We attended this annual festival at Fremont's Downtown Event Center on Saturday afternoon, and a…read morehad a positive experience. Free parking was available in the lot for the plaza and the place wasn't crowded and had an awesome laid back vibe. There were a few merchandise vendors, and we ended up buying some salt-free spices. They obviously also had a good amount of beer tents, but you could only get beer by purchasing a tasting package for $50-60. It's a pretty good deal for an all day affair, if planning to try a lot of the different beers on site. But not for us on this day. They had about 5-6 food vendors on site, but some of the tents were out of burger-related dishes by the time we arrived in the early afternoon (ie. Kay's Creations was out of their classic cheeseburger lumpia and loaded cheeseburger lumpia). Still, I liked the diversity in the festival's food offerings overall, food trucks selling halal and pakistani menu items, a cheesesteak truck, and a taqueria (Rincon del Cielo) also selling lamb and beef burger specials which we ended up trying (it was yummy and cheesy!). They also had a burger throwdown and competition with awesome trophies for best burger and People's Choice best brew award (yes, the trophies were shaped like a burger and glass of beer... of course I took pics!). Our favorite part of the event was the live music on stage. We spent a majority of our time picnicking on the grass and lying around while listening to the sounds of the Evan Thomas Band. The sound quality was excellent, and the band was outstanding as they played mainly blues music for the small audience. The festival overall was quite small, but it was free to attend, and on such a beautiful sunny day, we enjoyed our visit.

The Fremont Burger & Brew Fest was this past Saturday, 5/21/22. $40 in advance (+ tax & service…read morefee) or $50 at the gate for AYCD beer...way way too much. How much beer do you have to drink to make it worth it? With your spiffy wristband, you can indeed fill up your 4 oz glass as much as you want. Here's the rundown: ================= * 12 breweries ...and a 3-4 whiskey booths for an extra $10 ticket fee * Community booths * Artisans * Food Trucks (10 or so) for separate purchasing Burgers?: ======== * For the price, shouldn't it include a burger, or burgers? * Shouldn't a event name like this feature, or in addition, serve up the best burgers in the city? * The Food trucks, none of which were BURGER trucks, had a special of the day BURGER ($12-16) to their menu offerings. Two of the trucks were the ol' "roach coach", not specialty trucks. Additional problems I have with this event: ===================================== * The breweries were mostly pouring out of cans, and a few out of a keg. * It felt small, like a small community fair (that's what it is, actually). Positives: ========= * I really liked Shadow Puppet Brewing from Livermore, CA (#1 at the event) * Oakland United Beerworks was #2 (in my opinion) The bottom-line: =============== It's for beer drinkers. They can take their 4 oz glass and sample the heck out of those breweries. You can, if you wish, walk the event unpaid, and still eat at the food trucks and check out the artisan and community booths.

This is an annual festival taking place the Friday after Thanksgiving, with a tree lighting at…read more6:00pm, followed by a delightful parade at 6:30pm. For the 2024 event, most people brought their own chairs, others just stood behind those seated. I arrived an hour early, and set up my chair to ensure a good view, situating myself near Niles Town Plaza, midpoint of the parade route. Then I walked around to explore the antique shops on Niles that were still open after 5pm, as well as a couple merchandise vendor tents outside. Entertainment before the parade included live music by Anthony Arya Band, street performers like jugglers, as well as costumed characters including the Grinch and SpongeBob SquarePants walking down Niles Blvd and posing for photos with kids. I also saw 4 food trucks on site, serving sushi, sliders, chicken sandwiches, and mexican food. And there was a drink stand selling hot chocolate, coffee, and tea for a dollar donation. The tree lighting was not your traditional christmas tree, it was just a regular tree along the street (the one with the stage set up next to it, across from Nature's ice cream shop). But they did make it look pointy at the top, with the lights, lol. Decorated vehicles and performers in the parade represented numerous organizations in the community, including little league teams, East Bay Regional Parks, and Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum. Golden Gate Basset Rescue had several dogs being walked with colorful string lights on the leashes. It was adorable. American High School color guard did a wonderful job with their performance, and marching bands from various schools and institutions created impressive sounds on percussion and wind instruments galore, including the bag pipes. There were plenty of cars in the parade too, adorned with beautiful designs, lighting, and props to put you in the holiday spirit. The crowds grew as it got later into the evening. But it never became chaotic or unmanageable. The event seemed to be organized well, yet still casual and flexible (like people could cross the street during the parade), even with a heavy police presence. It was such a laid back and joyful atmosphere, free to attend, and parking and traffic isn't too difficult if you arrive early and leave early before the parade ends. Otherwise, good luck.

I feel like the experience gets bigger and better every year! Been coming here for 3 consecutive…read moreyears now and have enjoyed it every time. I'm a big fan of local functions and activities and community involvement so this Christmas tradition is always a delight. My son loves seeing Santa and Mrs. Clause! He enjoys the entire parade full of cars and many lights with local performers. our friends and family always gather here every year now as part of our new tradition. We have a friend who lives on the street where they have the parade so her place is usually our usual spot. We've started bbq'ing and drinking before the parade as part of our festivities and then head over to Papillon's down the street for our dinner to celebrate Christmas season amongst friends. I appreciate Fremont a bit extra for having this tradition that I feel we are a little late in experiencing but now that we have, we refuse to ever miss it if we're in town. (We live in Southern California now.)

My fav food in the carnival was the CA Spam Musubi, fried pork chop loco moco and garlic shrimp…read morefrom Flavor Smack. Next time I would love to try to funnel cake and Mexican food.

For 2024 $10 for…read moreconvenient parking. don't park in front of nearby homes to avoid risk of being towed and if you park far, use the sidewalks and cross-walks. Scheduled at a good time in the year when its not too hot and not too cold but plan to have a jacket if you stay late. Theres a large number of vendors selling trinkets, novelties and or even pets like parakeets. Mixed crowd with a lot of youngsters showing up in groups and some families with kids and grandparents. $40 for all-day pass on rides. most rides were about 6 tickets at $2 per ticket or $12. so pass is worth it if you're going on four or more rides. Ferris wheel required ID for young looking participants which is absolutely absurd when none of the other rides like g-force and freak-out did not. Food prices varied but large number of vendors showing up with nice variety. Found bottle water for $1 and pizza slice for $5 from mountain mikes booth which was nice. Certain things like caramel apples sell out very quickly. Many offerings all around like filipino, indian, mexican food - nachos, fried oreos, special donuts ranging from $11-$30 depending on what you're getting. Generally short wait times for food. Sometimes lower price with cash (ymmv). There's a fair amount of seating with shade for eating. Very nice to see many volunteers from surrounding schools and businesses participate. Also awesome to see law enforcement there to maintain peace. It was a special four day annual event and so happy I finally managed to attend as I typically miss this event.

Pretty Cool lots of people…read more Lots of Free Parking . A Blues Band Playing . Beer Booths with a Large Selection of Beers Carnival and Pony Rides for the Kids. Lots of Cool Crafts and Art booths . Classic Cars and Not so Classic Sports and Muscle Cars . Newark PD had a Cool Display . They had their Swat Rescue Vehicle the Bearcat , awesome vehicle , I would love to add that to the Whip Stable . Then the New Dodge Patrol Vehicles real cool . Plus they have the 12 Gauge 870 s and M4 Carbines also , A Fun Festival For Sure .

I purchased a Groupon deal and I'm so happy I did! This event was taking place on July 11th and…read moreJuly 12th from the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. It was not a big festival which is something that I appreciate because I'm not a fan of big festivals. It can be overcrowded at times and just overwhelming for me. But this one seems to be very nice and humble. Free entry so anyone was able to walk in. I purchased a Groupon over the weekday for 2 wine glasses and 12 tickets to drink wine. I had brought a girlfriend with me which we shared the ticket so it was six tickets per person. Grocery Outlet was there donating some of the drinks which was very nice. It was all different type of wines:Rose,Moscato, pinot and many more. There were also so many vendors selling different type of foods: $5 bacon brownies, Strawberry Shortcake, garlic noodles, smoothies, beer. All kinds of things for children to do: pony rides, slides, free teasing books. Tons of vendors to buy a lot of things such as jewelry, hat, cell phone covers and clothing! Such a great event! I definitely recommend going and checking it out music with there as well it was a great performance! Children and animals are welcome to come and it's right near the Newark mall! I definitely look forward to coming again next year! Until next time!

The Gary Soren Smith for Performing Arts is a great venue and houses the G. Craig Jackson Theatre,…read morealong with the NUMMI Theatre and a smaller theatres. Housing the Louie Meager Art Gallery, Theatre and Dance Studios, TV, KOHL Radio and Broadcast Studio. The outdoor amplitheatre is a wonderful theatre with a great view of the Bay and sunset. The Staff are pro's and always friendly, courteous and helpful. Having been a performer (classical and pit musician) and performing at the Smith Center for years, I can appreciate the dedication and efforts of the Staff first hand. As a patron of the arts, I highly recommend the venue for your upcoming events.

The Jackson theater at Ohlone's Smith center is a well-loved community location and it has…read moresalvaged organ parts inside! I hope I can hear it some day. I just went to see Heathers the musical there and it was amazing. Go see it showing in the next couple weeks!

My family started here 25 years ago when my kids were little. It was a family affair, we all danced…read moreand loved it. Fast forward 25 years and I now have an 8 year old son who has been here for just over a year (with a small summer break last year.) Katrina is still just as amazing as she was a long time ago. Her brothers are still passionate and wonderful as well. This is the best halau for my family for so many reasons. My son loves coming here. He gets to dance with Charlie and he has so much fun. He is excited for Mondays. There's no fighting or complaining to come here. He bugs me that it's time to go. Half of the moms dance but they are all sweet. I was a little worried that I'd feel out of place since I haven't danced in years but I was very wrong. All the moms and dads are welcoming. It's like an instant family. I am glad we started again and I'm thankful for Katrina for keeping the studio not only the same but better Here's to another 25 years!

I LOVE it here! Been here since I was 16...I'm 27 now yikes lol...Learned a few years ago that my…read morefirst hula teacher from when I was 13 (Auntie Rose Lokelani Thomas) taught Auntie here too! Currently I'm just taking Tahitian...haven't been in Hula since high school. I wouldn't want to dance anywhere else but here! :)

Easy and free street parking, and a garden out front, with staff/volunteers taking care of the…read moreplants and landscaping on this lovely Saturday in June. A $2 suggested donation, not enforced but the experience worth the cost, an engaging exhibition of objects and stories representing the wonderful history of the city of Fremont. Photos of the Centerville Cannery, a recreated home kitchen and random household items to explore, Irvington fossils and animal displays, an exhibit about the 1915 world's fair in SF (Panama Pacific International Exposition). Old toys, typewriters, cameras, recording devices, and phones galore. A "School Days" museum section showcasing nostalgic pieces like tin lunchboxes, children's books, and even a classic pee-chee folder. A glass case containing Washington High School (first high school in Fremont) items donated by John Gomes and family, an early resident of Washington Township. Also, a "Transportation" museum section which included an 1890's doctor's buggy from a barn at Ardenwood Farm, among other things. Interactive exhibits, like signs prompting visitors to name jobs people did in the 1900's vs today, or to identify projector parts on the Century Theater Projector on display. My fave piece of history in the museum was about Niles Film Making and Charlie Chaplin's contract signing with Essanay. Lots to see and learn at your own pace, with a staff member available to answer any questions. There's also a restroom on site, if needed. Plus, if you visit on the 2nd Saturday of the month, afterward you can head over to the Ohlone Flea Market up the street, offering lots of quirky goods for your bargain shopping pleasure.

Allow me to introduce myself…read more.. My name is Chad Stein and I am a professional photographer (voted "Best Photographer" in the "Best Of Fremont Awards" 10 years in a row), multi-business owner, resident of Fremont since 1989, what many consider to be one of "the faces of Fremont" and what I humbly consider to be the biggest proponent of this city. The reason for that verbose and borderline-braggadocious introduction was to show how "Fremont" I am (and what I typed was just a drop in the bucket). With that being said, in all of my years wandering this city and knowing every nook and cranny, I did not know about the museum until it caught my eye while driving through the area back in October. Shortly thereafter (and very coincidentally), one of my clients mentioned it to me a few days later as well. It was at that moment that we decided that we would pay it a visit. Yesterday (January 14th, 2026), we did just that. I honestly didn't know what to expect before entering the door, but I was excited nonetheless. Shortly after walking inside, we were greeted by Barbara, whom is one of the volunteer docents. Being that it was a Wednesday, guided-tours were not available. However, Barbara decided that the day of the week was just that and a guided tour was on the menu! My client/friend and I were given a roughly 75 minute tour of the facility. Prior to yesterday, I thought that I knew a lot about Fremont, it turns out that there was so much more to learn! The museum touched on a lot of how things in the city received their names as well as the history behind a lot of places that were once in the city as well as some that still are. There are plenty of physical objects to look at (and you can even touch some) as well as plenty of documents/signage to read. After the tour was over, we spent roughly another hour exploring on our own. There is no fee to enter, but there is a box for donations if you feel inclined to give. They also offer a membership option which has some perks. The staff are all volunteers, so please keep that in-mind. Whether you're a lover of Fremont or just a history buff, I highly recommend checking out this establishment. Last and definitely not least, I'd like to give a HUGE shout out and thank you to Barbara. Her wealth of knowledge and personality made the experience that much better!

The recent (Friday, October 19th) concert at the San Jose Museum of Art, "Zero Hour... The World of…read moreAstor Piazzolla" was phenomenal. The spirit and the music of Tango and Argentina was in the air as the audience swayed to the music and the dance of this wonderful, rich culture. Bravo to the musicians, the dancers (and the caterer). Bravo to the producers of this exciting new musical concert series.

Classy experience! I wanted to take a date to something other than the typical dinner and a movie…read moreand found this through word of mouth. This worked out very well.