East Bay Parks activities include Day of Peace program and Coastal photo exhibit
SAN FRANCISCO EAST BAY (Sept. 12, 2021) — East Bay Regional Park District will mark the 2021 United Nations International Day of Peace with a program from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18 at the Cove picnic site in Lake Chabot Regional Park in Castro Valley.
Activities will include peace messages, singing, drumming, arts and crafts, and a 30-minute walk along the lake. Officials will unveil a 12-foot peace pole, symbolizing the hopes and dreams of the global family for peace on earth.
The Regional Parks Foundation and the park district sponsor this event. Community partners include Eden Area Interfaith Council, Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center, UNA East Bay Chapter, and Samuel Merritt University – Ethnic Health Institute.
The event is free of charge, but pre-registration is required. Event check-in begins at 9:30 a.m. and everyone should arrive by 9:45 a.m. Inform the kiosk attendant you are attending the World Peace Day event and you will receive a free parking pass to place on your car’s dashboard.
To pre-register for the event, visit the park district website.
Coastal Cleanup Day
A reminder: it may not be too late to register for Coastal Cleanup Day 2021, taking place in various regional parks (and actually venues worldwide) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18.
There are two options. You can pre-register for an in-person cleanup events during a specific time slot at one of six regional parks: Hayward Shoreline, Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline in Oakland, Robert W. Crown Shoreline in Alameda, Pt. Isabel in Richmond, Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline, or Del Valle Regional Park south of Livermore.
Or you can register to organize your own neighborhood coastal or park cleanup any time through Sept. 30.
To register for either option, visit www.ebparks.org/CoastalCleanup.
Coastal and Ocean Amateur Photo exhibit
Speaking of the coast, the California Coastal and Ocean Amateur Photography Exhibit is on display from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through December in the Crab Cove Visitor Center at Crown Beach.
The visitor center also has exhibits on Crown Beach’s colorful history, and an aquarium containing fish from San Francisco Bay.
The center is at 1252 McKay Ave. The exhibit is free, and no registration is required. Wear a mask inside the building, however.
Ardenwood Historic Farm
You can make multi-colored corn kernels into your own mosaic. Learn how in a free program from 1 to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 19 at Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont. This is a drop-in activity; no registration is required.
Located on Ardenwood Boulevard just north of Highway 84, Ardenwood recreates life on a 19th-century farming estate. Admission fees apply; parking is free. For information, call 510-544-2797.
Hands-on nature activities
Also in Fremont, Coyote Hills Regional Park is hosting a “Discovery on Demand” program from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18.
All ages are welcome at the visitor center to watch a live animal feeding, learn a craft, or engage in other hands-on nature education activities.
You must wear a mask and observe social distancing. Parent participation is required and parking fees apply when charged. This is a free, drop-in program; reservations are not necessary.
You can find Coyote Hills at the end of Patterson Ranch Road off Paseo Padre Parkway, just north of Highway 84. For information, call 510-544-3220.
Ned MacKay writes a regular column about East Bay Regional Park District sites and activities. Email him at nedmackay@comcast.net.