🌱 Patch AM: Home Fire Displaces Family Of 6

Hi there, Walnut Creek! We've got your morning read ready! Read on to stay connected. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• Walnut Creek family of six displaced by early-morning house fire
• How did Walnut Creek shape this Hollywood director’s creative journey?
• Could Walnut Creek’s Sabrina Ionescu reshape the Valkyries’ 2026 season?

Also on today's calendar: Joybound People & Pets Free Pet Food Pantry and 7 more events.

Today's riddle: What did the little needle say to the mother needle when it brought home a failing report card? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Thursday: Windy with periods of rain, with a high of 58 and low of 49 degrees.
• Friday: Breezy with showers around, temps: high: 55, low: 43.
• Saturday: Times of clouds and sun, with a high of 53 and low of 36 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Home Fire Displaces Family Of 6 (patch.com) — Walnut Creek neighbors woke to an early-morning house fire on Stewart Avenue that displaced a family of six just before the holiday. Contra Costa County firefighters quickly knocked down the garage blaze, reopened nearby streets, and the American Red Cross is now helping the residents with emergency shelter and support.
   

• Vallejo/Vacaville A/E Source: ‘Song Sung Blue' has Vallejo ties (thereporter.com) — A new music-filled film, “Song Sung Blue,” opening in Vallejo on Christmas Day, has strong ties to the city through writer-director Craig Brewer’s upbringing and theater roots. Brewer recalls returning to the Bay Area, including Walnut Creek where he once produced theater, crediting local mentors for shaping his creative voice and social conscience.
   

• Will Valkyries make a splash? Can Bay FC rebound? Women's sports 2026 storylines (sfchronicle.com) — Bay Area women’s sports fans can watch for a big 2026 free-agency decision involving Walnut Creek native Sabrina Ionescu, who headlines a star-studded WNBA market. The piece also tracks key questions for the Golden State Valkyries, Bay FC’s rebuild, and Stanford and Cal women’s teams as they chase postseason success. It’s a broad look at how local athletes could shape the coming year.
   

📸 Around Walnut Creek

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Walnut Creek

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Tuesday December 30

• Joybound People & Pets Free Pet Food Pantry
  2890 Mitchell Dr, Walnut Creek
  2:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Friday December 26

• StoryWalkÂŽ with Dougherty Station and San Ramon Libraries
  San Ramon Library , 100 Montgomery St , San Ramon
• Pick Your Project Workshop**ages 7+**
  Board & Brush Creative Studio - Walnut Creek , 1414 N Main St Suite A , Walnut Creek
  11:00 am
• Garden of D'Lights
  The Ruth Bancroft Garden & Nursery , 1552 Bancroft Rd , Walnut Creek
  5:30 pm

Saturday December 27

• StoryWalkÂŽ with Dougherty Station and San Ramon Libraries
  San Ramon Library , 100 Montgomery St , San Ramon
• Drop-in 3D Printing Information Booth
  San Ramon Library , 100 Montgomery St , San Ramon
  3:00 pm
• Frosh Boys Basketball @ Dougherty Valley
  Dougherty Valley High School , 10550 Albion Rd , San Ramon
  4:00 pm
• Varsity Boys Basketball @ American
  American High School , 36300 Fremont Blvd , Fremont
  5:00 pm

Sunday December 28

• StoryWalkÂŽ with Dougherty Station and San Ramon Libraries
  San Ramon Library , 100 Montgomery St , San Ramon

Thursday January 1

• "Voting Challenges Ahead" by League of Women Voters, Diablo Valley
  Diablo Valley Area
  9:00 am

📣 Walnut Creek Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Thursday December 25

• Computer Help
  Pleasant Hill Park , 147 Gregory Ln , Pleasant Hill
  10:00 am
• Senior SWELL with Lamorinda Village
  Lafayette Library - Contra Costa County Library , 3491 Mount Diablo Blvd , Lafayette
  10:00 am
• Storytime Junction
  Lafayette Library and Learning Center , 3491 Mt Diablo Blvd , Lafayette
  10:30 am

Friday December 26

• StoryWalkÂŽ with Dougherty Station and San Ramon Libraries
  San Ramon Library , 100 Montgomery St , San Ramon

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Walnut Creek PatchAM possible:

• Downtown Walnut Creek Ace Hardware — (925) 705-7500
  Master Nursery, Benjamin Moore Paint, BBQ Center & More
• Diablo Escapes — (925) 393-7171
  Epic Escape Room Adventures at Diablo Escapes
• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Have you seen this cat?
  His name is Rigel. He is a beautiful long- haired gray cat. Fairly large. He has not come home since Sunday, which is very unlike him. We are off… (Nextdoor Saranap II)
• Hello, neighbors!
  My name is Alona, I’m 28 years old. I previously worked as a university mathematics lecturer and as a private math tutor. I currently live in Walnut… (Nextdoor Diablo Hills)

• Lunardi's Markets posted a job opening for Grocery Clerk in Walnut Creek - No Experience Required in Walnut Creek. Apply here.
• Sprouts Farmers Market posted a job opening for Grocery Clerk in Walnut Creek. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Walnut Creek here.

🗞 Nearby News

Pleasant Hill

• Contra Costa County Friendly Food Fight Returns (contracosta.news)
• Toll increases at 7 Bay Area bridges beginning Jan. 1 (contracostaherald.com)
• You wouldn't believe what a country musician and friends went through to save trapped animals in a barn (pennlive.com)

Concord

• Brazilian steakhouse Espetus opens in Concord with charcoal-fired churrasco (eastbaytimes.com)

Martinez

Ok Walnut Creek! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I guess I’m not as sharp as I thought.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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