There is plenty to keep you entertained, educated and civically engaged this week in Richmond and nearby communities.
Highlights include: Construction will begin on a new elementary school, you can learn how to prune your roses and there’s a final meeting in a recent series about cleaning up a polluted industrial site.
For more, see our list of ongoing things to do (many of which are free). Also, don’t forget to add your events to our free community calendar.
- Groundbreaking ceremony for new Stege campus
- West Contra Costa families invited to education fair
- Opening reception for three winter art exhibits
- Local artists exhibiting “garden to sea” paintings
- Rose pruning seminar at local nursery
- Listen to a book while enjoying a group stroll along the shoreline
- Bird watching hike scheduled at Richmond park
- Final hearing on United Heckathorn site cleanup
- Public meeting focuses on actionable financial goals for WCCUSD
- Richmond Annex senior facility temporarily closed for maintenance
- Macdonald Avenue task force seeking extra members
- Grants available to help upgrade business storefronts
- Black Resiliency Project looking for committee members
- Related stories
Groundbreaking ceremony for new Stege campus
West Contra Costa Unified School District officials will hold a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction of the new Stege Elementary School campus.
The old 82-year-old school building was demolished last summer to build a new $61 million campus.
Stege was shut down before the 2024 school year after district officials said they found hazardous materials during some renovation work.
A lawsuit filed against the district said there were numerous health and safety hazards at the school, including asbestos, lead, and dry rot.
Stege students have been attending DeJean Middle School in the meantime. The new campus is expected to open in the fall of 2027.
Stege Elementary School groundbreaking, Thur., Jan. 22, 4 p.m., 4949 Cypress Ave.
West Contra Costa families invited to education fair
Families in the West Contra Costa Unified School District are being invited to an education fair to learn about school-related services.
The 2026 WCC Education Fair is being co-sponsored by the school district, GO Public Schools and Richmond Promise.
At the conference, families can learn about school options, enrichment and literacy programs, after-school opportunities and special education.
They can also meet with college and career partners to help students plan their future. Workshops to help support home learning are also available.
2026 WCC Education Fair, Sat., Jan. 24, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., DeJean Middle School, 3400 Macdonald Ave. Free.
Opening reception for three winter art exhibits
A trio of distinct winter exhibits have opened at the Richmond Art Center.
All three are on display until March 14. A free opening reception will be held there on Sat., Jan. 24.
“Art of the African Diaspora” spotlights the creativity of artists of African descent. More than 150 artists are participating this year.
“3 Dykes Walk into a Bar” features a solo exhibit by artist dani lopez that presents a series of “tapestry stills” introducing three young dykes coming of age from the 1990s to the present.
“Spotlight on the Ceramics Studio” celebrates the work of nearly 30 sculptors created over the past year at the art center.
Winter art exhibit opening reception, Sat., Jan. 24, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave. Free.
Local artists exhibiting “garden to sea” paintings
A colorful display of artwork from two local artists will be on exhibit in Point Richmond.
The “Flowers and Flow: Where the Garden Meets the Sea” exhibit will be available for public viewing at the ar-ti-fact gallery.
There will be an opening reception on Jan. 24 and the show runs through Feb. 21.
It features the watercolor flowers studies of Irina Yastremski and the expressive abstract acrylics of Susan Brady.
The show is described by organizers as a “celebration of harmony between nature’s stillness and its ever-changing flow.”
The show is the first in a series of exhibits at the Point Richmond gallery over the next nine months that will feature a total of 17 local artists.
“Flowers and Flow” art exhibit opening reception, Sat., Jan. 24, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., ar-ti-fact gallery, 109 West Richmond Ave. Free.
Rose pruning seminar at local nursery
Learn how to prune and care for your roses at a free seminar at a Richmond nursery.
Eileen Jackson of the North Bay Rose Society will lead the free hands-on demonstration.
She’ll discuss how to properly prune rose bushes as well as provide tips for growing the best blooms.
Rose pruning seminar, Sat., Jan. 24, 11 a.m., Curious Flora, 740 Market Ave., Richmond. Free.
Listen to a book while enjoying a group stroll along the shoreline
You can listen to your favorite audiobook while you join others for a casual walk along the Richmond coastline.
The Silent Book Club Richmond is holding its first audiobook walk.
Participants are encouraged to select an audiobook, put on some headphones and enjoy a relaxed stroll with others along the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline.
The free hour-long walk will be followed by a group chat to discuss books everyone has recently read. Fresh fruit and assorted pastries will be available.
The local chapter is part of a nationwide Silent Book Club organization that was founded in 2015.
Silent Book Club Richmond Audiobook Walk, Sun. Jan. 25, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Giant Highway Staging Area, Point Pinole Regional Shoreline. Free.
Bird watching hike scheduled at Richmond park
The Golden Gate Bird Alliance has organized a short, easy hike to search out bird species at Alvarado Park.
The half-mile stroll will proceed along a flat trail with acorn woodpeckers, Steller’s jays, red-shouldered hawks and brown creepers expected to be visible.
Participants who want to go for a longer hike can take additional trails in Alvarado Park or enter Wildcat Canyon Regional Park.
Those interested should sign up by Monday, Jan. 26. The hike is limited to 15 people.
Bird watching hike, Wed., Jan. 28, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Alvarado Park, 5755 McBryde Ave., Richmond. Free.
Final hearing on United Heckathorn site cleanup
Federal officials will hold the last in a series of online public meetings about the ongoing cleanup of a polluted site along the Richmond shoreline.
The final session 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.
Public meeting focuses on actionable financial goals for WCCUSD
The West Contra Costa Unified School District is holding the latest in a series of public meetings to get input from residents on the district’s financial issues.
The fiscal stabilization plan was launched by Superintendent Cheryl Cotton in September as a way to inform the public of the district’s financial situation and to get feedback.
The series of in-person and virtual meetings began on Sept. 15 and continues through May.
The first phase dealt with budget assessments. The second phase focused on root causes of the district’s budget deficit. The current third phase was on attainable goals. The current fourth phase deals with implementation and monitoring.
Future meetings will be held on March 5, April 2 and May 7, all at De Anza High School.
West Contra Costa Unified School District budget meeting, Thur., Jan. 29, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., De Anza High School library, 5000 Valley View Road.
Richmond Annex senior facility temporarily closed for maintenance
Activities at the Richmond Annex Senior Center have been temporarily moved to the Richmond Memorial Auditorium in the Civic Center complex.
The center at 5801 Huntington Ave. was closed on Jan. 20 and will remain shuttered until Feb. 6 while crews repaint the facility.
Programs at the annex range from language lessons to music sing-alongs to dance classes to exercise gatherings.
Macdonald Avenue task force seeking extra members
The Richmond City Council has added four additional seats to the Macdonald Avenue Corridor Task Force.
Richmond residents are being asked to apply for the voluntary advisory positions on the task force.
The committee was established in September of 2025 to deliver recommendations to the cty council on ways to improve and revitalize the downtown core area along Macdonald Avenue.
Grants available to help upgrade business storefronts
Applications are now being accepted for the Richmond Small Business Façade Improvement Program.
The project has $300,000 in funds available. Businesses in the Transformative Climate Communities coverage areas (including the Iron Triangle, Coronado and Santa Fe neighborhoods) are eligible for grants up to $15,000 each.
The money is designated to help business owners make impactful upgrades to their storefronts that enhance curb appeal, improve safety, and increase visibility to attract more customers.
The application period opened on Dec. 29 and will continue throughout 2026 or until all funds have been allocated.
Black Resiliency Project looking for committee members
Teens and young adults are being asked to join an advisory committee to help serve impacted community members.
The Black Resiliency Project is now accepting applications for Richmond residents 15 years to 24 years of age for its Community Advisory Committee.
Committee members advise city leaders on the status of Black students in Richmond as well as help shape grant guidelines and host community meetings.
The project was established in June 2025 by the Richmond City Council.
One of its primary objectives is to help develop the “State of Black Richmond Report” that will provide an overview of available data on the well-being of Richmond’s Black community in regards to health, housing, education, economic opportunity and public safety.
The committee also oversees the $1.5 million Black Resiliency Fund, which will support community-based organizations and projects that advance equity and improve the quality of life for the city’s Black residents.
For more, see our list of ongoing things to do (many of which are free). Also, don’t forget to add your events to our free community calendar.
