Even on a cloudy, cool evening in downtown Hayward, salsa and bluegrass music alike can be heard bouncing off brick walls, the sound of drums and guitars growling through amplifiers up the streets, and the smell of fresh carne asada tacos repleting with onions and cilantro, filling the air.
Hayward’s downtown street parties bring the community of Hayward and the East Bay together every third Thursday of the summer months. This past Thursday was the first of the year.
Over 50 local business owners and vendors lined B Street, serving up food, presenting artwork and providing information on the community. Local shops and restaurants in the area were open for business, presenting great entertainment almost every step of the way.
“Being that it was cold it didn’t really make a difference,” said Alex Caldeira, manager at Buffalo Bill’s Brewery on B street. “It was just as fun as any other year,” Caldeira continued, referring to previous third Thursday celebrations. “I don’t know if we can fit any more people in here, honestly.”
The Royal Deuces started the evening off in front of The Bistro restaurant and The Book Shop, entertaining groups with their unique rockabilly blend. Just a block down from that scene, salsa band Lava was putting on a show in the beer garden, where it wasn’t hard to spot the experienced dancers swaying their hips back and forth in perfect accord with the tip-toeing of their feet.
“I’m addicted to salsa!,” said Wayne Colón, of Fremont. “The salsa, the people; if they’re having a good time, then I’m having a good time,” explained Colón, who has been attending the street fair in downtown Hayward for several years, as he yelled over the boisterous band behind him.

The event, though radiating Hayward culture and community themes, was certainly not a Hayward-residents-only kind of party.
“I love street fairs like this because you have the opportunity to experience new things, food, and meet people from all over the East Bay,” said Darcell Purefoy of San Ramon, hot dog with the works in hand. “I’m definitely coming back to the next one.”
A multitude of food and drink offerings fueled the excitement, complete with funnel cakes, tacos, pizza, beer, and special soft drinks for kids.
Just down Main Street, loads of classic cars were on display, showing off their modern modifications and timeless curves as people throughout the streets crowded around to examine them.
Hayward City councilman Francisco Zermeño was amongst the crowd, ensuring the residents of his community were registered to vote. Equipped with a smile and a firm handshake, Zermeño exuded plenty of enthusiasm for the event.
“Despite the weather we had a good turnout. People expect us to put on a party and we do it,” said Zermeño.
“It’s the small business owners that we really need to worry about, so this is their opportunity to shine,” he continued. “Those large businesses really have no problem, they have money for advertising and everything, where the smaller businesses need to go out into the community, and that’s what they were able to do, and that’s excellent.”
Zermeño said he had a great time at the fair and is looking forward to the following events growing larger, attracting more people and more businesses.
“The important thing is that it brings families downtown,” said Kim Huggett, president and CEO of the Hayward Chamber of Commerce. “That’s a major goal for us,” continued Huggett, explaining events like this are put on by the Chamber with the downtown businesses in mind. Huggett also said these events are supported by various Chamber members, who volunteer to help set up the fair.
Huggett is also anticipating larger crowds and more community engagement, as the weather becomes more consistent and reliable.
“I think that downtown Hayward is slowly but surely, definitely slowly, but surely coming back around, and these street fairs definitely help out with that,” said Caldeira. He says the street renovations are attracting more businesses and he hopes to see more of the vacant spots in downtown Hayward filled very soon.
“The more people we can get down here, the better it will be for our community.”
Overall, the Hayward Street Fair was a reflection of vibrant and diverse residents, excited to engage with one another and exemplify the richness behind the city.
The next street party will be July 19 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and will feature such bands as “California Cowboys,” “The Die Hards,” and “The Royal Deuces.”