Last week we learned the unfortunate news that Barnes & Noble would be closing in downtown Walnut Creek this January. This was my go-to store for book shopping and browsing but considering it’s still open for the summer, there is still time to pick up some books. (There’s also the library). A couple of weeks ago I asked about must-see summer movies. What books are on your summer reading list? Will you read it in paper form or as an e-book?
Forejour – Foreigner Journey Tribute:
Moraga Commons Park
Thursday, June 25th, 2015
6:30pm – 8:30pm | FreeYou are invited to join your neighbors on Thursday evenings at the Moraga Commons Park for a relaxing free concert in the park. Bring your picnic blanket or lawn chairs to the grassy hillside in front of the band shell. Enjoy the music while your children enjoy the park. The volunteers of the Moraga Park and Recreation Foundation will even cook dinner for you with the Snack Bar opening at 6:00 pm.
I don’t know if New York brings out the worst in people but two incidents got me wondering. The other day I decided to check out the movie Jurassic World on a giant IMAX screen in midtown Manhattan. I bought the tickets at an online kiosk inside the theater and then headed to a short line to get upstairs. While I was waiting in line, a woman and her pre-teen daughter (around 11 or 12 years old) tried to merge into the line right in front of me. So I spoke up and mentioned the line. The mother said that they were here first. As I looked at the woman in disbelief, the daughter said to her mom innocently, “mom, they were here before us”. I smiled and thanked the daughter for her honesty and her mom for raising such a great child, and then was directed around the corner outside where I waited in another line for an hour.
A few days later I headed upstairs to the M&M store in Times Square and waited in another short, informal line with my son at a special M&M “fortune telling” machine. Sure enough, a few minutes passed by when another woman and pre-teen daughter scooted in front of us. Again, I let them know that we were there before them. The mother then said they were there first. I smiled. Unbelievably, the girl told her mom that we were actually there first. Being as pushy as these mothers were, I assumed they were native New Yorkers but when I asked the girl where she was from she said, “San Francisco”.
Did New York push them over the edge or would they behave like that everywhere?
Outside @ Lesher Center – Dead Winter Carpenters:
Lesher Center for the Arts (outside)
1601 Civic Dr, Walnut Creek
Thursday, June 25th, 2015
5:30pm – 7:00pm | FreeThe place to be this summer is Outside @ Lesher Center! On Thursday, June 25, join us for the inaugural performance of Summer Sounds! This outdoor summer concert series is FREE and takes place on the outside plaza of the beautiful Lesher Center for the Arts in the heart of Downtown Walnut Creek.
After rocking out to stellar entertainment, extend your summer evening by enjoying the fine dining and shopping Downtown Walnut Creek is known for!
Dead Winter Carpenters is a five-piece Alt-Country band from North Lake Tahoe, California, whose music has been described as an Americana blend of progressive bluegrass, roots rock, and folk with an influence from the Bakersfield Sound. They have performed at prominent venues such as The Fillmore and Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, the Fox Theater in Boulder, Colorado, and the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as playing notable music festivals like High Sierra in California. They have also appeared on stage with the likes of Yonder Mountain String Band, Railroad Earth, The Infamous Stringdusters, Sam Bush, The Travelin’ McCourys, and Chris Shiflett.
15 Crescent Dr, Pleasant Hill
Earlier this spring we learned that Jack’s Restaurant and Bar would be expanding in the Downtown Pleasant Hill Shopping Center with an additional bar called Jack’s Taps and they are now open. I dropped by and checked out the inside which looks great. Priced at around $6, brews including pale ales, pilsners, porters, stouts and more are available on tap.
Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek
The fashion scuttlebutt from last year about women’s fashion clothing store Madewell coming to Broadway Plaza in downtown Walnut Creek has been confirmed by a reliable source. Look for an end-of-year opening coinciding with Broadway Plaza’s phase one openings.
Mr. Lucky’s 30th Anniversary Celebration:
Mr. Lucky’s
1527 Locust St, walnut Creek
Saturday, June 27th, 2015
2:00pm – 6:00pmJoin us this Saturday to celebrate our 30th Anniversary of being in business!!! We will be providing an assortment of appetizers as well as Champagne for all of our guests.
7001 Sunne Ln, Walnut Creek
The new Peruvian restaurant Parada is opening this Thursday in Walnut Creek near the Pleasant Hill BART station and I had a chance to check out a preview last night. The inside looks great with hand painted murals and signs throughout giving it a comfy feel. There is plenty of outdoor seating in front and on the side. The Pisco Punch cocktail with pisco quebranta, housemade pineapple gum and lemon was delicious, as were the tapas appetizers. Some of the ingredients and tastes, including some with quite a kick, were new to me and they all tasted outstanding. I can’t wait to come back to try more dishes out!
Check out their menu here and here. You can make a reservation on OpenTable here. They are open for lunch and dinner.
Plenty more photos after the jump…
