Celebrate Redwood City at the 150th Festival and Flower Extravaganza!

Join us for a community celebration on May 20th!

4 min readMay 4, 2017

Redwood City celebrates its Sesquicentennial year in style this summer, starting off with a special 150th Festival and Flower Extravaganza on Saturday, May 20th from 12 p.m. — 9 p.m.!

This elaborate, free event in downtown Redwood City guarantees a fun-filled day of exciting, historic activities, music, entertainment, culture, dancing, food, beverages, and a wonderful time for the entire family.

150th Anniversary Festival Schedule

12–5 p.m. REDWING CHICKEN WING COMPETITION — Redwing Chicken Wing Competition voting and tasting will take place on Jefferson Avenue at Broadway. Be sure to sample the most popular flavors and save time to vote in the contest! Learn more here.

12–8 p.m. — ART AND CULTURE — ART on the Square is back for the summer located along Broadway! Their summer kick-off starts at the 150th Anniversary Festival and Flower Extravaganza. Wander through booths with fine arts and crafts including painting, photography, jewelry, glass, ceramics, and more. To learn more about ART on the Square go here.

12–8 p.m. — FLOWERS — The Flower Extravaganza, flower sale and art and flower exhibition provides a nod to Redwood City’s past as the Chrysanthemum Capital of the World, sponsored by San Mateo Credit Union and located at the Fox Theatre (2215 Broadway) and on the steps of the San Mateo County History Museum (2200 Broadway).

12–8 p.m. — ENTERTAINMENT — Entertainment will be offered on three stages including music from Mustache Harbor, Sinister Dexter, Top Shelf, the Big Wave Band, the Mile Blues, Stoney Mountain Ramblers, 27 Strings, West Bay Community Band, Ron Gariffo Orchestra, Nirav Sanghani’s Pacific Six, and the Woodside High School Band! Stages are located at Courthouse Square, Jefferson Avenue and Main Street at Broadway.

12–6 p.m. — KID FUN — A Kids Love Trucks zone, inflatable play land, rock climbing wall, and an 1850’5 pioneer camp are offered behind Courthouse Square, on Hamilton, and on Middlefield for kids looking for fun and play activities. For crafty kids, arts and crafts will be scheduled inside the San Mateo County History Museum. Check out various cultural performances including Taiko drummers and Ballet Folklorico, located on Courthouse Square.

12–9 p.m. — FOOD AND ADULT BEVERAGES — An adult libations tasting area will be located on Hamilton (until 6 p.m.), with ethnic food and other food and vendor booths located next to Courthouse Square at Broadway and Middlefield.

1–2 p.m. — FASHION SHOW — A historic fashion show will take place inside the San Mateo County History Museum, Courtroom A. Take a ride into the past for this free show!

8:30–8:50 p.m. — LIGHT SHOW — Magic Lantern 3D Light Show, a special presentation for Redwood City’s 150th anniversary, will take place every Tuesday night, with a special performance on May 20th on Courthouse Square. To learn more about the Magic Lantern 3D Light Show go here.

Go here to see an in depth schedule of the day’s events and an event map.

Location

Encompassing 11 city blocks of Downtown Redwood City, the festival is held on Broadway between Middlefield and Hamilton and on the beautiful Theatre Way. Downtown Redwood City, with its lively and active music, theater, dining, and shopping scene, is truly the heart of the action. Redwood City’s Caltrain station is just a short walk from Downtown and the festival! You can learn more about downtown here.

More Details And Ways To Celebrate

Celebrate 150 years of the Redwood City community all year long!

If you would like to learn more about Redwood City’s Sesquicentennial and locate other events planned throughout the summer and the rest of the year, visit www.redwoodcityhistory.org.

Are you a history buff?

Check out recent blog stories about Redwood City’s past by going here.

Looking for a quick Redwood City history lesson? View the City’s historic timeline!

For a historic timeline of Redwood City’s past go here.

Citywide Photo Contest

Earlier this year, the City launched a “Redwood City Through Your Lens” photo contest. Anyone who lives, works or plays in Redwood City is welcome to participate year-round through Dec. 17 at 11:59 p.m. Engage with your City and community and join the conversation by sharing your captured moments with us using #ThroughMyLens, tagging the City of Redwood City in your photos on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, and following us. For more details go here.