Upcoming Events And Opportunities

Hayward Herald Returns To Night Market

The Hayward Night Market will be returning to St. Rose Hospital’s parking lot on Saturday October 18th from 4-9:30pm, and the Hayward Herald will be there! Last time, we got the chance to talk with residents and readers about local news, politics, and everything going on around town. We also gave away Hayward Herald stickers and 100 copies of the inaugural Hayward Herald Zine!

We’ll be returning—hopefully to a quieter location—with more stickers, conversations, and a brand new zine. Issue 2, which I’m still polishing, includes a collaboration with local Hayward artist and friend of the Herald, Big Lou Jiminez. We’ve also reached out to get some financial support from local businesses and will be leveraging some of the proceeds from the Hayward Voices event and kind donations from supporters—high-quality Union printing isn’t cheap.

While the last one was literally cut and taped together with our own bare hands, this issue will hopefully be a little more professional looking. Though I warn everyone, I’m not a layout designer. I’m looking to print some more copies this time and maybe distribute any we don’t hand off at the Night Market to local businesses, so even if you aren’t able to make it you’ll still have a chance to get your hands on one.

The Night Market is going to be a blast—and actually dark this time of year—with lots of local artists, vendors, and organizations. If you’re available, I hope to see you there and put a zine in your hands personally.

Seeking Volunteers To Grow Local Journalism

Do you have an interest in writing about your community—events, businesses, nature, subculture, or something else entirely? Maybe you like taking photos of Hayward and need a place to show them off? Or maybe you’ve got serious social media skills and are looking for a good place to build your portfolio? If any of that sounds like you, then reach out to us at the Hayward Herald to get plugged in!

The Herald has recently entered its third year of existence and people are starting to notice! We’ve gotten press releases, event invitations, and requests from organizations all around Hayward and Alameda County who want to reach Hayward residents and know that the Herald is the place to do it. Unfortunately, we are but a very small group doing the best we can with limited time—we need your help.

There’s possibility for payment in the future—right now I’m literally paying to do this stuff, but I’m hoping to change that soon—and your voice will reach hundreds of local Hayward residents. If you, or someone you know, is looking to fill community service hours, we can help each other out! If you want to make connections in Hayward, build a network, and build out a portfolio of work, hit us up!

Join our team of rugged volunteers who put together bespoke, hyper-local news with their bare hands every week.

Stand Together Bay Area Fund Established

On September 19th—it’s been a busy time, friends—Supervisor Elisa Marquez and Mayor Mark Salinas joined leaders from across the Bay Area to announce the creation of the Stand Together Bay Area Fund. The fund, which will be hosted by the San Francisco Foundation, seeks to raise $10,000,000 to “provide urgent financial assistance to families in need,” according to their website.

The primary purpose of this fund is to help immigrants and refugees, especially given the recent actions of the Trump Administration. At the press conference—which can be viewed in full online—Supervisor Marquez said, “We’re here to tell our immigrant community ‘Aqui estamos, y no nos vamos.’ We belong here and and we aren’t going anywhere.”

In a statement given to the Hayward Herald, she continued, “When even one family member is detained, it’s not just a household that suffers; caregivers are lost, small businesses are disrupted, children miss school, and the ripple effects strain our entire local economy.” Supervisor Marquez announced her District 2 Office contributed $50,000.

Thanks for reading Hayward Herald! This post is public so feel free to share it.

According to reporting from the East Bay Times, the funds will be administered by the Mission Asset Fund’s immigration program ALMA. However, that information was not given in the press release. The information for how to pre-apply for funds can be found on the ALMA website, and in the top right corner the page can be translated into multiple different languages.

Given that much of the focus nationally and locally has been on the impact on larger cities like San Francisco and Oakland, it’s unclear how applicants will be prioritized. Regional efforts often overlook cities outside of the larger metropolitan areas. For example, the Measure W funding for homelessness secured by Alameda County after a years-long legal battle was subject to intense competition from municipal governments and local agencies.

Some local city leaders feared that money would not be equitably distributed across the region, with the majority going to Oakland—currently suffering from deep financial difficulties—and the rest of the County would get the leftovers. Relatedly, the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership (ACILEP) is a regional program aimed at providing, among other things, a hotline for reporting ICE activity.

However, much of ACILEP’s resources are concentrated in Oakland and Berkeley. On social media, the majority of their blasts and confirmations are from that area. Advocates and community members in Hayward worry that, as a City with a very large Latine immigrant population, Hayward has been left to fend for itself.

It remains to be seen how the Stand Together Bay Area Fund will distribute its funds, and whether or not that information will be made available to the public. Since the money is going through a Foundation and nonprofit, the reporting requirements are less stringent than for government programs.

Hayward Hawaiian Music Series Kicks Off Oct 25

WHEN: Saturday, October 25, 2025; 7 p.m.
WHERE: HUSD Performing Arts Center, 2390 Panama St, Hayward, CA 94545 (@Mt. Eden High School)
PARKING: FREE on-site parking
TICKETS: $35 - $55; VIP $75 (plus tax and service fee)

Hayward has long had an active Pacific Islander and Hawaiian community, and on October 25th, the first in a series of Hawaiian Music performances will be held at the HUSD Performing Arts Center. Featuring four-time GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter, and storyteller, Kalani Pe’a.

Pe’a will perform original Hawaiian songs, as well as bilingual arrangements of R&B favorites. “Eia Lā—I’m here,”Pe’a said in a press release, “I’m present and here to stay. With the guidance of our akua and nā akua, the universe’s deities, I am here to represent my people and my culture. I celebrate a decade of forging pilina (connections) with people who bring love, value, and aloha through my music.”

Kalani Pe’a will share the stage with Hayward’s local Kaulana Nā Pua O Hawaii Dancers, under the direction of Deanie Lum. Ms. Lum organizes the May Day Festival—which called Downtown Hayward home for two years—and brings the Kaulana Nā Pua O Hawaii Dancers to community events, fundraisers, and local schools.

This event is organized by local Hawaiian music legend, Patrick Ladenza. For more than twenty years, Mr. Landeza has been bringing Hawaiian music to stages across the country—producing concerts, teaching at music camps, and sharing slack key guitar with audiences everywhere. Mr. Ladenza has become a trusted name in Hawaiian music not just in California, but nationwide.

This event promises to be a heartfelt expression of gratitude for the blessings bestowed upon him and those Mr. Pe’a holds dear.

The Hawaiian Music Series will continue with the legendary female Hawaiian music group Na Leo Pilimehana on December 6, 2025, and Masters of the Ukulele on February 21, 2026.