Derby Day may be on Saturday, but here in the 650 there’s derby action on a bi-weekly basis — roller derby, that is.
Peninsula Roller Derby is a nonprofit organization and member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. The group practices and plays in Burlingame and also has bouts on the road. (Travel team name? The Slam Andreas.) Devin Roberts and Magali Gauthier went behind the scenes at Peninsula Roller Derby by capturing the action at recent scrimmages. Get an inside look at the sport and find out how you can join the fun.
Savoring spring,
Julia Brown
Six Fifty Editor
editor@thesixfifty.com
Inside the fast-paced world of Peninsula Roller Derby
The Burlingame-based roller derby team embraces diversity, fun and full-contact hits. Our visual journalists captured the scene at recent practices.
Silicon Valley Open Studios returns for its 37th year
Silicon Valley Open Studios returns for its 37th year with 375 artists welcoming visitors over three weekends to a variety of spaces where they create or display their work. The event opens May 4-5 by featuring artists in the Coastside and northern Peninsula region.
‘That heart for serving’: Palo Alto family supports local nonprofit by baking tasty treats
For Palo Alto high schooler Tyler Wong, a long-running hobby has become a rewarding – and tasty – community service project. During the first summer of the pandemic, Tyler, an incoming freshman at the time, was inspired to use his passion for baking to benefit more than just the friends and family lucky enough to sample his pies, cookies and cakes over the years.
Congrats to Stephanie Loomis of Foster City, who was the first reader to correctly identify where last week’s photo was taken (it’s the Foster City Library!).
The first person to reply to this email with the correct place where the below photo was taken will win swag from The Six Fifty and a shoutout in our next newsletter!
Star Wars Drone Show: May 4 The Port of Redwood City hosts a lighted drone show with a “Star Wars” theme, plus food trucks, beverages from Devil’s Canyon Brewing, a lightsaber giveaway and other themed activities.
Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange Sale: May 4 Oodles of bicycle parts and accessories will be on sale – and in some cases even free – at SVBE’s big parking lot sale.
Silicon Valley Open Studios: May 4-19 Local artists in a variety of media open their doors to the public during this annual event, with the first weekend in May featuring artists on the Coastside and northern Peninsula, the second featuring Midpeninsula artists, and the third featuring artists based in the South Bay.
Sunset Tai Chi: May 6 VC Tang of Stir Fry Stories leads tai chi at Orange Memorial Park in South San Francisco. Free and open to the public (high schoolers to seniors).
Alex Cuba: May 10 Canadian-Cuban musician Alex Cuba comes to Stanford to perform his mix of Afro-Cuban jazz, funk and pop.
A Celebration of Birds: May 11 Hidden Villa hosts a class all about local nesting birds, which will include observation of live nesting sites.
Caltrain 160th Anniversary Celebration: May 11 Tour Caltrain’s new electric trains in San Carlos and snag commemorative items celebrating Caltrain’s 160 years of passenger rail. There will also be food trucks, games, a photo booth and an art demo.
The Roots: May 11 Acclaimed and long-running band The Roots comes to The Mountain Winery in Saratoga.
Something Rotten: Through May 12: Hillbarn Theatre presents the musical comedy “Something Rotten,” full of Shakespeare gags, Broadway references and toe-tapping tunes.
Plan Ahead
Redwood City Wine Walk: May 15 Visit downtown Redwood City establishments on a wine walk, with proceeds supporting the Redwood City Education Foundation.
Ozomatli: May 18 Long-running band Ozomatli brings its high-energy and rock-fusion sounds to Menlo Park.
Mental Health Matters 5K and Wellness Fair: May 18 Walk or run a 5K at Ryder Park in San Mateo, then stick around for a wellness fair with yoga sessions, food trucks, crafts and more. The event is part of May Mental Health Month in San Mateo County.
Kevin Kwan: May 22 Kevin Kwan, bestselling author of the “Crazy Rich Asians” trilogy, presents his new book, “Lies and Weddings.”
From Farouk to Fusion: May 24 Egyptian ensemble Music in-Takht performs a concert of instrumental Egyptian music from the time of King Farouk to modern-day sounds.
Joan Baez: May 31 Renowned musician and local (and international) legend Joan Baez shares from her autobiographical poetry collection “When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance” in a discussion with Angie Coiro.
PV Palooza: June 1 Portola Valley’s third annual all-day music festival on multiple stages also includes art exhibits and activities for kids.
Half Moon Bay Wine & Jazz Festival: June 1 Taste a selection from California wineries while listening to live jazz in downtown Half Moon Bay.
San Mateo County Fair: June 1-9 Time to get your annual funnel cake fix as the county fair returns (and celebrates its 90th birthday).
Family Night Hike: June 8 Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District leads a guided night hike for families.
Plastic droids and evil Care Bears: the (less nostalgic) story of Kenner’s ‘Star Wars’ toys.
Stanford design professor Bill Burnett recounts his time at Kenner (and how ‘Star Wars’ ruined the toy industry).
Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved.
*|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|*
Our mailing address is:
*|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|*
You can update your preferences and manage your groups, or if you really never want to hear from us again, including other emails from us you may have signed up for, you can totally unsubscribe from this list.
View this email in your browser
Mountain View moves forward with $4.6M plan to fix eroded banks at Stevens CreekMay 5, 2026 11:19 am
