Happy Thursday, everyone!

Alameda's wild turkeys have been a running joke for years. This week the joke got a little less funny. An 83-year-old neighbor ended up with six stitches after two of them came at her on an evening walk, and the police now have a warning for the rest of us. More on that below.

It is also Pride Month, and the island is showing up. Friday brings an all-ages drag show at Faction Brewing with queens from RuPaul's Drag Race. On Saturday, the Alameda Marina turns into a waterfront makers market. And if you drive near the Fruitvale Bridge, heads up: your route just changed this week.

Let's dive in!

In this week's email:

Read time: 8 mins

FEATURED EVENTS

Thu, June 4 | 3 - 7pm | Free |📍2324 Alameda Ave, Alameda

Downtown finally gets its own market, and it kicks off today. Every Thursday through early August, Alameda Avenue fills with Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association growers selling fresh produce, flowers, and local food. It is an easy after-work stop and a real boost for the downtown stretch all summer. Visit the market

Sat, June 6 | 11am - 4pm | Free | 📍Alameda Marina, 1815 Clement Ave

Spend Saturday by the water. Dozens of Bay Area makers set up along the marina with handmade goods, vintage finds, and food vendors. Free to walk through, easy to lose an afternoon in. Bring cash and a tote. See the market

Summer is one of the best times to get out, try new foods, and meet new people. but it can be hard to do that all on your own sometimes.

So, we started the Alameda Dinner Club!

Here's the idea: we reserve a table at Alameda's top restaurants, pair you up with a group of 5, and everyone meets at a local bar for more mingling!

You get to taste something new and meet five people you haven't met yet. No awkward icebreakers, no pressure. Just a fun night out and a few new friends by dessert.

Our May tables loved it, and some groups arrived 45 minutes late to the after-party because they loved their dinner group so much.

The next one lands Tuesday, June 23. Seats are $20 to reserve, and they go fast, so grab yours before the table fills up.

So if you're looking to try something new this summer, sign up below!

I finally took a class at Throwdown Ceramics, Alameda's newest pottery studio out at Alameda Point, and I loved it!

The whole place is very community-oriented, and you do not have to be "good at pottery" to walk in. Andrew talked me through my first wobbly bowl on the wheel and made the whole thing feel easy and fun.

They have courses and monthly memberships, but a lot of them are mostly sold out or full. If you’re looking to try it out, they have a few weekly experiences too!

The Friday "Try the Wheel" session is a two-hour drop-in for $100, with clay, tools, glazing, and firing all included. Same thing I did. And on Saturday, June 20, Margarete is leading a Face Mug and Planter workshop from 1 to 3:30 pm, $100 a person, 18 and up, capped at just 8 spots.

Been meaning to try something new this summer? This is your sign!

You have seen them strut across Park Street like they own it. This week they got dangerous. Mary Jo Kelly, 83, was on an evening walk when two turkeys rushed her from behind. She fell, broke her glasses, and needed six stitches at the ER for cuts to her face and hands.

Alameda police say spring is breeding and nesting season, when the birds turn bold and territorial. Animal Control says the city cannot remove them, so the fix falls on us. Keep your dog leashed, it is the law here, and clear away food sources like fallen fruit and birdseed that draw the birds in. A local dog was attacked recently too. If one puffs up at you, give it space and do not run.

Source: ABC7 News

If you cross at Tilden Way, take it slow. On June 3 the city opened a temporary bypass road so you can still reach the Fruitvale Bridge while crews build a new roundabout at Tilden, Blanding, and Fernside. The old traffic signal there is now a temporary three-way stop, so expect a different flow than you are used to.

It is all part of a $10 million project that will also extend Clement Avenue, run the Cross Alameda Trail out to the Fruitvale Bridge, add a new dog park, and put in fresh bike lanes. The work is expected to wrap in early October.

Source: City of Alameda

The county transportation commission just awarded Alameda $1.6 million, and one piece stands out: a bike-share program is coming to the West End. The grant puts $757,000 toward a three-year Bay Wheels pilot with eight stations, set to launch in early 2027.

The rest of the money funds 14 new curbside EV chargers, nine of them in equity-priority neighborhoods, new street striping along the Lincoln, Marshall, and Pacific corridor, and design work on the Willie Stargell Avenue project. It is paid for through Measure BB and a clean-air fund.

Source: City of Alameda

Encinal's new athletic field finally has a name: Jets' Field. After a community vote, the AUSD board went with the crowd favorite. It pulled 45% of the vote, beating out Jetway Field at 38% and the naming committee's own pick, Jet Pride Field, at 17%.

The same board meeting covered the district budget, including a 4.31% cost-of-living raise for staff and an extra $3 to $5 million for special education tied to the state's revised budget.

Source: Alameda Unified School District

Wee Play: Drop-In Playtime | Fri, June 5 | 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM | Free | 📍 Alameda Veterans Memorial Building, 2203 Central Ave, Alameda. Indoor open play for toddlers and preschoolers run by ARPD, ideal for the long Friday-morning stretch. More info

Alameda Farmers' Market | Sat, June 6 & Tue, June 9 | 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM | Free | 📍 Haight Ave & Webster St, Alameda. The West End's twice-weekly market with produce, flowers, and local growers. Market info

Fish Feeding Viewing at Crab Cove | Wed, June 10 | 3:00 - 3:30 PM | Free | 📍 Crab Cove Visitor Center, 1252 McKay Ave, Alameda. Midweek aquarium feeding, a quick Wednesday-afternoon kid outing. More info

The Mio Flores SalSazz Trio (Latin Salsa) | Thu, June 4 | 7:30 - 10:30 PM | Free with one-item purchase | 📍 Cinema Grill, 2305 Central Ave, Alameda. The weekly Latin salsa night, hot horns and all. More info

JazSynergy | Fri, June 5 | 7:30 - 10:15 PM | Free with one-item purchase | 📍 Cinema Grill, 2305 Central Ave, Alameda. A first-Friday trio blending jazz, funk, R&B, and blues. More info

Spill The Wine | Sat, June 6 | 7:30 - 10:15 PM | Free with one-item purchase | 📍 Cinema Grill, 2305 Central Ave, Alameda. A band covering pop, soul, R&B, and rock across five decades. More info

Crossroads | Sun, June 7 | 3:30 - 6:30 PM | Free with one-item purchase | 📍 Cinema Grill, 2305 Central Ave, Alameda. A Sunday-afternoon live set in the back room. More info

Karaoke at Hobnob | Fri, June 5 | 9:00 PM | Free | 📍 Hobnob, 1517 Park St, Alameda. The Island's go-to Friday night sing-along. More info

Jazz Jam at Park Station | Wed, June 10 | 6:00 - 8:00 PM | Free | 📍 Park Station, 1200 Park St, Alameda. The weekly jazz jam, pros and semi-pros sit in with the house band. More info

Alameda's Angels: Pride Month Drag Show | Fri, June 5 | Doors 7pm, show 8pm | From $10 | 📍 Faction Brewing, 2501 Monarch St, Alameda. An all-ages Pride Month drag show on the bay, hosted by Summer Lynn Spears with Jax from RuPaul's Drag Race and DeeDee Marie Holliday. Get tickets

'Night, Mother at Altarena | Fri, June 5 & Sat, June 6 at 7:30 PM, Sun, June 7 at 2:00 PM | ~$20 - $40 | 📍 Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High St, Alameda. A Pulitzer-winning two-person drama, intense and intimate. Tickets

Comedy Night at Cinema Grill | Wed, June 10 | 7:00 - 8:30 PM | Free with one-item purchase | 📍 Cinema Grill, 2305 Central Ave, Alameda. Second-and-fourth-Wednesday stand-up with local comics. More info

"Artists of the African Diaspora" Gallery Exhibit | Now through June 26 | Free | 📍 Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Ave, Alameda. The group show in the K Gallery is still up, free to walk through. More info

Trivia Tuesday | Tue, June 9 | 7:00 - 9:00 PM | Free | 📍 Alameda Brewing, 1716 Park St, Alameda. The taproom's weekly trivia, one of the busiest nights in the East Bay. More info

Trivia at Fireside | Tue, June 9 | 7:30 PM | Free | 📍 The Fireside Lounge, 1453 Webster St, Alameda. Live trivia at the woman-owned Webster Street lounge. More info

Singer/Songwriter Open Mic | Wed, June 10 | 8:00 - 11:00 PM | Free | 📍 The Fireside Lounge, 1453 Webster St, Alameda. Bring an instrument, bring your ears, sign-ups at the door. Live music

Mindful Energetic Flow Yoga | Thu, June 4 | 5:30 PM | Drop-in | 📍 Svastha Yoga Hub, 647 Pacific Ave, Alameda. A vinyasa-influenced flow to reset midweek. Schedule

PiYo (Pilates and Yoga) | Sat, June 6 | 8:30 AM | Drop-in | 📍 Svastha Yoga Hub, 647 Pacific Ave, Alameda. A Saturday-morning hybrid of Pilates and yoga. Schedule

Kindred Running Saturday Long Run | Sat, June 6 | 8:00 AM | Free | 📍 Kindred Running Co., 1518 Park St, Alameda. The longer Saturday group run. Paces fan out, so every level is welcome. More info

Kindred Running Wednesday Community Walk | Wed, June 10 | 9:00 AM | Free | 📍 Kindred Running Co., 1518 Park St, Alameda. The slower midweek walk built for new movers and stroller families. More info

Downtown Alameda Rock & Roll Beer Stroll | Sat, June 13 | 1:00 - 5:00 PM | $34 - $66 | 📍 Downtown Alameda (Park St). A self-guided beer tasting through Park Street businesses, paired with bites and live music. Tickets

Unity Fest 2026 | Sat, June 13 | 12:00 - 5:00 PM | Free | 📍 Chochenyo Park, 2513 Blanding Ave, Alameda. A community celebration of African and diaspora art, music, food, and culture. Details

Forbidden Island 20th Anniversary Party | Sun, June 14 | 3:00 - 9:00 PM | $30 | 📍 Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge, 1304 Lincoln Ave, Alameda. Hawaiian live music, a 45s DJ set, a rum tasting, a pig roast, and tiki vendors marking twenty years. More info

Alameda Juneteenth Celebration | Fri, June 19 | See listing | 📍 South Shore Center, 523 South Shore Center, Alameda. A community celebration of Juneteenth. Events

57th Annual Sand Castle & Sand Sculpture Contest | Sat, June 20 | Registration 9:00 - 11:00 AM, awards 1:00 PM | Free | 📍 Crown Memorial State Beach, 1252 McKay Ave, Alameda. The Island's beloved summer tradition with kid, teen, and family categories, one of the biggest free events of the summer. More info

Luke Severeid: Stand Up That's Metal AF | Fri, June 26 | 8:00 PM | From $17.85 | 📍 Alameda Brewing, 1716 Park St, Alameda. A live stand-up set at the brewery. Tickets

Summer Splash VTuber Festival | Sat, June 27 | Free | 📍 USS Hornet Museum, 707 W Hornet Ave, Alameda. A pop-culture festival aboard the Hornet. Tickets

HOUSES ON THE MARKET

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