Happy Tuesday, Walnut Creek!

💡 Did you know: Walnut Creek consistently ranks as one of Contra Costa County’s top shopping destinations, drawing visitors from across the East Bay to Broadway Plaza and downtown.

In today’s edition:

Let’s get to it.

— Sean Casey

Downtown Walnut Creek gets a big new addition this week with the grand opening of Doppio Zero, the Bay Area Italian restaurant known for Neapolitan-style pizza, fresh housemade pasta, imported Italian ingredients, and Amalfi Coast-inspired interiors.

The opening celebration runs Wednesday evening with a ribbon cutting, free pizza by the slice, pasta small plates, and first-come-first-served seating.

Between the food, the crowd, and the chance to finally see the space everyone’s been talking about, this one feels worth stopping by for even if it turns into a spontaneous midweek dinner.

📍 Where: 1522 N Main St, Walnut Creek
📅 When: Wednesday, May 27 • 6 PM – 8:30 PM
💲 Price: Free entry

Event Details

One of the more Walnut Creek-feeling ways to spend a weekend morning.

This outdoor vinyasa class happens at The Market on Larkey and focuses on mindful movement, intentional breathing, and slow-paced flow work. Every class is slightly different, and all levels are welcome. Bring your own mat and settle into a calm start before the rest of the weekend kicks in.

📍 Where: The Market 2800 Larkey Lane, Walnut Creek
📅 When: Saturday & Sunday • 8 AM – 9 AM
💲 Price: Suggested donation $10–$35

Reserve Your Spot

Sequins, disco balls, dancing, and a genuinely good cause all come together at this year’s Unleash Happiness Gala: Disco Fever benefiting Joybound People & Pets.

Expect live entertainment, dinner, cocktails, auctions, and a full retro-inspired dance floor. All supporting Joybound’s rescue, adoption, and community programs across the Bay Area.

📍 Where: 2890 Mitchell Drive
📅 When: Saturday, May 30th | 5:30pm - 10pm
💲 Price: Ticketed | Prices vary

Event Details

Walnut Creek Mayor Kevin Wilk will be behind the bar for a local celebrity bartender fundraiser benefiting NAMI Contra Costa during Mental Health Awareness Month.

The evening brings together cocktails, live music, and community fundraising at Luna Sea Lounge with a portion of the night focused on supporting local mental health awareness programs across Contra Costa County.

📍 Where: Luna Sea Lounge, 121 Pringle Avenue
📅 When: Thursday, May 28th | 5:30pm – 7:30pm
💲 Price: Donations encouraged

More Info

A good local live music night doesn’t always need much more than a record store, a crowd, and a couple strong bands. Breezy Street Band teams up with The Tom Pretty Project for an evening at Up The Creek Records that leans fully into the intimate live-show atmosphere smaller venues do best. Expect indie rock energy, close-up performances, and the kind of setup where everyone feels a little more connected to the music than they would at a larger venue.

📍 Where: Up The Creek Records. 1673 Mt Diablo Blvd
📅 When: Friday, May 29th | 6pm - 9pm
💲 Price: $15 scaling donation

Event Details

A very specific niche event… which honestly makes it even more fun. Dachshund owners and dog lovers are invited to join this casual group hike and meetup at Diablo Shadows Park. They are bringing together plenty of tiny legs, social dogs, and people fully committed to the dachshund lifestyle. Even if you don’t own one, it’s hard not to appreciate the visual of an entire pack of wiener dogs taking over a trail together.

📍 Where: Diablo Shadows Park
📅 When: Sunday, May 31st | 6pm - 7pm
💲 Price: Free / registration encouraged

Event Info

A few notable new spots have officially opened around downtown Walnut Creek this month.

🍜 Mensho Soft Opening

Tokyo-based ramen restaurant Mensho officially soft-opened its downtown Walnut Creek location on Sunday, May 24, bringing its upscale “farm-to-bowl” approach to the city. Expect rich broths, housemade noodles, and ramen topped with premium ingredients like wagyu, black truffle, and lobster.

📍 1512 N Main St, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

🥗 Kitava is Officially Open

Kitava has officially opened its downtown Walnut Creek location this month. The modern American restaurant focuses on gluten-free meals and mindful ingredients, saying on its website that it “never uses unhealthy seed oils, refined sugars, chemicals, or artificial preservatives” while avoiding common allergens like gluten, dairy, peanuts, and soy.

📍 1699 N California Blvd, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

🥙 Sala Mediterranean Grill Now Open

Sala Mediterranean Grill is now open in Broadway Plaza serving sizzling meats, fresh vegetables, housemade sauces, and Mediterranean bowls and plates. It already feels like one of those easy downtown lunch spots people start recommending quickly.

📍 1348 Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

🥗 Weekly Walnut recipe: Pear Gorgonzola Salad with Glazed Walnuts — sweet pears, creamy gorgonzola, candied walnuts, and a sharp vinaigrette. Feels like the kind of salad you order at lunch and immediately try to recreate at home.

🎵 Who we are listening to: NoMBe - Young Hearts. “Goosebumps. This song is amazing and the video made me cry a little. Thank you NoMBe for putting me onto this one.”

🙏 Positive news around the globe: Researchers found that making children laugh may actually help build emotional resilience and improve how their brains respond to stress. Tiny joyful moments matter more than we think. Read Article

✨ Giving yourself grace makes hard moments easier to carry.

As always, we read every reply and truly appreciate hearing from you. If there’s something you’d like to see more of locally, let us know. Thanks for being part of the Walnut Creek Digest community.

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