Heritage Plaza commemoration and grand opening July 17

The City and Hayward community will commemorate and celebrate the opening of the new Heritage Plaza on Saturday, July 17, with presentations, entertainment and a green ribbon cutting to mark the location’s cultural importance and future as a civic gathering and events space.

Part of the City’s Measure C-funded library construction project, the new Heritage Plaza encompasses a full city block across from the new downtown library at 888 C Street.  The Plaza dates back to the formative days of Hayward in the 1840s when the area was part of the homestead of rancher Don Guillermo Castro.

The new Heritage Plaza is home to more than 40 species of rare and mature trees—with the addition of a new 25,000-square-foot central event lawn, an 11,000-square-foot paved plaza and an elevated platform, along with interpretive signs and art pieces still to come that will speak of the diverse experiences and cultures of Hayward’s rich histories.  Beneath Heritage Plaza, a rainwater catchment, storage and filtration system has been installed to supply up to 200,000 gallons annually for irrigation and greywater uses in the new library building and plaza grounds.

Starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 17, the Plaza commemoration and grand opening event program will begin with a performance by Drum Revolution Taiko Drummers, followed by a Land Acknowledgement led by Muwekma Ohlone Tribe members, and the ribbon cutting ceremony.  The program will conclude with a performance by Russell City Memorial Blues Band.

To learn more about the Heritage Plaza commemoration and grand opening celebration, go to this event page on the City of Hayward website events calendar.