community
Drag queens danced through the crowd as families picnicked and children mingled with chickens, goats and rabbits at El Sobrante’s inaugural Pride celebration in La Moine Park on Sunday. The event also featured music by DJ Page Hodel, vendors from the business committee and information about resources offered through area nonprofits. Hundreds of people watched drag performances from Viva Commotion, Summer Lynn Spears, Angel De Vil and Ash N Tell Starlight, singing crowd favorites such as Kesha’s “We Are Who…
Dipping his brush into light blue paint, Peter Bakke filled numbered panels with the color. The sea was taking shape Saturday on the long wall in front of him, where dozens of other volunteers were applying shades of blue with careful strokes. Working all morning and much of the afternoon, the crew was the last of six to paint pieces of a mural called “Seeds to Harvest,” which stretches across 88 panels on a soundwall separating Richmond’s Parchester Village from…
Richmond’s first-ever Pride Parade will take place on Sunday, packing a lot of fun and entertainment into a three-block route. The parade, organized by Richmond Rainbow Pride, will kick off at 11 a.m. at Nicholl Park and make its way to Civic Center Plaza, where a festival will run until 3 p.m. The community is invited to enjoy food, live music and a celebration of Richmond’s diversity. Richmond council member Cesar Zepeda, who was instrumental in forming Richmond Rainbow Pride…
In the two months since the state Attorney General’s Office publicized arrests in a human trafficking sting with local agencies, including the Richmond Police Department, no charges have been filed in Contra Costa County and authorities remain tight-lipped about the mysterious case. In Richmond, two suspected traffickers were arrested, four citations were issued for solicitation of prostitution, and one firearm was recovered, according to Lt. Donald Patchin. Through a public record request, Richmond Confidential found that four people were arrested…
Andrea Pierce, who has lived in south Richmond for more than 60 years, is contemplating moving to a better environment for her grandchildren. “It is just not a good place anymore,” Pierce said about Richmond. “Even though I have been here 60-plus years, I have watched it change.” Many people align with Pierce’s views. According to the National Community Survey released in 2021, only 1 in 4 respondents found Richmond to be a good place to raise children. Though that…
Pulsing beats and whirling bodies fill up a cavernous hall at the Richmond Recreation Complex. It’s not Richmond’s newest nightclub — it’s a Thursday evening Zumba class. Located in Richmond Village, the Richmond Recreation Complex offers Zumba and other activities for adults and children. There are volleyball leagues for middle schoolers and adults and drop-in pickleball, just to name a few. The complex offers 10 programs, according to data from Richmond’s Community Services Recreation Department. The newly released winter…
A new local news outlet plans to start covering Richmond this spring. The nonprofit journalism organization Cityside, known for the Berkeleyside and Oaklandside news sites, said it hopes to launch a third publication, Richmondside, by the end of March. Chief Content Officer Tracey Taylor said they are opening the new site after receiving an “overwhelmingly positive response” to community outreach. “We’ll hopefully be able to do very consistent, regular reporting, which helps people understand what’s going on in their cities,”…
Twenty years ago, the Hilltop Mall was the place to be in Richmond. It was a bustling shopping area full of life, and around this time of the year, it would have been extra busy with holiday shoppers. Today, the mall is vacant and isolated, stores are empty and dark, with only Walmart open. But Hilltop’s owner says the site has a promising future providing three things Richmond needs: employment opportunities, retail space and mixed-use housing. Prologis, an industrial real…
The atmosphere was joyous at Veterans Hall in Richmond Saturday, where more than 100 people celebrated Native American culture with drumming, singing, crafts, food and the traditional dancing contest. This year’s 13th Annual Richmond Contest Powwow was held during Native American Heritage Month and on Veterans Day, which organizers saw as an opportunity to honor the many native people who have served in the military. “It is great that we are finally being recognized,” said Jordan Wilson of Stockton, whose…