“Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a 3,000-year-old holistic healthcare system with the goal of bringing the body and mind back into balance," says Rose Tan Knight, a licensed acupuncturist and owner of Lotus Acupuncture. "Acupuncture is one component of TCM, along with herbal medicines, meditation, lifestyle, dietary therapy, and movement exercise such as qi gong and tai chi."

With a master’s in Chinese Medicine, Rose has been helping people gain optimum health through a holistic approach to wellness for fifteen years. In the fall of 2022, she moved Lotus Acupuncture from its original Walnut Creek location to Shadelands.

Eastern medicine's main concept is that of Qi (or chi), which is the life force that flows through meridians (pathways) in the body and mind. Blocked or disrupted Qi causes pain, disease, illness, and emotional issues.

Using hair-thin needles inserted at specific points on the body, Rose opens the meridians to allow the energy flow to re-balance the body, organs, and mind.

"The key benefit of TCM," says Rose, "is that every patient is uniquely different with a customized treatment plan based on their root diagnosis."

She treats a variety of acute and chronic health conditions, including stress, immune, digestive, women’s health, sleep disorders, mental health, and myriad other concerns. The most common concern, however, is pain.

“We hold so much stress and so many thoughts in our head," says Rose. "Considering that the neck is the infrastructure of the mind, many people experiencing pain are feeling the cumulative weight on their necks and shoulders and lower back."

Patients new to acupuncture and Eastern medicine often reach out to Rose as a last resort, after having tried everything else.

Lotus Acupuncture

2815 Mitchell Drive, Ste. 128

Walnut Creek, CA 94598

925.588.4666

Rose Tan Knight, LAc, MS, treats patients through acupuncture, inserting tiny needles along specific pathways to allow the flow of Qi.

Rose's calm and peaceful nature is reflected in her gently appointed spaces.

Rose works with more than 2,000 acupuncture points that lie along 12 main meridians from the top of the head to the toes.

They soon learn, she says, that "There’s wisdom in ancient Eastern medicine, a wisdom that seeks to heal the whole self—the body, mind, and spirit.”

Food Truck Thursdays, located in the parking lot of Kaiser Permanente Park Shadelands Medical Offices at 370 Lennon Lane, continues through December.

Open to the public Thursdays, 11:30am–2pm, Food Truck Thursdays is presented by Taste of the World Market, whose motto is Taste International. Support Local.

In December, look for:

• Golden Gate Gyro, December 7

• BunBao, December 21

• Hella Mas, December 28

Bring your appetite, family & friends!

Food truck line-up and food truck appearance are subject to change.

Food Truck Thursdays

11:30am–2pm

Kaiser Permanente

Park Shadelands Medical Offices

370 Lennon Lane

Walnut Creek

Cousins Maine Lobster, November 30

Mistie Glass, founder and owner of Indie Cottage Marketplace (ICM), wants you to party! To that end, she has transformed about 1,000 square feet at 402 N. Wiget Lane in Shadelands into a party and event space for children and adults.

Open Monday through Sunday, ICM is designed for children’s birthday parties, storytimes, youth sports awards, and more (ages 5+). For adults, ICM welcomes book clubs, baby and bridal showers, game nights, holiday teas, and other events enjoyed by adults.

Easy to find with plenty of free parking, ICM offers a light, bright venue with an open-floor plan divided into several activity spaces.

Beyond the welcoming lobby, ICM features an event room with flexible seating arrangements for eating, gift opening, and group activities; open area for party games and individual activities; food and drink serving area; kitchenette for potluck and catered food prep; and restrooms.

There's even a quiet room designed for over stimulated youngsters (and adults) who need a quiet place to chill.

The basic package is the event space as a blank slate, where clients set up the areas in their own way, with their own decorations, food, games, and entertainment.

And then there’s full-service themed and customized party packages, where clients rent the space and Mistie does all the rest based on pre-approved plans for décor, games, eats, and treats.

She works with local businesses, caterers, bakeries, mobile and character entertainment, and party design companies to produce for the client “the event of their dreams.”

Indie Cottage Marketplace

402 N. Wiget Lane

Walnut Creek

925.979.1968

Visit ICM at its Open House!

Sunday, December 10|1–4pm

The main event room can be set with round or rectangle tables, chairs, and extra seating.

ICM owner Mistie Glass makes party games for children, such as ring toss and Plinko.

When the party's over, there is no client clean up. No matter the package, clients walk in and party, then pack up gifts, extra food, and belongings, and leave, with great memories of a terrific event.

Shadelands Ranch Museum

Holiday Faire 

Now through December 10

10am–4pm Daily

The Holiday Faire has been a seasonal tradition at the Shadelands Ranch Museum since 1983, when the historic 1903 ranch house transforms into a holiday boutique, overflowing with handcrafted items and gifts, offered by dozens of local artisans and vendors. 

Admission and parking are free.

________________________________

Center for Community Arts

Handcrafted Holiday Sale

Saturday, December 9

10am–5pm

Sunday, December 10

11am–4pm

At the Handcrafted Holiday Sale, you'll find distinctive, one-of-a-kind gifts created by Community Arts teaching artists and students who specialize in glass, painting, ceramics, jewelry, printmaking, photography, fiber arts, and more.

Proceeds benefit Center for Community Arts, the Clay Arts Guild, and the Community Arts Foundation.

Every year, the Shadelands Ranch Museum transforms into a holiday boutique.

Shadelands Ranch Museum

2660 Ygnacio Valley Road

Walnut Creek

925.935.7871

The Center for Community Arts holiday event runs December 9 & 10.

Center for Community Arts

111 N. Wiget Lane

Walnut Creek

925.943.5899

For one performance only, Contra Costa School of Performing Arts (CoCoSPA), under the direction of Dance Director Anna Gemma, is staging the school’s first ever The Nutcracker Showcase, the beloved ballet that features Tchaikovsky’s musical composition The Nutcracker Suite, first performed in St. Petersburg in 1892.

Anna is a professional dancer and choreographer, born and raised in Russia, and highly trained in classical and character dance. She has studied at a number of esteemed ballet schools and has traveled extensively performing on world stages.

It is this experience and love of dance that Anna brings to CoCoSPA.

“Ours is a classical staging of The Nutcracker, mixing all ages and grades, from 6th to 12th graders, in traditional Nutcracker costumes, allowing all dance students to be a part of the experience,” says Anna.

“The students are very excited to perform this familiar and enduring ballet—to show what they and our school are capable of doing."

Contra Costa

School of Performing Arts

Presents

The Nutcracker Showcase

Sunday, December 17

Noon–2pm; one intermission

Las Lomas High School

1460 S. Main Street

Walnut Creek

The Nutcracker Showcase cast and dancers, led by CoCoSPA Dance Director Anna Gemma, standing far right, wearing Mouse King mask.

The annual food drive at Kaiperm Credit Union benefiting Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa, a nonprofit that's been feeding the hungry since 1983, continues through January 19, 2024.

The food drive barrel is located in Kaiperm's lobby, just inside the front doors at 325 N. Wiget Lane, Ste. 130.

Kaiperm Food Drive

Now–January 19, 2024

Benefiting Loaves and Fishes

Consider picking up a few extra non-perishables the next time you make a grocery run, and then visit Kaiperm on your lunch hour to help keep the pantry shelves stocked and our hungry neighbors fed.

Receive a free Kaiperm reusable tote bag for your donation!

Donation Wish List:

• Bottled water

• Peanut butter

• Oatmeal, cereal

• Pasta, pasta sauce

• Snack cups, snack bars

• Tuna, rice, beans, soups

• Canned proteins, fruits, veggies

Please, no glass or expired food.

Kaiperm Credit Union

325 N. Wiget Lane

Suite 130

Walnut Creek

925.939.5626

Donating food is an easy way to make a profound difference in the lives of others.

The Walnut Creek Chamber's October Civic Affairs forum, presented by Wells Fargo, featured Andrew Thibault, Senior Principal at EMC Research, who presented the results of a comprehensive research project designed to advise Shadelands property owners on creating a refreshed rebrand.

Andrew was joined by Calvin Jung, founder of Creative Mint, the branding agency working with Shadelands leadership.

Next Step

Shadelands is hosting an in-person public focus group on Tuesday, January 9, seeking further insight into the Shadelands experience, as well as branding ideas from local residents and the Shadelands community.

Watch the October 2023 Shadelands rebranding forum, hosted by the Walnut Creek Chamber.

Shadelands Branding

Focus Group

Tuesday, January 9

 9–10:30am

REGISTER

Walnut Creek Executive Park

2820 Shadelands Drive

First Floor

Walnut Creek

19th Annual

East Bay Women's Conference

HerStory in the Making

Presented by the

Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau in

Association with

Kaiser Permanente

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

8am–5pm

Lesher Center for the Arts

1601 Civic Drive

Walnut Creek

The East Bay Women’s Conference is a premier, one-day conference designed to inspire and empower women from all walks of life.

Keynote speakers. Book signings. Networking. Exhibitors. Lunch. Reception. And more.

Save your seat today with early registration pricing, available through December 31, 2023.

The price goes up January 1, 2024.

The 2024 East Bay Women's Conference will be held, once again, at the stunning Lesher Center for the Arts, March 5.

East Bay

Women's Conference

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

The 2024 EBWC keynote speaker line-up

Last month, Mark Wilson, Director of Business Development for COPA Soccer Training Center (STC), in the Shadelands SportsMall, escorted a leadership group on a tour of the innovative, tech-driven COPA STC, highlighted by a stop in the 3,400-sq. ft. Skills Lab Arena, the first training system of its kind in the United States and only one of four in the world, that employs advanced hardware and measuring technology in gamified assessment exercises. The proprietary COPA Score, designed and developed exclusively by COPA STC, is the organization's core assessment for talent ID. Check out the COPA Score video.