🔥 THE BAY AREA IS COMING ALIVE THIS WEEKEND—HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING

Step into a weekend where culture, creativity, and community come together across the Bay Area. Explore inspiring art, engaging literary festivals, outdoor fitness events, and hands-on family fun. Each stop offers a new way to experience local energy and charm.

Scroll for full details 👇

Spotlight:
📚 Bay Area Book Festival
📍Downtown | Berkeley, CA
📅 Saturday & Sunday, May 30-31, 2026 | 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
🎟️ Free

As the Bay Area Book Festival (BABF) enters its 12th year, it stands as both a cultural celebration and a critical gathering space where activists, authors, and audiences can unite around today’s most urgent issues and uplift marginalized voices.

We present first-rate live conversations with top authors on a wide variety of compelling topics that matter to audiences you care about. Activation during our events and through our lively outdoor fair (also free to the public) directly connects your company or organization with engaged book lovers eager to learn about new products and services—both literary-related and general-consumer!

Headliner events and premium sessions start at around
$20 USD. Some workshops may require an RSVP or separate registration.

The theme of 2026’s festival, Writing the Future, is more than a slogan. It’s a call to action—a challenge for all of us as stewards of this festival and as members of a community navigating extraordinary times. We are living in an era marked by increasing authoritarianism, where the freedom to tell our stories—and even to imagine alternatives—is under threat. It’s not enough to simply react to crises as they arise. We must be responsive: clear-eyed about the realities we face, but steadfast in our commitment to building something better.

Inspired by the legacies of Octavia Butler and James Baldwin, we recognize that the future is not something that just happens to us. It is shaped—intentionally—by our collective imagination and courage. Butler reminds us that change is both inevitable and something we can direct; Baldwin teaches us that transformation begins with an honest reckoning with the past and present. Dreaming, in this context, is not escapism—it’s resistance, and it’s a strategy.

So, as we plan for 2026, we encourage us all to ask:

Our planning process must reflect the world we want to build. That means centering equity and accessibility in every decision. It means forging partnerships with organizations and individuals who share our vision for justice and liberation. It means cultivating a festival culture where every participant—staff, volunteer, author, and attendee—feels empowered to contribute to our collective future.

Let’s use “Writing the Future” as both a framework for action and a source of aspiration. Let’s be rigorous in our planning, intentional in our community-building, and fearless in our dreaming. The future we want is not guaranteed—but it is possible, if we write it together.

Thank you for your commitment, your creativity, and your courage.

For more info & the program guide of this event, kindly click this.

🖼️ Oakland Art Murmur’s 20th Anniv. Celebration
📍489 25th Street, Oakland, CA
📅 Saturday, May 30, 2026 | 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
🎟️ Free

A FREE, family-friendly day of activities celebrating beautiful art, food, music, and the Bay Area artist community.

We're kicking off this summer in the BEST way possible!

"ROOTED IN ART" is the art party of the summer, celebrating the opening of East Bay Open Studios and Oakland Art Murmur's 20th Anniversary.

Join us on Saturday, May 30th, from 11 am - 5 pm for a free, family-friendly art block party celebrating two decades of the East Bay art community. The day features hands-on art-making activities, live music and DJ sets, immersive performers, light bites, wine, and a community exhibition showcasing 100+ East Bay Open Studios artists.

RSVP to reserve your spot.

Flyer featured artwork: Detailed crop of David Gottfried, “Secret Garden”, Acrylic on Canvas, 24x36 in

The centerpiece of the party will be our Community Exhibition, featuring a mix of artwork by participating East Bay Open Studios artists. Come mingle with talented creatives from your community, preview their beautiful creations, and make a plan to see more of their work at East Bay Open Studios June 6-7 and June 13 - 14. (And get a head start on adding to your collection at this special preview!)

Don't miss this exciting opportunity to celebrate art elevating our lives while supporting artists right here in the East Bay. See you there!

The gallery will also be open Sunday, May 31, 12 pm-4 pm.

This event is hosted by Oakland Art Murmur, a 501(c)3 arts nonprofit.

🚜 The Historic Ranch Open House
📍Hagemann Ranch, 455 Olivina, | Livermore, CA
📅 Sunday, May 31, 2026 | 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
🎟️ Cost: $40 (Individual) - $70 (Couple) Non-Members | $36 - $63, Members

Step back in time and enjoy a fun-filled afternoon at Historic Hagemann Ranch during the “Cars and Engines” event! This free family-friendly gathering celebrates vintage automobiles, classic engines, live entertainment, and hands-on ranch experiences. Guests can explore historic cars, watch hit-and-miss engine demonstrations, enjoy live music, launch rockets in the arena, and experience blacksmith and art demonstrations. Perfect for all ages, the event offers a unique blend of history, community, and outdoor fun in a charming ranch setting.

🎤 Jesse Loren Strickman
📍1799 Locust St | Walnut Creek, CA
📅 Sunday, May 31, 2026 | 9:00 AM
🎟️ Free

Jesse Loren Strickman performs a free public set at CCCFM's Walnut Creek Farmers Market.

Strickman’s versatile songwriting is accentuated with the full band, merging everything from guy/girl vocal harmonies to rock guitar solos, and from swooning violin to quirky glockenspiel. With the help of skilled multi-instrumentalists made up of SF Conservatory of Music graduates and a guitarist who toured with Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble, each song dictates the mood and instrumentation to tell its own story.

Annually touring the Pacific West Coast, Strickman plays everywhere from intimate cafes to outdoor amphitheaters and festivals. He has opened for national and world acts such as Damien Jurado, Jay Brannan, CAKE, The T Sisters, Aaron Ross (Hella), Night Riots, Sunny And The Black Pack, and Jhameel (American Idol). For more info about him: Click here.

⭐ Habitot Mobile Museum
📍San Leonardo Community Library | San Leonardo, Alameda, CA
📅 Saturday, May 30, 2026 | 10 AM - 3 PM
🎟️ Donation

Visit Habitot's hands-on exhibits (now mobile!)and art, STEM, and maker activities for young children and their families.

Habitot's traveling "mini museum" of mobile exhibits plus art, STEM, and maker activities is going on the road! Our exhibits and activities are best for kids 0-5, and siblings and adults are encouraged to play, too!

This event will be held at. This Location is freeway accessible and BARtable via San Leandro Station.

Habitot Children’s Museum is a non-profit organization serving a wide range of families! This event is FREE and funded by First 5 Alameda County with support from the San Leandro Library.

Each registration admits a SINGLE FAMILY GROUP with any combination of children and adults in the same household. Please register for just ONE time slot (1 hour and fifteen minutes) to allow as many families as possible to attend our event. San Leandro Library patrons will be accepted as walk-ups as space allows.

Because Habitot is a nonprofit organization, we appreciate donations for ongoing and operating costs beyond funded events. Thank you!

Special events include:

🏃‍♂️ Global Running Fest
📍Sports Basement Berkley, CA
📅 Saturday, May 31, 2026 | 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
🎟️ Free

Kick off Global Running Week at Sports Basement Berkeley! Free runs, epic demos, $10K+ in raffles, beer, music & community. May 31!

Join us at Global Running Fest!

Global Running Fest is back — and bigger than ever. Join us at Sports Basement Berkeley on Sunday, May 31, for a full day celebrating road and trail running, the Bay Area community, and giving back. Whether you're lacing up for a run or just coming to soak it all in, this one's for everyone. For more info, click the Image.

🛒 Head West Market Place
📍1717 Fourth Street D, Berkeley, CA
🗓️Sunday, May 31, 2026 | 11 AM - 5 PM
🎟️ Free

Fourth Street in Berkeley boasts an outdoor, open-air environment nestled in a neighborhood of small shops, cafes, and eateries.

Each marketplace is light rain or shine.

a marketplace destination to connect with local small businesses — strengthening ties to the local economy and cultivating our ‘Creatives Supporting Creatives’ platform.

Since 2017, we’ve been passionately focused on marketplaces for creatives and entrepreneurs to thrive in the Bay Area, and we will continue to support our local creatives for years to come.

Each Marketplace is produced, juried, and curated in-house by our small yet mighty team. We’re a thoughtful group of creative doers who are inspired to build, cultivate, and foster a creative community… what we call ‘THE HW FAMILY.’

Keep an eye out for us at any Marketplace— we’d love to meet you + answer any questions you may have.

Also, feel free to reach out to us in the meantime!

🍳 The Hideout Kitchen:
Looking for Your Next Favorite Brunch Spot?

📍32 Lafayette Circle. Lafayette, CA
⏰Mon - Fri (11 AM to PM) | Sat (8 AM to 8 PM) | Sun (10 AM to PM)
🎟️ Starts at $17

The Hideout Kitchen opened its doors in 2015 under the guidance of Chef JB Balingit. Serving California comfort cuisine, craft cocktails, and vibrant entertainment in a refined yet comfortable setting.

The Hideout Kitchen & Cafe has opened in place of the Italian restaurant Giardino on Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette. Owner JP Balingit is the former director of culinary operations at Jack’s Restaurant and Bar in Pleasant Hill, with longtime restaurant experience. Menus change daily; check out a recent lunch menu here, dinner menu here, and brunch menu here. Lunch and dinner are available Tuesday – Friday, with brunch and dinner available on weekends beginning at 9 am. There is an outdoor dining area as well.

The interior features eclectic collectible pieces such as the display case featuring bread from local bakery The Rising Loaf. The bar is made from reclaimed wood from their neighbor. (See photos of this and more after the jump.)

731 Newport Way, Vallejo, CA
4 BEDS | 2 BATHS | 1,473 SQFT
Beautifully remodeled single-level home in Vallejo that truly checks all the boxes! This move-in-ready property features new luxury vinyl flooring throughout, creating a modern and cohesive feel. Enjoy low-maintenance, drought-resistant landscaping designed for easy upkeep and year-round curb appeal. Ceiling fans in every room provide added comfort and energy efficiency. A rare bonus second kitchen offers endless possibilities. Conveniently located and thoughtfully updated, it's the perfect blend of style, function, and comfort. Conveniently located in an established Vallejo neighborhood near American Canyon, 731 Newport offers easy access to shopping, dining, parks, schools, and commuter routes. Enjoy being just a short drive from world-renowned Napa Valley wineries, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, and the scenic Vallejo wetlands area with walking trails and natural beauty. Whether you're commuting to the Bay Area or exploring local attractions, this location offers the perfect blend of convenience, recreation, and lifestyle.

295 Sandringham Drive N, Moraga, CA
5 BEDS | 2.5 BATHS | 3,187 SQFT
Offered for the first time since 1975, a rare and truly generational opportunity. Set at the end of a quiet Moraga cul-de-sac with panoramic canyon and Moraga Country Club views, this over 3,000-sf home delivers resort-style living on an exceptional lot, with views from almost every room. The backyard is the centerpiece: beautiful pool and spa, expansive decking, built-in BBQ, and a large covered lanai. A charming front porch overlooks the yard, perfect for quiet evenings or watching the neighborhood go by. Terraced gardens beyond offer real potential for vegetables or additional outdoor living. Inside, the state-of-the-art kitchen features a professional Wolf range, premium appliances, a wine refrigerator, and a walk-in pantry: double-paned windows, a newer roof, and fully renovated bathrooms. The main level includes an oversized owner's entry with laundry, custom cabinetry, and a flexible room that works well as an office/den or guest room. Upstairs: four generous bedrooms including the primary suite, plus a spacious bonus room opening to a deck with pool and hillside views. Two-car garage. Privacy, views, and convenience in one exceptional offering.

608 W Myrick Ct, Clayton, CA
4 BEDS | 2.5 BATHS | 2,010 SQFT
Located in a quiet cul-de-sac, this single-story home offers 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, and spacious living areas. Vaulted ceilings in the family room, a formal dining space, and an updated kitchen with granite countertops, subway tile backsplash, breakfast bar, and ample storage. The backyard is the highlight of the home, made for enjoying the Clayton weather, with mature landscaping, a large deck, and an oversized pool perfect for relaxing or entertaining. A generous side yard offers added flexibility for possible RV or boat parking. Close to Mt. Diablo trails, Oakhurst Country Club, downtown Clayton, parks, dining, and shopping, this home offers comfort, function, and a highly desirable location.

Start your personalized home search with just one click.

Curious about your home’s value? Get a quick estimate right here.

Here’s to a week buzzing with culture, creativity, music, and community energy all around. A handpicked lineup of moments designed to spark inspiration, connect you to what’s happening nearby, and make planning your days feel effortless and exciting.

Thinking of hosting your own summer gatherings this year? If your current backyard isn't quite cutting it for those long weekend BBQs and lawn games, the East Bay summer markets are officially heating up. Reply directly to this email to get a custom list of local homes featuring incredible outdoor spaces currently on the market!

Have a safe and beautiful Memorial Day weekend,

Ryan DeAmaral

Co-Writer, Twin Oaks Insider

[email protected]