The Rockridge District Association (RDA) held its annual Rock-N-Stroll on Saturday, August 22, from 11am to 4pm (with some activities continuing into the evening). This free, family- and pet-friendly event transformed College Avenue into a mile-long celebration stretching from Broadway to Alcatraz Avenue.
Unlike a traditional street festival, Rock-N-Stroll kept the streets open, encouraging visitors to explore at their own pace while enjoying face painting, crafts, giveaways, pup-friendly activities, and other family fun across the district.
Market Hall fired up the grill with fresh sausage sandwiches and prize wheel giveaways, while Bad Walter’s Bootleg Ice Cream paired live music with kids’ crafts. Starter Bakery celebrated with Happy Hour pastries and drinks, Belly served taco samples throughout the afternoon, and Redfield Cider Bar & Bottle Shop featured Japanese wine tastings alongside an okonomiyaki pop-up.
Shopping enthusiasts found one-day-only specials. Spinning the wheel for prizes at Bambino Thrift Shop for a discount on your first drink at The Monk’s Kettle. Saunders and James hosted its popular Nail Sale, Sole Terra Shoes featured special event discounts, while Tootsies & Crush on College offered pop-ups, local artists, and in-store promotions.
Bella Vita hosted face painting and special vendors, Pegasus Books and Crossroads each featured prize wheels, and Atomic Garden welcomed illustrator Ryan Betts Ng, who created custom portraits of visitors and their pets and whose proceeds benefit a local dog and cat rescue.
Art Bazaar: A Mile of Art and Artists
Rock-N-Stroll’s Art Bazaar featured more than 50 local visual artists of all ages exhibiting paintings, ceramics, jewelry, prints, textiles and handcrafted works inside and outside participating businesses.
Rockridge-based artists and makers were on hand, such as OM Pottery, EZH Clay, Laurien Clay Works, Glass-Vox, John McKenna Knives, Westwind Succulents, and Eliza Reisfeld Illustration. It’s was an excellent opportunity to purchase original artwork directly from the creators and discover new favorites.
Mercy Vintage showcased Oakland-based Palestinian artist Manar Harb alongside several guest artists, while SLATE Contemporary Gallery hosted a small-works exhibition and sale with artists on-site throughout the day. Preserved, The Yoni Temple, In Full Swing Plus Sizes, Saffron Kitchen, Pegasus Books and numerous other merchants hosted more local artists—creating an art walk that extended the entire length of College Avenue.
The Sound of Music Abounds
The music creates a festive ambiance as performances take place throughout the district (see article on Rockridge-based musicians in this edition).
The day began with singer-songwriter Frances Ancheta performing outside Market Hall. A Filipina American artist from the Bay Area, Ancheta blends indie folk, pop and rock into what has been described as “tropical new wave folk.” A mental health advocate, creative arts therapist and cancer survivor, her thoughtful songwriting has earned international radio play while reflecting her belief in the healing power of music.
Throughout the morning, visitors experienced the genre-defying sounds of Fleeting Trance outside the Rockridge Branch Library. Created by Bay Area songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Manasseh Bernal, the project combines psychedelic jam band influences with folk, rock and Americana, creating a musical collage that intentionally resists labels.
Nearby, guitarist and vocalist John Vicino, whose musical career began busking on the streets of San Francisco as a teenager, brought his engaging acoustic style to Forge after years of performing at premier Bay Area venues.
Among the festival’s distinctive performers was handpan artist Aethervoce, who creates mesmerizing, atmospheric music on the handpan—a rare steel percussion instrument known for its rich, resonant sound.
Jazz lovers enjoyed The 770 Collective, a seven-piece ensemble formed through a shared passion for jazz, funk, fusion and soul, located at Festival Fun Zone at College Avenue Presbyterian Church. Later, they listened the Alexis Tsamoudakis Trio’s engaging performance, followed by festival headliner Rattle-Tone with its energetic blend of blues, soul and rock & roll.
The afternoon continued with San Francisco’s Five Pines, whose original guitar-driven music reflects life growing up in California. Oakland father and daughter electronic duo Syd and I combined contemporary vocals with richly-layered synthesizers to create an energetic live performance that has earned them appearances throughout the Bay Area.
Additional performances included the versatile violinist, singer and composer Umaya, whose musical background spans classical, pop, indie, soul, rock and R&B; contemporary R&B duo Cocoa Keys, whose jazz-infused neo-soul sound and powerful harmonies have become a Northern California favorite, DJ Danny Santos spinning vinyl, Tall Papa B, The No Kings Quartet, East Bay Players, and more live performances at Cole Coffee, Saffron Kitchen and Open Mind Music—ensuring that every block has its own musical personality.
Rock-N-Stroll is made possible through the support of Crossroads, 1st United Credit Union, Kelly S. Wright State Farm Insurance, Page 11 Events, SLATE Contemporary Gallery, Rockridge Voice, Becker Boards, Oaklandside and BART.
