Review #135 - 2017…read more While we were on our way to grab our regular drinks at Chalogy, we happened upon this street fest. I'm not sure if it's only available for summer, but I don't recall seeing them here before. It's suppose to be here every 1st Wednesday of each month so we'll definitely make our way back here again next month. It's from 5:30 - 8:30 PM so be sure to stop by! Unfortunately, by the time we showed up, it was already 8 PM so we only caught the tail end of the event so everyone was already getting ready to pack up & leave. They had live music, which I saw a few people dancing to up front. Decided to take a snapshot of the party :) We walked by the KIND bars stand and the nice lady gave us two free samples. The full size bars, not just a cut up bite. We also walked by Capital One and got a free goodie bag with a pair of sunglasses, a USB powered fan (fits my iPhone lightning USB perfectly, not that I need anything to drain my battery anymore quickly) and a coupon for a free cup of Peet's coffee. Free coffee is always good! There were a few food trucks and some other knick knack stands that I walked passed. Wish I'd just kept walking when the Andersen Windows guy said "hi" to me. I ended up wasting about five minutes because I was trying to not be rude. If you see him, run! Hopefully, they will have more than just a dozen different stands when we come back next month :)

I'm STILL gloating about this awesome brew fest! I seriously cannot believe that this was my first…read moretime ever attending. It has honestly given me a whole new appreciation for beer. I've really grown a strong love for beer; particularly for wheat, sour, saison, kolsch and pretty much anything on the lighter and less hoppier end. What's nice about this festival is that you get to explore a variety and try so many different beer types. With over 60 different breweries on deck, you won't be able to taste them all. This makes sense as this isn't really the point (well... at least not for most people who come here). You get to try some new beers (some unreleased) and some popular favorites. It's also a great way to discover some local breweries that you may not have heard of before. Went with a group of friends and we had an absolute blast. The line to get in looked pretty long when I first arrived, but it moved seamlessly once they opened the gate around noon. We were greeted with a souvenir glass and made our way to the beer stands. The big names like Lagunitas and Russian River Brewing weren't present, but most people have either tried their beers or at least heard of them before. They're so big now that they really don't need to "advertise" at brew fests at this stage of the game. We tried LOTS of beer and for the most part, it was all pretty tasty. There were a few that really stood out to me that I have to mention because they were so damn good! *Old Caz Beer Orange Crush Imperial Sour: INSANELY scrumptious! Went back three times for this and ended up finishing the last of it. I have never heard of an Imperial Sour before but absolutely LOVED it. It's like a slightly sour, nutty, crispy, and fruity flavor. Looked up Old Caz immediately and found out that they're in Rohnert Park. Already planning on visit their brewery soon! *Canyon Lakes Brewery G.I.R. Cucumber Wheat: Sooo refreshing!!! That cucumber though! Geezus! It was like heaven in my mouth. I would sip this down so quick on a hot day. This brewery is located on a golf course in San Ramon, so I already know that I'll be there soon to check it out. *Bartlett Brewing Invoking the Muse Mixed Ferm Saison: Amazing! A very oaty and wheat forward Saison which a smooth finish. Something that I'd easily order at a pub or brewery if I saw it on the menu. Also really enjoyed Firestone Walker's Cali Squeeze Blood Orange Hefeweizen and a lovely triple IPA from a brewery that I can't remember. Had sooo much beer, but these were ones that truly stood out to me. They had a good amount of food trucks out but my friends and I ended up dining at the Old Spaghetti Factory instead. When the event in 4 hours long, it makes sense to eat before, spend most of the time drinking, and then eating afterward to get the most bang for your buck. Although I must mention that I didn't have to pay to enter this year, thanks to my free ticket from Yelp East Bay! Woot woot! The live music was great and we met some really cool people. At one point, one of my friends starting serving beer to the other patrons. It was funny to watch but she was enjoying herself. The weather was great too which was awesome since it's been raining like crazy lately. All in all, I'm impressed! I have some new breweries to check out too now and I'm excited to make my way there. I will definitely be back next year and hopefully every year after that. Such a great local brew fest!

We go to lots of beer festivals (Covid surely slowed that down though). Been to this one six or…read moreseven years in a row (up to Covid). There are good festivals and bad festivals and this one is one of the best. Really well done and always has a lot of breweries. We prepay and get there early and get in first. For four hours we'll drink as much as we can. I've come across so many beers at this festival that I drink regularly. Nothing better than discovering a new great beer. Love the Hop Grenade home brewery tent too. Always buy the shirt. Since we cannot drive after slapping down 40 small beers (if we haven't taken an uber) we'll go to Spaghetti factory and get some ice cream for a bit. Super fun, very well run and one of the best beer festivals in California.

Took a stroll from the hiking trail to this year's rendition of Oktoberfest. Admission is free and…read morethere were many unique performances and demonstrations by local organizations in addition to booth vendors. A very pleasant way to idle an afternoon. Were also able to check out the Chill Zone (thanks to event tickets won via Yelp). Entry is through an Orange-colored porta potty and there were beer garden typed benches for mingling and a DJ spinning. Mixed drinks were strong but could be mixed more (thoroughly). There was a complimentary tasting of Leon y Sol tequila (very smooth and balanced) which were used in the cocktail menu. The German food we sampled (sauerkraut, bratwurst and schnitzel) were tasty.

Oh My Goodness!!!!…read more This Oktoberfest was So Fun !!!! I was Going To A Private Party In the Park. Afterwards I Bought Some Drink Tickets and Went To Town. The First Five Minutes I Was Chilling Out And I was Approached by A OG Yelp Elite From The South-bay Kelly C !!! I was Surprised She Remembered me ? I Had not seen her for about 10 years!!! Go Figure the East bay is a Small World!!! Half way through the Park, I encountered another Acquaintance Cameron a Gentleman I used to work with at the City!!! lol !!!! There were a lot of Vendors selling stuff like Solar Panels , Beef Jerky, Food and Beer ! I Paced myself and had a Great Time and Some Great Conversations. There was Plenty of Eye Candy!!! Lovely Ladies in Traditional Dress Of Oktoberfest and Even Some Guys Lol !!!! There was a Bunch of Brew Masters selling their Creations of Brews!!! Everyone was Very Happy, Nice and Friendly!!!! For all These Reasons This Is A Baller On A Budget Approved Event!! You Better Believe I Keep My Pimp Hand Strong !!!

What a great turn out! Dozens of great breweries with friendly pourers, and awesome live bands…read morecovering the classics! I thought I was going crazy when I heard "Don't Stop Believing" (because that's pretty much the song you hear anyway while drunk, right?) but one of the bands was actually playing that song! The food was also awesome at awesome prices. $4 for an awesome sausage (they had many--my choice was the chicken cajun sausage) with all the toppings/condiments. The food was pretty much from food carts with extremely reasonable prices... Please let it stay like this forever!! The thing I hate most about most beer festivals is the rip off food... But this one had all the right stuff for all the right prices! Kettle corn for $3 too! The shuttle that took us from the North Concord/Martinez BART was totally hilarious/legit... It was a yellow school bus with a BACBF sticker banner on it. Lovez it!! The lady on the bus (Bus Bitch, as she called herself) gave us a lovely guided tour of Martinez on the way to the festival site from BART. The Martinez PD were also present at the festival, but they were only outside and their job was to make sure that no one left intoxicated without a DD. If your ass was too drunk, they pulled out patio chairs for you to sit on! Even though it rained, most of the festival was held indoors in a warehouse (with EZ-Up tents for some of the outdoors) and everyone was in great spirits! Mannnnn totally sweet, I can't wait until next year's event!

Attended the Beer Fest again today and I was happy to find that they have made much needed…read moreimprovements since we last attended three years ago. Our friends live nearby so we parked there and walked, as opposed to trying to find parking at the event. They do still offer the free shuttle to and from the North Concord BART station, which is great. We got in line a little after 11:30 and, once they opened the gates at noon, the line moved quickly. They checked our IDs while we were in line, which was nice and sped up the entrance. Once inside I was impressed by the vast and varied beers available. Most breweries had 2-3 beers available. I stuck mostly to IPAs and other hop-heavy brews...of which there were plenty. I was also happy with the variety of delicious food available. We stuck with cheese zombies and frickles but our friends also enjoyed their carne asada fries, Indian wraps, etc. The BBQ place even walked around with samples of cole slaw and "shots" of pulled pork. The pulled pork was excellent and if I hadn't already eaten, I would have gotten a pulled pork sandwich. There were umbrellas and tall standing tables scattered throughout the event. We had a big group so we snagged a table as soon as we arrived to be our "home base." From there, we switched off getting beer/food. They had plenty of port-o-potties available and we never had to wait in line. There was also hand sanitizer and sinks with soap and water. To top off a nice afternoon, we got to spend time with great friends and ran into many more throughout the day.

Such a fun weekend. My husband competed in the amateur competition and took 2nd in chefs choice…read more There is food to purchase from all the major BBQ joints, lots of booths with jewelry and other stuff. Glasses were 16 or 17 bucks and came with 2 drink tickets. ( we brought an ice chest ). did i mention parking and admission is free? See ya next year!

2013's fest was a bit underwhelming compared to the far more magnificent 2012 spread. Much smaller…read morethis year, and it might surprise newbies to see only 3 options for BBQ for sale to guests (no sampling of the competitors unfortunately). The local standbys of Kinder's and Back Forty are great, and in 2013 Smokehouse 10 was there. Their line was huge and prices astronomical, so I showed loyalty to my locals. They were also both wise to offer a rib sampler, 3 ribs for around $6, while Smokehouse only offered full meal platters. Kinder's ribs were tasty and smoky, and man does their sauce just ROCK. Back Forty's ribs were equally yummy and just a bit more tender. If I could get Back Forty's ribs with Kinders' sauce, oh happy day! Vendors were also scaled down quite a bit, only a small cluster of people selling more knick-knack items. 2012 offered multiple vendors selling homemade BBQ sauces and rubs, which was one of my main reasons for returning this year so imagine by disappointment when I couldn't restock! There were also more fun vendors selling quality knives and handcrafted soaps - the vendor quality was drastically reduced. So hopefully 2014 will bring the cool folks back, otherwise I might have to pass in 2015. : /

"Chasing the Past, I Stumble Into the Future....."…read more City Historical Societies are always a good bet for me, mostly because I like to learn a little background on places I live or visit. I participated in a nice downtown walk under the auspices of the Walnut Creek Historical Society and had the further chance to stop by their booth during this year's Heritage Day at Old Borges Ranch, which was a marque historical event in its own right. I deeply appreciate the good volunteers for this and similar organizations that help us remember where we came from.

I recently held my daughter's wedding at the beautiful Walnut Creek Historical Society, Shadelands…read moreRanch. It was a wonderful event. But what made it wonderful was the support of Jackie and her team. From the moment I met Jackie, she was committed to helping us have the best event possible while ensuring safety of everyone. We worked closely, and she answered ALL my questions. And I had a lot! It was tough, with COVID regulations, and Social Distancing, etc. They set up a special COVID registration table. She recommended Boxed food, which was the right thing to do. Working with her and her team, we had a FANTASTIC event. So grateful to her and her team. Plus the grounds are awesome. Highly recommend this venue. Our guests were impressed. If you are thinking about a wedding, this is the place in Walnut Creek!

It's been a couple of years since the last time I went to the Pittsburg Historical Museum and I may…read morebe biased (being raised in Pittsburg and all) but I think it's a pretty incredible local museum. It's in the old Post Dispatch building, which brings up fond memories for me -- mostly of my mom and I going downtown to place ads for whatever litter of kittens was just dumped on us. But I digress. My favorite part of the Pittsburg Museum is that it doesn't feel like a museum -- more like you are actually experiencing the history (sounds dorky, huh?). There aren't a lot of items tucked away in glass cases - they use the items to recreate old-timey Pittsburg. You walk through a sort of "downtown" area -- past old dentists shops, fire equipment and a bunch of other stuff. There is a lot of love and attention to detail going into the displays at this museum. I hope someday I can help them out!

This a great place filled with so much history. I strolled in one Saturday and ended up spending…read morehours inside. There seriously is so much to look through and it really does a great job at showing the diversity that Pittsburg has to offer. The tour guides are so sweet and informative. Highly recommend it!

The 2017 Spring Brew festival in Concord yesterday was for me a meh to ok, @ 3 stars Max…read more. The brew options were really good, however the size of the park and organization of the booths were challenging to maneuver around. I didn't see a map anywhere for me to plan my assault and dive into my lagers, IPAs, stouts, fav brews. So sadly, it was chaotic to say the least. This falls 100% on the organizers and not the friendly brew companies that did a great job answering questions and quenching our thirst on a beautiful 80F afternoon! Also, lessons learned for future festivals:- At an online price of $43 per ticket, & took about 20-45 mins to get into the park, 12-4 pm window for the festival was not enough time. Why close so early? To hit 5 booths, sit, sip & enjoy the live music, grab a bite, and hit another 5-10 booths will take more than 3 hours. There are medium to long lines for some of these booths, others none. Also, noticed wash stations ran out of water to wash hands ~ 2 pm. And some booths ran out of beer ~3:30..smh.. Till next year, hopefully better planned, cheers!