Vallejo’s contract with Flock for Automated License Plate Recognition cameras is currently under review by the City Council, which is planning to meet with the city’s Surveillance Advisory Board and the Police Oversight and Accountability Commission to discuss the technology and the budget for it.

At its July 16 meeting, the Surveillance Advisory Board heard from Vallejo Police Department staff about how they review footage gathered by various Flock cameras in the city. Staff reported that the current quarterly review process involves pulling three months of Flock Safety camera data and selecting 30 random individual searches at a time, to determine if use of the technology is in compliance with current policies.

To do this, for the last month the city has been using a tool called “Flock Audit Assist.” Police department staff showed that the data is typically organized in spreadsheets, and an officer can listen to the stored audio recorded from different incidents. 

Staff added that alerts from Flock’s Raven gunshot detection technology cannot be exported to the spreadsheet, and must be reviewed individually. The city has a contract for use of the company’s Raven technology through half of 2027 to detect gunshots fired across four square miles of “high gunshot areas” in Vallejo. 

Public concern over how law enforcement officials access data gathered by the mass camera network that the company operates — including that Flock has enabled unlawful data-sharing between California law enforcement and out-of-state police — has been building in cities across California, and has even led to some cities ending contracts with the company. 

Representatives for the company did not attend the board meeting Thursday.

Members of the board voiced doubt over whether police officers are following the same rules for accessing city data — to protect the privacy of users, among other legal requirements — when they access the Flock data. They also questioned whether Flock employees are following the city’s privacy rules when they access police data.  

“That’s the problem people are having with Flock,” said board member Tony Stewart. “If we have protections, but someone else doesn’t, then they’re not following the rules we set in place for our system.”

Board members also raised concerns about whether the police officers in charge of reviewing Flock data are being properly monitored. Chair Simon Lee said there should be flags built into the system to help warn or track suspicious use of the footage, such as when a user repeatedly searches for a single license plate.

“A lot of the misuse of the systems involve officers spying on their exes,” Lee said, referring to recent investigations of police officers in other cities who were found to use Flock cameras to stalk people. “So the volume of searches for a case number could be a proxy for obsession.”

When Stewart asked who is notified when there is a flag or trigger, police staff said that there aren’t automated flags for repeated access. Currently, city employees have to proactively be looking at the system to notice unusual behavior. 

The police department said the employees handling the analyses of Flock data are also balancing other tasks due to understaffing, noting the department's obligations under the standing agreement with the Department of Justice. The Vallejo Police Department is required under a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice to implement multiple reforms, with an evaluator hired to report back to the state about progress making those changes.

In response, Stewart said, “While I respect that, our task respectfully is not your staffing. Our task is the privacy and the use of surveillance.” 

Lee asked if they could hire more crime analysts to work on the system audits, but chief assistant city attorney Randy Risner said that would need the approval of both the city manager and Police Chief Jason Ta. Risner added that staffing issues are outside the board’s purview, but they could consider requesting volunteers. He noted the city council recently reduced staffing in all departments “to take care of budget issues.”

The board also heard an update on creating a public-facing Flock audit page, and what data people could be allowed to review.

Stewart questioned whether the city had the ability to efficiently redact certain pieces of information, like someone’s face or a license plate, before the data is published for the public’s viewing.

Risner said that process must be done manually by the police department, and the city has not found success using AI tools: “They redact stuff you don’t want redacted, or miss stuff you do want redacted.”

Lee said that due to the difficulty in mass redaction efforts, he wants the public to understand the staffing needed to implement that work. The board did not vote on the item nor set a date for when they’d vote on creating an audit page.

In public comment, some residents voiced concerns about the current system and how the Vallejo police were accessing the Flock data. Brianna Rogers said officers are not above human error, and that she wanted to hear a solid accountability plan “with a rubric.”

“If we’re going to take up equipment and use it to keep our city safe, I think it’s important we have due diligence and explicit systems of accountability, given our history,” Rogers said. “What I’m hearing feels very shaky. It doesn't feel solid.”

“I’m skeptical that these cameras are doing any good,” said resident Rebecca Hartman Baker. “But in any case, there’s a lot that is easily automated, and it would be better to have a report of suspicious activities that would be automated rather than putting it on somebody's performance plan to do.”

Vincent Hartman Baker said the website deflock.org has a community-maintained map of all Flock cameras, and said when he looked at his route to college in Napa, he realized he would pass 11 license plate reader cameras that could track his location: "I feel this is an extreme violation of my right to privacy.”

The board also discussed establishing an ad hoc committee on facial recognition technologies, following a previous discussion about using technologies that have the feature enabled. The police department said it does not use technology which has facial recognition enabled, but the plan is to preemptively anticipate future use. Lee nominated Commissioners Owen Russell and Stewart for the task.

Per a Vallejo Police Department press release published early Tuesday morning, the man was 44-year-old Rommel Delfin Querol, a resident of Vallejo.

Police spokesperson Sgt. Rashad Hollis told the Sun that the department received a call at approximately 12:19 p.m. about an armed carjacking happening around the 400 block of Ryder Street in South Vallejo. Officers located the vehicle on Mahogany Drive and Broadway Street at approximately 1:15 p.m. Querol, the driver, started down Mahogany Drive — a dead-end street — and officers initiated a “felony traffic stop,” which is a police procedure where officers draw their weapons, as they have reason to believe the vehicle has an armed occupant. 

“When the officers conducted a felony traffic stop, the driver of the vehicle opened fire on the officer,” said Hollis. “The officer returned fire, and the driver was struck at least one time.” 

Hollis said that the officers “rendered medical aid until the paramedics arrived.” The paramedics pronounced Querol dead on the scene. 

The two officers involved in the shooting were not injured, and are on administrative leave while the criminal and administrative investigations are conducted. 

Hollis said that because this is an officer-involved shooting, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office will handle the investigation into the case. He added that he can’t share details about the identity of the officers involved because now the county is in charge. 

In an emailed statement, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office said that the Solano County Major Crimes Task Force, which is under the supervision of the District Attorney, responded to the scene to conduct an independent investigation into the shooting. Due to the ongoing investigation, the task force is not releasing any further details at this time.

According to the press release, the City of Vallejo will use an independent investigator to also look into the incident. 

Aerial footage from ABC7 News shows the vehicle was a gray sedan, and it crashed into a fence near the end of the street. There appear to be two bullet holes in the front window on the drivers side, with the rear window blown out. ABC7 also stated, per police radio, that there was also a passenger in the vehicle who was detained. 

IHart, Vallejo’s mobile crisis response team, was onsite to inform the neighborhood what occurred and offer any counseling resources for residents who felt impacted by the event. 

“We just go door to door, like, ‘Hey, are you aware that an incident happened in the community earlier today?’” said program manager Rayvon Williamson. “We give them an understanding of what happened, and try to give them assurances.” 

Williamson said that a lot of residents they talked to were unsurprised when they learned about the carjacking and shooting. “A lot of them said for this particular area, they’re kind of used to things happening,” Williamson said. “One neighbor actually said they’d be moving because of the amount of things that have happened in the area.” 

Resident Ligaya Nowak said that she was cooking in the kitchen when she heard about four gunshots ring out, with the last gunshot sounding the loudest. She didn’t know where the gunshots were coming from, so she ran to the living room and hid, worried there would be stray bullets. 

“I was so scared,” Nowak said. She said that the residents there often deal with crime in their area, as there’s a lot of drug activity that happens outside the car and motorcycle shop at the front of Mahogany Drive. Nowak said this is the first shooting she’s experienced in the area though. 

This incident marks the Vallejo Police Department’s first fatal shooting since June 2, 2020, when then-Officer Jarrett Tonn shot and killed Sean Monterrosa during a felony traffic stop. Tonn said he believed Monterrosa had a gun, but Monterrosa only had a hammer. In March, the city of Vallejo paid $8.5 million to Monterrosa’s family, the largest civil rights settlement in the city’s history. 

Last week, Monterrosa’s sister, along with other family members of those killed by police, spoke in front of Vallejo City Council about how they wanted to see more accountability from the Vallejo Police Department.  

The Vallejo Police Department said it will hold a town meeting in the next 7 to 14 days to share more information about Querol’s shooting. 

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comments from the Solano County District Attorney’s Office.

“You guys know what happened in Alcatraz just a few days ago,” said academy CFO Tony Heuschel, referring to the boat that sank near Alcatraz on Tuesday, leaving two dead and two missing. “So we’re going to do the man overboard drill and practice with the kids, so they have some exposure.” 

The boat, called the Vita Seal, is on loan from ATV Power, a marine technology company founded in the UK but with offices in Sausalito. 

“We lent them this boat because we think it’s a cool thing that [the academy] is doing, and it’s good to get it in front of the next generation,” said Scott Canning, the vice president of business development at ATV Power. “It’s a no-brainer for kids their age. Electric cars have always been a thing for them.” 

ATV Power’s mission is to reduce the impact of boating on the marine environment through the development of all-electric boats. According to the company, a typical day boat with a 126 gallon gas tank will generate over 2,800 pounds of carbon dioxide in a single day — the equivalent to how much one gas car generates in three months. Electric boats, in comparison, don’t emit any carbon dioxide, and they also present no danger of accidental fuel leaks. 

Canning explained that the 23-foot Vita Seal can reach speeds of 30 knots, takes about an hour to charge, and can run for about 10 hours if it's being used for regular port operations. 

Due to their shorter range, electric boats might not be for everybody, Canning acknowledged. “If you want to go 50 miles offshore to go fishing, then electric is not going to work,” he said. But he said it’s perfect for activities like patrolling a harbor. 

“You’re not huffing fumes all day,” Canning said, adding that because the electric engine is so quiet, “you can hear the radio,” a crucial aspect of safety on the water. 

The cadets ran through their drills in the morning before outfitting members of the media with life vests for rides on the Vita Seal. 

Based out of Napa, the California Cadet Academy has been educating teens on what it’s like to work as a firefighter, police officer, or emergency medical technician since 1911. Heuschel explained that their summer training program lasts a week, during which time the cadets stay at Cal Poly Maritime Academy, living in the dorms and learning in the lecture halls. As long as they’re enrolled in high school, cadets can also attend multiple summers. 

“This is not a boot camp. It’s to give kids an opportunity to experience college and what public safety is like, to decide what direction they’re going to go,” Heuschel said. He estimates that around 60% of the teens attend the program on a scholarship. 

“Our little catchphrase is ‘Experience today the careers of tomorrow,’’ Heuschel said. At the end of the program, the cadets receive letters of recommendation or connections to their local law or fire agencies so they can “stay on the right track and repay the community for their experience.” 

Corey Morgan, president of the academy, has been working on recruiting more girls into the program by offering more scholarships. According to one of the cadets, the program currently has six girls and 13 boys. 

“Public safety is kind of a male-dominated industry, so she’s super big on female recruitment,” Heuschel said. He added that they’ve brought in cadets from all over, from Texas, Oklahoma, New York City, and even Spain. 

Annie Young, who works for American Medical Response in Napa, has been the cadets' emergency medical service instructor for three years. “We taught them about CPR, spinal precautions, how to work a gurney, and general first aid,” Young said. “I like that the cadets get a taste of each first responder group.” 

For first-year cadet Lillian Sanders, learning about a wide range of careers, and how she can assist others in the future, was the most impactful part of the program. 

“Since I was younger, I’ve always had this passion to help people,” Sanders said. She said her dream job is to work for Cal Fire and tackle forest fires, and the academy has given her a look at what a career as a firefighter might look like. 

“We definitely learn skills, and we dabble in everything,” she said. “We all work together to help people, and it’s nice to see how everything works … and you see how everyone builds up their discipline and gets better over the week. Everybody grows together and works as a team, and I really like that part.” 

The current class of cadets will graduate this afternoon. 

“It’ll be interactive. So they’ll drive the fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars,” said Heuschel. “They’ll run around and do this super cool scenario to show their parents everything they learned.” 

The council voted unanimously — with Councilmembers Peter Bregenzer and Charles Palmares absent — to adopt newly adjusted fee schedules for the Building, Planning, Fire and Water departments. Such fees are typically implemented by cities to subsidize other services or address various costs. 

Once the adjusted fees are implemented, the Building and Planning departments together stand to recover about $600,000 in the first year and up to $900,000 by the second year. Staff estimated the adjustments will also bring in $468,000 per year for fire prevention and $45,000 for water. 

These fee adjustments are intended to create more revenue for the city and have been under consideration since last year. The adjustments largely followed the recommendations from consulting firm MGT, which the city hired to conduct a fee study amid mounting economic uncertainty. MGT last year found that at current rates, Vallejo recovers only 60% of its overall costs in these departments.

The council in September was concerned about how the study was designed. Mayor Andrea Sorce on Tuesday repeated previous concerns she raised last fall about whether fee increases could have unintended consequences for the most vulnerable residents.

“If you raise fees and people can’t afford those fees, they’re more likely to go and sidestep … and do un-permitted work,” said Sorce.

Interim City Manager Harry Black said the fees must be adjusted because the city’s cost recovery rate is already low, which means the general fund must absorb the difference.

“If we were a restaurant or a convenience store we’d probably be out of business, because we’re not covering our costs,” Black said. 

Resident Melvin Cohen said in public comment that he was concerned about how the building and planning fee adjustments could affect future development proposals, given that the city already struggles to attract housing proposals and developers may spend years in administrative processes before constructing new projects. Cohen noted the state has already made it clear that cities should reduce administrative burdens and streamline development processes.

“I recommend the city evaluate development costs cumulatively, rather than department by department,” Cohen said. 

Following the fee discussion, the council unanimously approved — with Bregenzer and Palmares still absent — a request from staff to apply to earn California’s Prohousing Designation, as part of different approaches to increase affordable housing development and fulfill the city’s Housing Element for 2023-2031. The Housing Element is a state mandated plan to increase the city’s housing availability. 

Cities which earn the state designation may receive priority processing when applying for several funding programs, including affordable housing and infill infrastructure grants. Other nearby Bay Area cities which already have this designation include Benicia, Fairfield and Napa. The city of Vacaville is also currently seeking it.

Long-range planning manager Hector Rojas said the application for the designation would require a public review and would have to be presented to the council again before the California Department of Housing & Community Development reviews it.

In public comment, Vallejo Homeless Union member Eli Smith said she is concerned that the city is not in compliance with the state’s requirements on how it addresses homelessness because she said the city’s "brutal abatement policies” violate unhoused people’s constitutional rights. The state requires that cities show they will follow the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness’ “7 Principles for Addressing Encampments.”

“People are dying monthly,” Smith said. “There is no proportionate response. There’s no needs assessment, no data, no consistency. People are frequently given 20 minutes of verbal notice, no paper notice. There’s no meaningful coordination of resources.”

Councilmember Alexander Matias, in response to these comments, asked staff for an update on the package of housing-related ordinances underway including on renter protections and an inclusionary housing ordinance to require developers to include a portion of affordable units in new large housing developments or pay a fee.

Rojas said the city is “stuck on identification language” in negotiations with a consultant to handle the scope of the work, and a memo on the options comparing Vallejo to other cities will soon be ready to help the council draft the ordinances. He said he thinks the city can earn the designation despite not having finished those ordinances.

Matias said the California Department of Housing & Community Development will give the city feedback on its efforts toward housing goals, and he encouraged more residents to provide feedback.

“We need this designation to be more competitive for funding and to be accountable for our goals around homelessness,” Matias said. 

Councilmember Diosdado Matulac noted how developers in the past have struggled to garner financing to properly cover housing projects, saying a developer who planned to build hundreds of homes in North Vallejo at the former Walmart site pulled out due to lack of funding. He said he hopes they can take advantage of new state housing laws to help more affordable housing projects with “finally penciling out.”

Councilmember Tonia Lediju said while the designation is important, the city must have a good strategy for encouraging housing production to make use of it and must not continue delaying drafting of the housing ordinance package.

“We’ve made so many promises on some very critical policies that keep people housed, our most impacted communities,” Lediju said. “We can’t have economic development when we miss deadlines and can’t get it together for ourselves. If we can’t move the ball, something’s wrong.”

During Tuesday night’s meeting, families and advocates arrived at City Hall calling for the city to properly investigate misconduct allegations around multiple police department employees. Attorney Melissa Nold, who has represented some Vallejoans in lawsuits involving those allegations, said before the meeting in a Facebook post that speakers wanted to address “gaslighting about the badge bending.” She cited issues such as hiring of unqualified officers, the concealing of misconduct records “and the racial terror directed at Chief Williams.”

Family members who spoke during the community forum said they were not satisfied with the report from the long-awaited badge bending investigation, which looked into the practice of some Vallejo police officers bending the tips of their badges after a killing. The family members said that city leaders must take more action to prevent future misconduct.

Michelle Monterrosa —- the sister of Sean Monterrosa, who was shot in the back of the head in 2020 by then-Officer Jarrett Tonn after a call for potential looting at a Vallejo Walgreens —- said the badge bending allegations were wrongly treated as “isolated, exaggerated, or unproven.” She said the new council needs to change the culture inside the department and strengthen the Police Oversight and Accountability Commission.

“The report changes nothing,” she said. “You cannot PR your way out of this, you cannot issue a statement about transparency while families continue to wait for change. Accountability delayed is accountability denied.”

The city's report was released in late June after staff fought for five years to keep it secret. Former police Capt. John Whitney originally revealed the badge bending practice, which was investigated by former Sonoma County Sheriff Robert Giordano. The American Civil Liberties Union sued to make the report public in November 2022, and last year a state appeals court ordered the city to release it. 

The report implicates several officers in spreading the practice within the department, and sustained allegations of misconduct against six former officers. Eight officers were found to be “exonerated,” including three officers who were found to be “victims” of badge bending. 

Those who spoke on Tuesday noted that it is unclear from the report if any disciplinary actions were taken against the officers with sustained findings of misconduct. 

“Just because something is public does not mean it is true,” said Antoinette Sadler. Sadler is the sister of Angel Ramos, who was shot and killed when Officer Zachary Jacobsen and Officer Matt Samida responded to reports of a fight at a Sacramento Street home in 2017. She claimed that Jacobsen lied in the report about how many times he bent his badge.

“Not only did they steal their lives, they stole the identities of those who could have been, had this tragedy not occurred,” she said. “This badge bending goes far beyond a sick ritual celebrating the death of our loved ones.”

Sadler added that the report has been a “media spectacle” while “the voices of impacted families have once again been silenced.” 

Angela Sullivan, the aunt of Ronell Foster, spoke about Ryan McMahon, a former Vallejo police officer who shot and killed Foster in 2018. McMahon was also one of six officers who shot and killed Willie McCoy. She said McMahon tased, beat and shot Foster seven times, four of which were from behind. She said her mother died “four months later from a broken heart.”

“I’m not going to stop fighting,” Sullivan said. “You all know what’s going on. They’ve been lynching in Vallejo since it began. You all need to stop talking and lock these people up.”

Oakland organizer Cat Brooks of the Anti-Police Terror Project said she’s spent 16 years coming to different Vallejo City Council meetings calling for reform of the police department.

“We used to say Oakland Police Department was the most murderous department … but you know who holds that title now? Y’all,” Brooks said. “They are dragging you all to hell and you are allowing them.”

Brooks noted that while some councilmembers had not been in office during the incidents detailed in the report, “You are here now. Some of us haven't been here in a while, but we [are] all back and the wound is open. You owe them your care, your concern, your compassion, but most importantly, you owe them your correction.”

Resident Bridget Doherty criticized the city’s continued employment of City Attorney Veronica Nebb.The ACLU has accused Nebb of various misconduct allegations, including having destroyed records from multiple police shootings and obstructing civilian oversight of the Police Department. The city said it hired a firm to investigate the allegations last winter, but no report has been released since then.

“Let’s fire her. Why is she even here?” Doherty said, pointing to Nebb. “You need to be disbarred. You don’t need to practice law again.”

The council did not place the badge bending report on the agenda for discussion. Following the community forum, the council heard an update from Chief Jason Ta about issues with hiring enough officers to address ongoing vacancies. Ta said he wants to speed up hiring and recruitment in the future, saying that it can take more than two years to get officers into vacancies.

Ta said there are 84 total sworn officers, and he’s hoping to hire 12 more officers. He did not address the badge bending report or any statements made during the community forum.

Vallejo Aquatic Club swim team and their supporters packed a Greater Vallejo Recreation District Board of Directors meeting last month to ask the board to reconsider a three-month winter closure of Cunningham Pool. Club members said that last year’s pool closure, which lasted from the last week of November through the first half of February, was extremely disruptive to their training.

Vallejo used to have two other public swimming pools. The Cunningham Pool, one of the few Olympic-sized swimming pools in the region, is now the only one. The Vallejo Plunge closed in 2017, and the Richardson Park swimming pool was closed for about a decade before the facility was bulldozed in 2016. 

GVRD board chair Thomas Judt said he was convinced by the young people who came in and spoke in favor of keeping the pool open. “As a person interested in positive youth development, I'm ecstatic about it,” Judt said. “What they demonstrated to me were the five characteristics of positive youth development.” Those five Cs are competence, confidence, connection, character and caring/compassion.

“And there's a sixth C that is called ‘contribution,’ or giving back, and all of them were really pleading for something bigger than themselves, “Judt said. “It wasn't just that they wanted to be going swimming; they wanted something that they knew affected their lives and affected the lives of others.”

Joey, a 13-year-old swimmer, started with the Vallejo Aquatic Club when she was eight years old. She is now a member of the club’s Thresher Sharks team. She said that Cunningham Pool is like her second home, and that it was a great experience to speak at the June GVRD board meeting and witness the vote to keep the pool open at the July meeting. 

“It helps you see what happens when you show up and speak up about what you care about,” she said. 

Ella is also a 13-year-old Thresher Sharks team member. She said she was stressed out during last year’s pool closure because the commute time to a remote pool cut into her homework time. She got started with the Aquatic Club Learn to Compete program when she was nine years old. She now helps coach the Learn to Compete classes and helps younger kids feel comfortable in the water.

Ella was the first person to step up to the podium on behalf of the Aquatic Club at the June meeting. “It felt like I'm making a really big impact. The winter closure doesn't just affect our team; it affects our entire community,” she said.

Andrei, a 12-year-old swimmer, joined the Aquatic Club last September. He told the board at the June meeting  that the best part of being on the swim team was making friends with his teammates and coaches, and forming relationships with people who push him to succeed. He asked the board to consider the people they serve, and to change the budget to keep Cunningham Pool open. 

Of the decision to keep the pool open this winter, he said it's going to be nice being able to swim five days a week instead of just three, and build his endurance.

Judt said that the GVRD had some money from savings, property sales and fees from the City of Vallejo. “So we didn't feel bad about the extra $160,000 to $190,000 that we would spend to keep it open for those extra three months.”

But looking forward to the future, Judt says he expects costs to keep rising. The board has hired an expert in public pools to draft a report on how to make the operation more efficient and ways to generate more revenue. In addition, he said the GVRD has entered into a relationship with the Solano Community Foundation, a grantmaking nonprofit. The organization will aid them in developing relationships with donors and philanthropists who might like to sponsor swimming programs, in order to help offset some of the costs of the pool.

“All in all, it's a very positive program,” Judt said. “I personally felt very good that the other board members agreed with me that we should at least keep it open this year while we study how to be more self-sufficient.”

The Vallejo Jazz Festival that was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday on the waterfront has been canceled, but  you can still enjoy other jazz shows happening around town.

The Paul Hanson Quartet will perform at the Empress Marquee Club on Thursday evening. Hanson is an internationally recognized jazz bassoonist who has taken the instrument far beyond the classical stage and into jazz, funk, fusion, world music, and improvisation. 

Then Saturday evening will bring a choice of four different jazz shows.

Joyce Grant will sing at the Mare Island Brewing Co. Ferry Taproom. Grant’s shows blend jazz, blues, country western, Rhythm and Blues, and funk. The Alex So Quartet, known for its dynamic performances of original and classic jazz, will play at Bambino's, and saxophonist Stabe Wilson will play smooth jazz, soulful R&B and deep Bay Area groove at the Empress Marquee Club. And Blue Cinema’s  rockin’ fusion of rock and modal jazz will be served up at 4th Corner Speakeasy.

For musicians, the Valleo Jazz Jam will take place at the Mira Theatre on Saturday at noon. Musicians of all ages, genders and levels are welcome. And while it hasn’t been posted yet on the Empress website, word is that the Monday Jazz Jam is on at the Marquee Club. The venue will open for dinner at 6 p.m. and the music will start at 7. The jam is a welcoming, musician-friendly setting where players can sit in, and listeners can enjoy a relaxed club atmosphere.

Live music in Vallejo is not limited to jazz.

Rapper Mac Mall will invade the stage at Noble Cinema Studios on Saturday night, and rocking guitarist Stef Burns will make his annual summertime return to Vino Godfather on Sunday afternoon.

For family fun, kids and their grownups will enjoy Parks N' Rex Day at Children’s Wonderland on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., when the park will transform into a prehistoric playground with roaring dinosaurs and hands-on activities. 

Plus, the Black Men’s Chess League will present a Cheers to Chess event at Mare Island Co. Coal Shed Brewery on Saturday from 4 to 9 p.m. The league has had success introducing the game of chess to kids and families in Oakland, and is now expanding their program into the North Bay. Whether you're a first-timer or a seasoned player looking for a challenge, the league will have instructions and boards ready for all skill levels. Donations to support the league's youth programs will be appreciated, but not required.

History buffs and cryptography fans alike may want to attend the upcoming Speaker Series: Cracking the Enigma - The Secret Battlefield of WW2 at St.Peter's Chapel on Sunday afternoon. Author Ralph Simpson will discuss over 2000 years of cipher evolution, starting with Julius Caesar and continuing to today with modern public key cryptography.

And one of many events outside of Vallejo that may be worth a short drive is Crockett’s 18th Annual Sugartown Festival on Sunday, from 11 a.m to 6 p.m. in the heart of historic Crockett. The intersection of Rolph and Pomona Streets will become a vibrant outdoor destination featuring live music, artisan vendors, delicious food, and family-friendly entertainment.

This is only a brief sampling of things to do in the Vallejo area. Scroll down the list below to find more live music. art exhibits and creative and recreational activities in Vallejo and beyond. Check our events page for an even more comprehensive listing of upcoming events and late-breaking updates. 

Let us know about new upcoming events at events@vallejosun.com, or sign in to our event platform and enter your event directly. 

Wednesday, July 15

Preschool Craft: Bug Mask

Stop by the children's area for a simple craft activity

• Wed, 1 p.m.
• American Canyon Library
• 300 Crawford Way or 3421 Broadway St., American Canyon

Mobile Library at Cogir of Vallejo Hills

Mobile library outreach to senior living facility.

• Wed, 2 to 3:30 p.m.
• Cogir of Vallejo Hills
• 350 Locust Dr., Vallejo

Learn to Use the Internet with a Free Tablet

Learn to use the Internet and Android tablets in this 4-part class series with Solano Connected and digitalLIFT. Participants who attend all 4 classes receive a free Android tablet Who is eligible: Solano county residents Adults 60 years or older Adults with disabilities age 18 or older Do not own a device (computer, laptop, tablet) other than a phone. Registration is required. To register, call Independent Living Resources:707-435-8174

• Wed, 3 to 5 p.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

ACLU Vallejo Community Meeting

Join ACLU for updates on the recently released badge-bending report, Police Oversight and Accountability Commission, local budget process, and anti-surveillance efforts. Most of this meeting will be spent on an organizing practice called "power mapping," to help us identify who holds power to move the needle on police accountability and surveillance in Vallejo. Dinner will be provided!

• Wed, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Vallejo
• Register for address, Vallejo

Friends of the American Canyon Library Meeting

The monthly meeting of the Friends of the American Canyon library to discuss organizational business. Meetings are open to the public.

• Wed, 6 p.m.
• American Canyon Library
• 300 Crawford Way or 3421 Broadway St., American Canyon

Vallejo Run Club

Join the Vallejo Run Club on our weekly Saturday morning and Wednesday evening runs. Our group meets, rain or shine, next to the Vallejo Ferry Terminal. We run 1-3 easy miles. Beginners to ultra marathoners welcome!

• Wed, 6:20 to 7:20 p.m.
• Vallejo Ferry Terminal
• 289 Mare Island Way, Vallejo

Terry Hanck

Tenor saxophonist and bandleader Terry Hanck brings a sound rooted in early rock ’n’ roll, Memphis soul, New Orleans R&B and West Coast blues. Doors open for dinner at 5:30 p.m.

• Wed, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Empress Marquee Club
• 324 Virginia St., Vallejo

An evening of songs and stories with Bobby Jo Valentine

Join Bobby Jo Valentine for an unforgettable night of award-winning songs and stories.

• Wed, 7 p.m.
• Community Congregational Church of Benicia
• 1305 West Second St., Benicia

Wednesday Night Open Mic

A friendly space for both beginning musicians and seasoned professionals. Comedians and poets also welcome.

• Wed, 8 to 11 p.m.
• Townhouse Cocktail Lounge
• 401A Georgia St., Vallejo

Thursday, July 16

DIY Fireworks Blower Craft

Join us for one of our monthly crafts. Create a festive firework blower using a craft tube and colorful tissue paper. Drop in during open library hours between July 6 and July 18 while supplies last! Age group: school age.

• Thu, 9 a.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

English Conversation Club

Practice your English conversation skills with other adult learners in an informal and friendly setting. No registration required! Practica tu inglés en un lugar amigable y libre de prejuicios.در فضایی دوستانه و بدون قضاوت، گفتوشنود به زبان انگلیسی را تمرین کنید.همه دعوت هستند!在友好无批判的地方练习您的英语。欢迎每个人！एक मैत्रीपूर्ण,निर्णय-मुक्त माहौल में अपनी अंग्रेजी का अभ्यास करें। सभी का स्वागत है!フレンドリーで偏見なしの環境で英語を練習しましょう。どなたでも歓迎です。 Magsanay ng Pag-Iingles niyo sa isang magiliw, na hindi naghuhusgang lugar. Maaaring pumunta ang kahit sinuman!

• Thu, 10 to 11 a.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

Lunch at the Library

Lunch for kids 18 and under on weekdays at the library. Children must be present to receive meal.

• Thu, noon to 1 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library, Joseph Room
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

JFK Summer Reading Program: Make-and-Take Slime

Join Slime World on Thursday, July 16th at 1 PM. You choose the color, scent, and add-ins! One per participant.

• Thu, 1 to 2 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

Backyard Bugs and Beyond

Join the Beetle Lady for an interactive, close-up look at live bugs, and learn fascinating facts along the way.

• Thu, 3 p.m.
• American Canyon Library
• 300 Crawford Way, American Canyon

Benicia Certified Farmer's Market

Explore an abundance of fresh produce, specialty foods, food trucks, wellnes s products, and unique crafts. There will also be plenty of activities to enjoy! Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with local farmers, artisans, and your community while soaking in the beautiful waterfront atmosphere. Come join the fun!

• Thu, 4 to 8 p.m.
• Downtown Benicia
• First Street, Benicia

Garden Bros Circus - Fun Factory

The whimsical world where humans go wild. A traditional masterpiece of circus arts, humor, and breathtaking acrobatics that has captivated families for generations. This show is a delightful explosion of colors, comedy, and crazy contraptions perfect for the whole family.

• Thu, 4:30 p.m.
• Solano County Fairgrounds
• 900 Fairgrounds Dr, Vallejo

Bite Night Thursday

Join us at Children’s Wonderland for a series of FREE, high-energy community events where families can enjoy delicious food trucks, interactive activities, and great music in a vibrant, welcoming environment. July 16 – Rock the Wall – Get ready to climb, conquer, and celebrate! Test your skills on the rock wall, get creative with face painting, enjoy great food trucks, and keep the energy high with music from our live DJ.

• Thu, 5 to 8 p.m.
• Children's Wonderland
• 360 Glenn St., Vallejo

Mocktails & Vibrations

This is more than an event—it's a wellness experience designed to help you exhale, reconnect, and feel supported in community. Join us for an evening of mood-based herbal wellness sips, a soothing sound bath, intentional community connection and gentle nervous-system regulation. This space is open to everyone—mothers, entrepreneurs, creatives, healers, and community members who are ready to slow down and be held for a moment.

• Thu, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library, Joseph Room
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

Garden Bros Circus - Fun Factory

The whimsical world where humans go wild. A traditional masterpiece of circus arts, humor, and breathtaking acrobatics that has captivated families for generations. This show is a delightful explosion of colors, comedy, and crazy contraptions perfect for the whole family.

• Thu, 7:30 p.m.
• Solano County Fairgrounds
• 900 Fairgrounds Dr, Vallejo

Friday, July 17

DIY Fireworks Blower Craft

Join us for one of our monthly crafts. Create a festive firework blower using a craft tube and colorful tissue paper. Drop in during open library hours between July 6 and July 18 while supplies last! Age group: school age.

• Fri, 9 a.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

Reptile Roundup with CMC Reptiles

This is a two hour drop in program. Participants are allowed to handle creatures and must follow instructions from the handlers. Due to spacing, participants will be given bracelets and told an allotted time limit at entry with the reptiles.

• Fri, 10 a.m. to noon
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

Lunch at the Library

Lunch for kids 18 and under on weekdays at the library. Children must be present to receive meal.

• Fri, noon to 1 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library, Joseph Room
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

Story Time Adventures! July Edition

Discover and Explore: Story Time Adventures! Join us for an afternoon of wonder, giggles, and a brand-new tale, whether we're learning about past presidents or past inventions. The event begins with a warm-up activity and ends with a post-story craft to bring the book to life!

• Fri, 2 to 3 p.m.
• Museum of History Benicia
• 2024 Camel Rd., Benicia

Garden Bros Circus - Fun Factory

The whimsical world where humans go wild. A traditional masterpiece of circus arts, humor, and breathtaking acrobatics that has captivated families for generations. This show is a delightful explosion of colors, comedy, and crazy contraptions perfect for the whole family.

• Fri, 4:30 p.m.
• Solano County Fairgrounds
• 900 Fairgrounds Dr, Vallejo

Teacher Kay's Alphapals® Parent's Night Out

Parents Night Out offers an evening of supervised activities for children ages 3-9, including playtime and pizza while parents have time away to relax. Each session has a special focus with age-appropriate games and activities. Space is limited and early registration is recommended. Children must be potty trained. Instructor: Teacher Kay's Alphapals® Team.

• Fri, 6 to 9 p.m.
• Washington Park Building,
• 900 Ohio St., Vallejo

Healing Hearts A Healing Sip & Paint Experience

Healing Hearts by JassverArt is more than a paint class - it's a creative experience designed to help you relax, reconnect, and create from the heart. Begin with a gentle guided meditation, then paint your own beautiful wooden heart with step-by-step instruction. No experience is necessary - just bring an open heart. Gather with friends, enjoy the beautiful atmosphere at Vino Godfather Winery, and leave with a one-of-a-kind piece of art and a peaceful heart.

• Fri, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
• Vino Godfather
• 1005 Walnut Ave., Vallejo

Richard March

Singer, songwriter and storyteller March brings a breezy, roots-based sound and heart-on-your-sleeve songwriting. His songs explore social commentary, aspirational self-talk, compassion, and impressionistic snapshots of his beloved Bay Area hometown.

• Fri, 6 to 8 p.m.
• Coal Shed Brewery
• 850 Nimitz Ave., Vallejo

A Quiet Storm 5

A Quiet Storm 5 is all about good company, smooth sounds, and a laid-back atmosphere. DJ Sets By: CELI, CapitalH, Hello Nicki, DJ Carmaa and DJ $Krill Wil. Ages 18+

• Fri, 7 to 11:59 p.m.
• Northstar Studios
• 1518 Sonoma Blvd., Vallejo

Garden Bros Circus - Fun Factory

The whimsical world where humans go wild. A traditional masterpiece of circus arts, humor, and breathtaking acrobatics that has captivated families for generations. This show is a delightful explosion of colors, comedy, and crazy contraptions perfect for the whole family.

• Fri, 7:30 p.m.
• Solano County Fairgrounds
• 900 Fairgrounds Dr, Vallejo

David M'ore Band

David M'ore is an Argentina-born, California-based guitarist, singer, and songwriter known for aggressive guitar work, raspy vocals, and a sound that pushes traditional blues straight into hard rock territory. His music draws from old-school blues, British hard rock, and the guitar-driven sounds of the 60s and 70s. Think heavy grooves, long solos, screaming bends, dirty tone, and the kind of stage energy that turns an intimate club into a full-blown rock show. Doors & Dinner 6 PM | Show 8 PM - 10 PM

• Fri, 8 to 10 p.m.
• Empress Marquee Club
• 324 Virginia St., Vallejo

REMINISCENT XXXX

REMINISCENT XXXX is fully loaded at the Chris Club Friday, July 17 with the original DJ Face to rock with a blend of the hot local artists and exotic dancers! If you ain't been to Reminiscent this is your chance. Nothing but high energy performances and bootyclaps all night to set off the BIG 40 Weekend for Remo! Get your best fits and some 1s together. Performances by K Lassault, Wani, Ice Meez, Reckless Ken Ken, Juicy Gripsta, Bossgod Nitti, Sheed Bandee, Tysg Lots, TJ Banga and Oonie. . 21+, Security Strictly Enforced

• Fri, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
• Chris' Club
• 656 Benicia Rd., Vallejo

Saturday, July 18

Vallejo Run Club

Join the Vallejo Run Club on our weekly Saturday morning and Wednesday evening runs. Our group meets, rain or shine, next to the Vallejo Ferry Terminal. We run 1-3 easy miles. Beginners to ultra marathoners welcome!

• Sat, 8 to 9 a.m.
• Vallejo Ferry Terminal
• 289 Mare Island Way, Vallejo

DIY Fireworks Blower Craft

Join us for one of our monthly crafts. Create a festive firework blower using a craft tube and colorful tissue paper. Drop in during open library hours between July 6 and July 18 while supplies last! Age group: school age.

• Sat, 9 a.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

Vallejo Farmers’ Market

Shop here for a great selection of California-grown greens, fruits & veggies, as well as some nice specialty booths with baked goods, tamales and food trucks with down-to-earth prices. Sometimes you can find local honey, homemade soap and other goodies here.

• Sat, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Downtown Vallejo
• Georgia and Marin Streets, Vallejo

Community Coffee Tasting

Sample coffee from around the world, browse crafts and confections by local vendors, or enjoy made-to order crêpes while listening to live music.

• Sat, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Moschetti Coffee Roaster
• 11 6th St., Vallejo

Beyond the Vision Board, with author Tanya Thompson

We've all heard of vision boards — but how can we use the concepts behind them to imagine our gardens and homes? Join author Tanya Thompson, MPA, CPM, as she shares the inspiration behind "Beyond the Vision Board" and introduces "The Storyboard Method," a practical approach to creating meaningful, lasting change. Audience Q&A and book signing to follow.

• Sat, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
• Vallejo Garden Club
• 419 Farragut Ave., Vallejo

Good Trouble Day of Action - Stand Up for Democracy Rally & Food Drive

Six years after the passing of Congressman John Lewis, Vallejo-Benicia Indivisible is keeping his legacy alive. Bring your passion, your energy, and your homemade signs as we stand united for our freedoms! A core principle behind all Indivisible events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.

• Sat, 11 a.m. to noon
• Vallejo
• Admiral Callaghan Lane and Plaza Drive, Vallejo

Walk It Shop It | Crockett, CA

Once a month, the sidewalks transform into a lively open-air marketplace of vintage dealers, artists, makers and independent shop owners. Pick up a raffle map, explore the historic town while collecting signatures, and enter to win a town-wide raffle featuring gifts donated by every participating shop.

• Sat, noon to 5 p.m.
• Monarch Store
• 1308 Pomona St., Crockett

South Vallejo Hood Day

Family-friendly event with food, games, live music, a car show, community and giveaways.

• Sat, noon
• Wilson Park
• 1007 Solano Ave., Vallejo

Parks N' Rex Day!

A dino-tastic adventure for the whole family. Parks N’ Rex Day transforms Children’s Wonderland into a prehistoric playground with roaring dinosaurs, hands-on activities, foam dancing and reptile exhibits — something for everyone to enjoy.

• Sat, noon to 4 p.m.
• Children’s Wonderland
• 360 Glenn St., Vallejo

Kitty Meet and Greet – Pet Adoptions

Come meet your next best friend! Evening appointments also available. All cats and kittens adopted out through Community Cat Advocates have been dewormed, treated for fleas, tested for FeLV and FIV, vaccinated to age-appropriate levels, microchipped and spayed or neutered.

• Sat, noon to 4 p.m.
• PetSmart
• 952 Admiral Callaghan Lane, Vallejo

Valleo Jazz Jam

Join Vallejo Jazz Jam live at the Mira Theatre every third Saturday for a supportive, non-competitive space where musicians of all ages, genders and skill levels play jazz standards together in two-hour sessions. $10 donation to cover rental space (pay in-person). Questions: Patricia Kutza at pkutza@pacbell.net.

• Sat, noon to 2 p.m.
• Mira Theatre
• 51 Daniels Ave., Vallejo

Papa Joe and the New Deal

Papa Joe & The New Deal bring feel-good, family-friendly music spanning soul, R&B, reggae, old-school funk and Latin rock, with a set that might touch 60 to 80 songs. Food by Gaga's Rollin' Diner.

• Sat, 1 to 4 p.m.
• Vino Godfather
• 1005 Walnut Ave., Vallejo

Garden Bros Circus - Fun Factory

The whimsical world where humans go wild. A traditional masterpiece of circus arts, humor, and breathtaking acrobatics that has captivated families for generations. This show is a delightful explosion of colors, comedy, and crazy contraptions perfect for the whole family.

• Sat, 1:30 p.m.
• Solano County Fairgrounds
• 900 Fairgrounds Dr, Vallejo

Richard Glazier Piano Concert

Join us at the Vallejo Museum as Richard Glazier brings his piano stylings back to our jewel box theater on our baby grand Steinway, performing American standards and Gershwin favorites. One show only — doors open at 1 p.m., show starts at 2 p.m. Half of each ticket sale supports the museum!

• Sat, 2 to 4 p.m.
• Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum
• 734 Marin St., Vallejo

American Canyon Tabletop Gaming Club

Please join us at the American Canyon library for our tabletop gaming club where members of the community can play a wide array of tabletop games with other enthusiasts

• Sat, 2 p.m.
• American Canyon Library
• 300 Crawford Way, American Canyon

The Black Men’s Chess League presents Cheers & Chess

The Black Men’s Chess League proudly presents in collaboration with Mare Island Brewing Co. “Cheers & Chess” a July celebration on the waterfront in Mare Island. This is a special fundraiser because with the success of our youth program in Oakland, we want to bring the opportunity to the kids and families in the north bay all the way to Sacramento. BMCL will have instructions and boards ready for all skill levels. All ages welcome — bring the family!

• Sat, 4 to 9 p.m.
• Mare Island Brewing Co. Coal Shed Brewery
• 850 Nimitz Ave., Vallejo

Garden Bros Circus - Fun Factory

The whimsical world where humans go wild. A traditional masterpiece of circus arts, humor, and breathtaking acrobatics that has captivated families for generations. This show is a delightful explosion of colors, comedy, and crazy contraptions perfect for the whole family.

• Sat, 4:30 p.m.
• Solano County Fairgrounds
• 900 Fairgrounds Dr, Vallejo

Songs of a Little Bird: Akiko Suzuki - Opening Reception

Songs of a Little Bird presents Suzuki’s richly layered textile and mixed-media works, blending contemporary art quilting, poetry, stitching, paint and collage. Her practice bridges visual art, written language, memory and emotion.

• Sat, 5 to 7 p.m.
• NY2CA Gallery
• 617 First St., Benicia

Live Music Saturday with Joyce Grant

A mezzo-soprano with a voice like dark honey, Grant blends jazz, blues, country western, R&B and funk, with vocal interpretations ranging from sensitive to powerful to cheeky.

• Sat, 6 to 8 p.m.
• Mare Island Brewing Co. Ferry Taproom
• 289 Mare Island Way, Vallejo

Alex So Quartet

The Alex So Quartet (led by bassist/composer Alex So) is a local Bay Area jazz ensemble known for its dynamic performances of original and classic jazz.

• Sat, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Bambino's
• 301 Georgia street #122, Vallejo

Blue Cinema - A rockin' fusion of Rock & Modal jazz

A rockin’ fusion of Rock and Modal jazz, served up by Blue Cinema, is on the menu. So come on down to Feed Your Head. Be There or Be Square!! Earls BBQ Dinner available.

• Sat, 7 p.m.
• 4th Corner Speakeasy @ Red Mens Hall
• 431 Georgia St., Vallejo

Garden Bros Circus - Fun Factory

The whimsical world where humans go wild. A traditional masterpiece of circus arts, humor, and breathtaking acrobatics that has captivated families for generations. This show is a delightful explosion of colors, comedy, and crazy contraptions perfect for the whole family.

• Sat, 7:30 p.m.
• Solano County Fairgrounds
• 900 Fairgrounds Dr, Vallejo

Mac Mall live from Noble Cinema Studios

The legend Mac Mall invades the stage at Noble Cinema Studios in his hometown of Vallejo CA for RESPECT THE LEGENDS.

• Sat, 8 to 11 p.m.
• Noble Cinema Studios
• 1509 Solano Ave., Vallejo

Stabe Wilson

Settle in for an intimate evening of smooth jazz, soulful R&B and deep Bay Area groove as Oakland saxophonist Stabe Wilson takes command of the Empress Marquee Club. With a sound shaped by gospel, jazz, soul, blues and rhythm & blues, Wilson brings warmth, power and expressive musical storytelling to the tenor, alto and soprano saxophones. Doors & Dinner: 6:00 PM • Show: 8:00–10:00 PM

• Sat, 8 to 10 p.m.
• Empress Marquee Club
• 324 Virginia St., Vallejo

Club RedMen - Goth Night

Club RedMen Launch! Now every 3rd Saturday. Goth Night. DarkWave - EDM - Industrial Night. Featuring Dj Agrofemm, Riveted and DJ James. Live appearance by Moon Cries Blood

• Sat, 8 p.m.
• 4th Corner Speakeasy
• 431 Georgia St., Vallejo

REMINISCENT XXXX

It's Remo's birthday weekend. Celebrate at the Remo Land event. DJ Tay Bottles spinning all night long, birthday shot o'clock at midnight, grown & sexy vibes, good drinks and great music. Theme: safari - rodeo - glow. Pull up in your best fit and show out! Whether you're rocking cowboy boots, safari glam, or glowing all night, this is the event everyone will be talking about. . 21+, Security Strictly Enforced

• Sat, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
• Chris' Club
• 656 Benicia Rd., Vallejo

Sunday, July 19

Sugartown Festival 2026

Join us for the 18th Annual Sugartown Festival in the heart of historic Crockett, as Rolph Street at Pomona Street transforms into a vibrant outdoor celebration of live music, artisan vendors, food vendors beer garden and family-friendly entertainment. This year's music lineup includes School of Rock Vacaville, Terry Hanck Band, The Billy Martini Show and ZZ Top tribute act Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers. Guests may bring their own lawn chairs for seating near the stage. Well-behaved dogs are welcome.

• Sun, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sugartown Festival 2026
• 850 Pomona St., Crockett

Herbal Explorations Roses and Rest

Together we will explore the beauty, aroma, and traditional uses of dried flowers while creating your own signature blends to take home.

• Sun, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Stefanie's Supernatural
• 523 Capitol St., Vallejo

Hoodland Foodie Day

Good food, vendors, good people, live music, good vibes, games and more. It's all about bringing positive energy and people together in a peaceful way. Sponsored by Yay Area food reviews.

• Sun, noon to 7 p.m.
• Setterquist Park
• 300 Stanford Dr., Vallejo

FeLine & Movement

Designed by Women. Defined by Movement. Featuring enchanting feline-inspired creatures as a central theme, this July art exhibit showcases ceramics, painting and bead mosaic by Lony Maya Neubauer, Susan Noll and Rosalyn Parhams — three friends whose individual styles come together in a vibrant, captivating show.

• Sun, noon to 5 p.m.
• Mare Island Art Studios
• 110 Pintado St., Vallejo

Love in Action - Free Food, Clothing

If you or anyone you know is experiencing food insecurity or need, share this and tell them to meet us at Revival Center Ministries! Love in Action happens every 1st & 3rd Sunday.

• Sun, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
• Revival Center Ministries
• 910 Tennessee St., Vallejo

Garden Bros Circus - Fun Factory

The whimsical world where humans go wild. A traditional masterpiece of circus arts, humor, and breathtaking acrobatics that has captivated families for generations. This show is a delightful explosion of colors, comedy, and crazy contraptions perfect for the whole family.

• Sun, 1 p.m.
• Solano County Fairgrounds
• 900 Fairgrounds Dr, Vallejo

Jonny Mojo

Soulful guitarist Jonny Mojo blends a blues foundation with elements of rock, fusion, bluegrass and jam-band styles, whether he's touring solo or creating spontaneous lead guitar melodies with his band Achilles Wheel.

• Sun, 1 to 3 p.m.
• Mare Island Brewing Co. - First Street Taphouse
• 440 First St., Benicia

Once Upon a Sunday car show

Live from @noblecinemastudios we are hosting our first ever ONCE UPON A SUNDAY old school event + car show! We will be giving away $100 to dopest car! We will be playing oldies all day! Come vendors and food as well.

• Sun, 2 to 6 p.m.
• Noble Cinema Studios
• 1509 Solano Ave., Vallejo

Stef Burn's Summer Jam

American guitarist, singer and songwriter Stef Burns is best known for his work with Alice Cooper, bringing decades of rock and blues craftsmanship to the stage.

• Sun, 2 to 5 p.m.
• Vino Godfather
• 1005 Walnut Ave. #500, Vallejo

Speaker Series: Cracking the Enigma - The Secret Battlefield of WW2

Author Ralph Simpson will discuss over 2000 years of cipher evolution, starting with Julius Caesar and continuing to today with modern public key cryptography.

• Sun, 3 p.m.
• St. Peter's Chapel
• 1181 Walnut Ave., Mare Island, Vallejo

Garden Bros Circus - Fun Factory

The whimsical world where humans go wild. A traditional masterpiece of circus arts, humor, and breathtaking acrobatics that has captivated families for generations. This show is a delightful explosion of colors, comedy, and crazy contraptions perfect for the whole family.

• Sun, 4 p.m.
• Solano County Fairgrounds
• 900 Fairgrounds Dr, Vallejo

Silent Book Club

Looking for a relaxing, no-pressure way to enjoy books with fellow readers? Join our Silent Book Club, where you can read, relax, and connect but only if you want to! This is the perfect semi-social escape for semi-social readers. Bring your favorite book, grab a comfy spot, and enjoy 1.5 hours of quiet reading time in the company of fellow book lovers.

• Sun, 5 to 6:30 p.m.
• Bookshop Benicia
• 636 First St., Benicia

Garden Bros Circus - Fun Factory

The whimsical world where humans go wild. A traditional masterpiece of circus arts, humor, and breathtaking acrobatics that has captivated families for generations. This show is a delightful explosion of colors, comedy, and crazy contraptions perfect for the whole family.

• Sun, 7 p.m.
• Solano County Fairgrounds
• 900 Fairgrounds Dr, Vallejo

Salsa & Bachata Class

Join us every Sunday at 8 p.m. at H Lounge Bar in Vallejo for Salsa & Bachata lessons with Cuban Rhythm and Rumba dance instructors! Beginner friendly. Dance class ticket includes admission to the 9 p.m. Rumba Sundays party. 21+ event.

• Sun, 8 to 9 p.m.
• H Lounge
• 472 Benicia Rd., Vallejo

Rumba Sunday's

Latin Music Party Every Sunday at H Lounge Bar in Vallejo! Fiesta Latina Todos Los Domingos. DJ Mobeezy and guest DJs bring you the best Top Latin hits — salsa, bachata, reggaeton, hip-hop y más! Party begins 9 p.m.; Salsa & Bachata lessons by Cuban Rhythm and Rumba Dance Studio from 8-9 p.m. (free party entry with dance class).

• Sun, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• H Lounge
• 472 Benicia Rd., Vallejo

Monday, July 20

Make a Mandala Turtle

Celebrate South Asian Heritage Month with this month's drop in craft. Join us during open hours and create a colorful turtle with a mandala‑inspired shell.

• Mon, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

Lunch at the Library

Lunch for kids 18 and under on weekdays at the library. Children must be present to receive meal.

• Mon, noon to 1 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library, Joseph Room
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

Learn to Use the Internet with a Free Tablet

Learn to use the Internet and Android tablets in this 4-part class series with Solano Connected and digitalLIFT. Participants who attend all 4 classes receive a free Android tablet Who is eligible: Solano county residents Adults 60 years or older Adults with disabilities age 18 or older Do not own a device (computer, laptop, tablet) other than a phone. Registration is required. To register, call Independent Living Resources:707-435-8174

• Mon, 3 to 5 p.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

JFK Library Evening Book Club

The Evening Book Club is a fun, safe place to discuss interesting books, exchange ideas, meet new people, and step outside the comfort zone of predictable genres.

• Mon, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

Monday Jazz Jam

Bring your instrument, bring your friends, and settle in for a night of live jazz at the Empress Marquee Club. Monday Jazz Jam is a welcoming, musician-friendly evening where players can sit in, listeners can enjoy a relaxed club atmosphere, and the music moves naturally from swinging standards to blues, ballads, Latin grooves, and spontaneous improvisation. Musicians play free and get dinner, making this one of Vallejo’s most inviting weekly gatherings for working players, students, seasoned improvisers, and music fans alike. The jam runs from 7 to 10 p.m., with doors and dinner beginning at 6 p.m.

• Mon, 7 to 10 p.m.
• Empress Marquee Club
• 324 Virginia St, Vallejo

Tuesday, July 21

Storytime at Loma Vista Farm

Come join us for storytime at Loma Vista Farm. Enjoy stories while we sing, dance and play!

• Tue, 10:15 to 10:45 a.m.
• Loma Vista Farm
• 150 Rainier Ave., Vallejo

Lunch at the Library

Lunch for kids 18 and under on weekdays at the library. Children must be present to receive meal.

• Tue, noon to 1 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library, Joseph Room
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

DIY i-Spy Bottle

As a part of Disability Pride Month, July is dedicated to sensory crafts. Create your own i-Spy bottle in this fun, hands on sensory craft! Participants will fill a clear bottle with colorful beads, rice and tiny hidden objects, then shake and search to see what they can find.

• Tue, 3 to 4 p.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

Books on Tap

Join Springstowne Library's book club at the Vallejo Brewing Company every 3rd Tuesday of the month to discuss monthly book themes! Ages 21+ welcomed.

• Tue, 6 to 7:45 p.m.
• Vallejo Brewing Co.
• 430 Virginia St., Vallejo

Vallejo Hike Club's Tuesday Evening Hike

Join us every Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm for a relaxing hike at the Glen Cove Waterfront Park. These hikes are beginner-friendly, family-friendly, dog-friendly and welcoming to all fitness levels! It will be a time to relax, reset, and focus on enjoying nature, good company, and peaceful transition from work into the rest of your evening.

• Tue, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Glen Cove Waterfront Park
• Whitesides Dr., Vallejo

A more detailed list of upcoming events can be found here.

Submit your event listings for inclusion to events@vallejosun.com

Advertise your events on the Vallejo Sun website by contacting ads@vallejosun.com, or sign in to our event platform and enter your event directly. 

“I'm just bringing her Panda Express and trying to talk her into coming home early,” DelRosario told the Vallejo Sun in an interview. “I felt like something terrible was gonna happen to her and I've been saying it for a month, and it was just a piece of me saying she was about to die. And that's what happened.”

The next day, on May 1, Tamayo shot and killed Corsetti, police and prosecutors allege. She was 29. 

Corsetti was one of two people who allegedly have been killed by their romantic partners this year, accounting for two out of five homicides in the city.

Demonie Whitehead, a 21-year-old rapper and entrepreneur, was shot and killed April 4 in South Vallejo. Her family told ABC7 that they believe her ex-girlfriend killed her. Police have not arrested anyone for the murder and provided no updates.

It’s part of an overall rise in domestic violence in Vallejo. According to police data, domestic violence cases in Vallejo increased to 437 reported cases in 2025 compared to 385 in 2024.

Victims Empowerment Support Team, or VEST, a non-profit for victims of domestic violence, also said they are seeing increased call volume from victims seeking support countywide.

VEST Executive Director Tanya Brownrigg said there are often previous incidents before domestic violence turns deadly. Early intervention – protection and help for victims and accountability for offenders – is crucial to mitigate lethal intimate partner violence, she said.

On April 5, a month prior to her murder, Corsetti and Tamayo were both arrested by Vallejo Police after they had a public dispute. Court records show that both were charged with resisting arrest. Tamayo had additional weapon charges.

Corsetti and Tamayo met in January, and she moved out of mother’s home a short time later. Her relationship with her family grew more distant in the following months, removing herself from her main safety net. 

Corsetti kept a diary of the last year of her life, which her mother shared with the Sun. In it she described how her life was becoming more “chaotic,” and described an increasingly toxic relationship with Tamayo that spiraled in the months before she was murdered. 

Tamayo stayed on the run for 19 days before he was arrested. During that time, he allegedly shot another man in almost the same location as Corsetti’s murder. According to DelRosario, the man he shot was a witness to her daughter's murder. He was finally arrested after DelRosario took matters into her own hands by arranging a meetup with Tamayo, pretending to be another woman, and alerting police. 

“I wasn't going to live one more day with him free on the streets,” DelRosario said. “I was going to make sure that didn’t happen.” 

CiCi’s Diary

Corsetti was born in 1997, when DelRosario was 14 years old. Corsetti’s father at the time was 31. DelRosario said that her grandmother, a lifelong “hotdog lady” at Sac’s Tasty Hotdog shack in Vallejo, raised them both.

That meant they were extremely close. But even so, Corsetti’s family described her as shy and reserved. “She just would never let us know what was going on,” DelRosario said. 

Corsetti was a creative individual who wrote raps and liked to draw. But her family said she also struggled with fentanyl addiction. She had gone to rehabilitation centers several times in her life and was arrested for misdemeanor drug possession in 2023. In her diary, she wrote about navigating her court appearances.

Corsetti also had unhealthy relationships in the past, DelRosario said. DelRosario felt responsible for “anything that was bad happening to my daughters [in relationships] because they're doing what the fuck they've seen, period,” referring to her own history of abusive relationships.

Corsetti started her diary in July of last year while she was going through a court-mandated Christian drug rehabilitation program in Woodland. Her writing during that period was full of positivity, with pages full of future plans, goals and ambitions. 

Her summer goals for that year included, “tan, workout, enroll in school, tattoo removal, teeth whitening.” On the following page are her affirmations, “prove yourself 2 yourself 4 yourself” and “love yourself like you love your sisters and mother.”

During her time at Woodland, she wrote that she was grateful to be alive and felt like her whole future was ahead of her. 

“At times I feel behind in life because I've let my co-dependency problems AKA other people bring me down with them,” she wrote on July 27. “Although I have God on my side and my intentions are always good! I make the best of every/any situation so therefor Im always #winning! Period! I know myself, true to myself! Always trying to be the best version of ME!”

“As I started to get help, counseling, therapy, rehab.. I started learning that there is hope,” she wrote on Aug. 25.

Corsetti also sought to break her romantic patterns. “Goodbye toxic relationships!” she wrote in an undated entry from 2025. “I learned so much about myself, what I deserve and what I won't tolerate ever again. I learned to notice the signs of mental, emotional, physical abuse.. That will not only help me choose better people to let into my life, but will allow me to help others who don't know any better.” 

On Nov. 15, Corsetti got a call from her attorney, who said her case had been dropped and that she was free to leave the program. 

“I could leave the program early but I'm not going to do that because I want the timing to be what I had planned for. Plus if I graduate it will look good for that other case that I’m fighting,” she wrote. “Most people I know would have got that call and instantly left, because now I don't have to be here.. But in my head, I do have to be. It's a part of my goals and I need to get used to seeing my goals all the way through.”

Corsetti moved back into her mother’s house ten days later, five months to the day since she’d used drugs, she wrote.

In the days following her return, she frequently wrote that she needed a job and dropped off her resume at local businesses, including the Olive Garden and Noonie’s Place.

“I do wish I had more real friends and real help,” she wrote on Jan. 2. According to her mother, she started using drugs again around then and moved out in mid-January.

Corsetti wrote about her gambling habit, how he hasn’t been eating well, loneliness and boredom. Her writing became more erratic, messy and grim.

“I’m going through one of these in-between stages,” Corsetti wrote in February. 

She first mentioned her “new boo” in February, referring to Tamayo. “He's so different and we work so well together,” she wrote. 

“I also know now that I can't put all my faith into a relationship,” she wrote. “I have to make sure that I'm good no matter what.” 

A month later, she was already writing critically about the relationship. “Today Rob probably realized that I am not playing.. I hate feeling like I'm not enough,” she wrote.

In March, Corsetti wrote that she was no longer talking to her mother. DelRosario said that her relationship with her daughter got rocky in part because she did not like Tamayo and did not want him around. “She keeps calling me talking shit about [Tamayo],” Corsetti wrote.

Corsetti wrote on March 8 that she felt like she was “searching within or externally for that person or thing to fill this empty hole I have in my chest.” 

“I think that I'm always going to have that [because] I've done so much damage to my life that I can't take back,” she wrote. “I've used people and helped them destroy their life in order to benefit mine. When I think back on the people I've done that to, it hurts so badly I wish I could go back.” 

"Sometimes it's easy for me to forget that I can't rebuild a life in just a few months,” she wrote.

Corsetti turned 29 on March 20. She called this in-between period of her life “a little bump in the road,” and was looking forward to a new chapter. At the same time, her relationship with Tamayo seemed to have grown worse. 

In a text message to Tamayo and in diary entries, Corsetti said that Tamayo had purposefully sabotaged her car so she couldn't use it and frequently kicked her out of the house, seemingly to punish her.

On April 1, Corsetti sent Tamayo a long text. 

“I SHOULDA STAYED SINGLE I SHOULDA STAYED AT MY MOMS,” she wrote “I’VE BEEN THROUGH ALL THIS SHIT BEFORE-AND IM COOL I DONT WANT IT.”

“I thought you were different and I still try to believe you but you say whatever just to get me where you want me,” Corsetti wrote.

DelRosario, who met Tamayo several times, said Tamayo “wouldn’t let her go anywhere alone” and was “very possessive." And if he didn’t get her way with her, he’d cause a scene. 

On April 16, Corsetti wrote that she had a mental breakdown after getting upset with herself for accepting "the bare minimum" and letting "Mf's play with me like it's good."

“Ive been putting a lot of attention on my relationship that is actually turning out to be confusing and unpredictable.” Corsetti wrote on April 17. “Nobody wants to be with someone that makes them feel insecure.” 

Her last diary entry is dated April 27, three days before her murder. “I've been trying to keep a positive attitude and I really want to sell my car and go see my mom," she wrote.

Corsetti’s murder and Tamayo’s arrest

The night before she was murdered, Corsetti messaged her mother and asked her to pick her up at Tamayo’s house the next day. DelRosario wanted to see her daughter right away, and went there that night to bring her Panda Express for dinner. That’s when she saw Tamayo and his roommate with guns. She asked her daughter to come home with her, but Corsetti decided to stay. 

“If she's out there and she calls me for help,” DelRosario said, “I'm not just gonna wait till tomorrow.” 

Corsetti  never made it back to her mother’s house. The next day, Tamayo allegedly shot her while she was hanging out in her friend's car parked on Sutter and Indiana streets. 

Police said in a press release that “an adult female suffering from at least one gunshot wound had been transported to the hospital and dropped off by an unknown individual.”

According to Corsetti’s family, her friend took her to the hospital, where she died shortly after. DelRosario said she did not find out her daughter had died until the next morning.

When she saw her daughter’s body at the morgue, DelRosario said that the shot was so close to her body that the muzzle blast ruptured Corsetti’s skin from within, “because he pressed up so hard,” she said.

Shortly after Corsetti’s death, Tamayo wrote a post on Facebook that laid blame on the driver. "Daddy finnah handle fosho and I noe u wouldn't like to but the mf took damn near my life as well," he wrote. 

“Told ya ass to quit leaving without letting me know,” Tamayo wrote.

Tamayo later called DelRosario and also told her that it was the driver who shot Corsetti, but also admitted to being angry and holding the driver at gunpoint. DelRosario asked Tamayo why the driver would have shot Corsetti and then taken her to the hospital. Tamayo told her he believed that the driver was enabling Corsetti’s drug habit.

DelRosario did not believe Tamayo’s story, nor did the district attorney’s office, which charged Tamayo with Corsetti’s murder on May 7, records show.

“He thought he was gonna be able to say somebody else did it before the police got hit him and carry on with his life,” DelRosario said. “You really thought you were gonna put that off on somebody else and just go about as you please? Carrying around a gun so nobody says nothing to you?” 

Soon after the murder, a friend of Corsetti’s approached DelRosario and told her that Tamayo had been texting her, asking her to hang out. DelRosario took the friend’s phone and pretended to be her. 

On May 19,  Vallejo police called DelRosario and told her to watch her back because Tamayo had shot another man. 

The victim was shot on the same block where Corsetti was killed at 4:28 a.m., according to police. DelRosario said she believed that Tamayo was looking to kill potential witnesses.

DelRosario did not cower from the warning. “Let me help,” she responded instead, “I can get him, for sure.”

She told police to wait for him on Curtola Avenue and Sonoma Boulevard. She’d take care of the rest.

“They [the police] didn't believe me at first, and then they called me back and they said, ‘All right, let's do it,’” DelRosario said. “It was just a matter of messaging him. He came straight to where I told him.”

She texted Tamayo asking for a ride. She told him that she was hot and sweaty from the heat and needed a place with air conditioning. Tamayo responded, “I got air conditioning in my room too, mama.”

DelRosario was sickened by it, but she kept the act, knowing he’d fall for it. 

Tamayo showed up right where she told him to be. Of course, neither DelRosario or the woman she was impersonating were anywhere nearby. 

With help from a California Highway Patrol helicopter, Vallejo police located Tamayo. Police chased his car to Chico Street and Beverly Drive in South Vallejo, where they deployed spike strips to disable his car, police said.

According to police, Tamayo then fled on foot. Police set up a perimeter and quickly found and arrested him hiding outside a home.

Catching her daughter’s killer was gratifying, said DelRosario, but it won’t bring her back. 

She tried calling Tamayo in jail several times. She’d like to tell him, “you really thought you were going to get some pussy and you got pinched and went to jail for my daughter's murder, you stupid motherfucker.” 

Help for Domestic Violence in Vallejo is limited

Corsetti’s story fits a tragic pattern that often traps victims of domestic violence, with potentially deadly results. Corsetti was vulnerable from her own drug use and a history of abuse in her family. She found herself in an isolating and controlling relationship. Leaving became dangerous and finding support was difficult.

When assessing a victim of domestic violence, law enforcement conducts a lethality assessment plan, an 11-question verbal assessment that determines whether someone is at high risk of lethal violence by their intimate partner.

For example, having been strangled by an intimate partner is a strong indicator that the victim may be murdered by that same person, as is access to firearms. 

If someone flags one of the lethality assessment plan questions, law enforcement needs to connect the person with resources for victims of domestic violence.

It’s unclear whether police connected Corsetti with resources after she was arrested a month prior during a domestic dispute.

According to Brownrigg, it's not clear what happens with individuals flagged as “high risk” in Vallejo, where they are being referred and who is following up. 

“Who in VPD is there to make sure that it gets to the advocate to follow up within 24 hours?” she said.

Vallejo police spokesperson Sgt. Rashad Hollis did not respond to emails and phone calls to request comment and ask questions for this story. 

She said Vallejo police often refer victims to resources in Fairfield, where the county operates a Family Justice Center. The distance can be a barrier for victims in Vallejo.

“If someone's in crisis and they have to drive 16 miles to Fairfield and they don't have the emotional stability to do so, the financial means to do so, they'll just say forget it and go back home to the abuser,” Brownrigg said. 

For example, Corsetti wrote in her diary that Tamayo had deliberately sabotaged her car so as to control her movements. 

VEST relocated from Fairfield to Vallejo after realizing that there were no services for domestic violence locally to address the problem. 

Bringing a center for victims of domestic violence to Vallejo is a step in the right direction, but more effective solutions can still be implemented, Brownrigg said. She said that the next phase should involve hiring what she calls “community advocates,” staff trained to respond directly to these types of calls.

They would work in the same way that IHART responds to mental and behavioral health crises in Vallejo or how the recently-launched VISION program is tasked with identifying and intervening with those at highest risk of gun violence. IHART has been praised by city and police officials for their effectiveness and reducing the police’s call-load in a cost-effective way.

Brownrigg said many good conversations have already happened around needed solutions. Now, it’s time “the needle moves forward” on them, she said.

The city said Thursday that the bridge’s vertical drawbridge lift span is operating on its normal schedule with no time restrictions as of July 1. 

However, some repair work including sidewalk installation has slowed temporarily due to nearby nesting activity of the California Black Rail, a threatened native species. The birds are currently nesting in the adjacent wetlands, and the city said that state environmental requirements prevent further construction activities from taking place during this period. 

“In coordination with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the city has a biologist to monitor the nesting of the birds, who will determine when the birds have cleared the area so full operations can resume,” the city of Vallejo said in a news release this week.

The bridge was built in 1934 as the connector between Vallejo and Mare Island. Following a 2016 upgrade project replacing a 50-foot span of bridge timber with steel, the bridge has had frequent operating issues which have disrupted boat and vehicle traffic to Mare Island. 

In April 2023, the bridge required repairs because it was not seated correctly, which left a gap in the westbound traffic lane. 

Then in May 2024, city officials said that due to obsolete parts in the bridge's aging electrical system, it could not be raised and lowered. The city chose to leave the bridge in the “down” position to allow pedestrian and vehicle traffic, while blocking most boat traffic. 

Recreational vessels frequently cross the Mare Island Strait on their way to Napa, and even small sailboats need the bridge raised to clear it. This issue continued into June 2024.

City staff later brought a request for $3 million in early 2025 to the Measure P Committee, requesting to use a portion of the fund to cover a gap in funding for repairs. But the committee at that time declined to recommend the allocation, saying the city had not been adequately transparent with Mare Island residents on the Causeway work.

This week, the city said other improvements have been made, such as adding light posts and light poles on the south side of the bridge.

However, other parts of the work are underway or delayed. Staff said that the installation of a guardrail post and handrail painting on the bridge’s south side are about 70% complete. Work beneath the bridge deck and on the deck surface remains ongoing, and the bridge logo’s installation will not take place until September.

That makes the project about 65% complete, according to the city. As it stands now, the estimated completion date for repairs has been pushed by several weeks, from mid‑February 2027 to March 2027.

The company, Global Stack LLC, is based out of Santa Ana and has already pitched several fairgrounds through introductions made by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. 

Solano County Fair Association CEO Tom Keaney said that they heard a pitch from the company in April, but said that the project is “basically tabled” in Solano County until they learn more information about Global Stack and its proposed plan.

At the core of the company’s pitch is the idea of disaster preparedness, said Daniel Kang, the owner and co-founder of Global Stack. The pitch deck shown to fairgrounds leaders featured futuristic AI illustrations of helipads and bustling fairgrounds with hot air balloons. The company’s proposal had three major components: a multi-level parking garage, a helicopter landing pad for emergencies, and a small data center meant to provide “world-class AI capabilities and blackout-proof operations” should the power grid fail during a disaster. 

Kang pushed back on concerns that they’re a data center company, stating that their aim is to build an “emergency resilience system” for California.

The company’s vision is to have 70 fairgrounds all across California connected using the same system by 2030. Other proposed Bay Area sites include the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds, the Cow Palace Arena & Event Center, the San Mateo Event Center, the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, and the Napa County Fairgrounds. 

The company estimated in its presentation that its project could bring in annual revenue of $2 million to each city and add around 7,000 jobs. 

“Global Stack was built to bring the public and private sectors together to strengthen the resilience of a disaster-prone state,” Kang said.

He added that participating fairgrounds would have uninterrupted connectivity to each other in the case of an emergency through the data centers. “If one location goes down, the others keep first responders communicating and critical information available on a private network,” Kang said. “During a disaster, it's the layer that stays up when everything else fails.” 

He said that the systems would be a closed loop, and would not use water or draw from local water supplies. Each facility would also use no more than 10 megawatts, Kang added, which he said was “roughly the footprint of a mid-sized shopping center.”

Though the project is on hold in Solano County, Keaney said that they were initially interested in the pitch because the fairgrounds is supposed to be like the “Swiss Army knife of facilities for the county.” Not only does it host the annual summer fair and various trade shows, but it also served as a testing site during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s meant to be an evacuation and shelter location for residents in the case of an emergency.

The Solano County Fairgrounds is a member of the California Emergency Response and Resiliency Venues and Fairgrounds, a coalition of fairgrounds advocating for better disaster preparedness. That’s why the idea of a standalone energy grid sounded like something worth looking into, according to Keaney. In the case of  “earthquakes to fires and tsunamis … we have to be able to keep ourselves in a status where we can take people in during bad times,” Keaney said. 

Keaney added that they weren’t interested in building a new parking structure, but that they were intrigued by the helicopter landing pad proposal. 

“If you look at our proximity to Kaiser hospital, that could be life-changing and life-saving in the event of an emergency,” Keaney said. 

If the project were to ever move forward, it would be decided at the county level. City spokesperson Robert Briseño said that Vallejo hasn’t had any inquiries or conversations with the company.

The Solano County Fair Association, an independent nonprofit that manages the fairgrounds, signed a five-year agreement with the county in 2024 to manage the full 153 acres of fairgrounds land. Before that, it only managed around 69 acres, which included the expo hall, offices, and the closest parking lots. 

Still, Keaney said ultimately it would be up to the Solano County Board of Supervisors to decide whether to greenlight the Global Stack project because it's still “the county that owns the property, and they have the long-term interest” in the land. 

County spokesperson Matthew Davis noted that Global Stack’s proposal was not in alignment with the association’s operating contract with the county. 

Executives at other Bay Area sites, like Cow Palace and the San Mateo Event Center, have been more receptive to Global Stack’s proposal, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The idea faced immense public criticism in Calistoga, meanwhile, as residents called the prospect of a data center “monsterous” and questioned the company’s water use claims during public comment at the Fairgrounds Advisory Committee’s June meeting, per Bay City News.

Keaney said he can understand the appeal of the project, as fairgrounds are perpetually underfunded. According to the Solano County Fair Association’s tax filings, the nonprofit’s expenses often outpace its revenues. In 2024, the county approved a $1 million grant to repair the roof of McCormack Hall and upgrade its ventilation systems to make it more emergency-ready. But those types of grants are rare, and a vast majority of the association’s money comes from revenue generated from the events it holds on the grounds.

The Global Stack proposal then is “looking at a way of being able to stabilize the income flow for different fairgrounds … and plug some of these holes that some of the fairgrounds in the system suffer from,” Kearney said.  

On Wednesday evening the 707 Film Showcase will bring local stories, filmmakers, music videos, and powerful creative voices to the big screen at the Empress Theatre. This free Vallejo event will feature stories and  music videos about and from Vallejo’s landmarks and characters like Tony Holman from Tony’s Cakes and Elite Public Schools and it will include world premieres, award-winning films, and a live filmmaker Q&A.

And on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, Mare Island Brewing Co. founder Kent Fortner will share the lore, legends and local history that shaped Mare Island as he guides the 90-minute 707 Week: Mare Island Bike Tour. The casual, guided ride will begin at the Coal Shed Brewery and make stops at Alden Park, ️St. Peter's Chapel, Pink Palace and Mare Island Dry Docks, then finish back at the brewery for post-ride pints. This is a BYOB (bring your own bike) event.

Then on Saturday afternoon, the “We Outside” Summer Night Market will enliven the 200 block of Georgia Street in downtown Vallejo. This free family-friendly event will feature local vendors, delicious food, a kid zone, cool cars, and live music and entertainment.

On Sunday afternoon, Chef Rene Johnson and Blackberry Soul Fine Catering will offer an unforgettable soul food experience at the Dan Foley Cultural Center during 707 Week's Vibe and Dine Soul Food Stroll. Experience soul food elevated to a new level in an afternoon rooted in culture, music, refreshing mocktails, and community connection.

Friday is the second Friday of the month, which will bring the 2nd Friday Art Walk to downtown Vallejo from 5 to 9 p.m. The event will sprawl from a fiber arts show at the McCune Room at the John F. Kennedy Library, along Georgia Street, where a live OZCAT Radio broadcast will highlight local musicians and hometown personality guests interviews, up through Marin and Virginia Streets, where local artisans will display their wares, and boutiques, galleries and shops will be open late.

Conclude your Art Walk experience Friday night with one of a variety of live music shows at a downtown venue.

San Francisco rapper Rappin' 4-Tay will headline a show at the Empress Marquee Club, with saxophonist Trinity Sax and R&B vocalist Andrea Nicole. DJ MysteeQ will keep the night moving before and between the live performances.

And Indie After Dark will present a night of original music featuring Kind Void with SIXLEGS at 4th Corner Speakeasy in Vallejo.

Civic-minded Vallejoans may be interested in the following upcoming events.

The John F. Kennedy Library will provide free lunches for youth 18 and under on weekdays throughout July and August in the Joseph Room.

Solano County Supervisor Cassandra James and Vallejo City Council member Charles Palmares will hold a Community Engagement Meeting at Union Baptist Church on Thursday evening. This is an opportunity to listen, learn, and build community together. 

If you’ve ever wondered what happens after wastewater leaves your home, attend Behind the Flush on Saturday at 11 a.m. This tour of the Vallejo Flood & Wastewater District’s treatment plant is a rare opportunity to meet the department staff and see how they safely clean, treat, and return our community's wastewater to the environment. Be sure to pre-register on Eventbrite for a chance to receive special prizes.

On Sunday morning, join the City Cleanup by Rooted Vallejo to pick up trash on the Napa Valley Vine Trail. Meet in front of Panama Bay Coffee at 9 a.m. and help beautify Vallejo.

And on Monday evening, a second South Vallejo Community Meeting about the aftermath of the Grant School fire will be held at the Emmanuel Temple Apostolic Church. Learn about the fire, site security, and to have a say about the steps being taken to protect the community.

Last but not least, on Tuesday evening, the Vallejo City Council will meet at City Hall. Come find out what’s happening at the city level and speak your mind about local issues. A Zoom option is available to participate remotely.

This is only a brief sampling of things to do in Vallejo. Scroll down the list below to find more live music. art exhibits and creative and recreational activities in Vallejo and beyond. Check our events page for an even more comprehensive listing of upcoming events and late-breaking updates. 

Let us know about new upcoming events at events@vallejosun.com, or sign in to our event platform and enter your event directly.

Wednesday, July 8

Children's Wonderland Storytime

Join us at Children's Wonderland Park for fun, songs, and stories every Wednesday at 11:15 a.m., running May 13 through Oct. 28. Enter through the castle doors guarded by crocodiles to a world of climbing features including a pirate ship, train and "steaming" teapot. Free parking is available between Children's Wonderland and Vallejo Parent Nursery School.

• Wed, 11 to 11:45 a.m.
• Children’s Wonderland
• 360 Glenn St., Vallejo

Summer Storytime @ JFK

Join us for songs, movement, and stories this summer at the Vallejo JFK Library! Stay for Lunch At The Library after!

• Wed, 11:30 a.m. to noon
• John F. Kennedy Library, Joseph Room
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

Lunch at the Library

Lunch for kids 18 and under on weekdays at the library. Children must be present to receive meal.

• Wed, noon to 1 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library, Joseph Room
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

Read to a Shelter Pet

In collaboration with Solano County Animal Control, kids and families are invited to read aloud to adoptable animals, helping them feel loved while building reading confidence.

• Wed, 3 to 3:30 p.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

707 Film Showcase

The 707 Film Showcase brings local stories, filmmakers, music videos and creative voices to the big screen for one night during 707 Week, with world premieres, award-winning films, and a live filmmaker Q&A. This free event is presented by Sara Anders and Empress Theatre. Doors open at 5 p.m., with the first showing at 5:30 p.m.

• Wed, 5 to 9 p.m.
• Empress Theatre
• 330 Virginia St., Vallejo

707 Week: Mare Island Bike Tour

Hop on your bike for a scenic, guided 90-minute tour around Mare Island with Mare Island Brewing Co. founder Kent Fortner, taking in 142 years of shipyard history and lore along stops including Alden Park, St. Peter's Chapel, Pink Palace and the Mare Island Dry Docks — then finish back at Coal Shed Brewery with a fresh pint of Shop Bike Session IPA.

Tickets are $20 and include a can of Dry Dock #1 Hop Water for the ride and a pint of Shop Bike Session IPA after. Limited to 25 riders per tour: Wed, July 8 at 5:30 p.m. or Thu, July 9 at 5:30 p.m. This is a 21+ event — bring your own bike and helmet, arrive a few minutes early, and complete a waiver at checkout. Valid ID required for post-ride pints.

• Wed, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
• Coal Shed Brewery
• 850 Nimitz Ave., Vallejo

Vallejo Library Poets Review

This guided review of legacy poets from around the world welcomes all to discover (or rediscover) poets of every era, ethnicity and style — romantic, political, pastoral and everything between. Check the library's website for the current list of poets under review, including short bios and poem selections.

• Wed, 6 to 7:45 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

Vallejo Run Club

Join the Vallejo Run Club on our weekly Saturday morning and Wednesday evening runs. Our group meets, rain or shine, next to the Vallejo Ferry Terminal. We run 1-3 easy miles. Beginners to ultra marathoners welcome!

• Wed, 6:20 to 7:20 p.m.
• Vallejo Ferry Terminal
• 289 Mare Island Way, Vallejo

Besom Buddies Broom Makers

Each month we gather to transform humble materials into beautifully crafted brooms — from classic corn brooms to sleek hearth sweepers to entirely new designs. No prior experience needed: our crew of makers ranges from first-timers to seasoned hands, all creating functional art that’s too pretty to hide in the closet.

• Wed, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• The Exchange
• 617 Marin St., Vallejo

Tia Carroll

Tia Carroll is one of the Bay Area's most commanding and beloved blues vocalists. With a voice that can move from a whisper to a roar, she brings every song to life with honesty, humor, passion, and unmistakable soul. Her music blends deep blues tradition with gospel, soul, rhythm and blues, and a touch of funk. Every performance is filled with rich vocals, heartfelt storytelling, infectious energy, and the kind of connection that makes the audience feel like part of the show. Doors open for dinner at 5:30 p.m.

• Wed, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Empress Marquee Club
• 324 Virginia St., Vallejo

Karaoke

Every Wednesday grab your friends and sing your heart out karaoke hosted by Glen Snyder.

• Wed, 7 to 10 p.m.
• The Rellik Tavern
• 726 First St., Benicia

Wednesday Night Open Mic

A friendly space for both beginning musicians and seasoned professionals. Comedians and poets also welcome.

• Wed, 8 to 11 p.m.
• Townhouse Cocktail Lounge
• 401A Georgia St., Vallejo

Thursday, July 9

DIY Fireworks Blower Craft

Join us for one of our monthly crafts. Create a festive firework blower using a craft tube and colorful tissue paper. Drop in during open library hours between July 6 and July 18 while supplies last!

• Thu, 9 a.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

English Conversation Club

Practice your English conversation skills with other adult learners in an informal and friendly setting. No registration required! Practica tu inglés en un lugar amigable y libre de prejuicios.در فضایی دوستانه و بدون قضاوت، گفتوشنود به زبان انگلیسی را تمرین کنید.همه دعوت هستند!在友好无批判的地方练习您的英语。欢迎每个人！एक मैत्रीपूर्ण,निर्णय-मुक्त माहौल में अपनी अंग्रेजी का अभ्यास करें। सभी का स्वागत है!フレンドリーで偏見なしの環境で英語を練習しましょう。どなたでも歓迎です。 Magsanay ng Pag-Iingles niyo sa isang magiliw, na hindi naghuhusgang lugar. Maaaring pumunta ang kahit sinuman!

• Thu, 10 to 11 a.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

Lunch at the Library

Lunch for kids 18 and under on weekdays at the library. Children must be present to receive meal.

• Thu, noon to 1 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library, Joseph Room
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

JFK Summer Reading Program: Rhythm Builders Drums

Join Craig and the Rhythm Builders on Thursday, July 9th at 1 PM. There will be drums and music and movement. No experience required! For preschool and school age kids.

• Thu, 1 to 2 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

Puppet Show: Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack has traded his cow for magic wishing beans, which turned into a huge beanstalk! This silly tale includes a giant and a golden-egg-laying chicken. Presented by Puppet Art Theater. For ages 3+

• Thu, 3 to 3:45 p.m.
• American Canyon Library
• 300 Crawford Way, American Canyon

Benicia Certified Farmer's Market

Explore an abundance of fresh produce, specialty foods, food trucks, wellnes s products, and unique crafts. There will also be plenty of activities to enjoy! Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with local farmers, artisans, and your community while soaking in the beautiful waterfront atmosphere. Come join the fun!

• Thu, 4 to 8 p.m.
• Downtown Benicia
• First Street, Benicia

DUO SONICS

Join us for the live musical stylings of... Duo Sonics

• Thu, 5 p.m.
• The Rellik Tavern
• 726 First St., Benicia

707 Week: Mare Island Bike Tour

Hop on your bike for a scenic, guided 90-minute tour around Mare Island with Mare Island Brewing Co. founder Kent Fortner, taking in 142 years of shipyard history and lore along stops including Alden Park, St. Peter's Chapel, Pink Palace and the Mare Island Dry Docks — then finish back at Coal Shed Brewery with a fresh pint of Shop Bike Session IPA.

• Thu, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
• Coal Shed Brewery
• 850 Nimitz Ave., Vallejo

Supervisor Cassandra James Community Engagement Series

Your voice matters. This is an opportunity to listen, learn, and build community together. Your voice matters, and we want to hear from you! Council member Charles Palmares confirmed attendance. This event will be held in Vallejo City Council District 4. RSVPs are encouraged but not required.

• Thu, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
• Union Baptist Church
• 128 Encerti Ave., Vallejo

Adult Craft Club

This month we are making iron-on patches. Choose from a few different methods of making a patch to iron on to one of your bags, jackets or other clothes!

• Thu, 6 to 7 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

King Tritone

Jim Raines, Tom Fleming, Eric Jones, John Messier - rock covers from the 70's to today!

• Thu, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
• Lucca Bar & Grill
• 439 First St., Benicia

Wendy DeWitt

Get ready for a night that jumps, swings, shuffles, smiles, and absolutely cooks as Wendy DeWitt brings her piano-powered blues and boogie-woogie fire to the Empress Marquee Club. Doors open for dinner at 5:30 p.m.

• Thu, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Empress Marquee Club
• 324 Virginia St., Vallejo

GVRD Budget Public Hearing

The Board of Directors of the Greater Vallejo Recreation District will meet to hold a public hearing on the 26/27 Preliminary Budget. Any person may attend and be heard regarding any item in the budget or regarding the addition of other items.

• Thu, 6:30 p.m.
• Greater Vallejo Recreation District
• 401 Amador St., Vallejo

Friday, July 10

DIY Fireworks Blower Craft

Join us for one of our monthly crafts. Create a festive firework blower using a craft tube and colorful tissue paper. Drop in during open library hours between July 6 and July 18 while supplies last!

Age group: school age.

• Fri, 9 a.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

Chaotic Science Day!

Join us for messy, hands-on science fun at the library! Kids will explore simple experiments that fizz, pop, and squish - so be ready to get a little messy!

AGE GROUP: | School Age |

• Fri, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

First Friday Lunch Mob

Join the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce for lunch and support a local restaurant! We gather at 11:30am, the kitchen opens for food orders at noon, we purchase our own lunch, sit together and mingle! Please rsvp to info@vallejochamber.com We'll see you there

• Fri, 11:30 a.m.
• Redwood Empire Whiskey Bar & Tasting Room
• 1095 Nimitz Ave., Vallejo

Lunch at the Library

Lunch for kids 18 and under on weekdays at the library. Children must be present to receive meal.

• Fri, noon to 1 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library, Joseph Room
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

American Canyon Tabletop Gaming Club

Please join us at the American Canyon library for our tabletop gaming club where members of the community can play a wide array of tabletop games with other enthusiasts

• Fri, 2 p.m.
• American Canyon Library
• 300 Crawford Way, American Canyon

Jeopardy for Teens

Come play Jeopardy and win prizes.

• Fri, 2 to 3 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

Ken Maffeo

Rock into the weekend with... Ken Maffeo

• Fri, 4:30 p.m.
• The Rellik Tavern
• 726 First St., Benicia

Bands and Brews Summer Concert Series with the Good Time Collective Band

Join us at Blue Rock Springs Park for four unforgettable Friday evenings featuring an incredible lineup of live bands spanning classic rock, R&B, funk, Latin, and more. Whether you're dancing with friends, relaxing with family, or discovering new music, this is your summer destination. This week’s band is the Good Time Collective Band, playing high-energy party classics and R&B hits that will keep you moving all night long. Gates open at 5 p.m., music 6:30 to 8 p.m.

• Fri, 5 to 8 p.m.
• Blue Rock Springs Park
• 650 Columbus Pkwy., Vallejo

2nd Friday Art Walk

Every 2nd Friday from 5pm-9pm, experience fine arts, music, craft boutiques, galleries, local shops, and the great restaurants of Downtown Vallejo. The event is a vibrant celebration of local visual and performing arts, with a diverse range of offerings to appeal to all tastes. From jewelry and fashion to sculpture and paintings in oil and watercolor, attendees will have the chance to appreciate a wide array of artistic talent on display. Check out the new headquarters at City Arts Gallery - 420 Virginia St.

• Fri, 5 to 9 p.m.
• Downtown Vallejo
• Georgia and Marin Streets, Vallejo

A Journey into Fiber Arts: Textiles and Tools

Based in the Napa Valley, the Silverado Handweavers and Spinners Guild brings together people who share a love for fiber arts and creative expression. This Artwalk exhibit celebrates the art and craft of spinning, dyeing, weaving and tapestry, transforming fiber into something beautiful, useful and entirely handmade, with contributions from Sharon Crary, Kim Farmer and fellow Guild members.

• Fri, 5 to 9 p.m.
• The McCune Collection (JFK Library Bldg - lower level)
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

Don Bassey and Friends

Vallejo Brewing Company will have live music every Second Friday of the month during the Vallejo Art Walk going forward. Don Bassey and Friends will bring the vibes, featuring Erin Bakke, Pato Milo.

• Fri, 6 to 8 p.m.
• Vallejo Brewing Company
• 430 Virginia St., Vallejo

Beso Negro

Not your father's Gypsy Jazz. That old Django language meets Punk attitude!

• Fri, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
• Lucca Bar & Grill
• 439 First St., Benicia

Alura~Blindwolf~Captive State~Edgerunner925~Perception

This is Metal

• Fri, 7 p.m.
• Toot's Tavern
• 627 2nd. Ave., Crockett

Rappin' 4-Tay

Bay Area hip-hop history, live saxophone, soulful R&B, and DJ energy come together for one unforgettable night at the Empress Marquee Club. Headlining the evening is legendary San Francisco rapper Rappin' 4-Tay, one of the most recognizable voices from the golden era of West Coast hip-hop. Trinity Sax brings the excitement of live saxophone into a contemporary mix of hip-hop, R&B, soul, and jazz. Her expressive tone and melodic improvisation add a fresh live dimension to 4-Tay's unmistakable West Coast sound. Thee Andrea Nicole brings powerful Oakland R&B and soul energy, blending confident vocals, personal storytelling, and the independent spirit of Bay Area music. DJ MysteeQ keeps the night moving with Bay Area classics, old-school hip-hop, R&B, soul, and party favorites before, between, and around the live performances. Doors open for dinner at 6 p.m.

• Fri, 8 to 10 p.m.
• Empress Marquee Club
• 324 Virginia St., Vallejo

Kind Void with Paperface

Indie After Dark returns with a night of original music featuring Mugslug (@mugslug.pp on IG) and Jaded Justice (@jaded_justice on IG) at 4th Corner Speakeasy in Vallejo. Join us for an intimate evening of live indie songwriting and underground music in one of Vallejo’s favorite listening rooms.

• Fri, 8 p.m.
• 4th Corner Speakeasy
• 431 Georgia St., Vallejo

THE DREAM TELLERS

Get your dancing shoes on: The Dream Tellers, a 60s & 70s-inspired rock n' roll group from Oakland, bring their infectious enthusiasm for classic tunes and retro-flavored originals to the stage.

• Fri, 8:30 p.m.
• The Rellik Tavern
• 726 First St., Benicia

Saturday, July 11

Vallejo Run Club

Join the Vallejo Run Club on our weekly Saturday morning and Wednesday evening runs. Our group meets, rain or shine, next to the Vallejo Ferry Terminal. We run 1-3 easy miles. Beginners to ultra marathoners welcome!

• Sat, 8 to 9 a.m.
• Vallejo Ferry Terminal
• 289 Mare Island Way, Vallejo

DIY Fireworks Blower Craft

Join us for one of our monthly crafts. Create a festive firework blower using a craft tube and colorful tissue paper. Drop in during open library hours between July 6 and July 18 while supplies last!

Age group: school age.

• Sat, 9 a.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

Vallejo Farmers’ Market

Shop here for a great selection of California-grown greens, fruits & veggies, as well as some nice specialty booths with baked goods, tamales and food trucks with down-to-earth prices. Sometimes you can find local honey, homemade soap and other goodies here.

• Sat, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Downtown Vallejo
• Georgia and Marin Streets, Vallejo

Community Coffee Tasting

Sample coffee from around the world, browse crafts and confections by local vendors, or enjoy made-to order crêpes while listening to live music.

• Sat, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Moschetti Coffee Roaster
• 11 6th St., Vallejo

Ukulele Lessons

The Springstowne Library will offer ukulele lessons for beginner students at no cost thanks to generous funding by the Vallejo Friends of the Library. This 4 week series will be at 10:00am on Saturdays June 13th - July 11th, excluding July 4th. Lorenza Gibson will be instructing. Class size is limited and registration is required. We ask that those who register be able to commit to attending the entire course. Children under 10 must bring an adult to learn with them. Ukuleles are available to borrow by reservation with your library card. Attendees must register online, or in person at the Springstowne Library.

• Sat, 10 to 11 a.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

Vallejo Wastewater Presents: Behind the Flush

Have you ever wondered what happens after wastewater leaves your home? On Saturday, July 11, the Vallejo Flood & Wastewater District invites you to Behind the Flush, a special behind‑the‑scenes tour of our wastewater treatment plant. This is a rare opportunity to see how we safely clean, treat, and return our community's water to the environment. Meet the dedicated staff, experience hands-on learning, and see our equipment, system, and infrastructure that keep Vallejo's systems running. Parking is available at 450 Ryder Street. Be sure to pre‑register on Eventbrite for a chance to receive special prizes.

• Sat, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Vallejo Flood & Wastewater District
• 450 Ryder St., Vallejo

Mobile Recess Program!

Join Greater Vallejo Recreation District for this free youth program featuring organized play, sports, and crafts at neighborhood parks throughout Vallejo. In partnership with the City of Vallejo, Angles with Hearts, and supported by Measure P funding, Mobile Recess brings fun, active recreation directly into the community.

• Sat, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Crescent Park
• 501 Poplar Ave., Vallejo

Wwhs Alumni Annual Cookout 2026

It's a potluck, so please bring a favorite dish to share! Let me know what you're planning to bring so we can avoid too many duplicates. Contact Rhonda Osias (707) 853-8049 rhondaosias@gmail.com l

• Sat, 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Highlands Park
• 101 Regents Park Dr., Vallejo

Saturday Crafternoons: Terra Cotta Flowerpot Painting

This month for Saturday Crafternoons we will be expressing our creative spirit by painting vibrant terra cotta flowerpots. This activity will surely brighten up your garden

• Sat, noon
• American Canyon Library
• 300 Crawford Way or 3421 Broadway St., American Canyon

Kitty Meet and Greet – Pet Adoptions

Come meet your next best friend! All cats and kittens who are adopted out through Community Cat Advocates have been dewormed, treated for fleas, tested for Felv and FIV, vaccinated to age appropriate levels, microchipped and spayed or neutered. Evening appointments also available.

• Sat, noon to 4 p.m.
• PetSmart
• 952 Admiral Callaghan Lane, Vallejo

Soul'd Out Band

Get ready for an afternoon of non-stop hits and timeless classics with Soul'd Out Band! This talented band will take you on a musical journey through the decades with their eclectic mix of genres and styles. From the soulful sounds of Stevie Wonder to the upbeat rhythm of Bruno Mars, they've got something for everyone. Not only that, but they also play all your favorite top 40 hits! Whether you're a fan of pop, rock, hip-hop or R&B, Soul'd Out Band has got you covered.

Food: Lasagna con Amore - Chef Massimo from Italy and wife Sonia, will be serving sumptuous Lasagna Bolognese and tantalizing Lasagna Pesto, along with Italian Meatballs in marinara sauce, caprese salad, and authentic Italian desserts.

• Sat, 1 to 4 p.m.
• Vino Godfather
• 1005 Walnut Ave., Vallejo

“We Outside” Summer Night Market

Bring the whole family out for an evening filled with: local vendors, delicious food, kids zone, cool car,s live performers music & entertainment, and so much more! This is a **FREE family-friendly event** created to bring our community together, support local businesses, and celebrate summer nights in the heart of Downtown Vallejo. Interested in becoming a vendor? Click the link in our bio for more information and to secure your spot. Spaces are limited! Tag your friends, spread the word, and come enjoy an evening of shopping, food, entertainment, and community vibes with us!

• Sat, 4 to 8 p.m.
• Downtown Vallejo
• 200 block of Georgia St., Vallejo

Meet Chuck Matto, Vallejo Chef and author of Chuck’s Flavor Train!

Alibi Bookshop welcomes Vallejo chef, grill master, internet sensation and now author Chuck Matto to the shop to celebrate the release of his new cookbook, “Chuck’s Flavor Train.” With 75 mouthwatering recipes that showcase Chuck’s signature flavor-packed approach to grilling, this cookbook takes barbecue to the next level. Chuck will be here to talk about and sign his book, and rumor has it he’ll be bringing something tasty, too

• Sat, 4 p.m.
• Alibi Bookshop
• 624 Marin St., Vallejo

Artist Reception “Into Abstraction“ - The Art of Simone Nia Rae

Experience the vibrant energy of “Into Abstraction,” a solo showcase by artist Simone Nia Rae running from July 5th through August 30th, 2026, at the Ethnic Notions Fine Art Gallery. The exhibition kicks off with an Artist Reception on Saturday, July 11th from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, followed by an insightful Artist Talk on Sunday, July 12th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. General admission is $10.00—with light refreshments served—while Ethnic Notions VIP members can attend the event for free.

• Sat, 4 to 6 p.m.
• Ethnic Notions Fine Art Gallery & Multicultural Bookstore
• 930 Marin St., Vallejo

Live Music Saturday with David Bustamante & Bobby Santos

David Bustamante brings his ukulele-driven acoustic sound to an intimate duo performance with percussionist Bobby Santos, playing a favorite mix of songs at Mare Island Brewing Co.'s Ferry Taproom.

• Sat, 6 to 8 p.m.
• Mare Island Brewing Co. Ferry Taproom
• 289 Mare Island Way, Vallejo

Benicia Fashion Runway

Fashion show featuring Richard Hallmarq, Maisha Bahati, Anastasia Kryukova, Denim Lives, Gino Private Label and Go To Bed by Carlos Lopez.

• Sat, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
• The Inn at Benicia Bay
• 145 East D St., Benicia

Ron Burris

Ron Burris, a Vallejo-based saxophonist, brings smooth, soulful jazz to the stage, presenting his latest album, Ron Burris Jazz... Never Felt So Good. Earl’s BBQ Dinner available.

• Sat, 7 to 10 p.m.
• 4th Corner Speakeasy @ Red Mens Hall
• 431 Georgia St., Vallejo

Vallejo Swings! The music of Duke Ellington with Nick Rossi's Jazzopaters

One night only: a very special Saturday night music and dance event with Nick Rossi's Jazzopaters making their Vallejo debut playing the compositions/arrangements of the maestro, Duke Ellington! Come enjoy two sets of Swing Era Ellingtonia performed by this fantastic 9-piece band, the only ensemble of its kind west of the Continental Divide. The historic Odd Fellows Hall, located downtown on Georgia Street, welcomes this special little big band to its Grand Ballroom. Both the dance floor and bar will be open. You can catch the group hot on their heels of their sold out appearance down south at the Stanford Jazz Workshop the night before.

• Sat, 7 to 10 p.m.
• Odd Fellows Hall
• 342 Georgia St., Vallejo

R50 - Rush Tribute

Rush music is not easy to fake. The parts are too detailed, the arrangements are too demanding, and the fans know every fill, every bass line, every synth texture, and every guitar tone. That is exactly why R50 works. This Bay Area Rush tribute brings the music to life as a real three-piece band, covering the sound, precision, and energy of one of rock's most ambitious catalogs. No shortcuts. No tracks. Just three musicians taking on the full weight of Rush the way it was meant to be played. Doors and Dinner 6 PM | Show 8 PM

• Sat, 8 to 10 p.m.
• Empress Theatre
• 330 Virginia St., Vallejo

Glenn Snyder & Friends

Let jam all night with... Glenn Snyder & Friends. Don't miss out on a performance from your favorite karaoke hosts!

• Sat, 8:30 p.m.
• The Rellik Tavern
• 726 First St., Benicia

Townhouse Divas Drag Show

Come join Vicodonia Knightingale, Charity Kase and Holotta Tymes every 2nd Saturday night at the Townhouse Cocktail Lounge! These are the Divas you want to see!

• Sat, 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• Townhouse Cocktail Lounge
• 401A Georgia St., Vallejo

Sunday, July 12

City Cleanup by Rooted Vallejo

Join Rooted Vallejo and grow your community by helping to beautify Vallejo! Get outside, take pride in Vallejo's incredible green spaces and trails, and make a real difference. You'll be amazed at what we can accomplish together in only 2 hours. We’ll start at Mile 0 of the Napa Valley Vine Trail, right outside Panama Bay Coffee at the ferry building.

• Sun, 9 to 11 a.m.
• Panama Bay Coffee
• 289 Mare Island Way, Vallejo

St. Peter's Chapel - Self-guided Tour

Visit St. Peter’s Chapel, home to the largest collection of Tiffany stained-glass windows in a single location. The chapel is open to the public on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month for self-guided visits and quiet reflection. Volunteers are on-site to share history, answer questions, and help you experience the beauty and heritage of Mare Island’s most beloved landmark.

• Sun, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• St. Peter’s Chapel
• 1181 Walnut Ave., Vallejo

707 Week's Vibe and Dine Soul Food Stroll

Chef Rene Johnson and Blackberry Soul Fine Catering are known for creating unforgettable soul food experiences throughout the Bay Area—and this year, we are officially bringing that signature warmth and flavor with 707 Week! In collaboration with our community partners, we invite you to a premium afternoon rooted in culture, music, refreshing mocktails, and true community connection.

• Sun, noon to 4 p.m.
• Dan Foley Cultural Center
• 1499 North Camino Alto, Vallejo

FeLine & Movement

Designed by Women. Defined by Movement. Where ceramics, painting, bead mosaic and mixed media come to life. Three women explore a variety of media-including ceramics, painting, and bead mosaic-in this July art exhibit. Featuring enchanting feline-inspired creatures as a central theme, the exhibition highlights the unique creative voices of three friends whose individual styles come together to form a vibrant and captivating show. Come enjoy the show with Artists Lony Maya Neubauer, Susan Noll and Rosalyn Parhams.

• Sun, noon to 5 p.m.
• Mare Island Art Studios
• 110 Pintado St., Vallejo

Live Music Sunday with Chicken & Dumpling

"Chicken & Dumpling" is a husband-and wife acoustic blues duo featuring Charles “Chicken” Oriel on guitar and Julia “Dumpling” Simon on bass. Chicken & Dumpling plays the down-home, delta-style blues of Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, and Muddy Waters, in addition to the classic women’s blues of Bessie Smith and Sippie Wallace. Chicken & Dumpling also covers contemporary blues artists like Bonnie Raitt and Eric Clapton, as well as some jazz standards and popular songs.

• Sun, 1 to 3 p.m.
• Mare Island Brewing Co. First Street Taphouse
• 440 First St., Benicia

Innuendo - French-Inspired Sunday Brunch

Step into the romance of a Parisian café as Innuendo brings an afternoon of French cabaret, café music, and old-world charm to the Empress Marquee Club. The quartet features Big Lou on accordion, Kit Robberson on viola da gamba, David Golia on guitar, and Bing Nathan on bass. Together they perform French popular songs, romantic waltzes, cabaret favorites, tango, gypsy-jazz influences, and musical treasures from across the Atlantic. Doors open at noon, music begins at 1 p.m.

• Sun, 1 to 4 p.m.
• Empress Marquee Club
• 324 Virginia St., Vallejo

Artist Talk “Into Abstraction” - The Art of Simone Nia Rae

Experience the vibrant energy of “Into Abstraction,” a solo showcase by artist Simone Nia Rae running from July 5th through August 30th, 2026, at the Ethnic Notions Fine Art Gallery. The exhibition kicks off with an Artist Reception on Saturday, July 11th from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, followed by an insightful Artist Talk on Sunday, July 12th from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. General admission is $10.00—with light refreshments served—while Ethnic Notions VIP members can attend the event for free.

• Sun, 1 to 3 p.m.
• Ethnic Notions Fine Art Gallery & Multicultural Bookstore
• 930 Marin St., Vallejo

Braulio Barrera y Somos El Son

Braulio Barrera and his orchestra, Somos el Son, bring high-energy salsa to Vino Godfather, blending traditional Peruvian rhythms with the vibrant sound of the Bay Area salsa scene for an afternoon of live music and dancing.

• Sun, 1 to 4 p.m.
• Vino Godfather
• 1005 Walnut Ave., Vallejo

The360'S

The 360's bring authentic three-part vocal harmonies and driving rhythm to the stage, playing high-quality vintage music from the 60's, 70's & 80's.

• Sun, 4 p.m.
• The Rellik Tavern
• 726 First St., Benicia

Karaoke LiT Experience Presents: R&B Views and Barbecue

Get ready for smooth tunes while enjoying some of the best tasting mouth watering barbecue in town in a grown and sexy setting.

• Sun, 4 to 9 p.m.
• Redwood Empire Whiskey Bar & Tasting Room
• 1095 Nimitz Ave., Vallejo

Salsa & Bachata Class

Join us Every Sunday, 8 p.m. at H Lounge Bar in Vallejo for Salsa & Bachata Lessons by the amazing Cuban Rhythm and Rumba dance instructors! 8:00-9:00pm. Beginner Friendly! Dance class ticket includes admission to the Rumba Sundays party at 9 p.m. 21+ Event

• Sun, 8 to 9 p.m.
• H Lounge
• 472 Benicia Rd., Vallejo

Rumba Sunday's

Latin Music Party Every Sunday at H Lounge Bar in Vallejo! Fiesta Latina Todos Los Domingos. Dj Mobeezy and guest DJs bring you the best Top Latin Hits, Salsa, Bachata, Reggaeton, Hip-Hop y mas! Party Begins 9pm | Salsa & Bachata Lessons by Cuban Rhythm and Rumba Dance Studio from 8pm-9pm (Free entry to party with Salsa dance class)

• Sun, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• H Lounge
• 472 Benicia Rd., Vallejo

Monday, July 13

DIY Fireworks Blower Craft

Join us for one of our monthly crafts. Create a festive firework blower using a craft tube and colorful tissue paper. Drop in during open library hours between July 6 and July 18 while supplies last!

Age group: school age.

• Mon, 9 a.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

Paper Plate Bird Feeder

Treat your feathered friends with care by making a paper plate bird feeder and adding it to your garden. All ages are welcome, and all supplies are provided.

• Mon, noon to 1:30 p.m.
• American Canyon Library
• 300 Crawford Way, American Canyon

Lunch at the Library

Lunch for kids 18 and under on weekdays at the library. Children must be present to receive meal.

• Mon, noon to 1 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library, Joseph Room
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

Learn to Use the Internet with a Free Tablet

Learn to use the Internet and Android tablets in this 4-part class series with Solano Connected and digitalLIFT. Participants who attend all 4 classes receive a free Android tablet Who is eligible: Solano county residents Adults 60 years or older Adults with disabilities age 18 or older Do not own a device (computer, laptop, tablet) other than a phone. Registration is required. To register, call Independent Living Resources:707-435-8174

• Mon, 3 to 5 p.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

JFK Junk Journal Club

Bring your journal to this FREE club for adults and join others who love junk journals, scrapbooking, art journaling, etc.! Supplies Provided: Stickers Scissors Gluesticks Paper Feel free to bring your own supplies. We will have a communal table where you can share supplies as well! Invite your friends and follow along the community run Instagram page @jfkjunkjournalclub!

• Mon, 5 to 6:30 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

South Vallejo Community Meeting - Grant School Update

Our first community meeting was a tremendous success! Residents came together to hear directly from the Vallejo City Unified School District about the Grant School fire, site security, and the steps being taken to protect our community. Thank you for showing up and speaking up. Your voice made a difference. Now it's time for South Vallejo Community Meeting #2—and we need your voice again.When a community speaks together, leaders listen.

• Mon, 6 to 7 p.m.
• Emmanuel Temple Apostolic Church
• 900 6th St., Vallejo

Monday Jazz Jam

Bring your instrument, bring your friends, and settle in for a night of live jazz at the Empress Marquee Club. Monday Jazz Jam is a welcoming, musician-friendly evening where players can sit in, listeners can enjoy a relaxed club atmosphere, and the music moves naturally from swinging standards to blues, ballads, Latin grooves, and spontaneous improvisation. This Week’s House Band is Jesse Levitt on saxophones, Brian Juarez on bass, Ben Flint on piano and Erik von Buchau on drums and vibes. Musicians play free and get dinner, making this one of Vallejo’s most inviting weekly gatherings for working players, students, seasoned improvisers, and music fans alike. The jam runs from 7 PM to 10 PM, with doors open for dinner beginning at 6 PM.

• Mon, 7 to 10 p.m.
• Empress Marquee Club
• 324 Virginia St., Vallejo

Tuesday, July 14

DIY Fireworks Blower Craft

Join us for one of our monthly crafts. Create a festive firework blower using a craft tube and colorful tissue paper. Drop in during open library hours between July 6 and July 18 while supplies last!

• Tue, 9 a.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

Slow Stroll at Wetlands

The Parks Foundation is teaming up with the American Canyon Soroptimists for a monthly slow stroll series at Wetlands Edge trail. Join us for a leisurely paced walk on the first Tuesday of the month at 10:00 am. The pace will be casual for this social walk focused on meeting neighbors & enjoying a little outdoor time. Wear light layers & walking shoes. The stroll will last approximately one-hour along the flat, packed gravel wetlands trail. Participants should meet at the trailhead near the trail information kiosk. All are welcome.

• Tue, 10 a.m.
• Wetlands Edge Park
• 2 Eucalyptus Dr., American Canyon

Storytime at Loma Vista Farm

Come join us for storytime at Loma Vista Farm. Enjoy stories while we sing, dance and play!

• Tue, 10:15 to 10:45 a.m.
• Loma Vista Farm
• 150 Rainier Ave., Vallejo

Preschool Storytime

We share stories, sing songs, learn fingerplays, and laugh along with puppets. Kids can discover their lifelong love of books and the library today. Everyone is welcome!

• Tue, 10:30 a.m.
• American Canyon Library
• 300 Crawford Way or 3421 Broadway St., American Canyon

Lunch at the Library

Lunch for kids 18 and under on weekdays at the library. Children must be present to receive meal.

• Tue, noon to 1 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library, Joseph Room
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

Make a Hot Air Balloon

As a part of Disability Pride Month, July is dedicated towards sensory crafts. Participants will create their own textured hot air balloon using a variety of tactile materials like tissue paper, feathers, and pom poms on a paper plate. This hands-on sensory craft encourages fine motor skills, imaginative play and artistic expression.

• Tue, 3 to 4 p.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

Pin Making for Teens

We're making pins! Drop-in and learn how to use our button/pin maker. Bring your own design or use some we have here.

• Tue, 5 to 6 p.m.
• John F. Kennedy Library
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

Adult Craft Club - Springstowne Library

Join Springstowne Library's Adult Craft Club every 2nd Tuesday for a new craft each month! Supplies provided.

• Tue, 6 to 7:45 p.m.
• Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

Vallejo Hike Club's Tuesday Evening Hike - Glen Cove Waterfront Park

Join us every Tuesday evening at 6:30 pm for a relaxing hike at the Glen Cove Waterfront Park. These hikes are beginner-friendly, family-friendly, dog-friendly and welcoming to all fitness levels! It will be a time to relax, reset, and focus on enjoying nature, good company, and peaceful transition from work into the rest of your evening.

• Tue, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Glen Cove Waterfront Park
• Whitesides Dr., Vallejo

City Council Regular Meeting

City Council meetings are hybrid in-person and on Zoom. Agendas can be viewed on the City Agendas & Videos webpage and are posted a minimum of 72 hours in advance for regular meetings and 24 hours in advance for special meetings. There will be a video link at the left of the agenda page once the meeting begins. This will also serve as a future archive of the meeting. City Council meetings are also broadcast on Vallejo’s cable channel, VCAT

• Tue, 7 to 11 p.m.
• Vallejo City Hall andZoom
• 555 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

Editor's note: this story was updated to correct the date of the Jazzopaters event.

Now, the planters on exterior stairs and rooftop parking area house only dead plants and weeds. Four of the eight pine trees at the edge of the property are dead and the rest show signs of distress. The leaves of the ten palm trees at the front of the structure are dry and browning.

Vallejo resident Andreas Schmidt pulled up in a camper truck the afternoon of June 22 and hauled buckets of water to several of the palm trees, while a woman passed out flyers encouraging people to call the city to complain about the neglect of public infrastructure.

Schmidt said he has been a horticulturist since high school. “I have been driving by, and been so sad to see these trees die,” he said. “I think it's needless.”

City spokesperson Robert Briseño said in an email that the irrigation system serving the parking garage landscaping was repeatedly vandalized several years ago, ultimately requiring the water supply to be shut off. Funding to pay for landscape maintenance dried up when the COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced parking usage. 

“The combination of irrigation issues, loss of parking revenue, and limited staffing resources has contributed to the current condition of the landscaping,”  Briseño said. “Public Works continues to evaluate options to improve the site as additional resources become available.”

Meanwhile, the city has obtained a U.S. Department of Agriculture Urban Greening Grant that has been earmarked for new planting and irrigation upgrades at Independence Park across the street from the parking garage. 

The location was selected during two public meetings held in January. Two additional meetings were held in June to get community input on preferred tree types, planting styles, and pedestrian elements. Deferred maintenance projects are ineligible for the grant.

But many in the meetings questioned the city’s ability to maintain the new landscaping once it’s in place based on the condition of the parking garage. 

Vallejo resident Paula Conley, who attended the public meeting on June 15, said, “What saddened me, is that instead of being hopeful and excited about the upgrade of trees to Independence Park, Vallejo citizens could only realistically lament on if they would be maintained and survive.” 

“Over and over, neighbors spoke about the dead plantings on downtown Georgia Street, the Capitol steps, the ferry parking building, Curtola Parkway and Mare Island Way,” she said. “Our city gets money for landscaping to improve our surroundings and then lets it die.”

Schmidt said he estimates that each palm tree would cost around $10,000 to replace. 

“It's just unbelievable that they're going to do this other project and not care about what's happening right in front of us,” Schmidt said. “You're looking at $100,000 of plants that are just dying, not counting what's on top of the garage. I'm upset about it, and every taxpayer should be.”

Schmidt noted that the parking garage is one of the first things that visitors to Vallejo see when they disembark from the ferry. 

“This is our gateway, so welcome to Vallejo. Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead,” he said. “It's just so maddening to me. It was such a beautiful little space, and we need more of these types of spaces.”

The properties were previously owned by a trust worth over $50 million that was intended to provide capital to maintain four cemeteries in Vallejo, Oakland, San Rafael, and Fresno. 

California’s Cemetery and Funeral Bureau, which oversees most cemeteries in the state, took control of the trust last year after a lengthy court battle. The bureau argued that Kamphausen used the trust improperly and demonstrated “severe mismanagement” over the cemeteries and their assets by not complying with financial regulations and allowing one site to fall into disrepair. 

Solano County Superior Court Judge Christine Carringer ruled last year that Kamphausen’s continued management of the funds would be “hazardous” to the cemeteries’ plot holders and other members of the public.

Kamphausen has consistently denied any wrongdoing and filed an appeal against Carringer’s judgment.

“Things are going to change mighty fast,” Kamphausen told the Vallejo Sun in an interview. “Everything that came out was a lie. I wasn’t ever going to steal $50 million.”

Kamphausen transferred the properties last July to the Neptune Society of Central California, another funeral home and cremation business where he serves as CEO, according to county property records.

The majority of the properties are in downtown Vallejo. Several of them have been the subject of complaints to the city which allege they have been neglected in recent years. Kamphausen has argued that the city doesn’t do an adequate job of stopping residents from damaging his buildings, which makes it difficult to maintain them.

The most well known of these properties is the former Crowley Department Store building  at 436 Georgia St., which has not been repaired since it was severely damaged in the 2014 Napa earthquake. Former Mayor Robert McConnell called it “notorious” during a meeting in 2023, and the city has fined Kamphausen over it at least three times. 

A spokesperson for the cemetery bureau, Kenneth Wright, told the Vallejo Sun that bureau “still protects” the trust and has appointed Farmers and Merchants Trust Company as a receiver “to manage and invest the trust’s assets.” He said the bureau will continue to control the trust “until a licensed cemetery authority can prove before a judge they can properly resume management of the trust.” 

Kamphausen and his partners forfeited their license to operate cemeteries in 2023 after admitting to turning in their cemetery financial reports late, sometimes years late, for over a decade.

Ryan Griffith, an attorney and expert in receivership law who works at the Bay Area Receivership Group, told the Vallejo Sun that, often courts allow receiverships in order to “take over an out of control situation” that’s harmful to the public in order to help fix it. 

Griffith said that in order for a property owner whose assets have been placed under a receivership to transfer them, they need to get permission. While it would be possible for a property owner to transfer land at a county office, this could violate the law, according to Griffith.

“You could just transfer a title at a county office,” Griffith said. “No one really checks, which is crazy, but you could do that. But for it to all be legit you’d have to get permission from the court to transfer the asset.”

According to Griffith, a person who breaks a court order to transfer properties could be held in contempt of court.

Kamphausen said that the bureau “told him to transfer the properties” and that “it’s all been done with recognition by the state.” He said that Neptune Society of Central California has its own trust, and the properties have been placed there.

The bureau would not confirm or deny that it instructed Kamphausen to transfer the properties.

If the bureau did instruct Kamphausen to transfer the properties into Neptune Society of Central California, it would have instructed him to violate the law.

The Neptune Society of Central California uses a different type of trust than cemeteries. While cemetery businesses use endowment care funds to fund long-term grounds maintenance, funeral homes use funeral establishment pre-need trusts in order to hold client funds paid in advance of their own or a loved one’s death for future services. According to California law, endowment care funds can hold real estate as long as it’s income producing, but funeral establishment pre-need trusts cannot.

Kamphausen insists that the transfer was legal though.

“Wherever the properties legally were supposed to go, they went,” Kamphausen said. “It’s all accounted for.”

The agreement states that 23 members of the Vallejo chapter of the California School Employees Association (CSEA) who were laid off this year or last year can keep their jobs or move into similar positions. Four other members, meanwhile, will be offered promotions. Additionally, the agreement creates 15 new CSEA positions, and laid off union members will be prioritized for those positions.

In total, 42 CSEA members will likely remain employed by the district as a result of the agreement. This comes after Vallejo’s Board of Education approved a resolution on May 13 to lay off 51 union members, demote 39, and transfer jobs for 36. Those layoffs would have become official Wednesday.

As part of the agreement, the union is dropping its formal grievance, unfair labor practice charges, and a lawsuit it had filed against the district.

Vallejo’s Board of Education approved the tentative agreement during a brief meeting on Tuesday in a 4-0 vote, with Trustee Latyna Young absent.

Union members approved the agreement Wednesday. CSEA Labor Relations Representative Jeremy Arnold said that, as a policy, the union doesn’t make public vote results, but the agreement passed “overwhelmingly.”

Arnold said that the district and the union started trading proposals about saving jobs in December, but the district hadn’t been willing to bargain in good faith until recently. He called the agreement “a miracle” and said, “It’s not everyday you get to save so many jobs.”

“I think they thought the impending layoffs would motivate the union to fold,” Arnold added. “But when it became clear the union would stand by its members and their rights up until the very end, that’s when the tone changed at the table.”

In an email, Superintendent Rubén Aurelio called the agreement “an important step,” and said district leadership is pleased with it and looks forward to continuing to partner with CSEA.

“While there were difficult conversations along the way, we appreciate the time, effort, and professionalism demonstrated by everyone involved in reaching this agreement,” Aurelio said.

In April, the district accused CSEA of not bargaining, and asked the California Public Employment Relations Board to declare an impasse in its negotiations and appoint a state mediator. But the board declined the district’s request.

While most of the restored positions were tentatively cut in May, the agreement also restored five community school site coordinator positions that were cut in the spring of 2025. The union claimed in a grievance to California’s State Mediation and Reconciliation Services that the district broke education code by allowing a contractor to take over duties of these five laid off workers.

That contractor was JF University/Luv Our Youth, which was contracted for anti-bullying activities and to support after-school programming in 10 schools. But when videos surfaced of its operator, Eryck “Boomer” Bennet, making disparaging remarks about the district and boasting of how his organization was using its access to convert district students to Christianity, the district ended the contracts.

In exchange for agreeing to restore the five community school site coordinator positions, the union has dropped its grievance. The people who had previously worked in those positions will have first priority to get their jobs back. Should any of those people decide not to accept the position, other laid off CSEA employees will be next in line to take the positions, according to Arnold.

The union is also dropping six unfair labor practice charges filed with California’s Public Employee Relations Board that accused the district of refusing to bargain in good faith. One of the charges claimed the district was planning to hire non-union workers to take over the tasks formerly performed by laid-off union members. Specifically, the charges claimed that the work done by 14 academic support providers still had to be completed, but the district did not want to use union labor for the work. 

Under the new agreement, all 14 academic support providers will be given the opportunity to remain in 13 newly created district jobs. Arnold said these new workers will perform similar tasks in the new roles.

Even if all 13 academic support providers take the positions offered, the one remaining worker will be at the top of the list for another CSEA job, according to Arnold.

In addition to the academic support providers, three office workers and two maintenance workers who had been slated to be laid off will now keep their same jobs or return to similar positions.

Four more maintenance workers who had been slated to be laid off will also be promoted into a new position called advanced crafts worker. This job will include the duties of carpentry, plumbing, painting, welding and other general maintenance, and will be offered to the four most senior CSEA members who meet the minimum qualifications. According to Arnold, the new job will include new training and increased pay.

The agreement also creates 15 new CSEA positions, which will all be offered to laid off CSEA members who meet the minimum qualifications for the jobs.

As part of the agreement, CSEA is now dropping a lawsuit that accused the district and its board of violating a state transparency law. CSEA claimed in its suit that, in March, the district’s board decided to reject an agreement with the union in a private closed session meeting, and said that the act required the district and its board to decide whether to reject or accept such an agreement during a public meeting.

The district denied that it violated the Brown Act.

Arnold told the Vallejo Sun that CSEA believes the district had violated state education and transparency law and that the union would have succeeded in its grievance, unfair labor practice charges, and Brown Act lawsuit, but that the processes of formally litigating them would have taken a long time. He said it was “in the best interest of everyone” to come to the present agreement.

“VCUSD can be like the twilight zone, but we’re coming back to reality here,” Arnold said. “This is a big victory for sure.”

The Grand Marshals this year are William and Yolanda Kim, owners of William Kim’s Taekwondo. The Kims are recognized for guiding students through discipline, confidence, and respect and for supporting youth development in the community. The welcoming, family-owned business Tacos Jalisco is the honorary Grand Marshal.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Tennessee and El Dorado streets, proceed along Sonoma Boulevard, then turn west onto Georgia Street to conclude near the Mad Hatter Fourth of July Celebration at Barbara Kondylis Waterfront Park, which will begin at 11 a.m.

The annual Mad Hatter celebration, now in its 12^th year, will host many family-friendly happenings that include a line dance extravaganza, the annual Maritime Dog Parade, a rescued reptile exhibit, a kid zone, giant kites, classic cars, and cultural and live music performances. Enjoy dining at the international food court while being entertained by live bands, until the grand finale of the lighted drone show across the water at the The Spirit Ship Celebration brightens up the sky.

The Spirit Ship Celebration on the Mare Island Promenade will begin at 5:30 p.m. The Floorshakers band will play dance music, and magician Brian Scott will perform fun and entertaining sleight of hand tricks. Food trucks, craft beer and a dedicated kids' zone will be on hand. Bring lawn chairs and blankets to comfortably settle in for a prime view of the drone show when darkness falls. Tickets are affordable but limited. Kids 10 and under are free.

Beyond Vallejo, Benicia will hold a July 3rd Torchlight Parade on Friday starting at 6:30 p.m. The parade will travel along First Street between D Street and Benicia City Park. Gather a group of family and friends, bring your lawn chairs or grab a spot along the curb to enjoy festive fun as the parade lights up downtown Benicia. 

On Saturday, the city of Crockett will begin their 4th of July Celebration with a guided historical walk to Rithet Park to commemorate the Juan Bautista de Anza expedition’s passage through Crockett in 1776. The walk will begin at Scout Hall at 11 a.m. The celebration in the park will begin at noon and will feature jazz favorites and patriotic American standards performed by Steve Snyder's Big Band. Food trucks, a car show, pie eating contest and bocce ball will fill out the good family fun. The nearby Crockett Museum will be open for an exhibit about the C&H Sugar plant.

American Canyon will also celebrate July 4 with a Parade and Celebration on Saturday. The parade will begin at 3 p.m. and travel from Elliott Drive to Amarillo Drive. Then the festival at Independence Park will begin at 4 p.m. Enjoy free activities, delicious food from local vendors, and live music by Threshing Floor, Soro's Dance Party, Los Cochinos, and Papa Joe & The New Deal. Fireworks will begin at around 9:20 p.m.

The first Friday of the month also brings opportunities to dance to different drummers.

It’s First Salsa Friday at Vino Godfather, when DJ Jay Fresco and B_Elev8ed will spin a mix of Latin and Afro beats that will keep you grooving all night. The floor will be open for dancing from 6 to 9 p.m, with a dance class featuring salsa, merengue, dance hall and Afro beats at 7 p.m.

Or if goth music is more your style, the first Friday Dark Solstice - Vallejo Goth Night at the Odd Fellows Hall will feature live music by Regal Nonchalant. This duo from on tour from Oregon weaves Spanish acoustic guitar elements into a metal industrial sound. Moon Cries Blood will also play industrial, EDM, and dark wave. This is a 21+ event.

A new art exhibit will open at Mare Island Art Studios on Sunday. FeLine & Movement is a show by artists Lony Maya Neubauer, Susan Noll and Rosalyn Parhams. The three women explore feline-inspired creatures as a central theme using a variety of media, including ceramics, painting, and bead mosaic. The show will be open every Sunday in July from noon to 5 p.m.

This is only a brief sampling of things to do in the Vallejo area. Scroll down the list below to find more live music. art exhibits and creative and recreational activities. Check our events page for an even more comprehensive listing of upcoming events and late-breaking updates. 

Let us know about new upcoming events at events@vallejosun.com, or sign in to our event platform and enter your event directly. 

Wednesday, July 1

Minecraft Movie and a Craft

Join us for a screening of the hit film Minecraft. We will also be making adorable Minecraft bees inspired by the story

• Wed, 2 p.m.
• American Canyon Library
• 300 Crawford Way, American Canyon

"Poetry 4 The Mind" Open Mic

The First Wednesday Open Mic, hosted by The Swiss Project, has been moved to the Lucky Gardens in Vallejo. Doors open at 6 p.m. for networking, and the open mic begins at 7 p.m. Early sign ups text your full name to 832-758-6898

• Wed, 6 p.m.
• Lucky Garden
• 860 Tuolumne St., Vallejo

Vallejo Run Club

Join the Vallejo Run Club on our weekly Saturday morning and Wednesday evening runs. Our group meets, rain or shine, next to the Vallejo Ferry Terminal. We run 1-3 easy miles. Beginners to ultra marathoners welcome!

• Wed, 6:20 to 7:20 p.m.
• Vallejo Ferry Terminal
• 289 Mare Island Way, Vallejo

American Canyon Book Club

Expand your horizons by reading a new book with the American Canyon Book Club. Our book club is welcoming place for all readers and engages in an in-depth discussion of our chosen title each month.

• Wed, 6:30 p.m.
• American Canyon Library
• 300 Crawford Way, American Canyon

Bobby Young Project

Get ready for a powerful night of Oakland blues, deep soul and guitar-driven rock when The Bobby Young Project returns to the Empress Marquee Club. Led by veteran guitarist and vocalist Bobby Young, this award-winning Bay Area band brings together decades of musical history, road-tested chemistry and the kind of raw, heartfelt playing that cannot be manufactured.

Doors open for dinner at 5:30 p.m.

• Wed, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Empress Marquee Club
• 324 Virginia St, Vallejo

KARAOKE

Every Wednesday, grab your friends and sing your heart out at karaoke hosted by Glen Snyder.

• Wed, 7 to 10 p.m.
• The Rellik Tavern
• 726 First St, Benicia

Wednesday Night Open Mic

A friendly space for both beginning musicians and seasoned professionals. Comedians and poets also welcome.

• Wed, 8 to 11 p.m.
• Townhouse Cocktail Lounge
• 401A Georgia St., Vallejo

Thursday, July 2

English Conversation Club

Practice your English conversation skills with other adult learners in an informal and friendly setting. No registration required! Practica tu inglés en un lugar amigable y libre de prejuicios.در فضایی دوستانه و بدون قضاوت، گفتوشنود به زبان انگلیسی را تمرین کنید.همه دعوت هستند!在友好无批判的地方练习您的英语。欢迎每个人！एक मैत्रीपूर्ण,निर्णय-मुक्त माहौल में अपनी अंग्रेजी का अभ्यास करें। सभी का स्वागत है!フレンドリーで偏見なしの環境で英語を練習しましょう。どなたでも歓迎です。 Magsanay ng Pag-Iingles niyo sa isang magiliw, na hindi naghuhusgang lugar. Maaaring pumunta ang kahit sinuman!

• Thu, 10 to 11 a.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

JFK Summer Reading Program: Dave Rocha Jazz Trio

Join the Dave Rocha Jazz Trio on Thursday, July 2, at 1 p.m. Listen to and learn about jazz music and the instruments used to make it!

• Thu, 1 to 2 p.m.
• Vallejo John F. Kennedy Library
• 505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo

Finding Ancestors in American Revolutionary War Records (Speaker Series)

Genealogy Society of Vallejo-Benicia's July speaker is James M Baker, PhD. His topic is "Finding Ancestors in American Revolutionary War Records." Dr. James M. Baker's presentation is an excellent, case-study-driven guide tailored for genealogists looking to track down 1776-era patriots. Dr. Baker emphasizes that finding a Revolutionary War ancestor requires blending a traditional paper trail with modern online databases. Rather than relying purely on broad index searches, his methodology focuses on an investigative, multi-layered approach to verify that the "James Smith" in the muster roll is actually your specific ancestor. Baker has been an active genealogist for over 15 years. He specializes in German, Midwest US, early American research, and DNA. GSVB Members will automatically receive a Zoom invitation. Non-members can send an e-mail to GSVBzoom@gmail.com to request a Zoom invitation. The event is FREE. All are welcome.

• Thu, 1:30 p.m.
• Zoom

Benicia Certified Farmer's Market

Explore an abundance of fresh produce, specialty foods, food trucks, wellness products, and unique crafts. There will also be plenty of activities to enjoy! Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with local farmers, artisans, and your community while soaking in the beautiful waterfront atmosphere. Come join the fun!

• Thu, 4 to 8 p.m.
• Downtown Benicia
• First Street between B & D Streets, Benicia

Bite Night Thursday

Get ready, Vallejo! The Greater Vallejo Recreation District (GVRD) is excited to bring back Bite Night Thursdays, your go-to summer evening series filled with food, music, family fun, and themed activities for all ages. The July 2 theme is Stars, Stripes & Splash. Celebrate summer with a patriotic twist! Cool off with wacky water games, bounce into fun on trampolines, enjoy tasty food truck favorites, and dance along to festive tunes from our live DJ.

• Thu, 5 to 8 p.m.
• Children's Wonderland
• 360 Glenn St., Vallejo

April & Monroe Grisman’s ‘The Beautiful Hang Gang’

The Marin County based couple are a musical tour de force!

• Thu, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
• Lucca Bar & Grill
• 439 First St., Benicia

The Cut & Paste Society

Transform forgotten fragments into fresh narratives in our monthly collage workshop. Each session offers a chance to explore new techniques, experiment with composition, and create something uniquely yours in good company. All materials provided.

• Thu, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• The Exchange
• 617 Marin St, Vallejo

Greg Rahn

Greg Rahn leads from the keys with a fearless mix of funk, soul, rock, fusion, and explosive soloing. He can lay down a greasy groove, stretch out over a jam, or push the band into full-flight rock territory. Joining Greg are Frank Acosta on guitar, Darryl Anders on bass, and Rich Aguon on drums. Together, they bring the punch, pocket, and fire that make funk rock work: tight rhythms, heavy bass lines, burning guitar, dynamic drums, and keyboard work that ties it all together.

Doors & Dinner: 5:30 p.m. Music: 6:30 p.m.

• Thu, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Empress Marquee Club
• 324 Virginia St, Vallejo

Friday, July 3

Carousel Cowboys/Steve Hanson & Friends

Come and celebrate the parade with a great American mix of Country, Rock, some Funky stuff, and more! Music played from 5-6:30 and 7:30-9 p.m. with a break for the parade.

• Fri, 5 to 9 p.m.
• Lucca Bar & Grill
• 439 First St., Benicia

Themed Paint Along - Winter Scenery

Join us for a fun, stress-free painting class where you’ll create your own masterpiece in just two hours! Follow along as the instructor paints a themed artwork on the easel, and feel free to add your own personal touch. Each class features a different scene to paint, making each session unique. Whether you're a beginner or experienced, the focus is on relaxation and enjoyment. All materials are provided, so come unleash your creativity and leave with a painting you’ll be proud of! Instructor: Desireee Lozada

• Fri, 6 to 8 p.m.
• Vallejo Community Center
• 225 Amador St , Vallejo

First Salsa Friday!

Get ready to get loose and move your body at our First Fridays Salsa Party under the stars!  At 7pm, we’re serving up a sizzling dance class featuring Salsa, Merengue, Dancehall, Afrobeats, and more—it’s like a dance buffet for your feet!  Open dancing begins at 6pm and follows the dance lesson until 9pm. 

Brace yourself for double the DJ magic with DJ Jay Fresco and B_Elev8ed spinning a mix of Latin and Afro beats that'll keep you grooving all night. 

Gate opens at 5:30 p.m., open dancing starts at 6 p.m., lessons at 7 p.m., and open dancing to follow until 9 p.m.

• Fri, 6 to 9 p.m.
• Vino Godfather
• 1005 Walnut Ave. #500, Vallejo

July 3rd Torchlight Parade

Celebrate 250 years of American spirit at Benicia's beloved July 3rd Torchlight Parade! Join us on historic First Street for an evening of community, tradition, and festive fun as the parade lights up downtown Benicia. The celebration begins at 6:30 p.m. — bring your family, friends, and patriotic pride for an unforgettable night in downtown Benicia.

• Fri, 6:30 p.m.
• Downtown Benicia
• First Street, Benicia

707Punk Vol. 2

The second 707 Punk show will feature No Fucking Good (N.F.G.) - Bay Area Punk, Hell Bound Pound - Richmond Punk, S.H.E.D. - Vacaville Punk and Dissociation - Vallejo Punk. All ages show. Presented with CMC Productions.

• Fri, 6:30 to 10 p.m.
• Noble Cinema Studios
• 1509 Solano Ave, Vallejo

Ariel Marin Boogie Nights Epic Friday Night Dance Party

Ariel Marin brings a huge, soulful voice and the kind of stage presence that transforms a concert into a party. Her eclectic sound moves effortlessly through soul, R&B, funk, blues and dance favorites. Behind the groove is James “Jae-E” Earley, a multi-platinum producer, multi-instrumentalist, recording and mix engineer, singer-songwriter and the driving musical force behind the Ariel Marin Band. Together with a special surprise guest, they will deliver deep bass, soaring vocals, classic soul, modern R&B, hard-hitting funk and nonstop feel-good dance energy.

Doors open for dinner at 6 p.m. Music begins at 8:30 p.m.

• Fri, 8:30 to 10:30 p.m.
• Empress Marquee Club
• 324 Virginia St, Vallejo

Dark Solstice II - Vallejo Goth Night

Featuring guest DJs and live music by Regal Nonchalant, artists from Bend, Oregon who host their own Katacombs Bend's Premier Goth Night and are currently on their Sycophant Waltz Into Samhain Tour. Moon Cries Blood will also play live — classics, industrial, EDM and darkwave. Every 1st Friday of the month, 2026. No cover. 18+; full bar 21+.

• Fri, 9 p.m. to midnight
• Odd Fellows Hall
• 342 Georgia St., Vallejo

Saturday, July 4

Vallejo Run Club

Join the Vallejo Run Club on our weekly Saturday morning and Wednesday evening runs. Our group meets, rain or shine, next to the Vallejo Ferry Terminal. We run 1-3 easy miles. Beginners to ultra marathoners welcome!

• Sat, 8 to 9 a.m.
• Vallejo Ferry Terminal
• 289 Mare Island Way, Vallejo

Vallejo Farmers’ Market

Shop here for a great selection of California-grown greens, fruits & veggies, as well as some nice specialty booths with baked goods, tamales and food trucks with down-to-earth prices. Sometimes you can find local honey, homemade soap and other goodies here.

• Sat, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Downtown Vallejo
• Georgia and Marin Streets, Vallejo

Community Coffee Tasting

Sample coffee from around the world, browse crafts and confections by local vendors, or enjoy made-to order crêpes while listening to live music.

Coffee cupping, or coffee tasting, is the practice of observing the tastes and aromas of brewed coffee. Join us to sample coffees from around the world side-by-side, develop your palate and discover coffees you LOVE that you never knew existed!

• Sat, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Moschetti Coffee Roaster
• 11 6th St., Vallejo

Vallejo's 171st July 4th Parade

The Vallejo Parade Association, a local non-profit organization, presents the 171st Vallejo Fourth of July Parade with "Step Off" at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 4. This year's theme is "Happy Birthday USA!!" Grand Marshals are William & Yolanda Kim, owners of William Kim’s Taekwondo, and Tacos Jalisco is the honorary Grand Marshal.

• Sat, 10 a.m. to noon
• Parade Route - El Dorado & Tennessee to Georgia & Santa Clara
• 200 block of Georgia Street, Vallejo

Vallejo Piecemakers Quilt Guild Meeting

Together, the Vallejo Piecemakers Quilt Guild (VPQG) brings the art of quilting to our members and the communities we touch. Whether you’re working on an old project or beginning a new one, VPQG is a place to come together and create. We hope you will join us. VPQG is a 501(c)7 social club supported by its membership. Everyone is welcome to attend one meeting per year as our guest, but we would request that you join the guild before attending additional meetings.

• Sat, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Florence Douglas Center
• 333 Amador St, Vallejo

Historic De Anza Trail Walk and 4th of July Celebration

This year’s celebration proudly commemorates the 250th Anniversary of the Juan Bautista de Anza Expedition, one of the most significant historic journeys in California history. On July 4, 1776—the exact same day the Declaration of Independence was being signed in Philadelphia—the Anza Expedition reached its final destination in what would later become San Francisco. Along their historic journey through California, the expedition passed directly through Crockett. This guided historical walk will bring the past to life with engaging storytelling, local history, and a meaningful journey along the trail route.

Following the walk, attendees are invited to continue the celebration at Rithet Park for an amazing community celebration featuring: Live Jazz Band, food trucks, car show, pie eating contest, boci ball, good family fun. The Crockett Museum will present a C&H Exhibit. Bring your own blankets or chairs and beverages. No alcohol will be sold at this event.

• Sat, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Rithet Park
• Loring and Rolph Avenues, Crockett

Mad Hatter Fourth of July Celebration

The Mad Hatter's July 4th Waterfront Festival will celebrate its 12th year on Saturday, July 4th, 2026 to entertain thousands on the Barbara Kondylis Waterfront Park. Spend a warm, wistful stretch on Vallejo's Waterfront overlooking Mare Island's classic maritime ships docked at the island's ship building faculties, while interacting with our array of Peddlers and Merchants from makers, food trucks, wellness activities and other family-friendly happenings from daybreak to sundown. The evening Night Market then lights-up with live entertainment till the skies begin to sparkle in celebration of Independence Day's 250 year Anniversary!

Throughout the day there will be the popular Annual Maritime Dog Parade, interactive exhibits with the Wholly Wackers (sheep), rescued reptiles, a Kids Zone, Giant Kites, Classic Cars, cultural performances and live music performances. At dusk enjoy dining at the international food court that serves up a myriad of cuisines while shopping in the Night Market and being entertained with live performances before the lighted drone show across the water on Mare Island brightens up with a grand finale.

• Sat, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Barbara Kondylis Waterfront Green
• 301 Mare Island Way, Vallejo

Kitty Meet and Greet – Pet Adoptions

Come meet your next best friend! All cats and kittens who are adopted out through Community Cat Advocates have been dewormed, treated for fleas, tested for Felv and FIV, vaccinated to age appropriate levels, microchipped and spayed or neutered.

• Sat, 12 to 4 p.m.
• PetSmart
• 952 Admiral Callaghan Lane, Vallejo

Darrell 'DW' Edwards & Lighting Up The Soul

Musical 'tour de force' of soulful R&B, Blues, and hits.

• Sat, 1 to 4 p.m.
• Lucca Bar & Grill
• 439 First St., Benicia

NORA EN PURE at The Ruins 4th of July

The Queen of deep house, NORA EN PURE, headlines a day party at the Napa Valley Ruins on the 4th of July!

• Sat, 3 to 9:30 p.m.
• The Ruins in American Canyon
• 100 Marcus Rd, American Canyon

4th of July Parade and Celebration

The parade will begin at 3 p.m. and travel from Elliott Drive to Amarillo Drive. Then the festival at Independence Park will begin at 4 p.m. Enjoy free activities, and delicious food from local vendors. Live music by Threshing Floor, Soro's Dance Party, Los Cochinos, and Papa Joe & The New Deal.  Fireworks will begin at around 9:20 p.m and be most visible on the north side of Community Park II.

• Sat, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Independence Park
• 20 Benton Way, American Canyon

The Spirit Ship Celebration on Mare Island

Join us for the Spirit Ship Celebration — an evening marking two extraordinary milestones: America's 250th birthday and Vallejo's 175th anniversary. Kick off the evening with live music from The Floorshakers, magic by Brian Scott, food trucks, refreshing drinks, and a dedicated kids' zone — then watch the sky come alive with a custom drone light show to close the night. Tickets are affordable and limited — grab yours before they're gone. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, and layers — a night for the whole community.

• Sat, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
• Mare Island Promenade
• 860 Nimitz Ave., Vallejo

Camp Fresh

Celebrate Independence Day with Jeff Campitelli, Angeline Saris, James DePrato, Jesse Bradman. (*earlier time slot so you can catch the fireworks downtown!)

• Sat, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
• Lucca Bar & Grill
• 439 First St., Benicia

Sunday, July 5

Mare Island Bike Ride

We will meet up at The Exchange Vallejo at 10:00am. We will head up Marin to City Park and then head out to the island. We will pick our way along the water side to the Mare Island Preserve. At the Preserve, you have a choice to climb to the top or chill at the benches. We will wind our way back across the island and then head back via the waterfront. As always we will stay as a group and ride at “party pace” Let’s go ride bikes!

• Sun, 10 a.m.
• The Exchange Vallejo
• 617 Marin St., Vallejo

FeLine & Movement

Three women explore a variety of media — ceramics, painting, and bead mosaic — in this July art exhibit. Featuring enchanting feline-inspired creatures as a central theme, the exhibition highlights the unique creative voices of three friends whose individual styles come together to form a vibrant and captivating show. Come enjoy the show with artists Lony Maya Neubauer, Susan Noll and Rosalyn Parhams.

• Sun, noon to 5 p.m.
• Mare Island Art Studios
• 110 Pintado St., Vallejo

Love in Action - Free Food, Clothing

If you or anyone you know is experiencing food insecurity or need, share this and tell them to meet us at Revival Center Ministries! Love in Action happens every 1st & 3rd Sunday. Free items available include men’s and women’s clothing, coats, hygiene products and groceries. No family left behind!

• Sun, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
• Revival Center Ministries 
• 910 Tennessee St., Vallejo

Live Music Sunday with Tori Roze & Johnny Alexander

This is Soul for today: tight, sophisticated, and up-to-date...a winner" (San Diego Troubadour). Tori Roze and Johnny Alexander are two members of a larger six piece original funky soul-jazz band called Tori Roze and The Hot Mess from San Diego, CA. As musical atmospheric chameleons, their desire is to bring forth a deeply emotionally-connected performance to every audience who has the pleasure of seeing them.

• Sun, 1 to 3 p.m.
• Mare Island Brewing Co. First Street Taphouse
• 440 First St , Benicia

Jenny Kerr Band

Highly acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

• Sun, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.
• Lucca Bar & Grill
• 439 First St., Benicia

High Card Drifters vs. Stark Ravens!

Come on down to Sugartown and join us for First Sundays at Toot's Tavern! This month featuring the legendary folk stylings of the Stark Ravens! Get there early by gum! Music starts at 5pm sharp!

• Sun, 5 p.m.
• Toot's Tavern
• 627 2nd. Ave., Crockett

Salsa & Bachata Class

Join us Every Sunday, 8 p.m. at H Lounge Bar in Vallejo for Salsa & Bachata Lessons by the amazing Cuban Rhythm and Rumba dance instructors! 8:00-9:00pm. Beginner Friendly! Dance class ticket includes admission to the Rumba Sundays party at 9 p.m. 21+ Event

• Sun, 8 to 9 p.m.
• H Lounge
• 472 Benicia Rd, Vallejo

Rumba Sunday's

Latin Music Party Every Sunday at H Lounge Bar in Vallejo! Fiesta Latina Todos Los Domingos. DJ Mobeezy and guest DJs bring you the best top Latin hits, Salsa, Bachata, Reggaeton, Hip-Hop y mas! Party begins at 9 p.m. Salsa & Bachata lessons by Cuban Rhythm and Rumba Dance Studio from 8-9 p.m. Free entry to party with Salsa dance class.

• Sun, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• H Lounge
• 472 Benicia Road, Vallejo

Monday, July 6

DIY Fireworks Blower Craft

Join us for one of our monthly crafts. Create a festive firework blower using a craft tube and colorful tissue paper. Drop in during open library hours between July 6 and July 18 while supplies last! For school-age children.

• Mon, 9 a.m
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

Vallejo Senior Roundtable

Come join us at the Vallejo Senior Roundtable, Monica Brown, Solano County District 2 Supervisor, will be the speaker for this month's Senior Round Table. She will be sharing an update on activities the county is currently engaged in, followed by a Q & A session. Additionally we will have a speaker on Mental Health from Touro University!

• Mon, 1:30 p.m.
• Florence Douglass Center
• 333 Amador St., Vallejo

Tuesday, July 7

DIY Fireworks Blower Craft

Join us for one of our monthly crafts. Create a festive firework blower using a craft tube and colorful tissue paper. Drop in during open library hours between July 6 and July 18 while supplies last! Age group: school age.

• Tue, 9 a.m.
• Vallejo Springstowne Library
• 1003 Oakwood Ave., Vallejo

Storytime at Loma Vista Farm

Come join us for storytime at Loma Vista Farm. Enjoy stories while we sing, dance and play!

• Tue, 10:15 to 10:45 a.m.
• Loma Vista Farm
• 150 Rainier Ave., Vallejo

Preschool Storytime

We share stories, sing songs, learn fingerplays, and laugh along with puppets. Kids can discover their lifelong love of books and the library today. Everyone is welcome!

• Tue, 10:30 a.m.
• American Canyon Library
• 300 Crawford Way, American Canyon

707 Day Veterans Resource Fair

The Disabled American Veterans DAV Vallejo Chapter is proud to present the annual Vallejo 707 Day Celebration and Veterans Resource Fair. This community focused event is being held in conjunction with a series of 707 day events taking place throughout the county, honoring Vallejo's distinction as one of the most diverse cities in the United States by celebrating its history, culture, and local heroes.

This fair features high energy live performances from Vallejos own hip hop legends, including B Legit, Young Dru, and Mac Taz, a proud U S Navy veteran performing in support of his fellow service members. Beyond the stage, attendees can explore a bustling marketplace featuring diverse local food trucks and merchandise vendors.

At the heart of the event is the Veterans Resource Fair, dedicated to providing essential support to those who served. Local veterans and their families can access vital healthcare info, housing assistance, job opportunities, and benefits advocacy through the DAV and regional partners. While there are no vendor fees, merchandise vendors are asked to make a donation of any amount to the veterans organization.

• Tue, 1 to 7 p.m.
• Vallejo Veterans Hall
• 420 Admiral Callaghan Lane, Vallejo

Vallejo Hike Club's Tuesday Evening Hike - Glen Cove Waterfront Park

Join us every Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. for a relaxing hike at the Glen Cove Waterfront Park. These hikes are beginner-friendly, family-friendly and dog-friendly, welcoming all fitness levels. Whether you're new to hiking, looking to meet new friends, or simply want a healthy way to decompress, come enjoy Vallejo's trails together.

• Tue, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Glen Cove Waterfront Park
• Glen Cove Waterfront Park, Whitesides Dr, Vallejo, CA 94591, Vallejo

Suga-T and Pops

Suga-T is a true Vallejo original and a founding member of The Click alongside E-40, D-Shot, and B-Legit. Her voice helped define a generation of Bay Area music, including the classic E-40 collaboration "Sprinkle Me."

The legendary Suga-T takes the stage with her father, Earl the Pearl, for an intimate Southern soul and blues experience filled with strong vocals, familiar favorites, storytelling, 90s highlights, and special guest moments.

This 707 Week event is sponsored by Bay Area Black Wallstreet LLC and California Forever. Bring family, friends, and the whole crew for an affordable night of music and Vallejo pride at the Empress Marquee Club. Doors open for dinner at 7 p.m.; music begins at 7:30 p.m.

• Tue, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
• Empress Marquee Club
• 324 Virginia St, Vallejo

A more detailed list of upcoming events can be found here.

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