Broadway Plaza, the open-air shopping center that has anchored downtown Walnut Creek for three-quarters of a century, is throwing itself a birthday party this weekend complete with a princess parade, a traveling circus and a pop-up pet adoption drive. The free celebration, dubbed “Once Upon A Street,” runs Saturday, Oct. 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the center’s address, 1275 Broadway Plaza.
According to the mall’s own event announcement, the day is built around a “Royal Storybook Celebration” theme, with a Royal Princess Parade kicking off at 12:30 p.m. that’s open to all guests. Per Broadway Plaza’s event listing, the center describes the day as transforming Broadway Plaza Street into a storybook celebration that honors the people, places and stories that have shaped the center over 75 years.
Kids will get the chance to meet princesses from the Fantasy Forum Actors Ensemble and pose for photos with a ballerina from The Ballet School Performing Arts, as reported by Bay Area Telegraph. The Beloved Little Circus is set to perform, and DJ Rich Era will handle live entertainment throughout the event.
Flower Crowns, Face Paint and a Photo Booth
The lineup also includes flower-crown making, face painting, balloon twisting and a 360-degree photo booth, the same outlet notes. Joybound People & Pets will be on hand for pet adoptions — the nonprofit says its mobile adoption events regularly bring adoptable animals to local parks, shopping centers and community gatherings.
Guests who sign Broadway Plaza’s Royal Proclamation can walk away with a free mini tote, while supplies last, according to the mall’s event page. As The Mercury News reported, the shopping center is owned by Macerich, a real estate company based in Santa Monica.
From 38 Stores to an 80-Plus-Shop Destination
Broadway Plaza today bills itself as an upscale, open-air center with more than 80 retailers and specialty shops, according to Walnut Creek Downtown. That’s a long way from its origins: construction began in 1950 on undeveloped land near Main Street and Mt. Diablo Boulevard, the Walnut Creek Historical Society notes, and the center opened with 38 stores and 1,500 free parking spaces.
Sources differ on the exact timing of that opening. The historical society dates the debut to October 1951, with anchor tenants Sears, J.C. Penney and a Lucky grocery store, while SFGate reports the center formally opened in November 1951 with 38 stores including JC Penney, Sears, Joseph Magnin and Lucky Supermarket. Either way, the development was notable at the time as one of the country’s first open-air, auto-oriented malls, per the historical society.
The shopping center’s arrival had an outsized effect on the local economy: Walnut Creek’s taxable sales climbed from $9 million in 1950 to $20 million in 1955, according to Bay Area Telegraph’s reporting. Macerich bought the property in 1985 and gave it a major makeover, SFGate reported at the time, setting it on the path toward the retail destination it is today.
