ON THE SCENE AT SHADELANDS | | |
Dear Readers,
This December 2025 issue of The Shadelands Scene is a milestone – the 100th issue of our monthly Shadelands newsletter!
Since September 2017, we’ve been sharing stories of the people, businesses, and nonprofits of Shadelands Walnut Creek who exemplify our community's exceptional vitality, diversity, and resiliency. The newsletter archives are treasured photo albums and historical records of Shadelands’ dramatic revitalization and emergence as a premier business and lifestyle destination.
The Shadelands Scene covered the construction and grand openings of the stunning Viamonte Senior Living community, the acclaimed Shadelands SportsMall, the high-tech BASS Cancer Center, and the East Bay's first-of-its-kind Collab Fertility Clinic. We reported on the far-reaching expansions of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and Joybound People & Pets. We escorted you through a giant colon at Kaiser Permanente, and invited you to a grand Victorian luncheon at Pretty Tea Parties. We were there when the innovative Contra Costa School of Performing Arts opened its doors, and when it took its final bow.
And we’ve introduced you to hundreds of amazing businesses and nonprofits that make up the heart of Shadelands. With endless potential and opportunities at hand, Shadelands Walnut Creek is a vibrant, connected, and forward-looking district with exciting news and activity on the horizon in the months and years ahead. And its stories will keep on coming.
Thank you for joining us on our journey every month as we discover the people and spaces that make Shadelands the place to live, work, shop, play, keep meetings and appointments, and get healthy. And thank you for sharing your stories with us so we can spread the good news beyond your four walls.
We’ll see you again in 2026! Best wishes for the happiest of holidays!
| | YOU'VE GOT QUESTIONS; WE'VE GOT ANSWERS | | | 4th Annual Made in the Shade Fall Festival Brings on the Fun! | Plenty of warm autumn sunshine rained down on the Shadelands SportsMall during the 4th annual Made in the Shade fall festival, Sunday, November 2! Thousands of attendees enjoyed exhibitors, food trucks, craft beer, face painting, and live music outside — free sports activities for all ages inside. Children climbed aboard a pink fire engine and sat behind the wheel of a Walnut Creek Police Department cruiser. Festival goers donned Made in the Shade sunglasses and kept the shaved ice truck humming. A great day in Shadelands Walnut Creek! | | Funders & Founders Creates Connections Among Investors & Entrepreneurs | | Start Up Walnut Creek is a partnership initiative designed to support and showcase technology-driven innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit, and to advance Shadelands and the greater Walnut Creek region as a hub for health-tech and sports-tech ventures. In support of the effort, Five Star Bank, the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, and Shadelands Walnut Creek held a Funders & Founders event at Shadelands on November 12, presented by Sutter Health and co-hosted by Band of Angels, with a focus on early-stage venture funding for health and sports technology startups. | | Joybound Engelstad Dog Grooming Academy Names New Manager, Expanded Programs | | The Joybound People & Pets Engelstad Dog Grooming Academy and salon is an innovative career-training program and pet service. Open to the public, the grooming salon invites pet owners to bring their dogs of all sizes, shapes, breeds, and ages to Joybound for a professional mani-pedi, bath and brushing, full haircut, and all around styling by academy students-in-training and experienced, professional instructors and groomers to help make them look and feel their best. During a year of dramatic growth and expansion, the Engelstad Grooming Academy has also welcomed a new Academy manager to the team, Uziel Acosta. | | |
Diablo Valley Farmers' Market Wins Local and Statewide Honors in Recent Competitions | Congratulations to the Diablo Valley Farmers' Market, which is celebrating a season of outstanding recognition after being voted Best Farmers’ Market in Walnut Creek by the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau and ranking second, out of more than 700 California farmers’ markets, in the statewide 2025 Favorite Farmers’ Market competition, sponsored by American Farmland Trust. |
| Register for Winter Break Basketball Camps at The Ultimate Fieldhouse | | Great news for young athletes! The Golden State Basketball Academy — the official youth basketball arm of the Warriors and Valkyries — is teaming up with Excel Basketball Camp to host Winter Break Camps for boys and girls, ages 7 through 15, at The Ultimate Fieldhouse in Shadelands Walnut Creek. | | Center for Community Arts Handcrafted Holiday Sale, December 6 & 7 | Tis the season — and that means shopping! Be extraordinary this year. No matter how you celebrate the joys of the holidays and who’s on your gift giving list, you’ll always find distinctive items lovingly handcrafted by professional artists and local artisans who show off their handiwork at the Center for Community Arts Handcrafted Holiday Sale held at the Shadelands Art Center, December 6 & 7. |
Stop by Kaiperm Credit Union and Help Fill it to the Brim for Our Hungry Neighbors
| Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa has been feeding the hungry of Contra Costa County since 1983 through its food panty and dining rooms. Kaiperm Credit Union, a long-time supporter of Loaves and Fishes, hosts a food drive benefiting Loaves and Fishes every fall. This year’s food drive is running now through January 9, 2026. Stop by Kaiperm to donate non-perishable food items and receive a free Kaiperm reusable tote bag! |
Celebrate the Holidays at Shadelands Ranch | The Walnut Creek Historical Society is hosting the holidays at the Shadelands Ranch Museum, now through December 14. Join family and friends for traditional Holiday Teas and the annual Holiday Faire, when the historic 1903 Penniman home is transformed into a holiday boutique, overflowing with handcrafted items and gifts offered by dozens of local artisans and vendors. | |
Two Special Holiday Activities for Kids | Not to be missed, two special activities for kids are happening in Shadelands this holiday season. A visit with Santa is on the Nice List at Diablo Valley Farmers' Market, December 13; and Holiday Letters, presented by Center for Community Arts and running through December 17, will delight children when they receive a letter in the mail from their favorite holiday character friend. | | Walnut Creek Concert Band Holiday Performance, December 7 | The Walnut Creek Concert Band is the official band of the City of Walnut Creek, promoting community identity and civic pride through musical performances in concert and at city events. The Walnut Creek Concert Band's December 2025 performance is their holiday concert, Joyful & Triumphant, on Sunday, December 7, 2025, 3pm, Acalanes High School Theater in Lafayette. The concert will feature festive favorites and musical moments to celebrate the start of the holiday season. Tickets are available through the Lesher Center for the Arts. | | |
Link trips • Save time • Elevate your day
Make the most of your visits to Shadelands! Get a manicure, ship a package, and grab a burger. Park once and drop the kids at soccer, and basketball, and swim lessons. Visit the dentist, see your CPA, and enjoy a coffee or brew with friends. Purchase a cat carrier, take a jacket in for alterations, and charge your EV. Attend an art class, get a massage, and check out the weekly food truck. Keep a medical appointment, pick the kids up from school, and shop for dinner before heading home. You'll find it at Shadelands, all in one place!
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