We hosted our child's 1st birthday party here and highly fecom. The space comfortably accommodated…read morearound 90 guests, along with a DJ, photobooth, snack cart, and even a soft play area for the kids without feeling cramped. The facility itself was clean, well-maintained, and easy for guests to access, which made a big difference when hosting a larger group. Everything ran smoothly, and the venue worked well for the kind of celebration we envisioned. One downside was parking--there happened to be a farmers market at the same time, which significantly reduced the parking availability we had planned for our guests. I do wish we had been given a heads-up about that in advance so we could have prepared accordingly. Overall, we had a really positive experience and would absolutely consider using this venue again in the future.

Although I am unfortunately not continuing to rent this venue for my planned party, I am definitely…read moresaving it in the books for a future party. The venue is huge and clean! Maria the one hosting the venue is friendly and communicates quick!

I would give this art studio ten stars if I could. We are…read moreincredibly happy with this art studio! Ms Cher, the owner, is a real artist , and she does not just simply teach kids how to draw; she creates a truly immersive art experience. Beyond standard painting and drawing, my child gets to work with clay, learn about famous artists, and explore many different art forms. Their summer camp is also incredibly rich and colorful. In just one week, the kids experienced creating a massive painting that was actually taller than they are, packed with wonderful details and elements. Another group of bigger kids explored creating a game that is able to play from scratch, which also looks so fun and exciting. Communication with the teachers is always smooth and seamless. I highly recommend this art studio to any parent looking for a creative, engaging, and well-rounded art education for their child!

What an absolutely stunning location! The instructor was incredibly professional and attentive. I…read morehad a fantastic time on this painting excursion and will definitely be returning in the future!

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.)

DIG DEEP FARM PUMPKIN PATCH REVIEW: This review is for the pumpkin patch at the harvest festival…read morepresented by Dig Deep Farms. This pumpkin patch is perfect for families with young ones. Besides pumpkins, there's a crafts table with stickers and coloring, a "corn maze", haystacks for climbing, old tractors, and a tented area for sitting. The corn maze is made of tall sunflowers which the little ones can see through so they never feel like they are lost. There's also a little hay house that's like a single room, that they walk in and exit a few feet away. It's a toddler's version of a haunted house. So cute. The pumpkin patch is only there for a few weeks before Halloween, and we make it a point to visit it every year.

This review is for their Halloween pumpkin patch…read more Short Story: A great place to take your kids to for Halloween! The patch area is quite sizable with lots of pumpkins of all sizes that you can choose to buy, a very short corn maze, lots of areas to take pictures, etc. The prices are quite seasonable with $5 for adults, $3K for kids, and under 2 is free (no ID checks). Verdict: I'm definitely going back!

Just attended Hayward Arts Council artist reception at Hayward City Hall Rotunda. Incredible…read moreentertainment by youth choir, poetry and the ART! Many of the artists were there to meet them. This is a valuable part of the community.

This free gallery brought to you by the Hayward Arts Council, has some amazing local artists!!!…read moreAbout every 2 months a new show is presented. Currently, they are showing an Open Event, where artists choose up to 6 of their own works ranging in various media. The next upcoming show is the 'Art of the Blues' running from June to July. It will be a nice blend into the Hayward, Russel City Blues and Jazz Festival!!! Come and check out some amazing work, and perhaps catch a drink at Buffalo Bills, Bijou, or grab a meal at the neighboring Sushi Buffet! Downtown Hayward is adding a great splash of culture with its amazing local art!!! Check out what is new at the gallery: http://haywardarts.org/pages/cinema.html

This tiny oasis designed by landscape architect Mai Kitazawa Arbegast, was built with plants…read moreimported from Japan, in honor of the local Japanese American community, particularly Koomei George Kato, a beloved member of the Niles Rotary Club in the 70's and 80's. A small and simple Japanese garden I can sum up in three words: peaceful, pretty, and pleasant. I spent some time on a Saturday afternoon nestled underneath the shade of a garden viewing structure with seating, a great spot for meditating. The trees and greenery were beautiful in July, and there was much to appreciate in the little details and features of the garden. And if that's not enough, there's more to explore at Shinn Park. Easy free parking, too.

A nice place for a short walk, with birds singing all around. It was peaceful and a special time…read morewith my daughter.

Took my granddaughters here what a unique shop and the owner is so friendly we will definitely be…read moreback

I first noticed this unique boutique a few months ago but unfortunately never had a chance to stop…read morein before they had to close down due to the COVID situation. Yesterday, I was happy to see they were open again, so I bought a purse for my young teen daughter, who loved most of the items in the shop, as did I. Everything they sell, apart from the paintings covering the walls, is hand crafted in Mexico, and they offer unusual, beautiful jewelry, purses, tote bags, clothing, and other items. (The colorful, compelling paintings are by the owner's mother and grandmother--pretty cool!) The boutique is tiny, wedged between the Sapore Messo Italian food store and the Salon Du Monde beauty salon on Niles Blvd. The young woman who owns the shop is very friendly, and you can truly find unique items for gifts, etc. I would have spent a lot longer checking out the items on offer, but my young sons were waiting outside and wanted to get home, so I had to cut our visit short. Incidentally, if you are worried about the virus, the employees when I shopped were wearing masks, and they had the door wide open to allow fresh air in. Since huge corporations like Target and Costco have been allowed to remain open this entire time, I am delighted that some smaller businesses in addition to restaurants are finally being allowed the same opportunity. I definitely will be returning to Luna Blu soon!