I visited this free holiday attraction on Friday, and even with the freezing winter temperatures, I…read moreenjoyed my time here. I arrived around opening time (6:00pm), and there was just a short line for entry. With so much to see and admire about this place, the walk thru was much longer than I expected, though that's partly cuz I didn't know you could pass people till I reached the mid-point. It's only one-way through the various pathways and illuminated tunnels that make up this experience, but if people stop and block foot traffic for long periods of time (for instance, families telling their toddler to look at every single doll and figurine in the windows and displays, or having them pose to take pictures like tourists), there's enough space to just pass them. Widmer World presents a range of themes and collections, including Disney (mickey mouse, toy story, disney princesses, etc), Minions, Snoopy, Santa, Abominable Snowman, geese, penguins, and stuffed animals galore. Cardboard cutouts with artwork, inflatables in various characters, moving props and decor, and animated xmas figures. Detailed miniature displays of various scenes including a charming village, a carnival with ferris wheels, roller coasters, and hot air balloons, and a festive model railroad with multiple trains moving along the tracks. It's so much more than a light show lined with impressive displays all around. It's a whimsical wonderland with lots of moving parts and interactive exhibits to delight guests of all ages. There's a scavenger hunt to find 12 gnomes, as well as a Mr. Potato Head coin toss game, and at the end of the walk thru, there's a guest book you can sign. In the front of the house, a giant chair is available for photo ops, along with more holiday lights and decorations. There are also signs directing visitors on where to find street parking (since you can't park in the court where this event is located).

Amazing Christmas displays fill the space with lights and detail. Every area feels thoughtful and…read morefestive. A giant chair invites fun photos for kids and adults. The setting feels warm, joyful, and memorable. A great experience for the whole family.

Very cool vibe on Downtown Main Street!!…read more This street is historic, and you can tell they push to keep it that way. It's walker and driver friendly. It seems to be a place, at least when I was there on a Saturday late afternoon, evening, for people to take out there classic cars and cruise the strip. And if you want to walk, there are plenty of places to eat with indoor and outdoor seating, all different types of small shops and stores, just a lively, popular area. Seems like the place to be in Pleasanton on the weekends!!

Downtown Pleasanton, basically, Main Street. 4-6 small blocks filled with restaurants and cute…read moreshops with a small town feel. Most all of the restaurants are built into the street, at least on weekends. According to the website, https://www.pleasantondowntown.net, from April 30, 2021 to September 6, 2021, Friday 5pm to Sunday 8pm. The dates will likely be extended due to the variant. Things to do: 3/5 Safety: 4/5 Cleanliness: 4/5 GEOGRAPHY/FACTS *: ==================== Pleasanton is a city in Alameda County, California, Adjacent to Hayward, Livermore, and Dublin. The city has a total area of 24.3 square miles. Located in the Amador Valley, it is a suburb in the East Bay region of the Bay Area. The population was 70,285 at the 2010 census. In 2005 and 2007, Pleasanton was ranked the wealthiest middle-sized city in the United States by the Census Bureau. Pleasanton was ranked number 4 in USA Today's list of "America's 50 best cities to live in" in 2014, number 63 in Money's list of "The Best Places to Live" in 2010, and was named one of "Americans' Top Hometown Spots" in the United States in 2009 by Forbes. Pleasanton was named the third wealthiest city in terms of earnings in the United States by NerdWallet in 2013 and 2016. * Source: Wiki TOP 5 EMPLOYERS **: ================== 1 Workday 5,017 2 Kaiser Permanente 3,730 3 Oracle Corporation 1,493 4 Stanford Healthcare - ValleyCare 1,020 5 Roche Molecular Diagnostics* 1,004 ** according to the city, as of June 2021

I came here last night with a friend cruising around in the car. It was fantastic to see many…read morehouses with Christmas lights! I loved the house with 97.8 FM audio with music matching the lights. This is my third year visiting this area and it never disappoints. I would come yearly as my schedule allows.

In this review I'll be comparing this Christmas Tree Lane (which can be found by simply putting in…read more'Woodland Drive, San Ramon' into Google Maps, and the Christmas Tree Lane in Alameda. While Alameda's Christmas Tree Lane is roughly a single densely packed block with a few blocks around it that sporadically participate, this location is an entire development with the homes more often then not having some type of display up. The streets are wider so it's easier to slowly drive along, and because it's bigger its less busy. Although this location lacks the frosty ice cream truck and the hot chocolate table Alameda's locale boasted, I personally found Woodland Drive to be a bit more enjoyable because it was less stressful to drive through. All in all, the honey and I enjoyed both but would be more likely to return to this Christmas Tree Lane, especially since it had my favorite display of the evening - a blue light river with ducks!

I've been to Porky's many times. For casual meals with the family, for networking events, to watch…read moresports. The food is good, the beer selection as awesome and the atmosphere is super casual and fun. It can get a little noisy at times, but there's plenty of outdoor seating for more quiet. What I like best about it is that it really feels like you're going to a place that treats its employees and its customers like family. I'm not a big reviewer, but I felt compelled to share my last experience with Porky's. After ordering, I stopped by the ladies room before going to get a beer. One of the stalls was out of toilet paper and all I could think about was that Seinfeld episode. Wanting to help someone avoid an embarrassing situation, I went to the counter to let them know. The person I tried to tell was kind of rude and waved me off. It was really weird because every other interaction I've ever had with employees there is best described as hospitality instead of just service. I was going to shrug it off. Everyone has off nights, but it was just so out of character for this place I felt I had to say something. I submitted an online comment via their website and figured that was that. Two days later, I got a phone call from Patsy. She was appreciative that I brought it up, asked for more details and promised a follow up. A few days after that, I got a very nice handwritten card from her letting me know they had worked with the employee, who was sorry and was just having an off day. My own mother doesn't send me handwritten cards anymore. I was never going to write the place off after a single incident, but this kind of care for people means I will always keep this place in rotation when the "what do you want for dinner?" Question comes up.

Pizza was good! Service was not!…read more Came here on a Saturday afternoon. They have lots of indoor and outdoor seating available. You order at the counter and take a number for your table. They have large TVs all over the place so this is a great place for game days. I noticed several tables were full of crumbs and staff weren't making an effort to wipe them. I cleaned off my table and watched as more guests came in and had to do the same (it was not busy). When I ordered, the staff replied in mumbles. The kid who dropped off my pizza did the same. All their workers look like they don't want to be there, yikes. Besides that the actually pizza was good! I didn't get a good picture but the toppings were generous and the pizza was a perfect crisp.

Every time I try to go to an event in downtown Pleasanton I am reminded that I would never want to…read morelive there. Parking is a nightmare and the city blocks off many access streets. Cars, people, and dogs everywhere! I am not really sure what all the booths have to offer as I couldn't get near one as there are too many people with tiny dogs on long leashes that will take you down very quickly. But they are extremely cute little dogs. Add to that all of the gifts left by the 'Doggies' during the parade that there is an unmistakable odor wafting through the air that will take your appetite away. The best part is the Doggie Parade and the Beer Garden. For $5 bucks you can get either a full beer glass or a full glass of wine. Not just samples. There is a live band as well that is nice to listen to while you check out all the bad hair, fake tans, and general 'situations' running around. When they closed Aura did everyone just start coming here instead? The problem is that instead of spreading out into the roped off area everyone crowds up by the booths spilling their vino all over you and your feet. C'mon people there will still be wine left for you even if you do go more than ten feet away. As we were leaving there was a huge crush of people hanging out by the entrance to the beer garden. Not people trying to get in but those under 21 trying to get a contact high from the beer and wine fumes. I think I will go to the next one and dress up my pups in their finery and join the parade.

First Wednesday starts in May (?) through September every year. There's a beer garden, booths, food…read moretrucks and various activities for kids spread throughout. This past First Wednesday featured an adorable pooch parade along with a game truck and one or two food trucks and other vendors. There's also an art area where local artists make art right in front of you for purchasing. A lot of the stores stay open a little later so you can browse while walking around. If you order from the beer garden, you'll have to stay in that area because you're not allowed to walk around with an open container in the area. If you're looking for something to do, then stop by. If I'm not busy, I'll go with a few friends and wander for a bit.

Great Argentinean restaurant situated in downtown Pleasanton. We came in for dinner as a party of 5…read moreand were able to get seats without needing to wait at 5:30pm on a Sunday night. We were seated in the very cute outdoor patio, there was plenty of shade so even though it was pretty warm out we were pretty comfortable. We shared the BBQ platter which was perfect for 3 meat eaters and my partner had the vegetarian mushroom pasta. The platter was great, the beef especially was perfectly medium rare and was tender thru every bite. The roasted vegetables included in the platter included Brussel sprouts and cauliflower which were also beautifully caramelized. My partner enjoyed her mushroom pasta, the ridges on the pasta absorbed every bit of the delicious white sauce. Happy to come back, I think the patio space makes it perfect for families of all ages. Looking forward to trying some cocktails next time.

Brava is such a cute find in downtown Pleasanton. It looks like a hole in the wall from the outside…read morebut once you walk in there's this lovely garden vibe that makes it feel really charming. The menu is on the healthier side -- salads, power bowls, sandwiches, very cafe-forward. But the star is the handmade pasta, made fresh every day, and you can absolutely taste the difference. So good. Only gripe is the service is really slow, so don't come if you're in a rush. But if you have the time to sit and enjoy the atmosphere, it's a lovely little spot

Drumroll...... For…read moremy widely anticipated 500th review, I present to you the upside-down airplane!!! Now I had a hard time agonizing over whether or not I wanted to put this little known local curiosity up into the spotlight, but I figured that it would be worth it for you yelpers! So, what exactly is the upside-down airplane? Well, it's exactly what it sounds like. You gather a bunch of friends with a heady sense of adventure and get in the car. Start out in Fremont on Morrison Canyon Road and go past the residential area and then go up into the mountains and wind around for a bit and choose the right forks in the road, and you'll reach a dead end. At this dead end, you can see some gates barring you from entering any further into private property. If it's a sunny day or you just happen to have good eyes, you can spot this little airplane that is built upside down on top of this tower. How curious... If you're out at night or if you're unlucky, an old man with a big light will come out of his trailer and chase you away. That means RUN FOOLS!!!!! With your heartbeat thudding wildly in your ears, you drive down the windy mountain road, your demise only an arms width away, until it somehow dumps you off in Sunol. Don't worry...680 is nearby, so you can hop back on the freeway and mosey on home. If you're here for other reasons, there are lots of private little spots to pull off on the side of the road, and you'll often see cars parked off to the side with the windows fogged up. I wonder what they could be doing in there? Hm. There you have it Yelpers! You have torn from me the one spot that no one has ever heard of. Don't abuse it too much! So what's the story about this place? I guess since I'm writing an expose, I should go all the way... Apparently the upside down airplane is the location of a test antenna site for a company called TRW. The wire mesh model of the upside down airplane is supposed to act like an antenna. There are lots of antennas set up around here for whatever purposes, who knows? Supposedly they are still in use. They've been up here for many many years, and been the source of entertainment for many high school and college kids. This spot is passed down through word of mouth and car rides at night...until now. Watch out, they have security here year round and will chase you away. Why? Because you're not supposed to be here. If you would like to pursue this curiosity some more there are many pictures for your entertainment. And if you're lucky, maybe I'll take you up there myself one day ;)

Ride your mountain bike up there ...... You'll need to stop a time or 2 to stuff your heart & lungs…read moredown ..... Have fun on the way down!

This is a commisioned scrupture at the entrance of the Dublin Library. There are many in and about…read morethe buildings here. Know Way is 2 curvy pillars bending away from the center. Atop the right one is an open book. The left one shows a spiral form with a computer mouse on top. Pillars are made from steel and fibreglass, painted in pastel colours. Creator: Robert Ellison

It's a must do for fans of California history and/or silent film fans. So many points of…read morearchitecture just on the Main Street. Be sure to stop in to the free Essanay Silent Film Museum and walk past the train station. A great Saturday farmers market. Free parking lot.

Unexpectedly charming little corner of the Bay Area - we stumbled on it by accident and loved it…read more If you go - make sure you visit the train cars at the station, and stop by the plaza to spin the steel reels and watch the moving pictures, an homage to the silent movie museum nearby. If you're peckish, Bronco Billy's serves superb and inexpensive pizza, and there are excellent coffee and ice cream shops as well. Can't wait to be back!

De La Torre is one of those places you would probably drive past without realizing what you are…read moremissing. It is tucked into an unassuming shopping center, but absolutely worth seeking out. Once inside, it feels less like a restaurant and more like you have been invited over to a friend's dining room. It is warm, relaxed, and genuinely welcoming. The service hits that perfect balance. It is friendly, attentive, and never overbearing. You feel taken care of without it being a production. The food really delivers. The special, chicken thighs stuffed with smoked ham, was standout and memorable. The margarita pizza is exactly what you want it to be. It is simple, well executed, and perfect for sharing. Do not let the "small" size fool you. It is easily enough for two, maybe even three if you are catching up over drinks. Portions across the board are generous. The fish entrees are especially impressive. The salmon alone felt like it had to be close to half a pound. All of this comes at prices that feel more than fair for the quality and quantity you are getting. This is definitely a spot worth returning to. I am already looking forward to coming back to try the paninis for lunch.

My cousin recommended this place, and we decided to stop by after a workout. We got there five…read moreminutes after they opened at 5pm. The hostess off the bat looked at us like we were lost and immediately asked if we had a reservation. We said no, and I honestly felt like she was waiting for us to leave. I even asked if a reservation was needed since there was only one family in the restaurant at the time. I'm not sure why she asked, but she eventually seated us. From the start, I honestly felt judged because we were dressed in workout clothes. But anyways. The restaurant itself is surprisingly small, and considering we were only the second party there, the service was disappointing. I think we waited over 15 minutes before anyone came to take our order, and during that time they helped customers who arrived after us. When we finally got service, there was no welcoming smile or welcoming attitude. The overall atmosphere felt very cold and uninviting. I ordered the baked ziti, and it was okay to be honest. Honestly, I prefer Olive Garden's baked ziti. We're from San Jose, and unfortunately, this wasn't an experience that would bring us back.