Happy Thursday, everyone!

The Island is rolling into the long holiday week, and the headliner is just around the corner. The Mayor's 4th of July Parade returns Saturday, July 4, and this year is a big one: America turns 250 and the Alameda Fire Department turns 150. Before that, there is a free outdoor movie night under the stars on Friday, a VTuber festival on a real aircraft carrier on Saturday, and the last weekend to catch a Pulitzer winner at Altarena.

In the news, a pro soccer team wants to drop a pop-up 8,000-seat stadium on Bay Farm, free summer boat rides are back across the estuary, and the school board just wrapped its year. Grab a coffee and let's get into it.

Let's dive in!

In this week's email:

• Featured Events: The 4th of July Parade & the Return of the Terns bus tour

• Alameda News: A pop-up soccer stadium pitched for Bay Farm, free summer boat rides, AUSD's plan & more

• Restaurant of the Week: Leña, Alameda's new Mexican spot

• This Week's Events: movies, trivia, live music, running & more

• Houses on the Market: New Alameda Listings

Read time: 8 mins

FEATURED EVENTS

Alameda Mayor's 4th of July Parade

This is the big one. Alameda's parade is billed as the longest Independence Day parade in the nation, a 3.3-mile celebration with more than 150 entries winding down Park Street, along Otis, and out to Webster. \

This year is a double celebration: it marks America's 250th birthday and the Alameda Fire Department's 150th anniversary, with the Fire Department serving as Grand Marshals. Stake out a curb early, bring chairs and sunscreen, and know that streets along the route start closing at 7 AM. If you want to move first, the R.A.C.E. 5K fun run benefiting the Midway Shelter steps off at 8:30 AM. Parade details / Sign up for the 5K

Sat, July 4 | Parade 10 AM, R.A.C.E. fun run 8:30 AM | Free | 📍 Park St & Lincoln Ave.

Return of the Terns Bus Tour

Here is a summer outing most Alamedans have never done. Every year, a small endangered seabird called the California Least Tern flies all the way up from Mexico to nest at Alameda Point, on a fenced-off piece of the old Navy base that is closed to the public the rest of the year. On this one Saturday, East Bay Regional Parks runs short bus tours out to the colony so you can watch the parent birds dive for fish and feed their fuzzy chicks up close. It starts with a quick talk at the Crab Cove Visitor Center, then you hop on the bus.

It sells out every year, so here is the best way to get a spot:

1. A few days ahead, go to ebparks.org (or call East Bay Regional Parks at 1-888-327-2757) and search "Return of the Terns."

2. Pick one of the three tour times and pay the small fee when you book.

3. Show up at the Crab Cove Visitor Center a little early on June 27.

Kids need to be at least 8 to ride along. More info

Sat, June 27 | Tours at 11 AM, 12:15 PM, and 1:30 PM | $11 adults, $9 kids (ages 8 and up) | 📍 Crab Cove Visitor Center

Alameda News

Pro Soccer Pitches a Pop-Up Stadium on Bay Farm

This is the one to watch this summer. Oakland Roots and Soul, the Bay Area's pro soccer clubs, have asked the city to let them build a temporary 8,000-seat stadium at their training facility on Harbor Bay Parkway, out on Bay Farm. The idea is to add movable stands to the field they already practice on and play roughly 20 to 24 Roots matches a year there, March through November, for up to five years while a permanent home gets built somewhere else. There would be no new parking lots. The clubs say they would share existing business-park spaces and run shuttles, including one from Coliseum BART, and concerts would not be allowed. The Planning Board took its first public look on June 22. Nothing is approved yet, and the plan still needs a use permit, design review, and an environmental study before any stands go up.

Source: KTVU | City of Alameda

Free Summer Boat Rides Are Back, If You're Quick Online

Here is a fun, free one hiding just across the estuary. The Port of Oakland is running free 90-minute narrated harbor cruises one Friday evening a month from June through October, leaving from the Oakland Ferry Terminal at Jack London Square, a quick hop for Alamedans. The next departures are July 10 and August 14, both 6:45 to 8:15 PM, with later sailings in September and October. There are only about 250 seats per cruise, and the free tickets go fast once they release online, so it pays to be ready.

Source: Patch

Alameda Schools Set Next Year's Priorities

The school year is out, but the school board capped it off with a packed final meeting on June 23. Up for sign-off: AUSD's Local Control and Accountability Plan, the document that steers how the district spends and what it focuses on, plus next year's budget. The plan leans into early literacy in grades K-3, math in grades 4-8, and more inclusive classrooms. If you want to see the priorities your kids' schools will run on next fall, the board's agenda and meeting materials are all public.

Source: AUSD Board Agendas & Minutes

Quick hits:

• Set an alarm: free tickets for the July 10 Port of Oakland harbor cruise drop Tuesday, June 30 at 8 PM and go in minutes. Details

• Want to be in the 4th of July Parade? Entries, the R.A.C.E. 5K, and volunteer spots are all on the city's parade page. Parade page

• If you missed it, the 58th Annual Sand Castle & Sculpture Contest packed Crown Beach again last Saturday. It is free every summer, so circle it for 2027. Recap

Restaurant of the Week

Leña

Alameda's newest Mexican restaurant just opened on Central Avenue, in the space that used to be the Alameda Comedy Club, and it already has the island talking. We stopped in to try their signature dishes.

Here is the honest part: the reviews are split. Plenty of folks say the food is genuinely good, while others have flagged the prices and felt the portions run small for what you pay. Our own take is positive, and we think Leña is worth a try, especially this early while a brand-new kitchen finds its rhythm.

We would love to know where you land. Have you eaten at Leña yet? Hit reply and tell us what you thought. We are genuinely curious how Alameda feels about this one.

Watch The Video

This Week's Events

Family & Kids

Starlight Movies in the Park: "The Aristocats" | Fri, June 26 | Pre-show 6:30 PM, movie at dusk | Free | 📍 Alameda Point Multi-Purpose Field. Disney's "The Aristocats" on a big outdoor screen, with pre-show games and crafts at 6:30 PM and proceeds going to the Alameda Youth Committee. More info

Live Music

Mio Flores SalSazz Trio: Latin & Salsa Night | Thu, June 25 | 7:30 - 10:30 PM | Free | 📍 Cinema Grill. Alameda's weekly live salsa night, no cover, just good rhythm. More info

Singer/Songwriter Open Mic | Wed, July 1 | List at 7:30 PM, music at 8 PM | Free | 📍 The Fireside Lounge. Bring a few songs and play beside a real wood-burning fireplace. More info

Shows & Entertainment

Luke Severeid: "Stand UP that's Metal AF" | Fri, June 26 | 8 - 10 PM | $17.85+ | 📍 Alameda Brewing. A metal-themed standup tour rolls through the brewery with guest Xander Beltran. Tickets

Artists of the African Diaspora: Closing Reception & Artist Talk | Fri, June 26 | 6 - 8 PM | Free | 📍 K Gallery at Rhythmix. The final night with the curator and nine local artists before the exhibit comes down. More info

'night, Mother at Altarena Playhouse | Fri & Sat, June 26 - 27, 7:30 PM; Sun, June 28, 2 PM | Ticketed | 📍 Altarena Playhouse. The Pulitzer-winning two-hander plays its closing weekend in the round. Tickets

Summer Splash VTuber Festival | Sat, June 27 | Doors 12 PM, show 1 PM | $25 | 📍 USS Hornet Museum. A VTuber concert in the hangar bay, and your ticket gets you the whole aircraft carrier. Tickets

Games, Drinks, & Vibes

Ocean Hoptimism: 1-Year Anniversary | Thu, June 25 | 7 - 8 PM | Free | 📍 Faction Brewing. Niko Kowell of Narwhal Divers talks ocean access and community, plus birthday vibes. More info

Heated Rivalry Trivia Night | Fri, June 26 | 7 - 9 PM | Free | 📍 Faction Brewing. Free-to-play trivia with prizes, no RSVP needed. More info

Pop-Up Karaoke Night | Fri, June 26 | 9 PM - 1 AM | Free | 📍 Hobnob. Alameda's premier Friday karaoke, with board games while you wait your turn. More info

Reboot Beatz & Backpacks | Sun, June 28 | 1 - 6 PM | Free with school supplies | 📍 Faction Brewing. A lineup of DJs spins for a back-to-school supply drive. More info

Trivia This Week | Thu - Wed | Free | 📍 Almanac Beer Co. (Thu June 25, 7 PM), Alameda Island Brewing (Tue June 30, 7 PM), The Fireside Lounge (Tue June 30, 7:30 PM), McGee's (Wed July 1, 6:30 PM). Pick your team and your bar. Almanac / AIB / Fireside / McGee's

Connection & Recreation

Downtown Farmers' Market + Thursday @ The Avenue | Thu, June 25 | Market 3 - 7 PM, block party 5 - 8 PM | Free | 📍 Alameda Ave at Park St. Shop the summer market, then stay for live music and outdoor games on the same block. More info

Kindred Running Club | Thu, June 25, 6:30 PM; Sat, June 27, 8 AM; Wed, July 1, 9 AM | Free | 📍 Kindred Running. An easy social run Thursday, a longer Saturday run, and a community walk Wednesday. More info

Webster Street Farmers' Market | Sat, June 27 & Tue, June 30 | 9 AM - 1 PM | Free | 📍 Haight Ave & Webster St. The year-round West End produce market. More info

Alameda Walks: June Walk | Sat, June 27 | 9 AM | Free | 📍 Crab Cove. ARPD's guided shoreline walk, about an hour, talking wildlife and shoreline resilience. More info

Coming Up: Early July

Alameda Point Antiques Faire | Sun, July 5 | 6 AM - 3 PM | $5 to $20, kids free | 📍 Alameda Point. Northern California's largest antiques show, with 800+ sellers on the old base runway and wide Bay views, everything at least 20 years old. Plan your visit

USS Hornet: 4th of July 250th Birthday Bash | Sat, July 4 | 10 AM - 5 PM | Ticketed | 📍 USS Hornet Museum. Spend the holiday on the flight deck of a real aircraft carrier with music, games, and tours as the country turns 250. Tickets

Alameda's Angels: July 3rd King Take Over | Fri, July 3 | Doors 7 PM, show 8 PM | Ticketed | 📍 Faction Brewing. An all-ages drag-king takeover hosted by Summer Lynn Spears, with food from La Santa Torta. Tickets

Have something locals should know about? Submit an event or email alamedapulse@gmail.com.

HOUSES ON THE MARKET

Alameda Listings

Want your business in front of thousands of Alamedans? Email us at alamedapulse@gmail.com

For Frankie