There is plenty to keep you entertained, educated and civically engaged this week in Richmond.
Highlights include multiple No Kings rallies across west county and around the Bay Area; GRIP’s 39th Harmony Walk, the final Superfund community session and a Chevron meeting about air quality in Richmond.
For more, see our roundup of what to do for Halloween and our recently updated list of ongoing things to do in Richmond (many of which are free).
- No Kings protests in west Contra Costa County
- Plant a tree on the Greenway to celebrate Arbor Day
- GRIP’s 39th Harmony Walk is this weekend
- Fall planting tips available at local nursery
- Artists will discuss their circular works at ‘Big Feelings’ seminar
- Vote on your favorite car at annual auto show
- Halloween stories for children at local bookstore
- Hike for older adults along Point Pinole Regional Shoreline
- Air quality is topic of mandated Chevron community town hall
- UPDATE: Superfund meeting rescheduled to January
- Provide input on the proposed Richmond Arts Corridor
- Related stories
No Kings protests in west Contra Costa County
There are at least four “No Kings” demonstrations against the Trump administration happening in west Contra Costa County on Saturday as part of a nationwide protest.
- El Sobrante: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., San Pablo Dam Road and Appian Way
- San Pablo: 11 a.m. to noon, 2079 23rd St. (Near Grocery Outlet)
- El Cerrito: Noon to 2 p.m., Cutting Boulevard and San Pablo Avenue
- Hercules: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., San Pablo and Sycamore avenues
The local protests have been organized by Indivisible West Contra Costa County.
No Kings protests, Sat., Oct. 18, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Hercules and San Pablo. Free.
Plant a tree on the Greenway to celebrate Arbor Day
While Arbor Day is officially observed in April, cities celebrate at various times, depending when their tree planting seasons fall. In Richmond, that means volunteers will be celebrating this weekend.
As part of the city’s 2025 Arbor Day, you can help plant trees Saturday along the Richmond Greenway between South Second Street and South Fourth Street.
The event will include a free lunch and free mulch. Participants should park at the Greenway Trail and Second Street.
The tree planting has been organized by the city along with community partners such as Groundwork Richmond and Richmond’s Urban Forestry Advisory Committee.
2025 Arbor Day tree planting, Sat., Oct. 18, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Richmond Greenway. Free.
GRIP’s 39th Harmony Walk is this weekend
Food trucks, live music and a raffle that includes Disneyland tickets will be part of the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program’s (GRIP) 39th annual Harmony Walk at Nicholl Park this weekend.
The free event for the organization, which helps feed and provide shelter for unhoused people, will include music from the 10-piece jazz/funk band Suitcase as well as food trucks from restaurants such as Mi Casa Grill, El Sol and Curbside Kitchen.
There will also be a bounce house, booths, games and a raffle that will give away two tickets to Disneyland.
Attendees can also participate in a short walk to GRIP, for a tour of the facility and to get a glimpse of the renovation under way in the garden and playground areas.
2025 Harmony Walk, Sat., Oct. 18, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Nicholl Park, 3230 Macdonald Ave. Free.
Fall planting tips available at local nursery
Get some advice on fall planting and native plants at a free seminar in Richmond this weekend.
“Plant With a Purpose” at Curious Flora will provide seasonal tips as well as plant design secrets.
The free talk will be given by Ann-Marie Benz, the horticulture projects manager at the California Native Plant Society.
“Plant With a Purpose,” Sat., Oct. 18, 1 p.m., Curious Flora, 740 Market Ave. Free.
Artists will discuss their circular works at ‘Big Feelings’ seminar
Artists will talk about their creations as part of an exhibit now on display at the Richmond Art Center.
The “Big Feelings” Artist Talk will feature artists from two projects who will discuss how they created their works.
Architects Ayesha Ateekh, Bhagyasshree Ramakrishna and Shivani Vinayak Atre will discuss “Cascading Cartography,” a map of Richmond expressed through emotion, culture and materiality.
In addition, “The Calling” artists group that includes Chantelle Goldthwaite, Yasmin Lambie Simpson and Sheila Metcalf Tobin will share the “6000 Circle Project,” a global collaboration of artists using the circle as a symbol of balance, unity and the continuous flow of feminine energy.
After the talks, participants can join a circle making workshop to create their own circles.
The “Big Feelings” exhibit opened on Sept. 24 and will be on display through Nov. 20.
“Big Feelings” Artist Talk, Sat., Oct. 18, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave. Free.
Vote on your favorite car at annual auto show
An array of modern and classic automobiles will be on display at a community car show this weekend.
The 2nd Annual Concorso Galileo Car Show will feature both domestic and imported vehicles owned by local residents.
Visitors can vote on their favorite cars in a variety of categories. Trophies will be awarded to each category winner.
Admission is free. The cost to enter a car in the contest is $50. Food and beverages will be for sale.
Concorso Galileo Car Show, Sun., Oct. 19, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Richmond Galileo Club, 371 S. 23rd St.
Halloween stories for children at local bookstore
Children can hear spooky stories right before Halloween at Multicultural Bookstore and Gifts.
Richmond Rainbow Pride is presenting Halloween Drag Storytime featuring Ms. Wyldflowers and Atlas Stone.
There will also be a children’s Halloween costume contest with prizes and treats. (For more Halloween events, see Eight Things to do for Halloween in Richmond and nearby.)
Halloween Drag Storytime, Sun., Oct. 19, Noon, Multicultural Bookstore and Gifts, 260 Broadway. Free.
Hike for older adults along Point Pinole Regional Shoreline
Hikers 55 years old and up are invited to explore a portion of the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline.
The Over-The-Hills Gang has organized a stroll through the Dotson Family Marsh for participants to study nature as well as enjoy some fitness and fun.
The free walk is being led by East Bay Park District naturalist Anthony Fisher. No pre-registration is required.
Over-The-Hills Gang hike, Tue., Oct. 21, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Dotson Family Marsh, Point Pinole Regional Shoreline, 5551 Giant Highway. Free.
Air quality is topic of mandated Chevron community town hall
Richmonders are invited to a Chevron Community Town Hall designed to discuss Chevron’s progress toward reducing local air pollution.
The meeting is being hosted by the Ceres Policy Research in collaboration with the Chevron Richmond Refinery. It’s part of a series mandated by a settlement agreement finalized in February between the company and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. Chevron must hold such meetings every six months for the next five years.
Organizers say topics to be discussed include:
- Chevron’s air quality and flaring compliance efforts;
- Progress on the Community Action Plan (CAP);
- Community safety guidance from Contra Costa County Health and Community Awareness Emergency Response; and
- The flaring notification process and what to expect during air quality incidents.
There will also be a question-and-answer session. A light dinner will be served.
Community Town Hall, Wed., Oct. 22, 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., CoBiz Richmond, 1503 Macdonald Ave., Suite A. Free.
UPDATE: Superfund meeting rescheduled to January
Federal officials announced Monday they’ve rescheduled the last in a series of online public meetings about the ongoing cleanup of a polluted site along the Richmond shoreline.
The final session was moved from Wed., Oct. 22, to Jan. 28, 2026. 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., Jan. 28, 6:30 p.m. Free.
Provide input on the proposed Richmond Arts Corridor
An online survey is now available for residents to express their opinions on the Richmond Arts Corridor.
The arts corridor was established by the Richmond City Council in October 2024. It designates Macdonald Avenue and 23rd Street as avenues that connect the community with the arts.
Current organizations anchoring this corridor include the Richmond Art Center, the NIAD Art Center, the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts, the RYSE Youth Center and the Richmond Museum of History & Culture. Arts advocates have a vision for beautifying the area and building a new museum.
The Imagine Richmond Survey asks citizens what they would like to see along the corridor — from features such as large-scale art installations to murals to pop-up concerts and nighttime food and fashion markets.
The survey is being conducted by Richmond Renaissance, the nonprofit organization tasked with moving the project forward.
