April 2023

Greetings in April,

16th Downtown San Leandro Farmers’ Market Opened on April 5

The popular Downtown San Leandro Farmers' Market returned for its 16th season last Wednesday, April 5, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The 2023 market returns to its new location the Main Library parking lot at 300 Estudillo Avenue.

The Downtown San Leandro Farmers’ Market hosts an average of 2,500 patrons weekly. Community members have found the market to be a great place to meet family and friends, and enjoy live music, fantastic food and family-friendly entertainment. The seasonal market will occur weekly on Wednesdays from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. through October 4, 2023.

The market will kick off with an opening ceremony and ribbon cutting with Mayor Juan González III at 6:00 PM on April 5 (weather permitting).

There will be up to 30 vendors at the 2023 Farmers’ Market, including San Leandro’s Hummus Heaven. Popular vendors Jaden’s Kettle Corn, Stueve Organic Family Farms, Bunbao, Roli Roti, J&M Farms, Dumpling King, and JC’s Holey Donuts will be returning to the market, among several others. Gotelli Farms and the Sharp Brothers will join the market in May. Live music will return on a weekly basis, coordinated by the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association. Opening day will enjoy music by energetic Afro-Caribbean band Conjunto Trujillo. Bring comfortable shoes for dancing!

Free parking for the new location will be available on the first floor of the Downtown Parking Garage starting at 3PM on Wednesdays during the market season. The garage is located at 122 Estudillo Avenue and access from Estudillo Avenue is recommended due to the construction project underway at E. 14th Street and Callan Avenue. (Visit www.parksl.com for more information).

Adjacent to the library parking lot, there is also ample street parking on both Callan Street and Estudillo Avenue. Entry to the Library parking lot will be closed on Callan Street, and partially closed on Santa Rosa Street. The entry on Estudillo Avenue will remain open.

The Farmers’ Market is made possible by partnership between the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association and the City of San Leandro. For more information, contact Economic Development at (510) 577-3311.

Save the Date!

The San Leandro Cherry Festival is on Saturday, June 3, 2023. The parade will begin at 10:00a.m. followed by a festival that will go from 11:00a.m.-6:00p.m.with live performances, delicious food, and fun activities for everyone to enjoy! More details to come in the future.

Cherry Festival Vendor Applications

The San Leandro Cherry Festival vendor applications are now open! The application deadline is April 7th.

Apply at SanLeandroCherryFest.com

No Rain on June 3rd - Vendor Application Sign-Ups - 2023 Cherry Festival

Reading Business Books to become a successful Vendor at 2023 Cherry Festival

Downtown San Leandro Hosts 2^nd Annual Family Earth Day - April 15th



San Leandro welcomes families to celebrate Earth Day on the grounds of the historic Casa Peralta on Saturday, April 15, from 11 am – 2 pm. 

This free, family-friendly event will feature interactive booths where families can learn about the local watershed, urban reforestation, native-plant gardening, and more. In addition, there will be plenty of engaging, hands-on activities like "seed bomb" making, reusable tote decorating, mural painting, a used toy exchange at the “Buy Nothing Toy Swap,” and a creative reuse project from SCRAP SF. 

2^nd – 6^th grade kids can practice skills and learn the "rules of the road" at a Family Bicycle Rodeo. Bring your own bike and helmet or use those provided by rodeo presenters, Bike East Bay. 

“Our goal with the Downtown Family Earth Day is to provide a balance of age-appropriate activities for younger children and engaging information for families looking to incorporate small changes into their life that help conserve our planet and its resources,” says Morgan Mack-Rose, Executive Director of Downtown San Leandro Benefit District. 

ASL interpretation will be available. 

The Family Earth Day Festival is a Downtown San Leandro Community Benefit District event sponsored by the City of San Leandro Department of Sustainability and the following partners; Alameda County Industries, Bay Area Black Deaf Advocates, Bike East Bay, Buy Nothing San Leandro, Common Vision, Friends of the San Leandro Creek, Homegrown Habitats, Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, San Leandro 2050, and StopWaste.org. 

More information is available at www.downtownsanleandro.com and on Facebook @DWTNSanLeandro. 

Gardening and Composting

Building healthy soil with compost is a wonderful way to set up your garden for success and have a meaningful impact in celebration of our planet. 

Applying 1-2 inches of compost to your soil this Spring will help your soil retain moisture, improve its structure, and help your plants access nutrients. Spreading compost maintains the health of your trees, edibles, and native plants. Compost also helps healthy gardens sequester carbon in your soil and plants, reducing your climate impact.

You can also help make compost for gardeners and farmers by sorting your food scraps, yard and plant trimmings, and food-soiled paper into the green bin. Remember to keep plastics, glass, and metals out of the green bin to help keep compost clean!

Continue the celebration during Earth Month and beyond by visiting StopWaste’s Gardening Resources where you can:

• Get free compost from a local Compost Hub
• Attend a garden workshop or event
• Start a home composting system to compliment your garden

2022 New Restaurant Round-Up

As businesses continue to recover from the turbulence of the pandemic, 2022 has been another year of growth in the San Leandro restaurant community. Year over year, San Leandro typically sees multiple new restaurants open all over town, even if some local favorites have also had to close. Here is a highlight of restaurants that opened in 2022:

Japanese restaurant Hanami filled the vacancy left by Noodles Pho Me at 377 Bancroft Avenue and offers sushi, sashimi, ramen, bento boxes...

Compost Giveaway - Register Today!

San Leandro celebrates the success of the curbside organics recycling program by distributing free compost to participating residents. The food scraps, food soiled paper, and yard trimmings that you put into your green organics cart are turned into a rich soil amendment that nourishes plans and keeps your garden healthy.

Friday, April 21 & Saturday, April 22

City of San Leandro Public Works, 14200 Chapman Rd

Event Guidelines:

• Appointments are required, no drop-ins permitted

• One appointment per household, no businesses

• Limit 2 bags per household, no pre-orders or rain checks

Registration is open until April 17th, or until all appointments are booked, at Tinyurl.com/2023Compost

For more information, visit www.RecycleSanLeandro.org or call (510) 577-6026

Summer 2023 Activity Guide Coming Soon!

The City of San Leandro is pleased to announce that the Summer 2023 Activity Guide will be delivered throughout the community with the San Leandro Times on Thursday, April 6, 2023.

The Activity Guide will feature Summer Camps, Special Events, Classes, and Community Resources.

Resident registration will be available online at www.sanleandrorec.org starting on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 8:30 am, non-resident registration will begin on Thursday, April 27 at 8:30 am.

For more information, contact us by email at slrec@sanleandro.org or by phone at 510-577-3462

WEAR OUR BLUE

The San Leandro Police Department is NOW HIRING for the following positions:

• Records Clerk $5208-$6331
• Police Officer Recruit Trainee / Academy Attendee $6,647-$8,079
• Police Officer Academy Grad / Lateral $9,180-$12,302
• Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor $8,691-$10,564
• Public Safety Dispatcher Entry /Lateral $7,695-$9,354

If you want to JOIN OUR TEAM and WEAR OUR BLUE, visit:

www.wearourblue.org or https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/cityofsanleandro

Free San Leandro Library Card for All California Residents!