Every week, a number of Richmond organizations and government entities host a variety of recurring recreational events and public meetings. Here are some of the highlights. See our community calendar for more things to do and add your events there for free. You can also check out our weekly Things to Do in Richmond column, published every Thursday, for the most current events.
- The Richmond arts and culture scene
- Fresh food and local food vendors
- Keep your mind and body active
- Outdoor activities in Richmond and beyond
- Related stories
The Richmond arts and culture scene
Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave., showcases the work of local artists and holds annual student art shows. Check out its murals, paintings and sculptures, and if you’re inspired, you can also take classes there, in subjects appropriate for kids, adults and families. Students can use its workspaces through the center’s Studio Access Program. The gallery is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Admission and parking is free. Call (510) 620-6772 for more information.
NIAD Art Center, 551 23rd St., features art work by people with intellectual and physical disabilities. It is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and every second Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Arts of Point Richmond organizes various arts events cityside. It’s a self-governed volunteer association established in 2008 to connect local artists with the community. Visit the website for information about holiday fairs, garden parties, and opening night receptions and learn which artists are giving talks about their work. If you become a member of the AOPR, you’ll have an opportunity to meet fellow local artists and display your work.
Point Richmond Gallery, 145 W. Richmond Ave. This intimate venue hosts the works of many well-known Bay Area artists. The gallery is open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Members of the community can also schedule appointments to visit. There’s also an outside space that can host parties or events. Call (415) 286-6298 for information.
Richmond Museum of History and Culture, 400 Nevin Ave. Visit this museum to learn more about the city, from the time when Native Americans known as the Ohlone lived here through the city’s early development into the World War II era and beyond. Historians and students can make an appointment to view original documents in the museum’s research room. If you want to get involved, the museum needs volunteers to help with collections handling, historical research, graphic design, marketing and publicity. The museum is open Thursdays through Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 400 Nevin Ave. Admission fees are based on what you can afford to pay. Call (510) 235-7387 for information.
Community theater in Point Richmond
Masquers Playhouse, 105 Park Place in Point Richmond, is a nonprofit community theater group that presents five productions a year, with two of them being musicals. Check their shows and events page to see details of the latest productions and to order season tickets. Shows run for five weeks, with performances on Friday and Saturday evenings and occasionally on Sunday afternoons. Masquers invites theater buffs of all skill levels and backgrounds to participate in productions. Call 510-232-3888.
Where to see a movie in Richmond
Catch the latest Hollywood blockbuster at Richmond’s 16-screen Cinemark Century Hilltop 16 movie theater, 3200 Klose Way. For folks who would like assistance via on-screen captions (for dialog and sound descriptions), there are designated showtimes with those aids on Saturdays and Sundays. Call 510-758-9626 for details.
Richmond Memorial Auditorium
Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza, hosts a variety of performances as well as the action-packed fun of roller derby. Bay Area Derby is a women’s roller derby league that hosts competitions at the facility. Visit the city’s auditorium calendar or major third-party event listing calendars for more information.
East Bay Center for the Performing Arts
The East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, 339 11th St., is a free performing arts school for youths up to age 18. Students take classes taught by renowned professionals (their offerings fill up quickly) and stage free community performances several times a year. Many of their alumnae go on to pursue dance, theater and music careers at world-class learning institutions.
Visit the Rosie the Riveter national park
Rosie the Riveter Visitor Education Center, 1414 Harbour Way South, highlights what women accomplished working on the war effort during World War II in shipyards and factories to build equipment to support the troops, making them pioneers in female empowerment. Symbolizing these women was the iconic “Rosie the Riveter” motif. This free national park is located in the historic Ford Assembly Plant’s “Oil House” at the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historic Park.
Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day). Call (510) 232-5050 for more information.
The last survivor: Red Oak Victory Ship
The SS Red Oak Victory Ship at Richmond’s Shipyard 3 was built at the Kaiser shipyard. It was launched in November 1944 and delivered ammunition to support the nation’s World War II efforts in the South Pacific.
The name “Red Oak” honors a town in Iowa that had the country’s highest per-capita wartime casualty rate. The ship’s crew remarkably experienced no casualties itself during hazardous missions at the Marshall and Caroline Islands and in the Philippines. Now owned by the Richmond Museum Association, the SS Red Oak Victory ship is open to visitors to explore with the help of volunteers on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (summer) and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (winter). The suggested admission is a $10 donation. You can view the ship itself for free anytime. There are also regular community events, such as dances and pancake breakfasts, held on board.
Fresh food and local food vendors
Weekly farmers markets
Four farmers markets are held weekly in the Richmond area.
- The Civic Center Farmers Market, Fridays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of the main library, 325 Civic Center Plaza.
- There’s another farmers market, the Richmond Mobile Farmers Market, also in front of the main library, on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. as of Jan. 28, 2026. Through Fresh Approach it offers a 50% discount to market shoppers who participate in the CalFresh/EBT, WIC, SSI/SSDI, Medi-Cal/Medicaid, unemployment or food pantry benefits, as well as for other low-income local residents.
- The Marina Bay Farmers Market, Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Marina Bay Park in the parking lot near Regatta Boulevard and Melville Square.
- The Kaiser farmers market, 901 Nevin Ave., on Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- The El Sobrante farmers market, organized by Planting Justice, is open Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 5166 Sobrante Ave.
Visit Richmond’s mobile food vendor courts
You can sample a variety of ethnic food at several outdoor locations citywide, thanks to Richmond’s mobile food vendor program, open on various days at three locations.
The Lot is held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 1401 Macdonald Ave. The street vendors are also open for business on Fridays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 325 Civic Center Plaza and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot at Marina Bay Park off Regatta Boulevard and Melville Square. The marketplaces include everything from tacos to sandwiches to pupusas to refreshing drinks.
The program is co-sponsored by the city of Richmond and the Richmond Farmers Market.
Keep your mind and body active
Fun fitness at Richmond YMCA
If you’re in the mood for a game of pickleball, want to play basketball or take part in group fitness events, the Richmond Parkway YMCA has you covered. Learn about the latest fitness classes, which are available free to members. They also offer a Head Start Preschool Program for children from birth to 5 years old.
Located at 4300 Lakeside Drive, the fitness center is open 7 a.m. to 9 pm Mondays through Thursdays; 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays; and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. For details, call (510) 222-9622.
Senior center programs
Stop by the Richmond Senior Center, 2525 Macdonald Ave., for a variety of activities that include fitness programs, wellness events, social activities, games and a senior nutrition program for people ages 55 and older.
Among the special offerings are art classes, ballroom dancing, tai chi, country western line dancing, bingo, swing dancing, card games, billiards and soul line dancing.
The Richmond Senior Center is open Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Many of these programs are also offered at the Richmond Annex Senior Center, 5801 Huntington Ave. That facility is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Care for a game of chess?
The West Coast Chess Alliance sponsors several weekly and monthly chess games throughout west Contra Costa County.
They include:
- Hercules Library on the first Wednesday each month, 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., 109 Civic Drive, Hercules.
- San Pablo Library on Fridays, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m,, 13751 San Pablo Ave., San Pablo.
- El Sobrante Library on the second Saturday of each month, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 4191 Appian Way, El Sobrante.
- The Richmond Senior Center on Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 2525 Macdonald Ave., Richmond.
Richmond recreation classes
Saturdays are full of fun activities hosted by the city of Richmond. Enjoy instructional classes such as Zumba or use the fitness center at the Richmond Recreation Complex from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Or take the party to the pool and try out Aqua Zumba at The Plunge at 10:15 a.m. Visit the website to register. Children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult.
Library family time and homework help
The Richmond Main Library is closed until fall of 2027 while it undergoes major renovations. The branch has a limited number of programs operating out of its temporary location at the Nevin Avenue conference rooms in the Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza.
The city’s other two library branches still offer a full calendar of activities.
Among the offerings is Family Storytime, on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Bayview Branch Library, 5100 Harnett Ave. as well as on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the West Side Branch Library, 135 Washington Ave.
Check the library system’s main calendar for a full list of activities.
Swimming lessons and recreational pool time in Richmond
Whether you want to swim recreationally or still need to learn how to swim, Richmond has two indoor swimming pools. (Read our guide for where to go swimming in the area for more options).
The Richmond Plunge, 1 East Richmond Ave., is open Mondays through Saturdays. Visit their website for the latest scheduled hours of operation.
The Richmond Swim Center, 4300 Cutting Blvd., is open every day except for Mondays and Fridays. Visit their website for the latest scheduled hours of operation.
Swim prices vary for adults, children, residents, non-residents, veterans and seniors. Check their updated swim prices page for the latest drop-in and pass fees.
On warm days, you may have to sign up for a waitlist to swim during recreational swimming hours. There is no guaranteed entry.
Outdoor activities in Richmond and beyond
Explore a regional park
Need some fresh air and exercise? Explore the great outdoors in one of Richmond’s beautiful regional parks.
Wildcat Canyon Regional Park boasts 2,798 acres along the Wildcat Creek watershed at 5755 McBryde Ave. It’s open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. and has free parking. Go for a hike, ride mountain bikes and let your kids have fun in the play area.
Point Pinole Regional Shoreline is home to more than 100 bird species, sprawling across 2,315 acres. Don’t miss the fragrant eucalyptus woods. It has two parking areas, one at 5551 Giant Highway (120 parking spaces) and 3000 Atlas Road (78 parking spaces). Parking is $5 for cars or trailers and $25 for buses.
Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline features views of San Francisco Bay and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, a secluded cove with a small swimming beach, Keller Beach, on the north end, a fishing pier and a model railroad museum. Sit down at the picnic sites on a tree-shaded lawn near the saltwater lagoon. Located at 900 Dornan Drive, it’s open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Parking is free.
Get into a state park for free with library card
A three-year pilot project by California State Parks and the California State Library lets library patrons check out a free vehicle day use pass which can be used at more than 200 participating state parks.
Each library system in the state has been given a minimum of three California State Library Park Pass hang tags per branch. Passes can be used and then must be returned to the branch.
“Libraries are trusted community hubs where Californians know they can find what they need to work, play, and thrive,” said California State Librarian Greg Lucas. “This partnership with State Parks now allows Californians to ‘check out’ California’s great outdoors at their community library.”
Nearby participating parks include:
- Albany State Marine Reserve
- Emeryville Crescent State Marine Reserve
- Franks Tract (water-access only near Bethel Island)
- McLaughlin Eastshore State Park
- Mount Diablo State Park
Fantasy fighting at Richmond Marina
The local chapter of the Amtgard fantasy fighting group holds weekly contests. The Wyvern’s Spur gathers on Sundays at noon at Marina Bay Park in the Richmond Marina. The group engages in live action role playing based on the games Dungeon & Dragons and World of Warcraft. They use foam-covered weapons and cast “spells” as part of their games. Participants 13 years and older are welcome, although minors should have a parent or guardian accompany them.
Free Zumba at Pogo Park
Weigh of Life and Pogo Park offers free Zumba classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. The classes are at 720 Elm Ave. Call 510-215-5500 for more information.
Government meetings: City council, planning commission, school board
The Richmond City Council usually meets on the first, third and fourth Tuesday of every month. The meetings are held at City Hall, 440 Civic Center Plaza, with the public sessions beginning at 6 p.m. Agendas are usually posted the preceding Friday. Learn more in our guide to the City Council and our guide to how Richmond works.
The Richmond Planning Commission usually meets at 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month. The meetings are held at City Hall, 440 Civic Center Plaza.
The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) board usually meets twice a month, often on Wednesday nights, in the multipurpose room of DeJean Middle School, 3400 Macdonald Ave., Richmond. Visit the WCCUSD calendar for the most current meeting information and for the agenda, which is posted a couple of days before the meeting. Read our guide to the school board and our guide to how Richmond works for more information.
Richmond Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee
The Richmond Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (RBPAC) was formed in 2008 to allow the community to work in partnership with the city to promote a more bikeable and walkable city. The group welcomes the participation of people with a myriad of perspectives from across the city.
The committee meets on the second Monday of every month from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., except in August and December, at City Hall, 450 Civic Center Plaza, in the Point Molate Room.
Sign up for its mailing list via the website to get the latest meeting information.
Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors usually meets on Tuesdays beginning at 9 a.m. in the County Administration Building, 1025 Escobar St. in Martinez.
You can find information about advisory commissions to the Board of Supervisors and their need for new board members on this county government website.
Do you have a recurring event you’d like us to feature here? Email hello@richmondside.org. We will update this article periodically, but be sure to check agency websites for the most up-to-date information, as holidays and other factors could occasionally cause schedule changes. Read our weekly Things to Do column, published every Thursday, to find more things to do and know.
