Exciting Events Coming to Downtown in 2024 – Community Benefit District Update
As the days get longer, we can look to some great events in Downtown San Leandro! Annual favorites, like the 100+ year old Cherry Festival and 20+ year old It’s a Wonderful Night holiday celebration will return, as well as exciting new and expanded events. Read on to learn more about these events, as well as the ongoing work of the Downtown Community Benefit District to make downtown cleaner, safer – and more fun.
- April 3 – Downtown Farmer’s Market Opens! – San Leandro Downtown Library (more info in our next post)
- April 13 – Vintage and Artisan Market Returns! – Second Saturday of the Month through November, Davis and E 14th. Check out unique gifts and goods made by local artists, makers, vintage vendors, and small businesses! Apply to be a vendor.
- May 4 – MexiPino Fiesta – Davis and E 14th. – MexiPino reflects the multiethnic fusion of Mexican and Filipino cultures found in communities across California and will feature artisan vendors, food trucks, a low-rider car show, and one of the area’s best DJs.
- June 1 – Cherry Festival – sign up to participate in the parade by March 29th!
- September 14 – OkDROberfest – kick off the season with San Leandro’s own breweries!
- December 6 – It’s a Wonderful Night – family-friendly holiday celebration
Downtown San Leandro Community Benefit District Update
On March 4, 2024, the Downtown CBD delivered a presentation on 2023 activity and accomplishments, and shared some glimpses into what 2024 will have to offer.
The Downtown San Leandro Community Benefit District (CBD) (also known as the San Leandro Improvement Association (SLIA)) was established in 2013 and is primarily funded by commercial property tax levees. The purpose of the CBD is to encourage and maintain a vibrant downtown, providing services in both maintenance and safety.
Maintenance and beautification is done by the Cleaning Ambassadors, recognizable by their green shirts or jackets. The Cleaning Ambassadors perform regular pressure-washing of sidewalk and public right-of-ways, graffiti abatement, trash abatement, spill cleanups, as well as many other tasks.
Safety is aided by the Safety Ambassadors, recognizable by their blue shirts or jackets. The Safety Ambassadors patrol the downtown area, make regular check-ins with downtown businesses, provide safety escorts for downtown employees, conduct welfare checks, and perform de-escalations, all in order to help maintain a safe environment in Downtown San Leandro.
Residents and businesses can call 415-404-8463 from 6:00AM to 9:30PM daily to request Cleaning or Safety Ambassador assistance in Downtown.
The CBD has also played pivotal roles in downtown event programming, with the Family Earth Day Festival, (re)Discover Downtown, Okdroberfest, and the future continuance of It’s a Wonderful Night all made possible by SLIA. SLIA also hosted five artisan markets in 2023, featuring 83 unique vendors throughout the season. In December 2023, SLIA also implemented a Holiday Art Walk, with the support of the San Leandro Arts, Culture, and Library Commission.
From a safety perspective, SLIA also has plans to create a coordinated network of security cameras among private businesses that will cover general areas of Downtown San Leandro. These cameras aim to increase efficiency of investigative resources and rate of apprehension by law enforcement.
The effect of the Community Benefit District on the downtown area is unmistakable. The Cleaning and Safety Ambassadors have accomplished an impressive amount of work, which is evident from the presentation, and the success of the events has been overwhelming. If 2023 is any indication, 2024 will be a good year for Downtown San Leandro.
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