The alamo music & wine festival on sept. 10th is an annual fundraising event sponsored by local…read morerotary club. this festival is unique in that no outside vendors are present to sell their wares or foods. only local merchants, public organizations, and social organizations are participating. bascially, it's a voluteer effort and all monies collected go back to support alamo activitesl. typical pricing: wine (10), beer (4), saag dogs (6) lots of fun activities for kids too.

Just another reason to love living in Walnut Creek. They typically have this in April and…read moreSeptember. I've got some favorite artists that I've seen year after year and then others who just randomly appear from time to time. This Pacific Fine Arts fair also does shows in other areas, such as Montclair, so if you check out their website you can see where they'll be next. Great way to wile away a Sunday afternoon. In my experience, September seems to have more variety and a larger artist turn out-at least that's what I remember. The April event was a success and I am looking forward to the next one this fall. The one in September is an especially great time to look for holiday gifts-I left last year with some great jewelry for and screen printed T's (all handmade and unique)-except they were gifts for me...ooops! Check it out-if nothing else you'll get to stroll through Walnut Creek and get some fresh air!

I go to this sidewalk festival pretty much every time it's in town. After 3 years, I am familiar…read morewith each artists' location and what they sell. It's really nice to see the same people return, especially for those who may collect their art or want multiple pieces. Just today my husband and I bought two new ceramic pieces for our kitchen. In the past we've come home with a cute giraffe who now adorns our living room shelves, and a piece of collage work by a gentleman I didn't see this year. There is a good variety of art, but painting/photographs definitely dominate. If you're in search of jewelry, there are about 5 booths. I love the hand-blown glass and ceramic artists, but simply cannot afford to fill my house with all the art that inspires me. The festival itself is well organized and I appreciate that it closes as few streets as possible (downtown WC traffic is bad enough). The sidewalks get a bit crowded during the middle of the day, but it's to be expected, and most people accept the slower browsing-pace. I like that this group continues to come back to the area from year to year, and look forward to seeing them in town next time.

I went to the Danville Fine Arts Faire on Sunday, June 20, 2010…read more I've been to dozens of street fairs and this was pretty boring. Chalk art - they were all still working on their work at 2:30-3:30pm when we were there. I wish it was finished up when we got there. They had some work from Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel & Jan Vermeer's Girl with the Red Hat in chalk. Must see?- not really. Lots of ceramics, fiber works, fine art, glass work, jewelry, leather & metal, mixed media, photography, wood work. Exotic Butterflies booth - guy didn't like us taking pics, he yelled "No photos". Like people will steal his idea, whatever. Gourmet food - Nothing I wanted to buy. Fine wines & Microbrews - didn't try. Live music - harp player - quiet music here. Kids activities - a $3 train ride that goes in a circle. I saw face painting - not sure how much for that. I did get a FREE bag for filling out a form from Cadillac. We walked up & down both sides of Hartz Ave, downtown Danville. If in the area maybe worth it once if you like to buy some artwork & hang out. I'll stick to Fremont's huge Festival of the Arts on July 31 & Aug 1, 2010.

In a word: Snoozefest. Or is that two words?…read more I spend my summer and fall frequenting various art faires and can usually tell within the first 5 minutes if it's ever worth going back to. This one-definitely not. It just seemed like a bunch of sad surburbanites walking slowly and solemnly through a bunch of mediocre art. Even the music was sad-it was some poor schmo with a guitar whining about some first world problem of the Danville elite. There was zero energy or enthusiasm by the faire goers, artists or performers. ZZZZZZZZZZZ......skip this one for sure.

This is the staple event of the year for the town of Alamo…read more All money raised my the local rotary club goes towards music programs at Monte Vista High school, San Ramon Valley HS, and elementary schools as well. Lots of good wine is poured, local beers, and tons of food by local establishments. Many bands play from the elementary school, high schools, and full jazz and rock bands that allow dancing and drining until late into the night. For more information please visit the Rotary Club of Alamo's facebook page located at the following URL: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rotary-Club-of-Alamo/336884914687?ref=br_tf

A lady walked up to a police car while a policeman leaned against it at the car show, and said,…read more"Now here is the best car in the show, and I would like to ride in the back!" The policeman responded, "All rides are free!" There was a tremendous display of cars that lined up on Hartz Avenue.

This market is only open on Saturdays at the San Ramon city Center. Because it's located in the…read moreparking lot, it doesn't look like it's a lot of space. But what it lacks in space or having a seemingly small area, it makes up for in density. Walking through once I got in, I was pleasantly surprised with just how much beautiful produce was everywhere. There's also a section for prepared foods and products. There's also some live music. This place is a truly fun place to visit. I was here with fam and we were picking up ingredients to use all in the dinner that evening. We ended up getting lamb chops, eggplant for baba ganoush, some potatoes, and some ingredients for a light salad. Luckily, I had family to help because I'm not the best at being able to cook and use all the ingredients that I pick up from the market that day and the dinner was really delicious. I also picked up some tamales, which were really amazing when I had them for next week (I froze them). For an early day snack we also picked up some food from the yakitori stand, which is run by a chef who actually has a restaurant at the city center. All in all, just really good selection, delicious food, great vendors, and just a general great time with great vibes

I have been to a few farmer's markets and this one was pretty good. I was in the area for a sports…read moreevent and happened to see it at the mall. Parking was easy since it was at a mall. They even had a crossing guard to make sure no one got hit by cars. There were so many vendors at this one. From fruits and vegetables to food trucks and so much more. The produce here was very fresh and so much of it. The people were so nice to. The prices were from great to Bay area prices. So a little of both. They divided the stalls in a little order so it made sense. It was easy to shop there. A lot of dog friendly places to. It's a great one to go to if you can.

Walt from Walt's Adventures adventuring at the Menagerie Hill Ranch in Vacaville, California…read more Life can be interpreted as more fulfilling when filled with adventures. It is wise to step outside your environment and, in the case of this current venture, go visit an Alpaca farm. The Menagerie Hill ranch has beautiful animals. The host was awesome and knowledgeable. We increased our knowledge of the animals and of the farm but also got to feed them. We also had the opportunities to get close and personal with them for pictures. They were all friendly and fluffy. I recommend this unique experience for all because if you do not just break your usual pattern to stop and smell the roses or to pet and feed an Alpaca, life will pass by before you know it. Put your life on pause just for a few hours and go see the Alpacas. They would like to share peace with you. You can find them at the Menagerie Hill Ranch

This was a memorable trip. We were originally slated to visit in late June before my birthday but…read moreboth Deb and Kirk were recovering from surgery. We stayed in touch over the next several weeks before settling on an August date. We braved the high temps and winding roads to arrive at the ranch. It's a beautiful space on a hillside and you can see the herd and their guardian llama as you pull into the parking lot. We learned a lot about the alpaca life cycle, fed the boys, and my daughter got to hold and carry a cria. We bought two cute alpaca shaped soaps. I didn't experience any of the negativity others have complained about. It is a working ranch so it's not a petting zoo or a tourist attraction. Go with the flow and you'll have a great experience.