Tomorrow a new public art sculpture made from woven willow saplings will be unveiled in front of the downtown Walnut Creek library. There are plenty other scuptures around town, like Bullman with Bulldog, Fountain Head, Hand of Peace and more. What’s your favorite?
Heather Farm Park
Walnut Creek
Saturday, June 2nd – Sunday, June 3rd, 2018
FreeArt & Wine 2018 will continue to feature top-quality, non-stop local and Bay Area music and entertainment for the entire family, distinctive hand-made crafts and works of art from more than 200 artisans, award-winning local and regional wines and microbrews, ethnic and traditional festival food, the Premium Wine Tent, the delightful Festival Train (a longtime family favorite), and the Kids Zone.
Spotted in downtown Walnut Creek. I don’t know if the bike rider is a ventriloquist but I chuckled as I passed by.
1741 Contra Costa Blvd, Pleasant Hill
Thanks to a reader for sending word and photo that the baby and kids furniture store Kids N Cribs opened in Pleasant Hill. They also have a Dublin location.
From their website:
Our Pleasant Hill Baby & Kids Furniture Store has over 4,000 sq ft of the best quality baby & kids furniture to be found in Northern California. With more than 30 baby cribs and a large selection of popular kids furniture including twin beds, full beds, bunk beds, loft beds on display with coordinating dressers, you’re likely to find a style or design to meet your family’s needs.
Broadway Plaza
Walnut Creek
Saturday, May 26th, 2018
10:00am – 5:00pm | FreeHappy May Friends! Come shop our Walnut Creek craft fair and soak up the sun. Visit this highly curated craft fair in the beautiful shopping center of Broadway Plaza.
Come shop 20+ local artists (jewelers, candles, organic body, home goods, apparel, artwork, glass, succulents) while listening to live music out in the Plaza and then enjoy spirits and bites (in our new store at 1254 Broadway Plaza)
3602 Mt. Diablo Blvd, Lafayette
Late last year we learned that a new restaurant called Batch & Brine would be coming to Lafayette where Swad Indian Cuisine used to be and they are planning to officially open on June 4th according to their Facebook page. Check out their Instagram gallery here. According to this Oakland magazine article the owner operators come from Hubcaps, Broadericks Roadhouse, Mel’s and other restaurants. In addition to burgers there will be a brunch menu, 20 beers on tap (+ wine and cocktails), and something I look forward to, house-made pastrami sandwiches!
The vertical living garden walls spaced throughout the exterior looks amazing; this is going to be a great addition to Lafayette.
Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Dr, Walnut Creek
Wednesday, May 30th, 2018
7:00 – 8:30pm | $65 – $100Emmy and Tony Award Winning Actress, Bebe Neuwirth is best known for her role as Dr. Lilith Sternin on the hit television Sitcom Cheers and its spin–off Frasier (two Emmy Awards). She is also synonymous with long running Broadway revival of Chicago, creating the role of Velma Kelly in 1996 (Tony Award) before returning to the show in 2006 as Roxie Hart and then again in 2014 portraying Mama Morton, making Neuwirth the first person to play three separate characters at three different times during a single Broadway run. Her other leading Broadway roles include Nickie in Sweet Charity (Tony Award) and Morticia Addams in The Addams Family opposite Nathan Lane. Most recently, Ms. Neuwirth completed a three year run playing the role of Nadine Tolliver in the CBS drama Madame Secretary.
3195 N. Main St, Pleasant Hill
Black Angus Steakhouse, which closed last July in Pleasant Hill after a small electrical fire damaged the building exterior, has reopened with a similar interior and slightly revamped menu. Check out their menu here. I had a chance to try the prime rib steak, which are aged at least 21 days, and it was super-tasty.
More photos of the inside after the jump…
A new public art sculpture made from woven willow saplings is going up in front of the Walnut Creek Library by artist Patrick Dougherty. The opening celebration will take place on May 26th from 2 to 4pm and the sculpture will available for the next two years.
From the Bedford Gallery page:
The Bedford Gallery and City of Walnut Creek Public Art Department has secured a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant for a public art project that will bring world-renowned sculptor Patrick Dougherty to Walnut Creek’s downtown Civic Park—a tremendous accomplishment that will boost community involvement in the arts. The project is a monumental installation that Dougherty will create from woven willow saplings; the public is invited to apply to be a volunteer assistant and work side-by-side with the artist to build this one-of-a-kind environment in Civic Park. The project is slated to begin May 8th, 2018 and completed by May 26th, ending with a celebration event at Civic Park. The installation will be on view in Walnut Creek for two years.
This project is inspired by the idea that art is for everyone.
“Our main goal with this project is to engage the community in and around Walnut Creek by involving them in the creation of public art,” says Bedford curator Carrie Lederer. “We want to broaden the audience for the City’s public art program and find new ways to involve all those in our community who are drawn to urban art, but have not have had the opportunity to be engaged.”
