Celebrate the Holidays with Tree Lighting, Sing-Along Dec. 2

The City of Concord will host its annual Tree Lighting and Mayor’s Sing-Along Friday, Dec. 2 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Todos Santos Plaza. 

Families can get into the holiday spirit by participating in festivities such as taking pictures with Santa and feeding real reindeer. Children are welcome to write and mail him a letter to which they will receive a response from the Jolly Good Fellow! 

Participants can also shop for handmade artisan goods at Santa’s Village by The Makers Boulevard, or make free holiday crafts at the Concord Art Association’s craft booth. In addition to the fun, the Todos Santos Business Association will be sponsoring carriage rides for $5 per person. 

The event will also feature live, on-stage entertainment performed by the Concord High School Jazz Band, Concord High School Ladies First choir, D’Ann’s Academy of Dance, Queen of All Saints cheerleaders, and The 925 Band. 

Following the performances, Concord Mayor Dominic Aliano will lead the crowd in a sing-along and a countdown to the official tree lighting at 7:30 p.m. The event’s on-stage performances can be viewed live on Concord’s TV channels (Comcast 28, Astound 1026, and U-verse 99) and livestreamed through the City’s website.

Base Reuse Meetings Scheduled, Term Sheet to be Reviewed

The next steps for the development of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station have been scheduled. 

Developer Concord First Partners and Local Reuse Authority (LRA) staff will host two community meetings in December to discuss and present the proposed Term Sheet before it goes to the City Council for consideration on Saturday, January 7, 2023. 

All meetings will be held in person at the Concord Senior Center located at 2727 Parkside Circle, and can be viewed on Concord TV (Astound/Wave 1026, Comcast 28, AT&T U-verse 99) or streamed online through the City's website.

The meetings are scheduled as follows:

• Thursday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m.: Community Meeting #1 and Presentation of the Term Sheet  
• Thursday, Dec. 15 at 6 p.m.: Community Meeting #2 and Presentation of the Term Sheet
• Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023 at 9 a.m.: Special City Council Meeting, featuring an opportunity for public comment on the Term Sheet prior to Council decision 

The Term Sheet and accompanying staff report are now available for public review.

Shop Concord Gift Card Program Supports Local Businesses

The City of Concord and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce have relaunched the popular Shop Concord e-gift card program to support small businesses by encouraging residents to shop locally this holiday season.  

Thanks to strong sales over the Thanksgiving holiday, the $10,000 in bonus gift cards has been exhausted. However, sales of the e-gift cards will continue, making it a great opportunity to support Concord retailers.

The cards can be purchased through the Shop Concord Yiftee page, which includes a list of the more than 70 participating merchants.

Concord business owners can sign up anytime for free to participate in the Shop Concord program. Instructions for how to become a participating merchant are online.

Police Department "Stuffs the Cruiser" for Kids in Need

The Concord Police Department will host its annual “Stuff the Cruiser” event on Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Target in Pleasant Hill (560 Contra Costa Blvd). 

PD staff will be there between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. accepting toy donations. All donations will be given to the Monumental Toy Drive “Gifts of Hope” program for local children in need. 

You're invited to stop by, join in the fun, and help stuff the cruiser!

Be a Santa to a Senior

The City of Concord is once again hosting a campaign to provide gifts to seniors in need this holiday season. 

The Be a Santa to a Senior, or BASTAS, program is an annual service program sponsored by Home Instead and championed by Concord's Commission on Aging. The program involves several partners and individual volunteers who come together through November and December to collect names and gift wishes from underprivileged seniors who may not have friends, family, or financial means to celebrate the holidays. The goal is to ensure that every senior in need gets at least one beautifully wrapped holiday gift.

There are several ways to participate: 

1. Shop for a Senior -- you can pick up gift tags with wishes at one of six Concord locations (and the wish list is online!)
2. Write a letter or card
3. Volunteer to wrap gifts on Sunday, Dec. 11 at the Senior Center

Learn More.

Holiday Gift & Craft Fair Returns Dec. 3

Get your holiday shopping done and support local artists at the City of Concord’s Gift and Craft Fair on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This one-day community event will be at the Concord Senior Center at 2727 Parkside Circle.

Check out the list of vendors here.

Winter/Spring Activity Guide on its Way to Residents, Businesses

Check your mailbox this weekend -- the 2023 Winter/Spring City News & Activity Guide is on its way!

Packed full of information about classes and activities for people of all ages, the publication also features City news, spring break camps, and exciting new trips for the 50 & Better crowd.                       

Prefer a digital version? The interactive guide can also be viewed online.

If your New Year's resolutions include being active in 2023, this is the perfect place to start!

Rain Forecast, Sand Bags Available at Corp Yard

Rain is in the forecast for the next several days. If you are concerned about flooding, please stop by and pick up free sandbags at the City's Corp Yard. The City maintains a 24-hour sandbagging station at its Corporation Yard, located at 1455 Gasoline Alley, and sandbags are free to Concord residents.

Pre-filled sandbags are available to residents who are unable to fill their own, such as seniors and persons with disabilities. Arrangements can be made for filled sandbags by calling (925) 671-3448. 

Need to report flooding on a City street? Use our Concord Connect app. If you have a flood emergency on your street, please call (925) 671-3448.

Learn more about how to protect your home from flooding.

The City of Concord's upcoming public meetings include:

• Tuesday, Dec. 6: City Council meeting and Council reorganization
• Wednesday, Dec. 7: Planning Commission - CANCELLED
• Thursday, Dec. 8: Design Review Board - CANCELLED
• Tuesday, Dec. 13: City Council
• Wednesday, Dec. 14: Community Services Commission - CANCELLED
• Wednesday, Dec. 14: Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
• Wednesday, Dec. 14: Zoning Administrator
• Thursday, Dec. 15: Design Review Board Special Meeting
• Wednesday, Dec. 21: Planning Commission

See the full calendar.

To receive email or text notifications when the meeting agendas are posted, please subscribe to alerts using the "Notify Me" tool on the City's website.

City Council and Planning Commission meetings are broadcast live on Concord TV (Astound/Wave 29 and 1026, Comcast 28, U-verse 99) and streamed through the City's website as well as rebroadcast at later times.