Get Ready for the 37th Downtown Alameda Art & Wine Faire
The 37th Downtown Alameda Art & Wine Faire is the city’s largest outdoor summer street festival, with more than 200 art and craft vendors, festival food, craft beer and wine, live music on three stages, and interactive kids’ areas with games and carnival rides. It all happens on Saturday and Sunday, July 27-28, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day—and admission is free.
With the iconic Alameda Theatre sign as the backdrop, the expanded area on Central Avenue between Park and Oak streets now includes the tree-lined lot and Alameda Avenue. The area now includes a third music stage programmed by Alameda musician Jim Parodi, to showcase local talent. In addition to live music, the area features booths for downtown businesses, Alameda artisans, purveyors, and community groups, along with an enlarged outdoor dining area.
Festival highlights
Art & crafts vendors: More than 200 arts and craft booths offer artisan ceramics, metal art, paintings, photography, wood crafts, toys, handbags, clothing, and jewelry.
Live music: Continuous live music includes classic rock, bluegrass, funk, jazz, and soul. Performing a variety of music are the Spazmatics (’80s New Wave), singer-songwriter Rocky Michaels, Savannah Bluegrass, Pop Fiction, the Lost Cats, and Drew Harrison from the Sun Kings. See the complete music schedule online.
Festival food: Chow down on fan favorite Lockeford Sausages and wash ’em back with an ice cold lemonade, local wine, or craft beer. Other favorites include paella, fresh kettle corn, gyros, mini donuts, gourmet chicken wings, mango sticks, curly fries, teriyaki chicken skewers, Dole Whip, and more.
Craft beer, local premium wines: For the 21+ crowd, four beverage booths serve local craft beers from Alameda Island Brewing Company and premium handcrafted wines from Alameda’s Wachira Wines, Urban Legend Winery, Dashe Cellars, as well as Drawbridge Cellars, located right across the Park Street Bridge.
Kids area: Park Street is the spot if your kids like to bounce, flip, and twirl. There will be bungee jumpers, carnival rides, and face painting.
Downtown Alameda
More than 400 businesses are located in the island’s walkable downtown district. Festival goers can enjoy a stroll through the historic downtown where unique shops, amazing restaurants, and other services are abundant and will be offering event specials throughout the weekend.
For more information, visit the Downtown Alameda Art & Wine Fair web page, and check out the event’s Facebook, and Instagram pages. And while you’re there, feel free to share your photos on social media using hashtags #artwinefaire and #downtownalameda.
The annual Downtown Alameda Art & Wine Faire is presented by the Downtown Alameda Business Association and produced by Eckerstrom Productions as a fundraiser for the district. Proceeds help keep Downtown Alameda clean, green, and safe.