Spotted outside Floral Arts Florist in downtown Lafayette during the Art and Wine Festival.
Spotted outside Floral Arts Florist in downtown Lafayette during the Art and Wine Festival.
Spotted at the Lafayette Art & Wine Festival last weekend, this sculpture really turned heads.
Way back in December of last year I noted that the circular bench next to Nordstrom in the back of Broadway Plaza had been removed, but it looks like it’s coming back. According to a Nordstrom Employee I spoke with recently, there will be a circular bench with a tree or some kind of shrubbery in the center. I’m glad this is coming back!
The construction next to this is for a handicap ramp.
Onward California, a tour put on by the UC system to “encourage thousands of passionate supporters to share why they think UC makes California better”, dropped by Broadway Plaza next to Macy’s last Sunday.
From the Onward California website:
This fall the UC system will hit the road, launching the Onward California mobile tour to encourage thousands of passionate supporters to share why they think UC makes California better. The tour celebrates some great UC people and innovations, many of which may surprise you, and has some fun, interactive ways you can share your UC connections. Hope we’ll hear your story and have a chance to meet you at one of the stops.
Free Bar Gelato ice bars for entering your email address:
This was a fun event to run into. Worked out perfectly because I had promised ice cream to my 4 year old. I rounded the corner around the backside of Broadway Plaza near Nordstrom when I noticed a couple eating the Bar Gelato bars. I’ve been back there enough to know there is no place nearby that sells them. That’s when they pointed me to the spot in front of Macy’s and we had a fun break. As a UC grad, I do support the UC system!
I always smile when I pass a kid’s lemonade stand, especially one with a toy cash register and handmade sign. At $1 it was a bargain compared to a few blocks away. This one was located a few blocks from the Lafayette Art & Wine Festival and apparently made around $40 that day.
This Missing German Shepherd sign is posted everywhere in Lafayette, if you have seen him please let them know so he can be reunited with their family.
From the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce:
What: 16th Annual Lafayette Art & Wine Festival
When: Saturday, September 15, 2012 from 10am – 7pm AND
Sunday, September 16, 2012 from 10am – 6pm
Where:
Downtown Lafayette, California (Google Map) – Off Highway 24, west of the I-680/Highway 24 interchange. Download 2010 Art & Wine Festival MapDirections:
Take BART to Lafayette OR
- Take Highway 24 to Central Lafayette exit and follow Festival signs.
- Free parking available at Lafayette BART station (upper lot).
Ride your bike to the festival and use our Free Bike Valet Parking at 82 Lafayette Circle (just behind the Art Stage).
Continuous shuttle service between BART & the Festival.
For GPS purposes enter the address 3535 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CAAdmission – FREE
Admission to the Festival is free. However, you must purchase a Festival glass and drink tickets if you wish to drink the beer or wine that is poured “on the street” or in the Premium Wine Pavilion.
Dogs are allowed, but please consider this: Dogs must be kept on a leash and in your control at all times; If you attend early in the day, between 10am-1pm, the pavement is cooler, the temperature is lower and there is ample room for your dog; as the event progresses, it does get very crowded and can become dangerous for your pet; and dogs should not go into the food court.
Featuring
- More than 275 fine arts and crafts booths.
- Restaurants, food vendors, wineries and microbreweries.
- Continuous musical entertainment presented on three stages.
- Kids area with entertainment and activities for kids of all ages.
- Special exhibit and sale of work by local artists.
The entertainment schedule is here.
Wine and food vendor info is here.
Lafayette is considering building a roundabout on Mt. Diablo Blvd near the Gazebo and some people are not happy about this possibility. There are even protesters out with signs warning about traffic and loss of parking spots. Check out the official roundabout project page here, including the staff report here.
The Lafayette staff believe that a roundabout will allow traffic to slow down but continue to flow freely, make it safer for pedestrians to cross, and will contribute positively to streetscape design, displaying including public art.
Check out an aerial view of the roundabout:
And the proposed location of the roundabout:
I have experience crossing here because I go to Lamorinda Crossfit at the end of Blackwood Lane and we sometimes cross over to run on the Lamorinda trail on the other side near the gazebo. Frankly it hasn’t been that crowded to wait more than 30 seconds before crossing, and usually we can cross immediately. Also, when I think of roundabouts I think of busy streets on multiple sides so I can’t quite understand why a roundabout here would be all that useful considering the other intersecting streets are rarely used. The fact that the lanes will merge into one on both sides of Mt. Diablo Blvd. could certainly be annoying to people driving. On the other hand, it would be more convenient for pedestrians to cross the street, and might look pretty cool.
So for the Friday question of the day, do you think the proposed Lafayette roundabout on Mt. Diablo Blvd. is a good idea?
Behold the new floating islands made out of recycled plastic at the Heather Farm Park pond in Walnut Creek. (The second one is just visible behind the water fountain). They acually do move around quite a bit as they are not anchored.
From the City of Walnut Creek website:
The floating islands are made of out recycled plastic (certified non-toxic) drinking bottles. The islands will create a habitat for wildlife and fish and help pull pollutants from the water, while providing a more natural look to the cement pond. The BioHaven Floating Islands have been used successfully by agencies including the Army Corps of Engineers to build habitat for endangered or threatened species.
Check out a close-up of one of the islands. I imagine over time the plants will grow to make things a bit more interesting:
Here’s a visual description of what’s going on:
