A Fine Fun 4th
- Livable El Cerrito
- Jul 5
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 13
El Cerrito’s famous 4th of July festival attracted about 10,000 people, including U.S. Senator Adam Schiff, to Cerrito Vista Park on Friday. Many people spread their blankets on the lawn while others danced to WorldOne music or tossed brightly colored beach balls in the sun.
Dozens of booths offered a vast range of activities from shopping to carnival rides to community groups out to engage people in conversation.
El Cerrito resident Bobby Dhadwar gave the event five stars.
“It’s all been fantastic,” Dhadwar said. “Every time we went around a corner we found more things to do. I came last year but I think it’s bigger this year. I wasn’t expecting to park a few blocks down.”
Recreation Director Chris Jones, who manages the festival, said the size of the crowd and the number of booths was about the same as in past years. The unusual element was having Senator Schiff’s regional director call and ask about arranging a potential visit with a short appearance on stage. Jones said it would be no problem.
At midday Friday, the crowd was enjoying roots reggae by Sister Carol while City Manager Karen Pinkos and city council members talked and took photos backstage with Senator Schiff, who planned to make several stops in the Bay Area.
It was the first time a U.S. senator has attended, according to Al Miller, who has been a leader in civic affairs for decades.
Schiff got a warm welcome when he took the stage briefly and wished everyone a happy 4th.
“These are challenging times but we will get through them one day at a time,” he said.
After Schiff left the stage, a pro-Palestine activist asked for the microphone.
Corey Mason, founder of the WorldOne music and the festival, defused any potential conflict by saying that everyone should have a voice. The protester then used her hand-held horn to lead a short cheer of “Free Palestine.”
(This website initially published that a microphone was shared with the protester. The mike was not shared.)
Meanwhile, over at the fire department tables where instruction in first aid was being offered, Kensington resident Jadyne Buchholz thanked Fire Chief Eric Saylors for a quick response when she needed help in the middle of the night.
“I tried to get out of bed and I couldn’t so my husband called 9-1-1,” she said. “I was very sick and they got there fast…And here I am four weeks later.”
Saylors thanked Buchholz for stopping by and said, “We will get there in less than six minutes. That’s our goal.”
Many community groups staffed tables on Pomona Avenue.
The Boy Scouts attracted children with bows and rubber-tipped arrows and other games while parents spoke with leaders Ted and Shar.
El Cerrito resident Shaffy Moeel said her son is interested in scouting because his older sister enjoys being a Girl Scout. After describing den, pack, and troop activities, the scout leaders mentioned that girls can now join their troop. No girl has asked yet, but the local troop is open to it.
El Cerrito library organizations had at least three tables, with Friends of the Library selling books and volunteers for the El Cerrito Library Foundation and the Friends of the Library asking people to sign petitions to bring a new library tax initiative to the ballot.
At the El Cerrito Historical Society booth, visitors could don vintage hats and scarves to pose for photos, type on a manual typewriter, test out a rotary phone, or talk about local history.
Across the street, members of the Senior Center Action Committee asked people to support their effort to make sure seniors have a dedicated place to gather every weekday. Many people did not know that the former senior center behind the library closed and then, on March 19, 2020, so did the Midtown Activity Center. There is currently no senior center.
El Cerrito resident Ruby MacDonald said some senior activities are still offered, mostly at the Community Center and one day a week in two different church halls.
“The thing is they’re not connected and there is no dedicated space the way it was before,” MacDonald said when she stopped at the table.
At another table, members of the teachers’ union for the West Contra Costa school district talked with people about unfilled teacher positions in El Cerrito schools.
Union president Francisco Ortiz said there are currently 17 vacancies in the El Cerrito family of schools, including eight at Korematsu Middle School and six at El Cerrito High.
“We need to make West Contra Costa an attractive district for teachers,” he said.
At the El Cerrito Archiving project, which created a school history museum inside El Cerrito High, Donna Hauser and Jackie Fonken talked with people and sold small items to help raise funds for the college scholarships the group awards to El Cerrito High graduates.
Further down Pomona, Sam Chang staffed a table for the Balanced Ballot Alliance, which wants to allow people to vote against candidates, not just in favor of them. He said he started an initiative campaign to achieve this but it was dropped because of the pandemic. Chang hopes to draft an initiative ballot measure in the future.
By late afternoon, some families were heading out with memories of a fun and friendly day.
Feeney and Landon, a sister and brother, agreed on the high point of their day. It was the swing ride.
“I just like going fast in circles,” said Landon.
Betsy Bashor, who wrote this story, is a member of the Senior Center Action Committee.
More photos of the festival are below.
I left before the "Palestinian activist" led a "Free Palestine" cheer so don't know this person's specific ask(s) but volunteers at the Albany and the El Cerrito tables "for Palestine" were supporting humanitarian end to suffering of Palestinians in Gaza who are starving and/or are targets of violence, not to be construed as being anti-Israeli, I believe.
Super article on a super 4th of July event!