Downtown San Leandro has two Friday nights left on its 2026 events calendar. Let's Glow: Neon Night Market is on Nov. 13 at Butterfly Plaza, and It's a Wonderful Night is on Dec. 4, with its tree lighting in Estudillo Plaza. Both take place on a stretch of Washington Avenue, W. Juana Avenue and E. 14th Street that gained a coffeehouse, a library café and a run of new restaurants over the past two years. These two nights put the newest downtown restaurants within a short walk of a crowded festival block.
Eight Second Fridays at One Address
Most of downtown's 2026 calendar took place at 1446 Washington Ave. The Second Fridays series opened with a Lunar New Year celebration on Feb. 13 and has returned to Butterfly Plaza most months since. Each night had its own theme.
| Date | Second Fridays theme |
|---|---|
| Feb. 13 | Lunar New Year |
| March 13 | Women's HERstory Fest |
| May 8 | AAPI Fest |
| July 10 | San Leandro Pride, the third annual |
| Aug. 14 | Summer Block Party |
| Sept. 11 | Latin Heritage Fest |
| Oct. 9 | Spooktober |
| Nov. 13 | Let's Glow: Neon Night Market |
The themes covered a lot of ground. September brought Lucha Libre with WFC Wrestling, Mariachi Tapatio on the main stage and a free salsa lesson. In May there was a Bollywood dance class with instructor Satish Panchal plus Polynesian dance performances. July had a doggie costume contest. The evening format stayed the same all year: 4 to 9 p.m., with food trucks, vendors and a stage.
The list of presenters explains why the nights feel like neighborhood events. The Downtown San Leandro events page names the Downtown San Leandro Community Benefit District, West Coast Makers, the San Leandro Main Library, the City of San Leandro Recreation and Parks Department, the San Leandro Optimist Club and Kaiser Permanente. The library on that list is the same building that got a new café this year, which matters for the Dec. 4 timing below.
Nov. 13 Closes Out the Series
The Neon Night Market is billed as the final market of the 2026 Second Fridays series. It's free and runs 4 to 9 p.m. at 1446 Washington Ave., with local vendors, food and music. Vendor applications were still open on the organizers' page in late October, through an Eventeny listing.
The timing works well for anyone who usually comes downtown on Wednesdays. The Wednesday evening farmers market runs April through October, 3 to 7 p.m., according to Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association listings linked from the downtown site. That market has wrapped for the year, so the Nov. 13 market is the next regular evening downtown with outdoor vendors.
Two Openings Since Last Year's Tree Lighting
The two biggest additions since the last It's a Wonderful Night are a few minutes' walk from the event blocks.
Philz Coffee at Centro Callan. Philz opened in the Centro Callan building on E. 14th Street with a ribbon-cutting on March 19, 2026, San Leandro Next reported. The same article describes custom murals with cherries, dahlias, stock cars and other features of San Leandro's history and present. It also notes that this location is the closest Philz to the company's roasting plant. San Leandro Next described Centro Callan when it was planned in 2022: a mixed-use project from The Martin Group at E. 14th and Callan, with 197 homes and ground-floor retail.
As Kneaded Café inside the Main Library. As Kneaded Bakery opened a café in the library's café space at 300 Estudillo Ave. in mid-February. Patch reported a menu of coffee, tea, pastries, sandwiches, quiche and salads. The café's visit page lists hours of Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's closed Sunday and Monday.
The 2025 Openings on the Same Blocks
The year before had already added several places on the streets these events use. San Leandro Next's 2025 restaurant roundup lists these downtown arrivals:
- Smack Burgers, 160 W. Juana Ave. A well-known food truck that chose downtown for its first Bay Area restaurant. It's on the same street as the main It's a Wonderful Night setup.
- Ji Bei Chuan, 1668 E. 14th St. A Chinese noodle restaurant known for its fish maw soup, though the roundup says locals are talking about its clay pot dishes and generous portions.
- Wonderful Cafe, 1515 E. 14th St. A Hong Kong-style café in the former Le Soleil location.
- Kittea Cafe, 1384 E. 14th St. A Korean-inspired café with bingsoo slushes, cream sodas and hot chocolate.
San Leandro Next followed up in early 2026 with a new restaurant preview that called downtown "a true hub for local food and drink" as Philz got ready to open. On a festival night, all of these are within walking distance of the stage.
Why the Library Café Matters on Dec. 4
The 29th annual It's a Wonderful Night runs Friday, Dec. 4, from 5 to 9 p.m. It includes a tree lighting, holiday performances, free photos with Santa, holiday train rides, a kids zone, a holiday market and holiday drinks. The tree lighting is at 5:30 p.m. in Estudillo Plaza, at Estudillo Avenue and E. 14th Street. The main event is centered on W. Juana Avenue and Butterfly Plaza.
That puts the evening's opening moment on Estudillo Avenue, the same street as the library. As Kneaded Café's posted hours end at 5 p.m., just before the event starts. Here's how the evening lines up:
- Before 5 p.m. As Kneaded Café is open inside the library at 300 Estudillo Ave. It's the last chance for something from the café that day.
- 5 p.m. It's a Wonderful Night begins downtown.
- 5:30 p.m. Tree lighting in Estudillo Plaza at E. 14th Street.
- The main event. It's centered on W. Juana Avenue and Butterfly Plaza, where Smack Burgers sits on the same street. Ji Bei Chuan, Wonderful Cafe and Kittea Cafe are all on E. 14th.
- 9 p.m. The event ends.
Nov. 13 works much the same way, with less pressure. The Neon Night Market opens at 4 p.m., so there's an hour where the library café and the market are both open.
After 9 p.m., Head to San Leandro Boulevard
Both events end at 9, but one dessert spot keeps going. Chocolate Bash at 1540 San Leandro Blvd. opened in 2025 and is the chain's only East Bay location, according to San Leandro Next. Customers can build their own pastries and ice creams there. Its San Leandro page lists hours of noon to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. On both of these Fridays, that leaves two hours for dessert after the plaza closes.
Here are both dates in short form. The Neon Night Market is Friday, Nov. 13, 4 to 9 p.m., at 1446 Washington Ave. It's a Wonderful Night is Friday, Dec. 4, 5 to 9 p.m., with the 5:30 tree lighting at Estudillo Avenue and E. 14th Street. The Neon Night Market is free, and both are listed on the Downtown San Leandro events page.
At City 1st Realty, we pay attention to which downtown blocks are getting new businesses and how they're changing, because that's part of knowing San Leandro well. If you're curious what the openings around Butterfly Plaza and E. 14th mean for your own street, or you'd just like to compare notes over a coffee at Centro Callan, we'd love to hear from you. Work with Us.
