Posts by Alameda

Welcome Back! We’ve missed you! You’re invited to join the celebration and enjoy the return of Alameda’s largest outdoor summer street festival! The long awaited 36th Anniversary of the Downtown Alameda Art & Wine Faire has something for everyone — over 250 art & craft vendors, festival foods, craft beer and wine, music performances on three stages, and interactive kids’ areas with games and carnival rides. The fun happens on July 29 & 30 from 10:00am to 6:00pm each day and is FREE to attend. 

“We are delighted to announce the return of a local tradition – the 36th Anniversary of the wildly popular Art & Wine Faire! After a three year pause, we are eager to reintroduce an event that has been bringing visitors and residents together to enjoy our vibrant downtown district since 1983. The streets and sidewalks are filled with gotta-have art, one-of-a-kind treasures, and tasty treats.” says Kathy Weber, Executive Director of the Downtown Alameda Business Association. “Let’s celebrate together on July 29 & 30 as we welcome guests from all over the Bay Area to our island community and show them our favorite places in downtown.”

Expanded for 2023:

Authentically Alameda: With the iconic Alameda Theatre sign as the beautiful backdrop, this expanded area on Central Avenue between Park and Oak Streets features a third music stage sponsored by Berkshire Hathaway. Programmed by Alameda musician Jim Parodi the stage highlights Alameda’s professional and amateur talent. This area promises to showcase local talents in a number of ways! In addition to spotlighting Downtown businesses, Alameda artisans, purveyors and community groups will abound. The enlarged outdoor dining area is the place to relax and enjoy all the food and drink that the festival has to offer. 

Art & Wine Faire Highlights:

Art & Crafts Vendors… Bring your wallet because you won’t want to leave empty handed after shopping over 250 eye-popping arts and craft booths with offerings like ceramics, metal art, paintings, photography, wood crafts, toys, handbags, clothing, and jewelry.

Live Entertainment… Each day provides continuous live entertainment featuring classic rock, bluegrass, funk, jazz, and soul. Notable entertainers include some of the most popular tribute bands in the Bay Area: Petty Theft (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Swampers (Creedence Clearwater Revival), Long Train Running (Doobie Brothers), and Aja Vu (Steely Dan and Chicago). Performing a variety of music are Spazmatics (Ultimate 80’s New Wave Show), Bobby Young Project (Blues, Classic Roc, Funk), Savannah Bluegrass (Bluegrass) and the talents of singer/songwriters, Zack Fennie and Drew Harrison.

Festival Foods… Chow down on a fan favorite Lockeford Sausages and wash ‘em back with an ice cold lemonade or craft beer. Follow your nose to find other favorites including hand dipped corn dogs, fresh kettle corn, gyros, roasted corn, BBQ oysters, mango sticks, curly fries, teriyaki chicken skewers, dole whips, and more.

Craft Beer & Local Premium Wine… For the 21+ crowd, there will be four beverage booths serving local craft beers by Alameda Island Brewing Company and premium handcrafted wines by Alameda’s Wachira Wines, Urban Legend, Dashe Cellars and nearby Drawbridge Cellars.  Refreshing mimosas will also be available for purchase. Prices are $6 for commemorative glasses and $7 for beer and $10 for wines.

Enjoy all of 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.

It’s easy to get to the Downtown Alameda Art & Wine Faire. AC Transit provides routes across the island that stop right at the festivities, with bus transfers available from Fruitvale BART. Free secure bike parking is also available at the event. 

For more information, visit the official event page www.DowntownAlameda.com/artandwine/ or email  office@DowntownAlameda.com.

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.

Downtown Alameda and West Alameda Business District Associations have partnered with Digifli to bring dynamic
community bulletin boards to Alameda. This partnership will bring cutting-edge technology to the community and help keep
residents informed about local events and news.

Electronic bulletin boards are being installed in local businesses throughout Alameda providing real-time updates on
events, promotions, fundraisers, and other important information. The boards will be interactive and allow users to access
additional information and resources through QR codes that link to websites.

“We are thrilled to bring this new technology to our community,” said Linda Asbury, Executive Director of the West
Alameda Business Association. “We believe that these bulletin boards will help to foster greater communication,
collaboration, and engagement among our local residents and businesses, which will ultimately benefit everyone in our
community.”

The new bulletin boards feature “upcycled” high-resolution displays and a user-friendly interface that makes it easy
for members of the community to stay informed and engaged. The boards will be strategically located within local
independent businesses in high-traffic areas throughout Alameda, making it convenient for people to access the information
they need and easy for the associations to get information out to the community.

“Providing our community access to this technology helps bridge an informational divide. This accessible, dynamic
and user-friendly platform enables businesses, artists and organizations to easily share information and effectively engage
our community. Digifli offers a local solution tailored to local residents and businesses.“ said Kathy Weber, Executive Director
of Downtown Alameda Business Association.

Digifli’s electronic bulletin boards are powered by a secure and user-friendly platform that makes it easy for
organizations to manage and update content. The platform also provides detailed analytics, allowing advertisers to track the
effectiveness of their communications.

“Our mission at Digifli is to foster communities by supporting local nonprofits, artists,and independent businesses.
We do this in an environmentally friendly way by reducing e-waste.” said Wes Warren, Founder of Digifli. “90% of our
monitors come from e-waste recyclers, keeping them out of the dump and providing them with a new useful second life.”
You can currently find Digifli boards at over 50 locations around the island such as Fireside Lounge, Books Inc.,
Pacific Pinball Museum, and Alameda Natural Grocery. More locations are being added every week.

“Customers and store vendors love how community oriented Digifli is. It’s great to be able to support other local
businesses in Alameda!” said Karen Katz, owner of Katz Meow on Park Street.

Digifli supports local nonprofits and charities providing free and deeply discounted promotions on the network. Every
advertising purchase allows the advertiser to select a local non-profit and Digifli donates free impressions to these
organizations. Digifli donates over a million ad impressions a year to local nonprofits.

” Digifli helps FAAS get the word about upcoming events.” said Carla Thornton, Marketing and Communications
Manager of Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter. “ Digifli shows pictures of our animals up for adoption and helps us
promote events like the Huge February Clearance adoption drive.”

Digifli currently promotes FAAS, Boys and Girls Club, Girls Inc. of the island city, and ArtPush.org. We are adding
more organizations every month.

“Connection through community and art is something I feel very passionate about. As the Director of Community
Outreach at Digifli, I am able to work closely with the local organizations and empower them to meet their goals. ” said
Jessica Warren, Co-founder of Digifli “ We promote fundraisers and events for several Alameda based nonprofits. I feel great
that we are able to give something back to these fantastic organizations that make Alameda such a special place”

About West Alameda Business Association
https://westalamedabusiness.com/
The West Alameda Business Association is a non-profit organization that represents the interests of businesses in
the West Alameda neighborhood. The Association’s mission is to support and promote local businesses, enhance the
community’s quality of life, and improve the economic viability of the neighborhood.

About Downtown Alameda Business Association
https://downtownalameda.com
Downtown Alameda covers the Park Street business corridor from the Park Street Bridge to San Jose Avenue.
Downtown Alameda offers a vibrant mix of shopping, dining, and entertainment options. From unique local boutiques to
bustling bars and restaurants, Downtown Alameda is a great place to be.

About Digifli Community Bulletin Boards
https://digifli.com/web
Digifli was invented right here in Alameda. Digifli offers a unique, secure, and user-friendly platform for local
organizations to manage and update content in real-time. With a focus on innovation, the environment, and community
engagement, Digifli is dedicated to helping build stronger and more connected communities. Digifli donates free ad
impressions to local charities from every sale.

For more information, please contact:
Linda Asbury, Executive Director, West Alameda Business Association
linda@westalamedabusiness.com
Kathy Weber, Executive Director, Downtown Alameda
kathy@downtownalameda.com
Wes Warren, Founder, Digifli
buzz@digifli.com
Jessica Warren, Co-Founder and Director of Community Outreach
community@digifli.com