CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA, (Aug. 11, 2024) — The Pioneer Calendar lists local events, performances and activities for the whole family.

We update the Pioneer Calendar page every week so check back often to find out what’s going on near you.

If you’d like to submit your event to the Pioneer Calendar page, please send email to us at Calendar@pioneerpublishers.com.

In the Community

Second Saturdays on Salvio Street Market. Music, booths featuring handmade crafts and artwork from local artisans, and a beer garden with Hop Grenade Taproom, 4-10 p.m. Sept. 14, Salvio Street in downtown Concord.

PRIDE in the Plaza. Join the Rainbow Community Center at Todos Santos Plaza on Saturday, August 17, from 12-6 PM to celebrate Pride and paint the town in Colors of Love. More information here.

Montecito/Oakmont Senior Living 20th Anniversary Celebration. Champagne and gourmet bites in the courtyard, 3-4:30 p.m. Aug. 20, 4756 Clayton Road, Concord. RSVP by Aug. 13 at 925-692-5838.

Clayton Valley High School Class of 1974 Reunion. 6-10 p.m. Aug. 24, Zio Fraedo’s, 611 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill. For details, email Lori Fogerson Vella at lorivella1@gmail.com.

“Beneath the Tangled Vines” Illustrated Book Talk. With Dan Hanel, author of the historical mystery series “In the Shadow of Diablo,” 5:30-6:30 p.m. Aug. 25, followed by a book signing, William Welch Wines Tasting Room, 837 Main St., Martinez. Sponsored by the Contra Costa County Historical Society. Free admission for members; $10 for non-members. RSVP at 925-229-1042 or mkting@cocohistory.org

An Intimate Gathering with Author Victor Villaseñor. From struggling to read to becoming an author, 5-7 p.m. Sept. 11, Pleasant Hill Community Center, 320 Civic Dr. Sponsored by Monument Impact. Get tickets at https://event.auctria.com/6dc19b36-b668-45d6-8fc1-993592c26856.

“Stronger Together” Gala. A benefit from Monument Impact, 6-9 p.m. Sept. 12, Concord Hilton, 1970 Diamond Blvd.  Early bird and VIP tickets on sale at https://event.auctria.com/6dc19b36-b668-45d6-8fc1-993592c26856.

2024 Contra Costa County Teachers of the Year Celebration. Presented by Contra Costa County Office of Education. Sept. 19, 6 – 7:30 PM, Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. More information here.

Off the Grid. Featuring food trucks and live music, 5-9 p.m. Wednesdays until October, on the lawn by Pleasant Hill City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane. For details, visit www.pleasanthillca.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=668.

Concord Farmers Market. Sponsored by the Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays year-round and 4-8 Thursdays through Sept. 26, Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. Visit pcfma.org for more information.

Diablo Valley Farmers Market. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, Shadelands Business Park, North Wiget Lane and Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek. Watermelon Festival on Aug. 17. For more information, see @diablovalleyfarmersmarket, 800-806-FARM or CAFarmersMkts.com.

Community Concerts

Music & Market. Farmers Market begins at 4 p.m. Thursdays, with music at 6:30 p.m. through Sept. 26, Todos Santos Plaza, downtown Concord. Aug. 15: Maya Latin Roots. Aug. 22: Rag Dolls. Aug 29.: Mitch Polzak & The Royal Deuces. Sept. 5: The Big Jangle. Sept. 12: Twist on Taylor. Sept. 19: Annie Sampson. Sept. 26: Queenology. For details on the bands, visit www.cityofconcord.org/DocumentCenter/View/11424/Music-and-Market-Postcard-2024.

Concerts in The Grove. 6-8:30 p.m. every other Saturday through Aug. 31, sponsored by the city of Clayton, downtown Clayton. Aug. 17: Club 90. Aug. 31: East Bay Mudd. For more information, visit https://claytonca.gov/fc/Events/concerts-in-the-grove-2024.pdf.

Downtown Pleasant Hill is celebrating summer with its Annual Summer Concert Series and the featured artist for August 15 is Andre Thierry. Crescent Drive Plaza in front of Jack’s Restaurant & Bar, 7:00-9:00pm.

Sunset by the Lake Summer Concert Series. Every other Sunday through Sept. 1, plus food trucks. Aug. 18: The Uninvited. Sept. 1: Zebop. For more information including food truck schedule, go to www.pleasanthillca.org/summerconcerts.

Clubs

Claycord 4-H, Community Club Meeting, project sign up & registration, Tuesday, Aug.13, 6:30 pm, Farm Bureau Hall, 5554 Clayton Rd,, Concord. Contact:  claycord@contracosta4h.org

Women Marines Association. The Bay Area chapter meets 11:30 a.m. every third Saturday, usually at Harry’s Hofbrau, 14900 E. 14th St, San Leandro. For more information, visit https://wmaca3.org or contact Janet Johnson at 925-890-4583.

Concord Library

The theme of the summer reading program is “Read, Renew, Repeat,” offering a wealth of activities for all ages. The Concord Library is at 2900 Salvio St. For more information, call 925-646-5455 or visit cclib.org.

Clayton Library

The Clayton Library is at 6125 Clayton Road. For more information on any of these events, call 925-673-0659 or visit ccclib.org/events.

Lapsit Storytime. For children aged 0-3, 11-11:15 a.m. Thursdays. Children must attend with caregiver.

Toddler/Preschool Storytime. For children ages 2-5, 11:30 a.m.-noon Thursdays. Children must attend with caregiver. Stay and play toys available afterward.

The Arts

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Starlight Theatre Company is putting on a fundraising production of the beloved play in Martinez from August 16 – 18. This production is a fundraising show for Starlight Performing Arts Center as they move into a larger space in the new year. 6648 Alhambra Ave, Martinez. Purchase tickets at www.dancewithstarlight.com/tickets.

Eric Pfeffinger’s “Human Error.” The intriguing comedy introduces two very different couples – one identifies as blue-state liberals, while the other purports to be NRA-cardholding, red-state conservatives. While they don’t know each other, both couples are trying to have a baby and happen to be attending the same fertility clinic.
Thanks to a blundering doctor, the conservative wife is impregnated with the liberal wife’s fertilized embryo. You can imagine the comedic possibilities as they try to get through nine months of gestation without killing each other. Aug. 24 through Sept. 14, Town Hall Theatre, 3535 School Street, Lafayette. Get tickets here.

“Radiant Visions.” Featuring the work of Bay Area sculptor Patty Taylor and San Francisco surrealist Yijun Ge, through Oct. 27, JOR Fine Art Gallery, 1026 Oak St., Suite 102, Clayton.

The Daughter of the Regiment. The charming tale of spirited heroine Marie, found on a battlefield and raised by a French Regiment, who side-steps the wishes of both her foster-father Sulpice and her aunt, the Marquise of Berkenfield, to follow her heart’s desire and the love of Tyrolean peasant Tonio. One of Donizetti’s three most popular comic operas, it includes memorable arias, including the one that crowned Luciano Pavarotti as “King of the High Cs.” Sung in French with English supertitles. Sept. 28, 29, Oct. 5, 6. Livermore Valley Opera in Livermore, CA. Tickets 925-373-6800 or LVOpera.com.

Headliner Series. Includes a Fireside Chat with Rita Moreno Sept. 18, Mandy Patinkin in Concert Feb. 20, 2025, and the Dance Theatre of Harlem March 14-15, 2025, Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek. For the full schedule and ticket info, visit www.lesherartscenter.org.