Good morning, Alameda!

If you’re new here, welcome!

This is the newsletter that helps you and 2,241+ other locals find the best things to do on the island.

Plus, the occasional spots worth the short drive or a ferry trip.

It’s a lighter week for big festivals, but there’s still plenty happening around town: Alameda Pride, live music, comedy, and fall fun all make the lineup.

Let’s dive into this week!

In this week’s email:

• Featured events: Alameda Pride & World of Dumplings!

• Local Spotlight: Dandelion Kaffe

• This Week’s Events

• News Around The Island

Community Poll

We’ve been thinking about hosting an Alameda Pulse mixer/happy hour. A laid-back way to meet locals, make new friends, and hang out over drinks.

Featured Events

Alameda Pride

Alameda Pride 5K | 9:00 AM | $50
📍 Starts at Alameda Elks Lodge (2255 Santa Clara Ave) — Kick off Pride with a fun, untimed community run supporting local LGBTQ+ programs.

Alameda Pride in the Park | 12:00 PM | Free
📍 Chochenyo Park — Enjoy live music, performances, food trucks, and local booths in a family-friendly celebration of inclusion and love.

Alameda Pride Block Party | 6:00 PM | Free
📍 Alameda Ave (near Park St.) — End the day with an outdoor block party full of dancing, DJs, and community vibes under the stars.
All Alameda Pride Info

World of Dumplings 2025

World of Dumplings | Sun Oct 12 | 11:00 AM–5:00 PM | Free Entry | More Info
📍 Ferry Building Marketplace, San Francisco
A dumpling lover’s dream! Taste your way around the world with 20+ vendors serving up handmade dumplings, cooking demos, and a lively beer garden. It’s all happening right at the Ferry Building. Hop on the Alameda Ferry and make a day of it.

Advertise with us by emailing: alamedapulse@gmail.com

Local Spotlight: Dandelion Kaffe

I stopped by the new Dandelion Kaffe on Park Street this week, and it felt like a place made for slowing down. It’s cozy, bright, and has lots of plants and windows that make it feel open and calm. There’s also a nice patio outside if you want to sit in the sun.

It gave me the kind of vibe where you’d meet a friend for brunch or stay a while to get some work done. I ordered the Tiramisu Latte and the Bulgogi Croissant. Both were really good, and the croissant was more filling than I expected. The staff was kind and even brought my food to the table, which was a nice surprise.

I’m already planning to go back and try their toasts or bowls next time!

Check out their menu

This Week’s Events

Live & Local

Live Music with Tone Mosaic 📍Park Station | Fri. Oct 10 | 6 - 9 PM | Free (pay for drinks/food). More info

Live Music with Ben Rice and the Portland Hustle 📍Park Station | Sat. Oct 11 | 4 - 7 PM | Free (pay for drinks/food). More Info

Jazz Jam 📍Park Station | Wed. Oct 15 | 6 - 8:30 PM | Free (pay for drinks/food). More Info

Music BINGO📍Alameda Brewing | Thurs, Oct 9 | 7-9 PM | Free | More info

Stand Up Comedy📍Dragon Rouge Bistro | Thurs, Oct 9 | 7:30 PM | $15-$20 | More info

Friday Flow | Fri Oct 10 | 5:15 PM | $20 | More info
📍 Breathing Room, Alameda – Gentle yoga flow for all levels; bring your mat.

Sunset Comedy @ Mersea | Fri Oct 10 | 7:00 PM | $15 | More info
📍 Alameda Comedy Club – Friday night laughs with Bay Area comedians.

Alameda Farmer’s Market | 9 AM | Free
📍 Haight Ave

The Soiled Dove | Fri–Sat Oct 10–11 | 9:00 PM | $85 | More info
📍 Radium Runway, Alameda – Immersive circus-themed dinner show under a big top with live performance and dining.

Trivia Night @ Almanac | Tues, Oct 14 | 6:30 - 8:30 PM | Free
📍Almanac, Alameda

Fleet Week | Sat- Sun, Oct 11 - 12 | 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM | Brews & Eats
📍Faction Brewing, Alameda | More info

Connection

Sip & Savor | Sat, Oct 11 | 7 - 8:30 PM | $3 to reserve your spot | More info
📍Park Station - Come solo or with friends, hang out, and make friends

East Bay Millennials & Gen Z Meet Up | 4 PM | Free | More info
📍Faction Brewing, Monarch St

Coffee & Conversations 55 and Over Singles | Sun. Oct 12 | 11 AM - 2 PM | Free
📍 Espresso Roma Cafe, Berkeley | More Info

Alameda & Beyond

World Of Dumplings 2025 | Sun, Oct 12 | 11 AM - 5 PM | Free | More info
📍1 Ferry Building, San Francisco

R&B and Ribs | Sun Oct 12 | 2–8 PM | Free | More info
📍 El Rio, 3158 Mission St, San Francisco
A backyard day party with Sticky Business BBQ, dope DJs, and pure good vibes at one of SF’s most inclusive and legendary queer spaces.

Comedy Oakland at The Lumpia Company | Fri, Oct 10 | $23
📍The Lumpia Company, 288 9th Ave, Oakland

Mixology & Music | Thu Oct 9 | 5:30–8:30 PM | $75+
📍 Rotunda Building, 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland
Twelve of Oakland’s best bartenders compete with live music, bites, and cocktail tastings for an unforgettable evening in the heart of downtown.

The Journey: A Benefit Gospel Concert | Sat Oct 11 | 2–4:15 PM | Donations
📍 4130 Telegraph Ave, Oakland
An uplifting afternoon of gospel music and community unity featuring Takiyah Franklin, Michelle Jordan, and more — raising funds to support local and global outreach efforts.

Community Fun/Activities

Art exhibit for Andres "The Boss" Landau | Sun, Oct 12 | 3 -7 PM
📍 Project Burger

Alameda Beach Cleanup | Thu Oct 9 | 11:00 AM | Free
📍 South Shore Beach – Volunteers meet to clean up the shoreline and protect the bay.

Celebrate the Navy’s 250th Birthday | Oct 10-13 | 10 AM - 5 PM | Free
📍 USS Hornet | Special exhibits and activities honoring the Navy

For the Family

Mother Goose on the Loose | Thu Oct 9 | 10:30 AM | Free
📍 Main Library, 1550 Oak St. – Songs, rhymes, and lap-sit fun for infants (0–2) and caregivers.

Banned Books Week Storytime | Thu Oct 9 | 10:30 AM | Free
📍 Bay Farm Island Library, 3221 McCartney Rd. – Family storytime celebrating the freedom to read.

Speers Family Farm Pumpkin Patch | Daily | Tickets
📍 2153 Ferry Point, Alameda Point – Pick pumpkins, explore the corn maze, and visit the petting zoo.

Stop the Hate Family Forum | 6 PM | Free
📍 Alameda High School

Cunamacué — Latin Cultural Performance | Sat Oct 11 | 2:00 PM
📍 Alameda Free Library (Main)
Celebrate Latin American heritage with music and performance in the library’s community space.

October Events Coming Up

Pumpkins in The Park | Sat, Oct 11 | 10 AM - 4 PM | More info
📍 Downtown San Jose - Pumpkin Decorating, booths, and family activities

Berkeley Harvest Festival (Family Friendly) | Sat, Oct 18 | Games, pie baking contest, kid games, and community booths. More info
📍 Cedar Rose Park, Berkeley

Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival | Oct 18 - 19 | Pumpkin art, crafts, a parade, and live entertainment.
📍Main St, Half Moon Bay

Bay Area Science Festival: Discovery Day | Oct 25 | The Bay Area’s biggest hands-on science expo with interactive exhibits from NASA, UC Berkeley, and local museums.
📍Oracle Park, San Francisco

Around the Island

Community News

One lane in each of Alameda’s tunnels is set to close as Caltrans begins major construction on the Oakland–Alameda Access Project in early 2026. The project aims to improve connections between Alameda and I-880 by first closing one lane in the Webster Tube for six months, then one lane in the Posey Tube for the following year. Source: City of Alameda (via Facebook)

A fake parking ticket scam has been reported in Oakland, where scammers place tickets with QR codes on cars to collect fake payments. Alameda drivers should stay alert in case similar scams appear around the island. Full article

Construction on the Oakland–Alameda Access Project is set to start in 2026. The project aims to make it easier and safer to travel between the two cities, with major road and ramp improvements planned. Full article

Some people question how Alameda County’s new investment plan will work. Critics say the policy sounds good, but doesn’t have clear steps yet for how it will be enforced or when it will begin.

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