There is plenty to keep you entertained, educated and civically engaged this week in Richmond, especially as everyone’s calendars get busier with the official arrival of fall on Sept. 22.
Highlights include the return of Spirit and Soul to downtown, a discussion about threats to free speech, coastline cleanups, a hackathon and the 30th year of the El Sobrante Stroll.
For more, see our newly published roundup of fall things to do in Richmond, which includes events through Nov. 1, and our list of ongoing things to do in Richmond (many of which are free). You can also visit Richmondside on Fridays for a list of upcoming live music shows.
- Free speech is focus of a community roundtable
- Spirit and Soul Festival brings music, cars, crafts to downtown
- Help clean up one of five waterfront spaces in Richmond this weekend
- Registration deadline for bird watching walk along the shoreline
- Workshop on May Valley neighborhood’s future
- Hackathon brings coding and creativity to Richmond
- El Sobrante Stroll — an all day block party
- Safety summit to help seniors stay independent in their homes
- Live music at benefit concert for El Sobrante school
- Final community meeting on health risks of Superfund site
- Related stories
Free speech is focus of a community roundtable
Three community leaders will discuss the current threats to the First Amendment right to free speech.
The Freedom of Speech Roundtable will include a panel of three experts who will discuss those threats and ways to counter them. The panelists are:
- Catherine Lhamon, a former official in the Biden administration who is now at Berkeley Law;
- David Snyder, a former journalist and lawyer who is now executive director of the First Amendment Coalition; and
- Dorothy Lazard, an author, historian and former Oakland librarian.
Those attending are urged to “come prepared to engage, listen actively, and respect differing opinions.”
Freedom of Speech Roundtable, Thur., Sept. 18, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Arlington Community Church, 52 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Free.
Spirit and Soul Festival brings music, cars, crafts to downtown
Classic cars, live music and artisan crafts will highlight a celebration that’s returning to Richmond’s downtown corridor this weekend.
The Spirit and Soul 2025 Festival will feature a youth sports zone as well as a health and resources hub in addition to music, cars and crafts.
Organizers expect more than a dozen food vendors to be on hand as well as 70 artisans displaying their wares. The free event will also include a Car Hop Competition for vintage vehicles on hydraulics and three live bands.
The festival, which was on a hiatus last year, is organized by the Richmond Main Street Initiative. It takes place along Macdonald Avenue between Harbour Way and 16th Street.
Spirit and Soul 2025, Sat., Sept. 20, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Macdonald Avenue between Harbour Way and 16th Street. Free.
Help clean up one of five waterfront spaces in Richmond this weekend
There are a variety of Richmond shoreline spaces that need your help this weekend.
Volunteers will be picking up garbage at five local spots Saturday as part of California Coastal Cleanup Day. Those locations are:
- Shimada Friendship Park, 79 Harbor View Drive, 9 a.m. to noon, organized by The Watershed Project.
- Point Isabel Regional Park, end of Rydin Road, 9 a.m. to noon, organized by the East Bay Regional Park District.
- Point Pinole Park, 5551 Giant Highway, 9 a.m. to noon, organized by the East Bay Regional Park District.
- Wildcat Creek, North Richmond Ballpark, 1825 Fred Jackson Parkway, 9 a.m. to noon, organized by Urban Tilth.
- Lucretia Edwards Shoreline Park, 1500 Marina Way South, 9 a.m. to noon, organized by Groundwork Richmond.
Participants are encouraged to wear protective clothing, a hat and closed-toe shoes.
California Coastal Cleanup Day, Sat., Sept. 20, 9 a.m. to noon, various Richmond locations.
Registration deadline for bird watching walk along the shoreline
The Golden Gate Bird Alliance has organized a hike along Richmond’s shoreline.
The bird watching walk will be held Saturday morning at Miller Knox Regional Shoreline hike.
The free hike will take participants past a saltwater lagoon, a small wooded area and the coastline of San Francisco Bay to look for waterbirds, shorebirds and songbirds.
Organizers advise participants to wear layered clothing and sturdy shoes. Registration for the event ends at 11 p.m. on Thur., Sept. 18.
Golden Gate Bird Alliance walk, Sat., Sept. 20, 9:30 a.m. to noon, Miller Knox Regional Shoreline Park, 900 Dornan Drive.
Workshop on May Valley neighborhood’s future
A community discussion will be held on the future of a Richmond neighborhood.
May Valley’s Future: What’s Your Vision will invite residents of the neighborhood near El Sobrante to attend a workshop to discuss safety and how to use community resources.
A moderator will lead participants in a question-and-answer session as well as small group discussions.
The free gathering is sponsored by California Volunteers, a project under the governor’s office that encourages civic action.
May Valley’s Future workshop, Sat., Sept. 20, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., location given out after registration.
Hackathon brings coding and creativity to Richmond
High-tech experts will gather in downtown Richmond this weekend for a full day of coding collaboration.
The Richmond Homebase Hackathon will unite coding experts with students, nonprofit organization leaders, civic organizers, educators and entrepreneurs.
The goal of the free event is to come up with community solutions to issues such as strengthening democracy, economic innovation and arts and culture.
The hackathon will be led by Kaila Love, a rapper and tech founder who specializes in artificial intelligence.
“For too long, communities like Richmond have been left out of the rooms where innovation happens,” said Love, founder of The AI Homegirl. “This hackathon is about opening doors. It’s not just about tech — it’s about teamwork, problem-solving, and proving that creativity and innovation thrive here, too.”
Richmond Homebase Hackathon, Sat., Sept. 20, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., CoBiz Richmond, 1503 Macdonald Ave.
El Sobrante Stroll — an all day block party
The public is invited to a daylong block party along El Sobrante’s main road.
The 30th annual El Sobrante Stroll will feature a parade, a BMX bike show, live music, a classic car show, vendors, food and beverages.
The parade begins at 11 a.m. and travels along San Pablo Dam Road from El Portal Avenue to Appian Way. That half-mile section of San Pablo Dam Road will be closed to traffic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The theme of this year’s free event is “El Sobrante: The Pearl of the East Bay.”
El Sobrante Stroll, Sun., Sept. 21, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., San Pablo Dam Road between El Portal Avenue and Appian Way
Safety summit to help seniors stay independent in their homes
Older adults can receive information and advice on how to stay independent and safe in their homes.
The city of Richmond is sponsoring its third annual Senior Safety Summit.
The free afternoon workshop will feature guest speakers from the CEI Center for Elders’ Independence, Caregiver OneCall and Adult Protective Services.
The speakers will share practical guidance on home-based care, elder protection and caregiver support.
Members of the Richmond Police Department and Richmond Fire Department will also provide information on emergency preparedness and public safety.
Senior Safety Summit, Thur., Sept. 25, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Richmond Memorial Auditorium lobby, 403 Civic Center Plaza. Free.
Live music at benefit concert for El Sobrante school
A music festival featuring a variety of bands will raise money for Wildcat Canyon Community School.
Canyon Fest 2025 will feature six bands as well as a dance party led by DJ Lisa, all set in the hills surrounding the private school in El Sobrante.
Local food vendors and coffee from Xulo, Picnic and Cute Coffee will also be available.
Cost is $45 plus fees for adults and $15 plus fees for children. Funds raised go toward Wildcat Canyon’s school garden program.
Canyon Fest 2025, Sun., Sept. 21, 1:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Wildcat Canyon Community School, 3800 Clark Road, El Sobrante. $45 for adult admission; $15 for children.
Final community meeting on health risks of Superfund site
Federal officials are holding the final in a series of online public meetings about the ongoing cleanup of a polluted site along the Richmond shoreline.
This final session will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 24. It will be a chance for the community to discuss and ask questions about the United Heckathorn Company site.
The Superfund site is an area made up of two parcels on the eastern shoreline of San Francisco Bay in an industrial area of Richmond.
Officials at the Environmental Protection Agency say several companies used this land in the 1940s through 1960s to process, package, and ship pesticides.
They say that “poor management and housekeeping practices during the site’s use as a pesticide processing facility released contaminants of concern (DDT and dieldrin) to upland soils and marine sediments.”
United Heckathorn Superfund site online community meeting, Wed., Sept. 24, 6:30 p.m.
