There is plenty to keep you entertained, educated and civically engaged this week in Richmond.
Highlights of things to do this week include a roller skating disco party, FIERCE Advocates’ 20th anniversary block party, four new exhibits at the Richmond Art Center, an El Sobrante pride party and free bicycle repair clinics.
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.
- Four exhibits to open at Richmond Art Center
- Block party to celebrate FIERCE Advocates’ 20th anniversary
- Disco party to roll through Richmond park
- Race to raise money for brain cancer research
- ‘Rosie Ride’ from San Francisco to Richmond waterfront
- YES nature nonprofit hosts day of fun to kick off fundraiser
- Sample a variety of foods at Street Eats in Pinole
- Help protect the San Pablo Watershed at cleanup event
- El Sobrante Pride festival features music, food and family fun
- Free bicycle repair clinics at Richmond park
- What would you do with $1 million dollars?
- Related stories
Four exhibits to open at Richmond Art Center
Four new art exhibits will be celebrated at an opening reception this weekend at the Richmond Art Center.
“Big Feelings” showcases artwork that offers a cultural narrative of Richmond through “lived experience, intuition, and consciousness.” The works by a variety of artists “employ mechanized and technical processes — letterpress printmaking, cartography, and the disciplined repetition of the circle — yet at their core, each transforms emotion into a material for making art,” gallery officials said.
“Unsettled Things/Things I Had to Leave Behind” highlights artwork by Xinchen Li, a jewelry artist and sculptor from China. The show “explores memory, loss and migration through delicate sculptures — created using a 3D printing pen and biodegradable PLA — of everyday objects left behind during her journey as an international student and recent immigrant to the U.S.,” according to gallery officials.
Seeds of Tradition exhibits works by artist Luis Garcia, an El Salvador native and polio survivor. His paintings “weave portraits, spirit animals, and ritual imagery into a rich visual tapestry honoring cultural heritage, ancestral memory, and the deep connections between people, nature, and spirit,” gallery officials said.
“Ebb and Flow” is a student showcase of works produced during a watercolors class at the Richmond Art Center.
The art center is free to visit and the exhibits will be on display until Nov. 20.
Fall Exhibitions Opening Reception, Sat., Sept. 27, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Community Gallery, Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave. Free.
Block party to celebrate FIERCE Advocates’ 20th anniversary
A community celebration is being held to honor the 20th anniversary of a nonprofit organization that helps Richmond families and is “Lighting the Path Forward” to do even more in the coming years.
The Block Party for FIERCE Advocates will feature live entertainment, food vendors, artisan crafts, raffles and family-friendly activities.
The free event will also highlight the achievements of FIERCE Advocates, a group that promotes equity, justice and healing for Black and Latinx families.
“The organization’s work is grounded in racial equity, maternal health, education justice and wellness, making it a critical force for families who have long been left out of decision-making spaces,” event organizers said.
FIERCE Advocates Block Party, Sat., Sept. 27, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Richmond Civic Center Plaza, 2569 Nevin Ave. Free.
Disco party to roll through Richmond park
Roller skating and disco music just go together, and you can enjoy both at a community event this weekend.
The Roller Disco Party will feature glow-in-the-dark face painting, food vendors, a photo booth and a DJ spinning disco classics and modern jams.
Admission is free and a limited number of skates will be available to check out for free. The event is described as a “community celebration of music, movement and joy.”
Roller Disco Party, Sat., Sept. 27, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Unity Park Community Plaza, 1605 Ohio Ave. Free.
Race to raise money for brain cancer research
A 5-kilometer race that raises money for brain cancer research will be held along the shores of Richmond.
The Fast Track to a Cure run is organized by Stanley Currier, a Marina Bay resident who was diagnosed in 2021 with oligodendroglioma, a relatively rare brain cancer that can affect people from age 18 to those in their 40s.
Currier is active with Oligo Nation, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for oligodendroglioma.
The 5K race is held along the Bay Area Trail near the Richmond marina. Participants range from competitive runners to those who walk the course. There is a post-race party with refreshments and prize giveaways.
Fast Track to a Cure 5K race, Sat, Sept. 27, 9 a.m., Lucretia Edwards Shoreline Park, 1500 Marina Way South. Brain tumor survivors or patients can participate for free; Others pay $15 (youths) to $30 (adults).
‘Rosie Ride’ from San Francisco to Richmond waterfront
You can take in some views of San Francisco Bay and meet two women who worked at the Richmond shipyards during World War II.
The 3rd annual “Rosie Ride” will begin at San Francisco Ferry Terminal Gate F, taking riders to the Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park in Richmond before returning to San Francisco.
The journey will include a 90-minute tour of the Rosie the Riveter park where visitors will meet Marian Sousa, age 99, and Jeanne Gibson, age 99, both of whom were “Rosies” who worked at shipyards during World War II.
Although the museum tour is free, participants are required to purchase ferry tickets.
Rosie Ride, Sat., Sept. 27, 12:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., San Francisco Ferry Terminal Gate F.
YES nature nonprofit hosts day of fun to kick off fundraiser
Join YES Nature to Neighborhoods, a Richmond nature-focused nonprofit, for an action-pack activity day at Nicholl Park to celebrate its effort to build a new center that aims to connect more local youths with the environment.
The YES Fest will feature a rock wall, arts and crafts, archery, live music and local food trucks.
The group said it’s 75% of the way to its $7 million goal and this event will kick off the next phrase of fundraising.
YES Fest, Sat., Sept. 27, Nicholl Park, 3230 Macdonald Ave., 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., registration required. Free.
Sample a variety of foods at Street Eats in Pinole
An array of East Bay food vendors will be serving dishes, drinks and desserts on a street corner in Pinole.
The first in a series of Street Eats events will feature a variety of foods from many cultures, including Asian Fusion, Mexican and soul. There will also be live music.
The dishes are being prepared by food entrepreneurs from all over the East Bay, including some vendors who regularly sell at The Lot in downtown Richmond.
The free gathering has been organized in partnership with the city of Pinole by Kitchen@812, a nonprofit organization that serves as a commercial kitchen and food business incubator to support aspiring chefs.
Two other Street Eats have been scheduled for Oct. 10 and Oct. 24.
Street Eats, Fri., Sept. 26, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., San Pablo and Tennett avenues, Pinole. Free.
Help protect the San Pablo Watershed at cleanup event
You can help beautify the creeks and rivers in the El Sobrante area at a volunteer event.
The Coastal Cleanup Day will focus on removing litter near creeks and storm drains to keep these waterways flowing and prevent trash from reaching the coastline and the ocean.
Volunteers are asked to meet at the El Sobrante Library where a cleanup location will be selected.
Cleaning supplies will be provided. Participants are asked to wear layers, hats and closed-toe shoes as well as apply sunscreen. Light refreshments will be provided afterward.
The event has been organized by Spawners, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the San Pablo Watershed, and the Green Team 94803, a group of local residents focused on preserving nature.
Coastal Cleanup Day, Sat., Sept. 27, 9:30 a.m. to noon, El Sobrante Library, 4191 Appian Way. Free.
El Sobrante Pride festival features music, food and family fun
An afternoon festival with dancing, eating and activities will celebrate the LGBTQ community.
The second annual El Sobrante Pride 2025 celebration has adopted the theme “We’re Still Here.”
Admission is free. The event will feature live music, DJs, food vendors, guest speakers and a family fun zone.
The festival has been organized by the El Sobrante Pride Committee and the El Sobrante Chamber of Commerce.
“Bring your lawn chair, your dancing shoes, and your open heart. Because around here, community is everything,” said the event organizers.
El Sobrante Pride 2025, Sun., Sept. 28, noon to 4 p.m., La Moine (Cheese) Park, Morningside Drive, Richmond. Free.
Free bicycle repair clinics at Richmond park
You can get your bicycle repaired or tuned up at two free clinics.
Both sessions of the Bike Repair Clinic will be held at Lucas Park in Richmond.
They are sponsored by volunteers at Rich City Rides. The nonprofit organization’s mechanics are available to fix flats and chains as well as make brake adjustments and perform safety checks.
All types of bicycles are welcome on a first-come, first-served basis.
Bike Repair Clinic, Mon., Sept. 29, and Thur., Oct. 2, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Lucas Park, 724 10th St.
What would you do with $1 million dollars?
How would you spend $1 million to promote equity and address economic and health disparities in the Richmond area?
Contra Costa Supervisor John Gioia is holding a series of town halls to find out. The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors is divvying up $5 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act among the county’s supervisorial districts.
The next Richmond meeting to discuss the Contra Costa Community Impact Fund is Mon., Oct. 6, at 1 p.m.; and Sat., Oct. 11, at 10 a.m. Both are at the RYSE Center, 3939 Bissell Ave.
Other meetings will be held in nearby cities: Tue., Sept. 30, at 6 p.m. at Pinole City Hall, 2131 Pear St.; Thur., Oct. 2, at 5:30 p.m. at St. Peter CME Church, 5324 Cypress Ave., El Cerrito; and Thur., Oct. 9, at 6 p.m. at San Pablo City Hall, 1000 Gateway Ave.
Residents can also participate in these forums via Zoom. You can also take an online survey.
For more things to do this week, read our fall events roundup. Know of other regular live music or entertainment events we should include on this list? Let us know in the comments below or email hello@richmondside.org. You can also post your events in our calendar.
