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In This Edition:
Fall Program Registration
4th of July Festival
Adult Program Location Updates
Summer Camps with Space
Summer Programs at the Pool
New City Website and Email Domain
Picnic Rentals
& more!
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Fall Program Registration Opens this Month
Tuesday, 7/29 for El Cerrito Residents
Wednesday, 7/30 for All
Save the date! Fall program registration opens at 9am on Tuesday, 7/29 for El Cerrito Residents, and Wednesday, 7/20 for all. Registration is accepted online at el-cerrito.org/onlinereg, or in person at the El Cerrito Community Center (7007 Moeser Lane) during business hours.
To prepare for registration, make sure you can log in at the above link and ensure all account information is up to date. For additional help with registration visit el-cerrito.org/howtoregister.
| | The Fall 2025 rECguide will be available online at el-cerrito.org/recguide by Tuesday, 7/15. Be sure to check it out to see the newest schedule of recreational classes, activities, services, and special events for September-December 2025. | | |
Celebrate the 4th of July in El Cerrito
Friday, July 4, 2025 from 11am-5pm
Cerrito Vista Park (950 Pomona Ave, El Cerrito)
The annual City of El Cerrito and worldOne 4th of July Festival provides the chance to celebrate amongst high-flying banners, world-class music, car showcase, friends, community groups, family fun zone, and more. The event is free to the public, with pay-as-you-go options for attractions such as food booths, rides, bounce houses, and vendor booths.
Ride & Bounce House Wristbands & Tickets on Sale Now!
Are you coming to the City of El Cerrito/worldOne 4th of July Festival? Avoid the line by purchasing a wristband or tickets in advance! Pre-sale tickets and wristbands can be purchased at el-cerrito.org/onlinereg and picked up at will-call at the Ticket Booth during the festival (center of the park across from the rides). All purchases are non-refundable.
Presale options include:
- Wristband for $30.00 (Unlimited Rides and Bounce Houses)
- 6 Tickets for $16.00
Inflatables are 1 Ticket, or included in Wristband
Rides are 2 Tickets, or included in Wristband
6 Tickets Gets you: 2 rides & 2 inflatables OR 1 ride & 4 inflatables OR 3 rides OR 6 inflatables
Pre-sale ends Wednesday 7/2 at 4pm
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Getting to the Festival
Bike Parking: FREE Bike Valet for those biking to the Festival
BART: 0.9 Mile Walk from the El Cerrito Plaza BART Station via the Ohlone Greenway, 1.5 Mile Walk from Del Norte BART Station via the Ohlone Greenway
Parking: Limited ADA ONLY parking is available at the El Cerrito Community Center Parking Lot (7007 Moeser Lane). Street Parking around the Festival Grounds (please note streets immediately surrounding Cerrito Vista Park will be closed).
Dedicated Drop-Off/Pick-Up area on Moeser Lane @ Ashbury Avenue on street by the Community Center, 7007 Moeser Lane. Carpools strongly encouraged for those driving to the festival!
| | Thank You Stars & Stripes & Blue Level Sponsors! | | |
Interested in supporting the 2025 festival?
Community donations are a huge help in allowing this El Cerrito tradition to continue each year!
| | | Adult Programs & Senior Services | | |
Updates on Zumba and Beginner Line Dance Class Locations
June-August 2025
New Summer Locations! There have been some changes to the previously scheduled Zumba and Beginner Line Dance classes, including new locations and no class dates. Please be sure to refer to links below for the most up to date information.
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Pickleball Clinic: Advanced Drill & Play – Elevate Your Game!
Fridays 8/8-8/29 from 9:30am-12pm
Castro Pickleball Courts
Duration: 2.5 hours (1 hour of coached drills + 1.5 hours of organized play)
Format: Coached Drilling + Round Robin, Crazy Eights, or Ladder Rotation
Instructor: Michele McGeoy
Ready to push your game to the next level? This session is for advanced players (3.5 - 4.25) who want a blend of focused training and high-level competition. We’ll start with a power-packed hour of coached drills targeting advanced strategies, shot placement, court positioning, and pressure scenarios. Then we roll straight into 90 minutes of competitive play—rotating between round robins, crazy eights, or ladder formats to keep things fun, dynamic, and challenging. Expect intense rallies, smart tactics, and a whole lot of hustle.
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Join Our Award Winning Summer Camp Program
El Cerrito Recreation Department is offering nine weeks of summer camp fun. Options vary each week, and many weekly camps still have space to join! Camps with openings currently include:
- Swim & Sun Camps (Wks 4-8)
- Have a Lotta Fun (HALF) (Wks 4-9)
- Crouching Tiger Tennis (Wks 4-9)
- Lil Ninja Warrior (Wks 4-7)
- Slim Chance Circus (Wks 7-8)
- Make Your Own Dollhouse (Wk 7 PM)
- & more!
Click Here to view ALL camps with space remaining, as well as details including schedule, fees, registration, and more.
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Already Registered for Camp? Don't Forget the Health & Safety Form!
Each year, campers are required to have a completed Health & Safety form on file to participate in our summer camp programs. Once registered, forms are due immediately. If you are signed up for El Cerrito Summer Camps, and have not yet filled out your Health & Safety form, please do so ASAP using the link below.
| | Reminder! No Camps Friday, July 4th | | |
Swim Center Closed on Friday, July 4th
Join us across the street at Cerrito Vista Park at the City of El Cerrito worldOne & 4th of July Festival from 11am to 5pm.
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Friday Family Fun Nights
Fridays 6/27-8/15
4:30pm-7pm
For families with children of all ages, Family Fun Night is rECswim in the evening. Taking place every Friday in the Activity Pool (0-3.5 feet deep) and Splash Park, it is the perfect place for families to enjoy the summer evenings!
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Hot Summer Nights: rECswim After Dark
Saturdays 7/19-8/9
6:30pm-8:30pm
rECswim After Dark is perfect for families with older youth and teens, and includes the Activity Pool plus use of the diving boards. Enjoy the pool in the dark with fun lights and music!
| | | El Cerrito Swim Center: Emery G. Weed, III Lap Pool Repairs | | |
The El Cerrito Swim Center was fully renovated and opened in 2004, thanks to the El Cerrito voters who passed Measure A in 2000, and has served the community well for over 20 years. Over the years, staff have maintained and repaired both Swim Center pools as needed, noting that the typical lifespan of pool plaster and decking is 15 to 20 years. In 2023, the Recreation Pool’s plaster was showing signs of deterioration and was replaced. More recently, in February 2025, significant damage was discovered in the Emery G. Weed, III Lap Pool, including a large bubble in the plaster of the shallow end and several smaller cracks throughout. These issues pose both safety and operational concerns, requiring timely repairs to avoid pool closure.
An aquatic design and engineering firm was hired to assess the pool's condition, estimate repair costs, and develop a construction timeline. Beyond the plaster damage, the assessment identified deterioration in the surrounding pool deck, including cracks and rust, along with required upgrades for accessibility (from the parking lot to the locker rooms) and emergency egress to meet current code standards. These codes were not in place when the pool was originally constructed. While the City has conducted regular maintenance over the years, the scope of needed repairs is expected and appropriate at this stage in the facility’s lifecycle.
An opportunity was identified to convert the shallow end's cantilever gutters to deck-level gutters, enhancing safety and making the area more family-friendly. Additional projects identified include adding the water slide installation project and incorporating electric vehicle charging stations into the parking lot upgrades which improve efficiency and reduce overall costs.
The total estimated cost for all repairs, upgrades, and improvements is approximately $3.4 million. Alternatively, the most urgent need, plaster repairs, can be addressed in a phased approach for about $970,000. However, the remaining work identified will also need to be completed soon due to the worsening condition of the pool deck.
It is likely that the Swim Center would have to completely close for most of this work. The closure could be up to 5 months for the full project and up to 2 months for the replaster only project with future projects requiring up to an additional 4 months. Exactly when these closures will take place is still to be determined. To minimize disruption, staff have been exploring partnerships with nearby pools to continue programs like swim teams, water aerobics, and lap swim during the closure. For more details, please see the June 17, 2025 City Council Agenda Bill.
On Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 6pm at City Hall, staff will give an update to the El Cerrito City Council with refined timelines and estimates and present funding options for the Lap Pool construction. The City Council will likely decide whether to fund the full scope of the Lap Pool improvements or the phased approach at this meeting as well. Members of the public are invited to submit comments to the City Council either in-person at the meeting on August 19th or by emailing cityclerk@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us. Written comments received by 2pm the day of the meeting will be provided to the City Council and posted online in advance of the meeting. Comments received after the deadline will be provided to the City Council and will be posted after the meeting.
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Picnic Rentals
Picnic rentals are available daily for reservation from dawn until dusk. Each reservation is for the full day and each site is only reserved once per day. Reserve online at el-cerrito.org/onlinereg. After reserving online, renters are provided a copy of their reservation confirmation receipt. Confirmation receipts should be brought to your rental as proof of reservation. Picnic sites must be relinquished to those with proof of reservation. Bounce Houses are allowed at Cerrito Vista picnic site only, and a certificate of insurance is required (submit by email to recreation@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us).
Park Restroom Keys
Restrooms at parks are kept locked for safety and sanitation. Keys can be purchased at the El Cerrito Community Center or Swim Center for $26 (refundable if key is returned).
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Upcoming City Advisory Body Meetings
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Committee on Aging: Wednesday, September 17 at 3pm, Council Chambers, City Hall - 10890 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito
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Park & Recreation Commission: Wednesday, August 27 at 7pm, Council Chambers, City Hall - 10890 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito
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Contact Info & Office Hours
El Cerrito Recreation Department Office at the El Cerrito Community Center
7007 Moeser Lane, El Cerrito, CA 94530
(510) 559-7000 • recreation@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
Open Monday-Thursday from 9am-5pm, Friday by Appointment
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