ALAMEDA
The Blues, Brews & BBQ festival will return from 12 to 6 p.m. Sunday for its eighth year to Alameda’s Washington Park with music, food and community spirit. This year’s festival lineup offers a dynamic mix of local talent and nationally acclaimed performers, kicking off the day with guitar virtuoso Jinx Jones, a Colorado native whose career includes stints as sideman to legends like Chuck Berry and Solomon Burke.
Known for his dazzling technique and versatility, Jones will set the tone with a high-energy set that bridges rock ‘n’ roll and blues. Following him will be the return of festival favorite HowellDevine. This unique trio of seasoned musicians blends traditional Hill Country and Chicago blues into a sound that’s rooted and fresh. Their acoustic style and contemporary appeal make them a natural fit for the festival’s family-friendly spirit.
Of course, the music is just part of the experience. Local barbecue pitmasters including Everett & Jones, Tante’s Catering, Evergood, T&S Extreme, Smoking Woods, Speer and Pearsons — along with Alameda locals C’era Una Volta and Calafia — will serve up smoky barbecue and sides while craft breweries showcase their best seasonal brews.
In addition to the festivities, attendees will have the opportunity to peruse locally-crafted wares from Bay Area vendors, and kids can get crafty and stay engaged at the Family Zone hosted by Ozzy’s Music Academy. Festival-goers are encouraged to bring a blanket or lawn chair to fully enjoy the beautiful green spaces offered at Washington Park. For event details and to sign up for a free RSVP raffle, visit westendartsdistrict.org online.
— West End Arts District
Boston music college student from Island awarded scholarship
Lucy Khadder, a vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Alameda, has been named the 28th recipient of Berklee College of Music’s Jimmy Lyons Scholarship, a four-year, full-tuition award presented by the private music college in Boston in conjunction with the Monterey Jazz Festival. A valedictorian from the Oakland School for the Arts, Khadder began her studies earlier this month at Berklee.
In addition to the scholarship, she will also perform with the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice Quartet at the Sept. 26-28 68th annual Monterey Jazz Festival, where she will be presented with her award. Khadder has been fortunate to perform twice at the Monterey Jazz Festival — first in 2023 with the Next Generation Women in Jazz Combo, and again in 2024 with the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.
She began her musical training as a fiddle player at the age of 6 and soon expanded into jazz. Khadder continued her exploration of the genre at Oakland School for the Arts, where she studied jazz violin. She has since studied with Grammy Award-winning violinist Mads Tolling and with Chad Manning, a renowned fiddler and cofounder of Manning Music in Berkeley. Visit berklee.edu for more information online.
— Berklee College of Music
Downtown Alameda Rum Stroll to return on evening of Sept. 26
The Downtown Alameda Rum Stroll is back! Sip and stroll your way through Alameda’s historic downtown district tasting premium local and international rum selections served neat from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 26. Enjoy an evening filled with craft spirits, live music, and a few tasty bites while learning about the unique styles from the distillers.
Tickets include a collectible tasting glass, premium rum tastings at unique downtown locations, small bites at select host locations and a commemorative guide. For tickets or more information, visit alamedastrolls.com/#tickets online.
— Downtown Alameda Business Association
Church to present acoustic Lennon tribute concert Oct. 12
Drew Harrison will perform an intimate acoustic celebration of John Lennon, accompanied by Tommy Cosentino on keyboard, starting at 4 p.m. Oct. 12 in Immanuel Lutheran Church at 1420 Lafayette St. in Alameda. Capturing the intensity and delicate honesty Lennon brought to The Beatles’ music, Harrison has a wealth of information about Lennon that he incorporates into each song he sings.
Hear Lennon as he intended! This concert is the first of a series that Immanuel Lutheran Church has planned to raise funds for the continued rehabilitation of its 134 year-old sanctuary and to raise awareness of this historic gem in Alameda. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit immanuel-alameda.org/church-event online.
Free parking will be available in the church parking lot on the southwest corner of Santa Clara Avenue and Chestnut Street. For any further questions, call 510-523-0659.
— Immanuel Lutheran Church
USS Hornet museum to celebrate Navy’s 250th birthday Oct. 10-13
USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum officials invite the public to joing them in celebrating the U.S. Navy’s the 250th birthday on the weekend of Oct. 10-13. All active-duty and veteran military personnel will be allowed aboard the floating museum, a World War II Navy vessel, for free during the weekend, when the USS Hornet will have several exciting activities for guests to enjoy.
Hornet officials plan to open up the cockpits of the SeaKing Helicopter and the S-2 Tracker for guests to explore the insides of; open the rear door of the Avenger for guests to look inside to see what the set-up was like for the rear two crewmen; and to open the Apollo lunar mission’s Mobile Quarantine Facility, which is normally only opened during Apollo anniversary events (did you know the Apollo 12 crew was all Navy)?
Reopening in time for this event will be the Hornet Legacy exhibit, which tells the story of all eight ships named Hornet from the American Revolutionary War to the present. The USS Hornet is docked at 707 W. Hornet Ave. in Alameda. For more details online, visit uss-hornet.org/event/celebrate-the-navys-250th-birthday/2025-10-10.
— USS Hornet
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