Big week in Walnut Creek! 🍻🥨 Oktoberfest is almost here, Walnut Creek Spotlight appeared on KRON4, the city wants your input on Walnut Creek’s future, and we’re digging up a pretty cool piece of local history.

Keep reading for everything happening around Walnut Creek this week! 👇

Walnut Creek Spotlight Crew

Come Meet Walnut Creek Spotlight at Oktoberfest! 🍻🥨

One of Walnut Creek’s biggest fall events is happening this Friday and Saturday! 🍻🥨 Walnut Creek Oktoberfest takes over Civic Park East on Friday, September 25 from 5–10 PM and Saturday, September 26 from noon–9 PM.

Expect German beer, local breweries, brats and pretzels, live music, stein-holding and yodeling contests, dozens of local vendors, and plenty of lederhosen. Families can also check out the Kinder Karneval, featuring inflatables, train rides, a petting zoo, mini golf, face painting, and more.

Walnut Creek Spotlight will have a booth at Oktoberfest all weekend! Come by, say hi, and shop our collection of locally inspired hats and T-shirts, including The Nut, The Creek, and Dub C, along with a variety of styles and colors.

But you definitely don’t have to buy anything to stop by! I’m also planning to interview people throughout the weekend and talk all things Walnut Creek. I’ll be asking fun questions like “What’s the best restaurant in Walnut Creek?” “What’s the best bar?” “What’s the most underrated spot?” and other “Best of Walnut Creek” questions.

So even if you’re not looking for any merch, come introduce yourself, share your Walnut Creek opinions, and maybe even jump in front of the camera for a quick interview. I’d love to meet more of the people who follow Walnut Creek Spotlight and hear what you think makes Walnut Creek great.

Admission is free with RSVP. Come find the Walnut Creek Spotlight booth and say hi. We’ll see you at Civic Park this Friday and Saturday! 🍻🥨

Walnut Creek Spotlight Talks “The Nut” Live on KRON 4

Joey and Danielle were invited by KRON4’s Justine Waldman to join her for a live interview about how “The Nut” has become a viral nickname for Walnut Creek and how the growing local trend eventually turned into merchandise.

Before going on air, we got a behind-the-scenes look at the KRON4 studio and watched Justine do part of her newscast, followed by meteorologist Brady Brewster’s weather segment. Then it was our turn to head onto the set for the live interview.

We talked with Justine about the story behind “The Nut,” how the nickname caught on around Walnut Creek, the community's reaction, and how it eventually inspired us to create “The Nut” hats and apparel through Walnut Creek Spotlight.

A huge shoutout and thank you to Justine Waldman and the entire KRON4 team for inviting us into the studio and giving us the opportunity to share our story. What started as a fun local nickname and some hats has turned into something we never could have imagined.

Getting to go on live TV together and represent Walnut Creek Spotlight is a core memory that Danielle and I will never forget. We have two young kids at home, and it’s pretty special knowing that one day we’ll get to tell them about the time Mom and Dad went on KRON4 to talk about something they created in the community they love.

Definitely one for the memory books.

Watch the whole clip on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZe7THt-SGI

What Should Walnut Creek Look Like in 2050? 🌳🏙️

The City of Walnut Creek is looking ahead with Walnut Creek 2050, a major update to the city’s General Plan that will help guide how Walnut Creek grows and changes over the coming decades.

The plan touches many of the things we talk about regularly here at Walnut Creek Spotlight, including housing, development, traffic, roadways, bike lanes, parks, the environment, jobs, and more.

In April 2026, the City Council directed the General Plan project team, made up of city staff and consultant partners, to begin the update. The team will combine local knowledge, technical expertise, and most importantly, community input to help guide the process.

Want to have a say in Walnut Creek’s future? The city is hosting a Walnut Creek 2050 Community Workshop on Thursday, September 24 from 5:30–7:30 PM at the Civic Park Community Center Assembly Hall, 1375 Civic Drive.

This is an opportunity for residents to learn more about the General Plan Update and share their thoughts about what they want Walnut Creek to look like in the decades ahead.

If you have opinions about what you love about Walnut Creek, what could be improved, or how the city should approach growth and change, this is a great opportunity to get involved and have your voice heard.

Blast from the Past: CO-OP

Here’s a fun piece of Walnut Creek history! This Contra Costa Times ad from September 30, 1957, announced the grand opening of a brand-new Co-op supermarket at 1510 Geary Road, between Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill. The three-day celebration featured free balloons, pony rides, prize drawings, a coffee bar, and even giveaways of 2½ tons of salt.

Nearly 70 years later, the location is still serving local grocery shoppers — Sprouts Farmers Market now occupies this spot. A great glimpse at how Walnut Creek has changed while some properties have kept the same purpose for generations.

We’re adding a dedicated Real Estate section to the Walnut Creek Spotlight newsletter featuring local listings, new properties hitting the market, real estate news, and more.

We’re currently looking for a local real estate agent, team, or brokerage to become the exclusive sponsor of this section and showcase their listings directly to our audience.

Interested in being featured? Email us for sponsorship details and availability.

Wednesday 9/23

Thursday 9/24

Friday 9/25

Saturday 9/26

Sunday 9/27

Monday 9/28

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