I went on a last minute invite, not knowing what to expect. The whole place was magical. It some…read moreways it reminded me of the music in the pubs of Ireland. I was introduced to a fabulous songwriter that night. One of those rare lucky times when someone's music knocks you off your feet. This is such a necessary venue. I can't think of others in the Bay Area that do anything similar. I can't promise it will be magical, but it was for me the last few times. Also, Michael is just rad and a great songwriter. Please go, especially if you've never been to Niles. And check out the trains while you are there

What can I tell you about the nicest guy in Niles?…read more Well, for starters this is what you will find at his Mudpuddle Shop: 1) An impressive ETCH-A-SKETCH gallery 2) Michael McNevin's modest collection of Danelectro vintage guitars/amps 3) His witty and heartwarming music for sale Often you will see 8-12 folks crammed in this little shop, some jamming on oldies and goodies, some spectating and having a little wine. But for a more reliable music show, see the Essanay Cafe live music calendar, where he usually plays every 3rd Wed of the month, and often attends the open mic nights. http://www.essanaycafe.com/ http://www.yelp.com/biz/essanay-cafe-fremont Check out his websites to get a feel for his music and etch-a-sketches: http://www.michaelmcnevin.com/ http://www.myspace.com/mudpuddlemusic

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.)

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.

We saw "42nd Street" here. The play itself doesn't age well in the "Me too" era, but there was some…read moreserious tap dancing talent in this small community theater! The theater itself is comfy and intimate with good acoustics. I'd not hesitate to see another show here! Also, I highly recommend Vinum Bar at the mall nearby for pre-show noshes and drinks.

Great summer classes for kiddos wanting to actually have a part and be in a production for all a…read morelevels!

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!

I came here for the first time to see a comedy show and it's a neat little location to visit,…read moreespecially if you're local to the area. They host a variety of events here, including art galleries (there was one on display when I came), shows, and community events. Parking is along the street since there's no designated parking lot but after a designated time (8 pm I believe) it's free. It's a nice space with potential - a little sparse when I went but it's new and still getting its footing. I liked the show and it was nice to see it in a new venue with sparkling interiors and an intimate feel.

Immerse yourself in artistic creations by local artists at Studio 11! Often showcasing paintings,…read moredrawings, and sculptures commemorating current observances, you'll have plenty to see and appreciate throughout the year. We recently attended their exhibit for art of hip hop music and culture. It was fascinating and refreshing to see so many brilliant pieces of work in full display (and some available for purchase). It's also conveniently located near BART, parks, and great places to dine, snack and shop. Parking can be a bit of a trouble since all the parking nearby are paid parking. But if you happen to be in the area or want to walk from Kennedy park, it's not that long of a walk! The studio also hosts camps and offers up their space for private events as well. Check them out and inquire about those opportunities!

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.

Was in the area, and got some free time plus we visited 5-6 missions in California so far so might…read moreas well visit this one. Very nice and grand looking. It's not original since the original was burned down back then. We came around 3-4pm so not much of visitors. Parking is easy and staff are nice and accommodating. Grand service area with high ceiling. Good & glad that we visited.

I've visited most of the 21 Spanish missions in California, as well as missions in Arizona and…read moreMexico. I've even written a book about the California Missions (The California Mission Guide). In my opinion, Mission San Jose is not the most interesting or beautiful of the missions, but it's worth visiting if you're in the area and would like to leanr more about the missions and California history. I was fortunate to visit the mission for a weekend conference, so my experience there may not be the 'typical' visitor experience. The current mission church is not the original. It's a reconstruction, built in 1985. (The original adobe church was destroy by an earthquake.) However, the reconstruction follows the original layout, and employs authentic materials and building techniques, so it gives a very good idea of how the original church looked and felt. The church includes a beautiful organ. Again, it is not original, but it is based on Spanish organs form the 1800s. While visiting, I was able to hear a short concert by the mission's student orchestra, and a performance on the organ. There is a nice small museum that covers a bit of the mission history, and also includes information about the Ohlone tribe, who lived in the area before the mission was built. The Ohlone are still very active in the mission community. At the conference I attended, I met the president of the Ohlone tribe, who gave a tour of the mission grounds. The grounds include a cemetery, gardens, and olive trees. Overall, Mission San Jose is well worth a visit!