Skip to main content

Walnut Creek Magazine

Where & When - An Essential List of Things to Do in the Bay Area

Mar 26, 2016 11:19AM ● By Brian O

San Francisco honors the life of rock impresario Bill Graham (1931–1991) who launched the careers of countless artists, including the Grateful Dead, Santana, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, and Janis Joplin at his famed Fillmore Auditorium, and later Winterland. Through photographs, art and concert footage, Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution explores the role Graham played in transforming rock music. DETAILS: Through–July 5, Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, thecjm.org.

 Take me out to the ball game! Safe at Home hails America’s beloved pastime by bringing the sights, sounds, and excitement of the stadium into the gallery. For this exhibition, Bedford Curator Carrie Lederer teamed up with Bay Area art dealer George Krevsky to assemble a rich mix of memorabilia and art. DETAILS: April 3 to June 12, Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, bedfordgallery.org.

Walnut Creek Restaurant Week is the time to experiment and delight in $20-$40 prix-fixe menus at over two dozen restaurants including: Corner’s Tavern, Cblue Bistro, Havana, Il Fornaio, Flemings, Teleferic Barcelona, Salvatore and many more. DETAILS: April 17-26, walnutcreekdowntown.com.

 Tracing the rise of one of fashion’s most influential designers over five decades, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco present the world premiere of Oscar de la Renta: The Retrospective. Included in the exhibition are more than 130 ensembles from the collection. DETAILS: De Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, open Tuesday–Sunday, famsf.org.

Coldplay’s Chris Martin and the Stone Foxes join together with writers BJ Novak, Dave Eggers and Kelly Corrigan for the seventh annual Notes & Words benefit at Oakland’s historic Fox Theater. This incredible evening of entertainment supports the programs and services at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. DETAILS: April 30, Fox Theater, Oakland, notesandwords.org.  

 Experience a variety of butterfly-friendly, low maintenance gardens on the Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour. Registration is now open for free, self-guided tours of spectacular gardens throughout the East Bay. The event also features plant sales, garden talks, workshops, and offers creative ways to design colorful drought-resistant environments. DETAILS: May 1, bringingbackthenatives.net.

Hosted by Brazen Racing, Diablo Trails Challenge is a fundraising run for Save Mount Diablo showcasing the mountain’s beauty on 5K, 10K and half marathon runs beginning and ending at Castle Rock Recreation Area in Diablo Foothills, Walnut Creek. For serious athletes, the 50K loops up Diablo's peaks to a stretch of one of Save Mount Diablo's grandest protected lands. DETAILS: April 17, for more information, go to brazenracing.com. 

 In the first-ever museum exhibition focused on marijuana, OMCA presents Altered State: Marijuana in California as a way to spark conversation about the plant, its uses, public attitudes and the complex issues surrounding it. With California on the verge of making decisions around marijuana that will impact its residents, the show provides a community space for people to learn, question, and discuss. DETAILS: April 16-September 25, Oakland Museum of California, museumca.org.

Celebrating its fourth season with over 100 world-class shorts, the Walnut Creek Short Film Festival returns this spring to the Century Theaters. This year’s them “Short Films, Take Flight” promises to captivate, motivate and stimulate a range of emotions from laughter and joy to tears. DETAILS: April 29-May 1, walnutcreekshortfilmfestival.com.

Sign Up for our newsletter. Get the latest news, events & adventures delivered to your inbox every week.
Social Media
Best spots for food, booze, and fun.
WCM Weekly Brief 2023 Newsletter Archive