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The Alameda Pulse
Sean
September 24, 2026
Happy Thursday, everyone!
Halloween is getting an early start aboard the Hornet tonight. Downtown's first Tequila & Mezcal Stroll is tomorrow, and Faction turns 13 with eight bands on Saturday. There's a lot packed into September's last weekend.
We've also got a look at Island High's future, an update on the road projects you'll be driving through, and the results from Alameda's $1,000-a-month income pilot. Plus, I finally sat down for afternoon tea at Malaya.
Let's dive in!
In this week's email:
Featured Events: Tequila & Mezcal Stroll, Haunted Hornet and Faction's birthday
Alameda News: Island High, road construction and Rise Up Alameda
Restaurant of the Week: Malaysian afternoon tea at Malaya Tea Room
Community Spotlight: Girl Scout badge workshops at the Radio Museum
This Week's Events: A romance-book pop-up, free crafts, live music and more
Houses on the Market: New Alameda listings
Read time: 8 mins
FEATURED EVENTS
Friday, Sep 25 | 6 to 9 PM | General admission $75; designated driver $30 | 📍 Downtown Alameda.
Downtown's first agave stroll is tomorrow night. You'll take a tasting glass from shop to shop for tequila and mezcal pours, with small bites at participating stops. General admission includes the glass, tastings and a guide; the designated-driver ticket includes bites where offered, without alcohol. VIP tickets are $95 and add an earlier seated tasting. It's a 21+ event.
Code: PULSE10 for $10 off
Thursday through Saturday, Sep 24 to 26 | 6:30 to 10 PM | $33.52 online, $38.77 at the door | 📍 USS Hornet.
The Hornet becomes a haunted attraction starting tonight. The Devil's Sea takes the scares aboard an actual aircraft carrier, with an immersive show built around its Halloween theme. Recommended for ages 13+; under-16s need an adult. Book a timed entry ahead.
Saturday, Sep 26 | Noon to 9 PM | 📍 Faction Brewing.
Eight bands are playing Faction's birthday party on Saturday. The brewery is sharing its 13th with community radio station KXSF's eighth anniversary. The lineup includes UFO Baby, Hollow Minds, Short Dogs Grow, C Breezy Quartet, BRNR, Church of the Dead, Lost Puppy Forever and Rotten Core.
Photos: AUSD campus archive; City of Alameda; Rise Up Alameda / Abt Global report cover.
The Lincoln Avenue, Marshall Way and Pacific Avenue safety rebuild is now listed for construction in 2028. The city's midyear transportation report, back before the Transportation Commission this week, says the delay avoids overlapping the Oakland Alameda Access Project. A West End portion could still happen earlier. This is the report's updated schedule, not a new construction vote.
Caltrans work on Doolittle, Otis and Broadway is expected to reach Alameda this fall and continue into early 2027. That project started farther south in San Leandro and is moving north. If those streets are part of your school run or commute, they're the nearer-term work to watch. Read the project updates →
Island High has 38 students in this year's day-20 enrollment count, down from 53 last year. The figures appear in AUSD's September 22 board packet alongside draft minutes from an earlier discussion about the continuation high school. Island helps students catch up on credits, and its current staffing and schedule were designed for a larger enrollment.
AUSD's review is still in the planning stage. The September 8 discussion covered schedules, student support, internships and possibly sharing a campus with other district services or a comprehensive high school. Staff plan to return with potential changes later in the year. Any schedule changes discussed for November referred to the 2027-28 school year. Read the board packet →
Source: Alameda Unified School District
Alameda's two-year guaranteed-income pilot helped participants build savings and reduce debt, according to its final evaluation. Rise Up Alameda paid 150 low-income households $1,000 a month from 2023 to 2025. At the two-year mark, 35% of participants reported more than $500 in savings, compared with 12% of the comparison group.
The results were encouraging, but they weren't improvements across the board. Participants reported less financial stress, and researchers found no detectable reduction in hours worked. They did not find consistent improvements in housing or food insecurity. The final report goes to the Social Service Human Relations Board tonight; this is a look at a completed pilot, not a new application round. Read the findings →
A live power-outage map is coming, but not this winter. Alameda Municipal Power says its new system will bring automatic text and email updates alongside a public map. The target is fall 2027. AMP's update
Alameda is getting ready for a potentially rough winter. City crews are servicing pumps, clearing storm drains and staging barricades as scientists warn about El Niño and coastal flooding. KQED's report
Monday's Planning Board meeting is canceled. Check the next posted agenda before heading to City Hall. City meeting notice
I finally sat down for the afternoon tea at Malaya Tea Room, and it's not the tea service you're picturing. Leena Lim grew up going to afternoon tea with her mom in Kuala Lumpur, so the British format is all there, and then half the sandwiches are Malaysian.
The $48 service gets you three sandwich flavors, a scone with clotted cream and preserves, three sweets and a pot of tea. The fillings are the fun part: curry chicken, kaya coconut jam with cold sliced butter, and bak kwa, a Malaysian pork jerky. Kaya is a $1 add-on and bak kwa is $3. On weekends they pour Malaysian pulled tea too.
They're open Thursday through Sunday, with three seatings a day and a $45 per-person minimum. You'll find them at 920 Central Avenue. Book ahead, because the room is small.
The California Historical Radio Society has teamed up with Girl Scouts of Northern California for a new season of badge workshops. At the Alameda museum, scouts will work with Morse code, radio plays, filmmaking and other hands-on projects.
Registration is open now for the first October 3 sessions: Junior Detective, using coded messages, is $35; Cadette Public Speaker, built around performing a radio play, is $40. These offerings are specifically for GSNorCal members, with separate programs for different badge levels. If you have a scout at home, check the level before booking.
Pleasure Reading romance-book pop-up | Sunday, Sep 27 | 2 to 6 PM | Free admission | 📍 The Rake at Admiral Maltings. Browse a local pop-up bookstore devoted to romance. Details
Alameda Farmers' Market | Saturday, Sep 26 & Tuesday, Sep 29 | 9 AM to 1 PM | Free admission | 📍 Haight Ave & Webster St. Produce, flowers and something for the walk home. Market info
Papel Picado Workshop | Thursday, Sep 24 | 4 to 5 PM | Free, registration required | 📍 West End Library. Mexican tissue-paper art with Rachel Palacios; ages 8+. Register
Crafty Afternoon with ARPD | Saturday, Sep 26 | Noon to 2 PM | Free | 📍 Alameda Brewing. All-ages crafts, supplies provided, no RSVP needed. Details
Weave Together | Thursday, Sep 24 | 6 to 8 PM | Donation suggested | 📍 Frank Bette Center. Bring your portable loom and materials; a meetup, not instruction. Details
Sanctuary call for art | Sunday, Sep 27 | 11 AM to 5 PM | 📍 Frank Bette Center. Bring submissions for October's show; read the prospectus first. Artist requirements
Venezuela Vibra y Renace | Sunday, Sep 27 | 5:30 to 7:30 PM | $29 to $104 | 📍 Rhythmix Cultural Works. Jackeline Rago's benefit concert supports musicians affected by earthquakes. Tickets
Surf Monsters | Sunday, Sep 27 | 12:30 to 4:15 PM | Free admission | 📍 Dashe Cellars. Surf music by the water; reserve a table ahead. Reservations
Live music at Cinema Grill | Thursday, Sep 24, 7:30 to 10:30 PM; Friday & Saturday, Sep 25 to 26, 7:30 to 10:15 PM | 📍 Cinema Grill. Mio Flores SalSazz Thursday; Larrie Noble's Phree Thinkers Friday/Saturday. Lineup
Dave's Swing-time Big Band Concert | Monday, Sep 28 | 7:30 to 9:30 PM | $5 optional donation | 📍 Temple Israel of Alameda. A 17-piece big band and singer; dancing welcome. Venue calendar
Singer-Songwriter Open Mic | Wednesday, Sep 30 | 7:30 PM | 📍 The Fireside Lounge. Original songs and local performers. Details
Radium Stories: The Side Show | Thursday, Sep 24 | Doors 6:30 PM; show 7:30 to 9:30 PM | $30 advance, $35 door | 📍 Radium Runway. September's storytelling show goes back to school. Tickets
La Mezcla SF screening | Saturday, Sep 26 | 2 to 4 PM | Free | 📍 Main Library. Dance films and conversation with the company's director. Details
Kristina Wong author talk | Tuesday, Sep 29 | 4:30 to 5:30 PM | Free | 📍 Main Library. Reading and signing for Auntie Kristina's Guide to Asian American Activism. Details
Oktoberfest at the Elks | Saturday, Sep 26 | Dachshunds 1 to 2 PM; brewing workshop 2 PM; dinner 6 PM | Free dogs meetup; workshop $25; dinner $35 | 📍 Alameda Elks Lodge. German music, dachshunds and a separate 21+ brewing workshop. Details
Ocean Hoptimism | Thursday, Sep 24 | 7 to 8 PM | Free | 📍 Faction Brewing. Fossils, ocean change and extinction with paleontologist Seth Finnegan. Details
Trivia Tuesday | Tuesday, Sep 29 | 7 to 9 PM | 📍 Alameda Brewing. Bring your team. Details
Fireside Trivia | Tuesday, Sep 29 | 7:30 PM | 📍 The Fireside Lounge. A little friendly competition with your drinks. Details
Thursdays on the Avenue | Thursday, Sep 24 | 5 to 8 PM | Free admission | 📍 Alameda Ave at Park St. Downtown's weekly outdoor gathering. Details
Annual Sukkah Hop | Sunday, Sep 27 | 11 AM to 3 PM | 📍 Temple Israel of Alameda. Start at the temple, then visit participating home sukkahs. Route details
Surround Sound Sound Bath | Friday, Sep 25 | 7:30 to 9 PM | $55 | 📍 Breathing Room. Jennifer Ekman's evening of sound; reserve your spot. Book
Kindred community runs and walk | Saturday, Sep 26, run 8 AM; Wednesday, Sep 30, walk 9 AM | 📍 Kindred Running. Saturday has 5K and 10K options. Meetup details
Kindred Thursday run | Thursday, Sep 24 | 6:30 PM | 📍 Park Station. Three miles, then an optional drink together. Meetup details
Bhangra Fundamentals with Vina | Monday, Sep 28 | 6:30 to 7:30 PM | $15 drop-in, advance signup required | 📍 Rhythmix Cultural Works. Punjabi folk dance, all levels welcome. Sign up
HOUSES ON THE MARKET
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