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.)

First let me start with that Im a Hayward native and I remember this festival since I was a little…read moregirl. They have all the regular stuff, drinks, funnel cakes, garlic fries, rides and live music. It always brings back memories from years ago. The bad thing is that just to go it in for a family of 5 was $50 dollars and then the rides, food and wine/beer another $200. Guess what cash only to get in. Inside there are ATMs ($5.00 fee) and you can only get $100 dollars at a time. Luckily we had some cash. I really think if you spend this much money you should get in for free. It can be hard on some families to go and hang out with such high costs. But that aside the live bands on either side of the park, various tables to eat at and lots of zucchini bread (muffins on point $3.00 each) and fried zucchini delicious. I bought my commemorative 2017 wine glass with a serving of white zin for $10. Also available for beer with glass beer mugs. Philly cheese sandwiches, fish tacos, calamari, street tacos. Also jewelry, clothing, nick nacks of all kinds. Parking can be tough. Street parking and the parks parking lot or lots of people parking at Target. I got lucky and found street parking. But I will probably pass next year. Too expensive, not enough interesting things to do or see. Zucchini festival need to step up their game ASAP!!! I still love my Hayward though always have and always will.

Just Okay My wife…read moreand I went to the festival yesterday for the first time. The overall rating of 3 stars is appropriate. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/hayward-zucchini-festival-hayward?select=dYSPf__c4ER98iLJE75kdg#41SxUmKUYCEKwtwWZfhESw: I was kind of a rebel. I walked in without paying because I was lazy and had a bad attitude (I didn't feel like walking to one of the official entrances, and I ignored this girl who tried to stop me- "Okay..."). My wife couldn't follow me in (she got blocked off by some guy), and so she paid $8 to enter (her purse was searched- the only thing lethal I had on me was my bad sense of humor). The tickets double as coupons for The Mexican, a restaurant that's just across the street ("20% Off your next on premise visit only"). Anyway, I'm glad that I didn't pay (the Fremont Festival of the Arts is much larger, and admission is free). http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/hayward-zucchini-festival-hayward?select=dYSPf__c4ER98iLJE75kdg#socer8wJKXaipbNyzfww_A: The cashier was quite friendly. The guy grilling the food was a bit curt, but I only had to wait a minute for my hot dog. It would have been nice if there was a wider selection of drinks. In terms of the napkins, there were probably some around, but it wasn't obvious. There are about 5 good art booths. In general, though, we weren't interested in buying anything but food (there are a decent number of promotional booths, and we didn't check any of them out). http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/hayward-zucchini-festival-hayward?select=dYSPf__c4ER98iLJE75kdg#IKhgQFTa30gT0BWoYo-PNw: The Kaye Bohler Band rocked the Main Stage (the Bohannon Stage is on the other side of the park- it's part of the kids area). Kaye has a powerful and bluesy voice. At the end of the show, she announced that customers who bought 2 CD's for $30 would be placed on the mailing list. The Rock Bottom Boys perform this afternoon. They're a fun and wonderful group (we saw them perform at the Alameda County Fair). As another reviewer mentions, zucchini isn't as prevalent as you would think. You can buy zucchini bread (for $4) and fried zucchini (for $6). That's about it. On the plus side, the zucchini bread is supposed to be great. We didn't look at them, but souvenirs are sold here. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/hayward-zucchini-festival-hayward?select=dYSPf__c4ER98iLJE75kdg#bWle6qSKjx8-pRR-2KTknw: http://docsqnpit.com/: I was going to order from the other BBQ booth, but I noticed that their menu was more limited. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/hayward-zucchini-festival-hayward?select=dYSPf__c4ER98iLJE75kdg#RKDtH2H7C3KudwEHpGpmxA: I'm anal when it comes to writing. On the menu, Link Sandwich should be Hot Link Sandwich, and Pull Pork should be Pulled Pork. Anyway, I would have asked for the sauce on the side if I knew that my hot link was going to be drenched with it. The main issue, though, is that it just wasn't that flavorful. It would have been fine if I got no sauce at all. The cashier struck me as being a bit crazy (he kept shouting and repeating himself). He and the others worked well together, though, and I only had to wait a minute for my hot link sandwich. Rib Meal: $11. Slab: $24. If possible (even a big eater like me can only eat so much), I would have bought a Rib Meal and also a Philly Cheesesteak (at least 3 booths sell them). At one point, we had to search for someplace to sit, but there's plenty of seating (I didn't know if these women in front of us were mother and daughter or lesbian lovers). At some spots, the ground is a bit uneven, so be careful while you're walking. We were here for over an hour. It was a good experience overall. It's worth going to the festival for the food and music. Kids should also have fun. I can't say, though, that it's worth $8 to enter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Binebu5mwkA

We went this morning to see if anything new looked good. It seems like it's much smaller this year…read more The good was there's much more food trucks and vendors. Also a very large police presence. Not sure why,but better than no presence at all. Plenty of available parking today. The bad news, no new vendors.

IMHO This year a new…read moreorganizer decided to change up the street configuration of the festival, which threw a lot of people off when we all parked in our usual spots and headed to Walnut Ave. to begin our day, only to discover that they had a lot more walking to do before hitting the festival! Oy! This senior citizen got her exercise in today! I had two things on my list to purchase; a new garden wind spinner and some Kibler Elf coffee cakes. We passed by some food vendors first to check out the prices. I don't know if this is a new thing, but I found many food vendors didn't have their food prices in full view. That doesn't work for me. If you don't advertise your pricing, I am going to walk past your booth. As expected, food prices continue to go up at these festivals. My hubby got two BBQ hot link sandwiches for $18. I chose an orange chicken combo plate w/rice and Chow mein for $20. Hubby liked his hot links. We both enjoyed the orange chicken. This plate was so hot and hefty, and I felt it was almost worth the price I paid. I found my wind spinner vendor and paid $18, which was $3 more than a few years ago, I think. My coffee cake vendor decided not to bring the large coffee cakes to sell but offered small muffin-sized versions instead. I was also hoping to find a Dipping Dots vendor this year, but I couldn't find 'em. One dude wanted $10 for one cookie. Nope. Will we return next year? Hmmmm, maybe.

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.

The line up at the Hayward/Russell City Blues Festival totally blew me away! This year's line up…read morehas 9 bands each day (their website has a schedule). I attended Saturday and all the acts were solid. I felt it was well worth the cost of admission: $20 in advance $25 at the door (cash only) $35 for both days This event is typically the 2nd week in July, and features amazing blues musicians and vocalists. It's close to the Hayward BART Station at the Hayward City Hall. Russell City is an unincorporated area of Hayward where folks from the deep South settled back in the day. It was a proving ground for blues musicians. http://www.bayareabluessociety.net/russell_city_page.html It's a mellow festival with one stage, a large lawn to spread out blankets, lawn chairs, and a dance area on the side. Note that you can't bring in food or drinks, but you can purchase them through the vendors (bring cash). I was impressed by all the line dancers - great people watching event. Highly recommended.

The music was great! So much fun! Food vendors were sparse and expensive. If the event gets bigger…read moreperhaps there will be more choices in the future. There were several vendors selling their wares. None of them interested me in the slightest. Still, I think it's fantastic that Hayward puts on this event. It's walking distance from our home and really, that's pretty fantastic. Let's keep the cool things happening in Hayward!

REVIWER # 1 Castro…read moreValley is coming out with all these festivals and fairs that I had no idea about and I truly love and enjoy them! This event was Castro Valleys 10th Annual Car Show and they had some sexy muscle cars out for display. Taking it back just a little bit...I am a sucker for sexy colorful cars...It seems to catch my attention better than seeing a sexy man on the street....but any who...When I had drove by Castro Valley Blvd and noticed all the cars I couldn't help but to stop, park and explore! This event took place on Saturday June 11th from 2PM-7PM and I had arrived a little before they closed. Most of the cars and the owners were still there while individuals like me snapped pictures from the inside of the car to the outside. FOOD: They had one side designated for food trucks. I was happy to see: ~WoKitchen-Never heard of them before but they sold food items from Veggie Eggrolls to Tacos! ~Smokes Poutinerie-I have tried them at their Berkeley location and I'm a big fan and supporter of this business! I was really excited to see they had a food truck! Looks like many of attendees were happy about them as well! ~Chick-N-Chill food truck was there. By the time I arrived they were cleaning up and headed out! :( ~Taco food truck ~Jenns Cupcakes- https://www.yelp.com/biz/jenns-cupcakes-and-parties-castro-valley?osq=jeens+cupcakes They event took over 5-6 blocks of Castro Valley Blvd and they even had a section for the children such as painting, arts, jumpers! It was really nice! I am so happy I was able to explore the festival and now that I know about it I will be on the lookout for next year! REVIEW 47/196

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!