There is plenty to keep you entertained, educated and civically engaged this week in Richmond.
Highlights include a meeting tonight about improving MLK Jr. park, a “dynamite” history hike along the shoreline, a new play at Masquers Playhouse and Fall Family Day at the Richmond Art Center.
For more, see our roundup of fall things to do in Richmond, which includes events through Nov. 1, and our recently updated 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.
- How should Richmond revamp MLK Jr. park?
- A romantic comedy that goes deep debuting at Masquers
- ‘Street Eats’ brings food vendors to downtown Pinole
- Indigenous people being celebrated at Fall Family Day
- Hike explores dynamite past of Point Pinole
- Help spruce up The Triangle in Point Richmond
- Blocktoberfest celebration of fall traditions in Pullman neighborhood
- Police and LBGTQ+ community get together over coffee
- Rosie the Riveter 25-year gala auction closes Saturday
- Fleet week pancake breakfast aboard the SS Red Oak ship
- Exhibit highlights portraits of Point Richmond residents
- Blues music festival set for Laurel Park neighborhood
- Community forum will explore the dangers of opioids
- How would you spend $1 million?
- Tell city officials what you think about Richmond
- Related stories
How should Richmond revamp MLK Jr. park?
Richmond officials want your input for a plan to improve one of the city’s parks.
An outreach event will be held today to discuss a proposed new community center and other improvements at the 13-acre Martin Luther King Jr. Park. There is also an online survey if you can’t attend.
“This is your chance to help design a space where families gather, neighbors connect and kids thrive,” city officials said. “Together, let’s create a community center and park that truly reflect Richmond’s spirit.”
MLK Jr. park community meeting, Thur., Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m., Nystrom Elementary School multi-purpose room, 230 Harbour Way South. Food and drinks will be served.
A romantic comedy that goes deep debuting at Masquers
A romantic fantasy is the latest production on stage in Point Richmond.
“Prelude to a Kiss” opens on Friday evening and will be playing this weekend and next weekend at the Masquers Playhouse, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.
The play explores love, identity, and what it truly means to be known by another person. It balances romantic comedy with deeper questions about the soul, mortality and the enduring nature of connection.
“Prelude to a Kiss,” Friday through Sunday, Oct. 10-12, and Oct. 17-19, Masquers Playhouse, 105 Park Place. General admission is $15; free for season ticket holders and Masquers members.
‘Street Eats’ brings food vendors to downtown Pinole
A host of food vendors will once again bring a variety of dishes to downtown Pinole.
The second Street Eats Pop Up Night is set for Friday evening.
The gathering is sponsored by Kitchen@812 and Pinole Artisans. It features tasty dishes from pop-up vendors as well as specialty drinks and desserts.
There will also be exhibits from local artists and live music.
Street Eats Pop Up Night, Fri., Oct. 10, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., San Pablo Avenue and Tennett Avenue, Pinole. Free.
Indigenous people being celebrated at Fall Family Day
Indigenous People’s Day will be recognized at a special celebration this weekend.
The Richmond Art Center is hosting a Fall Family Day that will include a performance by Danza Azteca Teokalli.
In addition, artist Luis Garcia will give a tour of his exhibit “Seeds of Tradition,” on display at the art center.
The free event is open to adults and children of all ages. No registration is required.
Family Fall Day, Sat., Oct. 11, noon to 3 p.m., Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave. Free. Artist’s tour is at 12:30 p.m.
Hike explores dynamite past of Point Pinole
A four-mile hike along the Richmond shoreline will offer an opportunity to learn about the explosive past of one corner of the city.
The hike will take participants through Point Pinole, where they will learn about the four explosives manufacturing plants that operated in that region for 80 years. About 2 billion pounds of dynamite was produced during that era.
The Point Pinole is Dynamite hike, sponsored by the Greenbelt Alliance, will be led by Janet Byron, a former Greenbelt Alliance board member who has written hiking books and has led walking tours of the Berkeley area.
Point Pinole is Dynamite hike, Sat., Oct. 11, 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Point Pinole Regional Shoreline, 5551 Giant Highway, Richmond. Free.
Help spruce up The Triangle in Point Richmond
Point Richmond residents will don their gardening gloves to help beautify the historic center of the community.
Volunteers are being asked to participate in a Gab, Grab and Grow event at the Point Richmond Civic Triangle.
Organizers say the cleanup is a chance to beautify the downtown area while getting to know your neighbors better.
The event is sponsored by California Volunteers, a statewide program run out of the governor’s office.
Gab, Grab and Grow, Sat., Oct. 11, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Point Richmond Civic Triangle, Washington Avenue and Park Place. Free.
Blocktoberfest celebration of fall traditions in Pullman neighborhood
The upcoming Pullman Neighborhood Blocktoberfest will honor autumn, Halloween and Dia de los Muertos with food and music.
The Pullman neighborhood is between Macdonald Avenue and Cutting Boulevard and between Carlson Boulevard and South 37th Street.
This free event is also sponsored by California Volunteers.
Pullman Neighborhood Blocktoberfest, Sat., Oct. 11, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., location given out after registration.
Police and LBGTQ+ community get together over coffee
Richmond police are sitting down with members of the LGBTQ+ community for a conversation.
The Rainbow and Blue gathering is designed to help address concerns, improve communications and foster strong relationships.
The liaison meetings began 10 years ago as a way to build trust and promote positive changes in the community.
Rainbow and Blue, Sat., Oct. 11, 11 a.m., El Jardin de los Suenos Café, 12411 San Pablo Ave., Richmond.
Rosie the Riveter 25-year gala auction closes Saturday
The Rosie the Riveter WW II Home Front National Historic Park is celebrating its silver anniversary. While its gala this weekend is sold out, you can still participate in a silent auction.
The Rosie the Riveter Trust, the nonprofit organization that partners with the U.S. Park Service to operate the site, has been staging events throughout the year to honor the 25th anniversary.
The biggest celebration is the 2025 Rosie Gala. That event this weekend is sold out, but you can still put your name on a waiting list. The event features a gourmet dinner with table wine and both live and silent auctions. Tickets are $250 per person.
The bidding for the online silent auction has begun. It closes at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday.
The park along the Richmond shoreline was officially established by Congress in 2000. This year park officials have adopted the theme “The Rosie Spirit: Continuing to Answer the Call” to honor its 25th year.
The park’s visitor center, which is currently closed due to the federal government shutdown, opened in 2012. The park honors the women and men who worked in the Richmond shipyards during World War II.
2025 Rosie Gala, Sat., Oct. 11, 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Hilton Concord, 1970 Diamond Blvd, Concord. Silent auction closes at 6:15 p.m. Saturday.
Fleet week pancake breakfast aboard the SS Red Oak ship
You can enjoy a pancake breakfast and a great view of San Francisco Bay from the deck of a historic World War II ship.
The San Francisco Fleet Week Pancake Breakfast features eggs, sausage, bacon, apple slices and, of course, pancakes cooked in the galley of the SS Red Oak.
There will also be live big band music during the morning and a chance to send a message anywhere in the world from the ship’s radio room.
There were plans to watch the Blue Angels perform acrobatic stunts from the deck of the ship, but that activity is now on hold due to the federal government shutdown. Other Fleet Week events, such as the Canadia Snow Birds, may be visible from the Richmond harbor.
The SS Red Oak is the last surviving ship of the 747 vessels that were built at the Richmond shipyards during World War II.
San Francisco Fleet Week Pancake Breakfast, Sun., Oct. 12, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., SS Red Oak Victory ship, 1337 Canal Blvd., Richmond. Tickets are $20 plus fees for adults; $5 plus fees for children 8 and younger.
Exhibit highlights portraits of Point Richmond residents
An upcoming exhibit will showcase portraits of Point Richmond residents made by local artists.
The “Around Town” exhibition premieres this weekend with an opening reception.
Artists from the Arts of Point Richmond each chose a personality from Point Richmond, interviewed them and then created a portrait of that person.
Organizers say the exhibit’s purpose is to “build community through art.”
“Around Town” art exhibit opening reception, Sun., Oct. 12, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Point Richmond Gallery, 145 W. Richmond Ave. Free.
Blues music festival set for Laurel Park neighborhood
Music will highlight a neighborhood gathering in Richmond this weekend.
Beats & Blues at Braxton Park will feature a music storytelling booth to write and discuss how music plays a pinnacle role in creating community.
Organizers of the free event say it is an opportunity for members of the Laurel Park neighborhood in southeastern Richmond to make connections.
The event is sponsored by California Volunteers, a statewide program run out of the governor’s office.
Beats & Blues at Braxton Park, Sun., Oct. 12, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Abraham Braxton Park, South 50th Street and Plaza Circle. Free.
Community forum will explore the dangers of opioids
A public meeting has been scheduled to discuss the effects and prevalence of opioid drug use.
The Opioid Awareness Community Forum next week will provide information on fentanyl and opioid overdoses as well as provide free resources and services.
Naloxone, a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose, will be available for free.
The community forum, which has the theme of “Road to Recovery,” is sponsored by the Contra Costa County Health Department.
Opioid Awareness Community Forum, Thur., Oct. 16, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Richmond Memorial Auditorium, 403 Civic Center Plaza.
How would you spend $1 million?
How would you allocate $1 million to promote equity and address economic and health disparities in Richmond?
Contra Costa Supervisor John Gioia is holding a series of town halls to find out just that. 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.
Gioia scheduled town halls in Richmond to discuss how residents want to spend their portion of the Contra Costa Community Impact Fund. The next one is Sat., Oct. 11, at 10 a.m. at the RYSE Center, 3939 Bissell Ave.
Residents can also participate in the forum via Zoom. You can also take an online survey.
Tell city officials what you think about Richmond
The city of Richmond’s 2025 Community Survey is open until Oct. 31.
City officials are asking residents to fill out an online form to let them know what it’s like to live and work in Richmond as well as what services need to be improved and what matters most to neighborhoods.
The detailed survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. It asks about health, safety, the economy and how well the city communicates with the public.
City officials say the responses are confidential and no identifying information will be shared.
