This is an awesome annual street fair featuring a mile-long stretch of vendors and entertainers on…read moreSolano Avenue. Such diverse offerings, it's hard to run out of things to see and do. Rescue pigeons and doves, Berkeley Humane with cats and puppies available for adoption, 3-D Theater tent, karaoke, face & body art, an artisan and art fair, massage tents, magic shows, balloon artists, the Big Bubble People (creating giant bubbles for the kids as well as bubble play), judo demos, taiko drumming performances, lots of dance routines, and plenty of live music entertainment, at least one stage/tent on every block with different bands playing throughout the day, in addition to youth orchestras... and there were a LOT of blocks that seemed to never end (I was planning to watch The Long Walk later that day, and felt like I was actually living it here before even seeing the film). Community organization booths included the Happy Day montessori school and Child Therapy Institute, among others. And there was no shortage of food and drink options to grab a snack or meal, a combination of local brick-and-mortar businesses along the street as well as food trucks and vendor tents serving anything and everything, from mediterranean bites to asian fusion to cajun cuisine, along with classic dishes like pizza, hot dogs, and loaded fries. I picked up lunch from Tante's food stand and enjoyed a delicious hot link and potato-spinach knish. The only downsides to this event were the crowds, making it hard to move around at times, and the parking situation which was difficult in the surrounding neighborhood streets.

Great annual community event. Bring a hat and water if it's a sunny day. There are so many stands…read morerelated to the community businesses and high school organizations, as well as several vendors for food, crafts, cute trinkets. This event has a tradition of happening a week after school starts. Good way to discover the businesses and organizations in Albany/Berkeley.

The once-a-year cultural festival is one of Hercules's signature events. It had been on hiatus…read moresince the start of Covid. This weekend was perfect for a return. I am not sure if people would come from all over the area to attend. However, it is perfect for locals. This year there were a lot of good choices for food. Bands played and people danced. People sat on the lawn and visited and watched the local dance schools and marshal art schools perform. There were community and craft booths. All and all a nice community celebration.

Hercules' Cultural Festival is an annual event. Even though I've lived in Hercules for 4 years,…read more2008 was the first year I attended. It was smaller then I had expected. There's a kid's area where you can purchase tickets for games. The adult's area featured food, one of the two stages, vendors selling items and city services. A great opportunity for Herculeans to get out, sit in the park and enjoy the people watching.

Literally, my only complaint is how busy it gets (especially for parking) and hard to walk on the…read moresidewalks it is. But just being able to walk down with family or friends and admire all the beautiful lighting and decorated homes is such a vibe!

Crowded and it's really only one block that's decorated. The surrounding blocks are normal. Highly…read morerecommend coming earlier in the evening to avoid the super crowds and park a couple blocks over to walk. I can't believe they let people sell the lighted balloons here, like Christmas in the Park. It's $20 / balloon, fyi you can buy 10 of those balloons on Amazon for the same price. But tis the season? Almost every house on the ONE block is super decorated and babies/kids love it. It's a good little stop by.

One good party from start to end, I'd love to take that ride…read moreagain... Again!

This is a really great event with food, beer, arts, crafts, and terrific live music. The stage was…read moreadorned with a beautiful huge backdrop with The Grateful Dead's famous Steal Your Face graphic. The Dead actually used it themselves in the 1980s; it's a gorgeous piece of history! The 1st year was an amazing day of fun, but in 2015 it will run for 2 days -- don't miss it!!!

We "strolled" into this festival by accident last year as we were driving around and got funneled…read moreinto this road. We were wondering why they blocked the entire road and noticed a bunch of people walking around, so we decided to park and check it out ourselves. They closed the road on both directions on San Pablo Dam Rd. from El Portal Dr. all the way to Appian Way. That's a pretty long stretch of road and each sides are lined with all types of booths that sold food, drinks, jewelry, clothing and artwork. They also had live bands playing on a different sections of the road, but what interested me the most was the line of classic cars parked on both sides. I was impressed of the quality of cars they were showcasing that I thought it was a car show instead of a festival. The owners of the cars were displaying them proudly with some cars with their hoods open to showcase the clean engines while others were pimp'd out to the max. The most impressive car and my favorite was the milk truck. Never seen anything like that before. My second favorite had to be the WWII military jeep. That thing must be fun to drive. But this wasn't a car show and if I had to judge it as a street festival, it's just so-so. The food sold here were OK and nothing stood out. Lots of "fair" food and mostly fried items. They had sections for kids, and the bands that were playing were singing their hearts out. Doing some research, this street festival started in 1994 as a way for the community and local business to get acquainted with each other to counteract the emergence of large malls. I don't know when the cars where included, but I wouldn't mind strolling back here again just to check out the cars. If this was strictly a car show, I'd give it a 4. But overall, it's a 3 1/2 rating. #YelpChallenge2020 review No. 96

The El Sobrante Stroll is not as long as some of the other local events; however, it does have its…read morecharm. There were several church groups, a food truck, food booths, some clothing booths, and a small car show. Then there was my favorite, a tattoo booth right next to the motorcycle club booth. The reason this is not a 4-star review is that people were closing their booths a few hours before the event was scheduled to end. I don't know how the parking might be; the Dam Road was shut down for the event. I went the back way and parked on Hillside, a 1/2 block from the action.

I've been going to the Alameda County Fair since I was a kid, and I truly don't think I've missed a…read moreyear. Even during COVID, when they couldn't hold the regular fair, they put on a special fall version instead. Getting to go to the fair in a Halloween costume was honestly such an awesome experience. I hope they do something like that again someday. I definitely have my traditions. Funnel cake is a must (always with strawberries ). Non-negotiables include the Sky Ride, the petting zoo, and the Model Railroad exhibit (ask about their scavenger hunt!). Before I leave, I have to stop at one of the old-fashioned photo booths too. I write the year on the back of every photo strip, so I've ended up with this little collection that's basically a timeline of my life at the fair. One of my favorite things is that it really feels like the community coming together, and the whole place has such a festive vibe. My dad has won a couple of blue ribbons over the years, I have friends who enter competitions, and I genuinely love walking through the exhibits to see what people have grown, baked, photographed, painted, and created. I always end up spending way more time (and money! ) than I planned, so now I just budget for it every year. The concerts have been incredible too. I've seen Bowling for Soup, Smash Mouth, the Village People, Flo Rida, and plenty of others over the years. Between the concerts, the demolition derby, the drone shows, the animals, the rides, and all the new entertainment they bring in every year, I usually end up going more than once before the fair is over. Speaking of food, the best (and most ridiculous) fair food appears every year. This year it was Spam fries. Did I try them? No. Did I absolutely stop to take a picture? Of course I did. Also, one year I somehow came home from the fair with a mattress. We weren't planning on buying one, but I guess that's just another Alameda County Fair memory. After almost 30 years, I still get excited every time I walk through those gates. I have to leave with my traditional photo strip, my feet tired and dusty, and already looking forward to next year.

We went to this fair on July 11th, and it happened to be one of the hottest day ever!! If I…read moreremember well, it was 96 degrees that day! Before my granddaughter went back to Bellevue, we bought tickets online and went to this fair. It was quite a fun experience! We arrived early, and parking was a breeze, well organized . We headed to one most wanted attraction, the Alaska pig racing!! The benches were full, but some very kind people squeezed in to make room for us. It was quite a show, and the host made the crowd participate too!! Then the petting zoo, the games, the food, the snacks.... Expensive, but it was fun. Then the heat got to us and we went home. It would be so awesome if the weather was cooler so we can enjoy everything!!! Guess we need to come back next year.

They did it again. Another fabulous annual event at the amazing festival of lights. This is our 3rd…read moreyear in a row and we always have a blast. We always stop to shop from various artists and pick up a thing or two. We love watching all the light installations and enjoy grabbing a bite to eat. Can't wait for next year

Way better than I expected! Loved checking out the colorfully illuminated art displays this past…read moreSaturday, and endless pathways weaving through the beautiful gardens filled with gorgeous flowers and greenery, along with ponds, small waterfalls, adorable bridges, and even bee hotels (or airbeeNbees). My favorite features include the neon bonsai exhibit (which even had koi fish made out of lights), the luminescent grand piano with ambient melodies entertaining visitors, and the trail of quirky and assorted gourds (especially the bunny themed!). Great for couples, but also family-friendly, with several kids' activities on site. A food court included about 6-8 food trucks and a small seating area (we enjoyed some yummy empanadas from Javi's Cooking). The decor for the event was not cheap-looking, and the setup was unique and charming, with various art forms uniquely demonstrated. It was definitely great value for a pleasant evening in an enchanting atmosphere. Yes there was a long line for entry, but it was totally worth it, and I recommend dedicating at least one and a half hours to get the most out of your experience.