December 2010 Fun Stuff to Do

Ardenwood Historic Farms: December 4th and 5th 2010 -
This is one of my favorite new holiday traditions. Ardenwood is a historic farm in Freemont. The first weekend in December they have their Christmas festival. They celebreate in Victorian era style. They have carolers, Victorian crafts, the Patterson House is all decked out in Christmas atire, Father Christmas is there, and there is a yule log hunt, plus a lot more. It's a fun place to visit any time of year, but Christmastime is my favorite. Dress warm, since it's an outdoor event.

Crockett's Winder Block Party: December 4th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm -
I've never been to this event, but it sounds like a ton of fun: " Amble down one of Crockett's most historic blocks through the Crockett Library, Crockett Historical Museum, East Bay NTRAK Model RR, and Carquinez Women's Clubs' "Old Homestead". Enjoy: caroling, Christmas stories, crafts, Betty Buttons the Clown with her balloon animals and hats, Don O'Brien and the "Extreme Science Magic Show".
Refreshments provided. FREE!"

Tilden Nature Area Family Restoration Day (Berkley): December 12th -
"Join other families who care about the environment on this action-oriented program. Learn about nature's interrelationships and help remove invasive plants. Make a difference while having fun! Rain cancels. This is a drop in program; no registration is required. For information, call (510) 544-2233. "

Dickens Christmas Fair, San Francisco: Dec. 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 2010; 11:00am - 7:00 pm -
I've never been to this either, but every review I've read, and everyone I've talked to that has gone enjoyed it. It's a little more pricey than some of the other things on this list, but if you love this time period, you'll probably find it worthwhile.

Holiday Frolic and Snow Park, Martinez: Dec 3rd, 4th, and 5th -
They have snow to play in! How much better can it get than that? (Okay, they have some other fun activities and crafts too) There is a small charge for the snow play and sledding, but most of the events are free here, including a tree lighting and a holiday light parade.

Dunsmuir Historic Estate, Oakland:
I've had some trouble finding specifics for this, such as what dates the Christmas events go on, but several friends say this is a really fun place to visit, so I'm going to list it. If anyone visits, or knows more, please feel free to comment and share!

Local libraries all over the Bay Area are doing tons of fun December activities for families and kids. Check out your local county library's website to see what the branches near you are up to.

April 2010 Events

April 15th 4:00pm to 4:45pm
Magician Dan Chan at the Bay Point Library

April 17th
As a UC Davis graduate, one of my favorite events of the spring is Picnic Day on the Davis campus. It's a very fun, very family-friendly event, and if you've ever thought about visiting the UC Davis campus, this would be a great time to go have a look around. I'm not going to try to list all the activities that are held on Picnic Day, because I would surely miss many anyway. Instead, here is the website for further information: http://picnicday.ucdavis.edu/

11:00 am
Pet Parade at the Rio Vist Library

August Events for Bay Area Families

In addition to my reviews of museums, parks, and other fun places for kids and families, I want to start adding a calender of family friendly events around the Bay area.

Some of the funnest stuff we do are one or two day events. I've wanted to include these types of events in this blog for awhile now, but didn't see a good way to do it. After all, if I write a review to an event we've attended, by the time I'm home to post that review, it's over - and does you guys no good at all. So, the downside to this is that I won't be able to personally endorse any of these events. If it's an annual event, and we've attended in the past, I'll be sure to share my experiences, but a lot of these event listings will be for things I've never been to before. I'll try to provide as much information as I can.

These posts will be updated as I learn of more events too, so check back often. This will not be a complete list ever, and could have new events posted daily if I find new ones that often.

So, for the month of August 2009, here's some neat stuff I've learned about so far:

Regal Theaters Free Family Film Festival
This has been going on all summer. Each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, Regal theaters offer 2 free family movies. One G rated movie, and one PG. They are older, second run movies, but they're free! They play at 10 am. The week of Aug 11th, 12, and 13th are the last showings for the summer. Click the link above to find out what movies your local regal theater offers, because they aren't all the same.

Aug. 8th
Campfire sing-a-long at the El Sobrante Library 2:00 pm.


JFK Library in Vallejo Puppet Art Theater: The Tale of the Dragon's Tail at 2:00 pm.

4th of July Events in Vallejo

Vallejo has some of the best Fourth of July Day Events in the North Bay. Beyond the usual fireworks displays, we have a huge parade, the rubber ducky derby, and a festival on the waterfront.

There is a lot for kids and families to enjoy together. The Ducky Derby is especially a huge local favorite.

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