has flown the rainbow-colored flag in June since 2013.
The flag raising is scheduled for Mon., June 2, at 4 p.m., at El Cerrito City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Ave.
Summer bike rides being held on Sundays
Rich City Rides is hosting bicycle rides every Sunday this summer.
The rides begin at Unity Park, 1605 Ohio Ave. in Richmond, and last from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
All ages and skill levels are welcome.
Live music and more at local establishments
A number of establishments in Richmond feature live music, entertainment and other events each week.
The Armistice Brewing Company, 845 Marina Bay Parkway, Ste. 1, hosts a bingo night every Tuesday as well as free trivia games on Wednesday evenings and free game nights on Thursday evenings.
The Backyard, 205 Cutting Blvd., is a kid and dog friendly outdoor beer and wine garden with food and live music. This weekend’s lineup includes some high-energy music from Second Hand Funk on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. On Sunday, guitarist Nilo Ayele will perform from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The East Brother Beer Company, a child-friendly and dog-friendly taproom at 1001 Canal Blvd., C-2, hosts food trucks Wednesdays through Sundays.
The Factory Bar, 12517 San Pablo Ave., which features indoor and dog friendly outdoor patio seating, will host food trucks and pop-up eateries most evenings with karaoke set for Tuesday night as well as Whiskey Wednesday the following evening. On Thursday, musical guests Duane Patton and Mikelle Morgan will be on stage from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. On Wednesday, there will be a comedy night from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The waterfront Riggers Loft Wine Company, 1325 Canal Blvd., will have live music on Friday when Karen Sudjian and the Alex Markels Trio perform from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and then again from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. On Saturday, the Primavera Latin Jazz Band will entertain from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. There is a $5 music cover charge on all performances.
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, it’ll be the versatile sounds of guitarist Bobby Wilson from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. On Sunday, HowellDevine will take the stage with hill country and Delta blues tunes from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Windchaser Wine Company, 1352 S. 49th St., is hosting its monthly First Friday Out event on June 6.
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