If you’re bored this weekend, that’s on you
A smart weekly look at the East Bay
through the lens of local life, housing, and development.
What the market is telling us
Mortgage rates just took another pretty big step in the wrong direction.
In the latest Freddie Mac reading, the average 30-year fixed mortgage hit 6.95%, up from 6.76% the week before and 6.71% two weeks earlier.
Meanwhile, Redfin says pending home sales fell 3.5% week over week to their lowest level in nearly three years. New listings are still 1.5% higher than a year ago, which means the buyers who are still shopping generally have more choices and less competition.
That’s an odd combination: fewer buyers are jumping in, but the ones who are still shopping are paying more for the money they borrow.
My read: affordability is doing a lot of the negotiating right now. Buyers who can handle the payment have room to be selective. Sellers can absolutely still get a strong result, but there’s less tolerance for aspirational pricing.
The local read
The latest Walnut Creek numbers are a pretty good example of how strange this market is.
The three-month median sale price is about $868,000, down 2.2% from a year ago, and homes took a median 28 days to sell. But 36.3% still sold above asking while 32.1% had a price reduction.
That is basically two markets operating at the same time.
A house that buyers want, presented well and priced correctly, can still generate real competition. Miss on price or presentation and buyers seem perfectly comfortable waiting you out.
What I’d actually put on the calendar
Walnut Creek
Bite Back Hunger Restaurant Week
Sept. 24–30 | Participating restaurants around Contra Costa County
Eat at participating restaurants and help support the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.
Sunrise Yoga
Sept. 24 + Sept. 29 + Oct. 1 | 6:30–7:20 AM | Behavioral Fitness
Morning Vinyasa flow combining flexibility, balance, strength and endurance.
Toddler Storytime & Play
Sept. 24 + Oct. 1 | 10:15–10:45 AM | Walnut Creek Library
Songs, stories, movement and playtime for young children.
Intro to Yoga
Sept. 24 + Sept. 29 + Oct. 1 | 10:30–11:30 AM | Behavioral Fitness
Beginner-friendly yoga in a small-group setting.
ESL Conversation Group
Sept. 24 | 2–3 PM | Walnut Creek Library
Drop-in English conversation practice for adult learners.
Crafternoons with I Heart Art
Sept. 24 | 4:30–5:30 PM | Walnut Creek Library
After-school arts and crafts for ages 5–12.
Trivia & Line Dancing Thursdays
Sept. 24 + Oct. 1 | 6:30–11:30 PM | Bourbon Highway
Trivia downstairs followed by line dancing upstairs.
Free Everyday Strength & Mobility
Sept. 25 + Sept. 29 + Sept. 30 | Various times | Behavioral Fitness
Guided workouts focused on strength, balance, mobility and healthy aging.
CPR & First Aid Classes
Sept. 25 + Sept. 30 | 9–10 AM | Walnut Creek
CPR and first-aid training.
Balance & Mobility 55+
Sept. 25 | 10:30–11:15 AM + Sept. 28 & Sept. 30 | 11:30 AM–12:15 PM | Behavioral Fitness
Low-impact strength, mobility and balance programming.
Walnut Creek Oktoberfest
Sept. 25 | 5–9 PM + Sept. 26 | Noon–9 PM | Civic Park
German beer, bratwurst, live music, Bavarian dancing, vendors and Kinder Karneval.
Four-Course Wine Dinner
Sept. 25 | 6–9 PM | Bay Club
Four-course dinner paired with wines from several regions.
Live Country Music, Line Dancing & Karaoke
Sept. 25 + Sept. 26 | 6:30 PM–1 AM | Bourbon Highway
Live music, dancing, DJ and karaoke.
Rooted in Soul: Free Guided Meditation
Sept. 25 | 7–8:30 PM | Rooted Coffee Co.
Beginner-friendly guided meditation downtown.
Tai Chi: Exploring Five Traditional Styles
Sept. 26 | 9:30–10:30 AM | Behavioral Fitness
An introduction to movements from five traditional Tai Chi styles.
Live. Wild. Animals! South American Wildlife Exhibition
Sept. 26 | 10 AM members + Noon general admission | Lindsay Wildlife Experience
One-day special exhibition featuring South American wildlife.
Qigong Eight Brocades
Sept. 26 | 10:45–11:45 AM | Behavioral Fitness
Introductory class in the traditional Eight Brocades Qigong system.
Ballet Folklorico Netzahualcoyotl
Sept. 26 | Noon–1 PM | Walnut Creek Library
Traditional Mexican folklórico dance and cultural presentation.
Unbroken Body Movement Workshop
Sept. 26 | 1:30–2:30 PM | YogaSix Walnut Creek
Mobility workshop focused on improving movement and flexibility.
Dungeons & Dragons
Sept. 26 | 2–4 PM | Walnut Creek Library
Teen D&D adventure for ages 13–18. Registration required.
Live Music Saturdays at Headlands
Sept. 26 | 2–5 PM | Headlands Brewing Walnut Creek
High Standards performs Saturday afternoon.
High Pile: Concepts in Tufting Opening Party
Sept. 26 | 5–7 PM | Bedford Gallery
Opening celebration for Bedford’s new contemporary tufting exhibition.
Neon Scorpion & Tarantula Hike
Sept. 26 | 6–8 PM | Mitchell Canyon
Lindsay Wildlife naturalists lead an evening search for glowing scorpions and tarantulas.
California Symphony: Sibelius, Higdon and Bartók
Sept. 26 | 7:30 PM + Sept. 27 | 4 PM | Lesher Center
California Symphony opens its 40th anniversary season.
The Glass Menagerie
Through Sept. 27 | Lesher Center
Final weekend of Center REP’s Tennessee Williams production.
Elevate & Celebrate Gala
Sept. 27 | 4–7:30 PM
Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area’s annual fundraising celebration.
Morning Vinyasa Flow
Sept. 28 | 8–8:50 AM | Behavioral Fitness
Monday-morning Vinyasa class.
Free Monday Morning Yoga
Sept. 28 | 9–10 AM | Behavioral Fitness
Free mindfulness and movement session.
Pretty Tea Party
Sept. 28 | 11 AM–2 PM | Pretty Tea Parties
Downton Abbey-inspired tea, garden-hat contest and bingo for Walnut Creek Seniors Club members.
College Planning
Sept. 28 | 4:30–5:30 PM | Walnut Creek Library
College costs, financial aid, scholarships and planning for teens and parents.
Rotary Club of Walnut Creek Weekly Meeting
Sept. 29 | Walnut Creek
Weekly Rotary gathering with speakers and community-service networking.
National Coffee Day
Sept. 29 | Duck Donuts
National Coffee Day promotion downtown.
California’s “Second Spring”
Sept. 30 | 10–11:30 AM | Our Garden at Shadelands
UC Master Gardeners cover transitioning from summer crops into fall and winter vegetables.
Strength Foundations
Sept. 30 | 12:30–1:15 PM | Behavioral Fitness
Functional strength and longevity class.
Boots & Bingo
Sept. 30 | 6:30–11:30 PM | Bourbon Highway
Bingo followed by music and dancing.
Saatva Walnut Creek Grand Opening
Oct. 1 | 5–7 PM | 1619 Mt. Diablo Blvd.
Grand-opening celebration with golf and wellness activations.
ØL Beer Cafe Comedy Night
Oct. 1 | 7:30–8:30 PM | ØL Beercafe & Bottle Shop
Thursday-night stand-up comedy downtown.
Pleasant Hill
Re-inspired: A Faculty Art Show
Sept. 24 | 9 AM–4 PM + Sept. 25 | 9 AM–1 PM | Diablo Valley College Art Complex
DVC art and digital-media faculty and staff show their work in the college’s first exhibition of the school year.
Computer Help
Sept. 24, 26 & 30 | 10 AM–Noon + Sept. 28 | Noon–2 PM + Oct. 1 | 10 AM–Noon | Pleasant Hill Library
Volunteer computer docents help with email, documents, web searches, printing, Libby and other basic tech questions.
Understanding Geriatric Health: Common Challenges & Smart Solutions
Sept. 24 | 10:30–11:30 AM | Pleasant Hill Senior Center
A free presentation on common health concerns associated with aging, prevention strategies and maintaining independence.
Storytime + Stay & Play
Sept. 24 + Oct. 1 | 11 AM–Noon | Pleasant Hill Library
Stories, songs and movement for young kids, followed by open playtime.
Good Roots Psychotherapy Ribbon Cutting
Sept. 24 | 4:30–5:30 PM | 395 Taylor Blvd., Suite 205
The Pleasant Hill Chamber celebrates Good Roots Psychotherapy’s new Pleasant Hill location.
Off the Grid Pleasant Hill
Sept. 24 + Oct. 1 | 5–9 PM | Pleasant Hill City Hall
Thursday-night food trucks, outdoor dining and community gathering on the City Hall lawn.
Free Poker Tournament at CJ’s
Sept. 24, Sept. 25 + Oct. 1 | 7–11 PM | CJ’s Saloon
Free Texas Hold ’Em tournament. Beginners welcome; 21+.
Fourth Friday Coffee
Sept. 25 | 8–9:30 AM | Latte Da Espresso & More
Casual Pleasant Hill Chamber networking with coffee and pastries.
Contra Costa Humane Society Adoption Hours
Sept. 25 | 1–3 PM + Sept. 26–27 | 11 AM–3 PM | Contra Costa Humane Society
Meet adoptable animals at the Pleasant Hill shelter.
DVC Horticulture September Plant Sale
Sept. 25 | 3–6 PM + Sept. 26 | 10 AM–2 PM | Diablo Valley College Horticulture Nursery
Vegetables, flowers, ornamentals, California natives and harder-to-find fruiting varieties grown by DVC students. Most plants are under $10.
Pleasant Hill Farmers Market
Sept. 26 | 9 AM–1 PM | Pleasant Hill City Hall
Year-round Saturday market with produce, artisan foods, local vendors and entertainment.
World Fusion Festival
Sept. 26 | 10 AM–2 PM | Pleasant Hill Park
Live cultural performances, international food, artisan vendors, wellness booths and family activities. Free.
LEGO Builders Club
Sept. 26 | 2–4 PM | Pleasant Hill Library
Free drop-in LEGO building for all ages and abilities.
Joyous Jubilee
Sept. 26 | 4 PM Mass + 5–9 PM Reception, Dinner & Program | Christ the King
A community celebration honoring longtime clergy and religious leaders, followed by dinner and tributes. Tickets required.
Contra Costa Game Night
Sept. 26 | 6:30–10 PM | Mountain Mike’s Pizza, 30 Golf Club Rd.
Bring a favorite board game or join one already underway. Ages 18+.
Breath Mystery Live Experience 3.0
Sept. 27 | 5:45–8:15 PM | Desired Effect Studio, 1948 Oak Park Blvd.
A guided breathwork, rhythm and voice experience.
Teen Drop-In
Sept. 28 | 2:45–3:45 PM | Pleasant Hill Library
Crafts, movies, games, snacks, homework or just a place to hang out after school for grades 6–12.
Drop-In Shop for Adults
Sept. 28 | 6–7:45 PM | Pleasant Hill Library Maker Space
Open makerspace for adults with sewing machines, 3D printing, laser cutting and craft equipment.
Clutter-Free: How to Let Go and Get Organized!
Sept. 28 | 6:30–7:30 PM | Pleasant Hill Library
Professional organizer and certified Marie Kondo consultant Jenna Carlsson shares practical strategies for decluttering.
Contra Costa County Block Party
Sept. 29 | 4–7 PM | Pleasant Hill Library
A big free community event with County services, food trucks, crafts, family activities and local resources.
Drop-In Knitting & Sewing
Sept. 29 | 6–7:45 PM | Pleasant Hill Library Maker Space
Bring your own knitting or sewing project. All experience levels welcome.
I Heart Toddler Art
Sept. 30 | 11 AM–Noon | Pleasant Hill Library
Storytime plus a hands-on art project for toddlers and preschoolers.
I Heart After School Art
Sept. 30 | 1:30–3:30 PM | Pleasant Hill Library Maker Space
Open art studio for elementary and middle-school students.
Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch Day Trip
Oct. 1 | Approx. 8:45 AM–3:15 PM | Departing Pleasant Hill Senior Center
Senior Center day trip to Spina Farms in Morgan Hill. Advance registration required.
Career Closet Pop-Up
Oct. 1 | 11 AM–2 PM | DVC Commons Plaza
Free professional and everyday clothing through DVC Career Services and Basic Needs. Primarily intended for DVC students.
Sewing Studio Basics
Oct. 1 | 3–5 PM | Pleasant Hill Library
Beginner sewing-machine workshop for tweens and teens. Registration is currently listed as full.
Back Forty Oak Porch Ribbon Cutting & Patio Party
Oct. 1 | 4–9 PM | Back Forty, 100 Coggins Dr.
Grand reveal of the new Oak Porch with complimentary food, drinks and live music. Ribbon cutting at 4:45 PM; music from 5–8 PM.
English Movie Night: Project Hail Mary
Oct. 1 | 6–9 PM | Diablo Valley College
DVC’s English Department hosts a campus movie night.
Lamorinda
Lafayette
Storytime Junction
Sept. 24 + Oct. 1 | 10:30–11 AM | Lafayette Library
Songs and stories for babies, toddlers and young children.
West Coast ALT Fair
Sept. 24 | 5–8 PM | Lafayette Library
Alternatives to the traditional four-year-college path for teens, young adults and families.
Steel Magnolias
Sept. 25 + Sept. 26 | 7 PM + Sept. 27 | 2 PM + Oct. 1 | 7 PM | Town Hall Theatre
Town Hall Theatre’s production of the classic comedy-drama.
Tech Help
Sept. 26 | 11 AM–1 PM | Lafayette Library
Drop-in help with phones, tablets and computers.
Live Music Sundays at Headlands
Sept. 27 | 1–4 PM | Headlands Brewing Lafayette
Brad Edelman Trio in the beer garden.
Live Music Tuesdays with Christian Eck
Sept. 29 | 5:30–7:30 PM | Headlands Brewing Lafayette
Tuesday evening live music.
Moraga
Mid-Autumn Festival Calligraphy Workshop
Sept. 25 | 3–4 PM | Moraga Library
Traditional Chinese brush-calligraphy workshop.
Moraga Pear & Wine Festival
Sept. 26 | 11 AM–3 PM | Moraga Commons
Food, wine, music, kids activities, community booths and pear pies.
Yoga in the Galleries
Sept. 26 | 11:45 AM–12:45 PM | Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art
Vinyasa yoga inside the museum galleries.
Saint Mary’s vs. San Francisco Men’s Soccer
Sept. 26 | 1 PM | Saint Mary’s Stadium
The Gaels host USF.
The Magic of Manos Hidden Image Search
Sept. 29 | All day | Moraga Library
Hispanic Heritage Month scavenger-style activity highlighting Latin American handicrafts.
Moraga Library Storytime
Sept. 30 | 10:30–11 AM | Moraga Library
Stories and songs for young kids.
Sketch Sessions
Sept. 30 | 1–2 PM | Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art
Casual gallery sketching with supplies available.
Art Hazelwood: Artist Tour of Choreographies of Calamity
Oct. 1 | 10–11 AM | Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art
Artist-led exhibition tour.
LEGO Lounge
Oct. 1 | 4–5 PM | Moraga Library
LEGO building and music for kids.
Orinda
Women Director Series: The Trouble with Angels
Sept. 24 | 7:30 PM | Orinda Theatre
Screening of Ida Lupino’s 1966 comedy.
Dracula
Sept. 24 | 8 PM + Sept. 25 & 26 | evening performances | Orinda Community Center Park Amphitheatre
Final weekend of the Orinda Starlight Village Players production. Downtown Orinda’s official calendar confirms the Sept. 24–26 performances.
Boys of Summer: The Music of The Eagles
Sept. 25 | 7:30–9:30 PM | Orinda Theatre
Live Eagles tribute concert.
Orinda Farmers’ Market
Sept. 26 | 9 AM–1 PM | Orinda Way
Saturday farmers market in the Village District.
Free Historic Orinda Theatre Tour
Sept. 27 | 10 AM–12:30 PM | Orinda Theatre
Free tour of the historic 1941 theater.
Cinema Craft Series: Suddenly, Last Summer
Sept. 27 | 1 PM | Orinda Theatre
Film discussion and screening hosted by Matías Bombal.
Classic Movie Matinee
Sept. 29 | 1–3 PM | Orinda Theatre
Monthly classic-film matinee.
The Freestone Peaches: Concert in the Park Finale
Oct. 1 | 6–8 PM | Orinda Community Park
Free season-ending outdoor concert with food trucks.
Concord
Storytime at Concord Library
Sept. 24 + Oct. 1 | 10:30–11:30 AM | Concord Library
Songs, stories and movement for young children.
Music & Market Season Finale
Sept. 24 | 4–8 PM | Todos Santos Plaza
Farmers market at 4 PM followed by the season’s final free concert at 6:30 PM.
Read to a Dog
Sept. 24 | 4–5 PM | Concord Library
Kids practice reading with a Joybound therapy dog.
Storytime with AAC
Sept. 26 | 10:30–11:30 AM | Concord Library
Inclusive storytime designed for children who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication.
Epidemic Ales Oktoberfest Party
Sept. 26 | Noon–10 PM | Epidemic Ales
Oktoberfest beer, German food, karaoke and ceremonial keg tapping.
Concord Pedal Fest
Sept. 27 | 10 AM–2 PM | Baldwin Park + Olympic High School
Bike activities, skills courses and family programming.
Art Therapy
Sept. 28 | 1–2 PM | Concord Library
Creative wellness session for adults, teens and tweens.
BYOC Movie Night
Sept. 28 | 5:30–7:30 PM | Concord Library
Bring your own chair or blanket. Popcorn provided.
Concord Taco Trail Challenge
Ongoing through Oct. 15 | Restaurants throughout Concord
Visit participating taquerias, collect stickers and vote for favorites.
Martinez
Sustainable Homes Workshop
Sept. 24 | 6–7 PM | Online
Free workshop on electrification, heat pumps, solar, EVs, native landscaping and sustainable homes.
Aire Libre Weekend
Sept. 25–27 | Downtown Martinez
Weekend downtown street activation for strolling and outdoor dining. The City calendar confirms Saturday hours of 10 AM–10 PM and Sunday 10 AM–7 PM.
Martinez Library Storytime
Sept. 26 | 10–10:30 AM | Martinez Library
Stories, songs and Stay & Play.
Martinez Library 85th Birthday Party
Sept. 26 | 2:30–3:30 PM | Martinez Library
Library birthday celebration with Fratello Marionettes.
Mt. Wanda Full Moon Hike
Sept. 26 | 5:30–7:30 PM | Mt. Wanda
Evening docent-led hike as part of Martinez’s 150th anniversary programming.
Comedy Under the Stars
Sept. 26 | 7–9 PM | Susana Street Park
Outdoor stand-up comedy.
MRC-MEF Run for Education
Sept. 27 | 8:30–10:30 AM | Downtown Martinez
Community run/walk benefiting Martinez schools.
Downtown Farmers’ Market
Sept. 27 | 9 AM–1 PM | Downtown Martinez
Sunday farmers market.
Martinez Library Book Club
Sept. 29 | 6–7 PM | Martinez Library
September discussion of A Separate Peace by John Knowles.
Meetings that matter
Walnut Creek
General Plan 2050 Community Workshop
September 24 | 5:30–7:30 PM | Civic Park Community Center
This is probably the Walnut Creek meeting I’d pay the most attention to this week. It’s the first community workshop for the General Plan update that will guide housing, transportation, parks, jobs and growth through 2050. It’s an open-house format, so you can drop in rather than sitting through a two-hour meeting.
Lafayette
Objective Design Standards
City Council | September 28
Lafayette has been working on new objective standards governing the design, form and site layout of multifamily and mixed-use housing. The City had tentatively scheduled the standards to come before the Council on Sept. 28 after Planning Commission review earlier this month.
Moraga
Special Planning Commission Meeting
September 29 | 6:30 PM
Moraga has called a special Planning Commission meeting for Tuesday evening.
Concord
Special Parks, Recreation & Open Space Commission Meeting
September 29 | 5:30 PM | Civic Center
Concord’s regular Design Review Board meeting scheduled for Sept. 24 has been canceled, but the Parks, Recreation & Open Space Commission has a special meeting Tuesday evening.
Martinez
Veterans Commission
October 1 | 6:30–8:30 PM
It’s a relatively light City Hall week in Martinez. The Veterans Commission meets Thursday evening.
The scoreboard
Here’s the latest three-month market snapshot across the cities I track:
Walnut Creek, including Rossmoor: $868,425 median | 317 sold | 28 days on market
Pleasant Hill: $948,372 median | 97 sold | 18 days on market
Lafayette: $2,038,651 median | 81 sold | 15 days on market
Moraga: $1,750,092 median | 45 sold | 14 days on market
Orinda: $1,998,677 median | 61 sold | 14 days on market
Concord: $758,248 median | 271 sold | 24 days on market
Martinez: $813,462 median | 102 sold | 20 days on market
The price spread is still remarkable. Concord and Martinez are roughly in the $760,000–$815,000 range, Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill are around $870,000–$950,000, and then Lamorinda jumps to roughly $1.75 million–$2.04 million.
What’s interesting is that the days-on-market spread isn’t nearly as dramatic. Moraga and Orinda are at 14 days, Lafayette 15, Pleasant Hill 18, Martinez 20, Concord 24 and Walnut Creek 28.
5 Star For Sale Property
1 bed | 1 bath | 726 sqft
$435,000
Eat out this week and help the Food Bank!
Bite Back Hunger Restaurant Week runs September 24–30, with participating restaurants donating a portion of qualifying sales to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.
And there are participating restaurants all over the areas we cover, including Bar Camino, Headlands and Melo’s in Walnut Creek; Headlands, RÊVE Bistro and Rancho Cantina in Lafayette; Luna in Concord; and Slow Hand BBQ in Martinez.
So if you were planning to eat out anyway, this is a pretty painless way to make dinner do a little extra work.
Hog Island is coming to Lafayette
Here’s one I suspect will get some attention.
Hog Island Oyster Co. is opening its first East Bay oyster bar in Lafayette.
The company is taking over the former Barranco space at 3596 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, with an opening planned for early 2027. Plans call for about 130 seats, including a 40-seat patio, along with lunch, dinner and a full bar. The menu will feature Hog Island oysters from Tomales and Humboldt bays plus staples like clam chowder, po’ boys and fish and chips.
For anyone used to driving to the Ferry Building or Larkspur for Hog Island, Lafayette is about to become a much easier commute.
If there’s an East Bay neighborhood, project, local issue, event, or market question you want me to cover in a future edition, hit reply and send it my way.
– Brendan