East Palo Alto celebrating 40th anniversary as a city this weekend

East Palo Alto will be celebrating its 40th anniversary as a city this week, and you’re not alone if that sounds strange to you.

The San Mateo County community of East Palo Alto came into being about a century ago, the result of the merger of two towns — Ravenswood and Runnymede — trying to avoid annexation by Palo Alto and Menlo Park. But it remained unincorporated until July 1, 1983 — despite a few unsuccessful incorporations attempts in the 1960s and ’70s, including one that would have renamed the then-Black majority city after Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

Divided by Highway 101, East Palo Alto has had a diverse population for decades — partly due to abhorrent redlining policies and gentrification — and is now largely Latino. But the 2.5-square mile city has undergone startling physical change in the past quarter-century, too. Whiskey Gulch was developed into University Circle with the Four Seasons Hotel as its sparkling gem. Silicon Valley’s lone Ikea store anchors the Ravenswood 101 shopping center across the freeway, and the EPACENTER opened in late 2021 as a new creative youth center.

Saturday’s free daylong celebration will include a festival and a parade. The parade will start at 9 a.m. with two segments, one leaving University Circle and proceeding on the pedestrian bridge over Highway 101 and the other starting at Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School on Bay Road. Both will converge at Bay and Pulgas Avenue for the block party festival, which will include two stages of musical entertainment, food stands and kids activities including an outdoor video game arcade. More information, including a parade map, is available at www.epacenter.org/events.

The EPACENTER nearby will host a number of these activities, including the launch of an art initiative to celebrate the anniversary. Artist Cristina Velázquez, who grew up in East Palo Alto, will capture images of residents, workers, volunteers and others, and those portraits will be used for street pole banners on Bay Road saluting the city’s hometown heroes throughout the year.

3BELOW TURNS BACK THE CLOCK: Longtime valley movie fans know that before Scott and Shannon Guggenheim opened 3 Below Theaters in downtown San Jose, they ran the Retro Dome — a movie theater and live performance venue at the old Century 25 that specialized in classic films.

The Guggenheims are reaching back to those roots with a Summer Arthouse Film Festival that includes a salute to movies released in 1973 (“The Sting,” “The Exorcist,” “Enter the Dragon” and more) on Fridays and Saturdays; coming-of-age classics like “The Breakfast Club,” “Boyhood” and “Moonrise Kingdom” will own Wednesdays; there’s a healthy dash of 007 double features on Thursdays; and family favorites including “Toy Story,” “Encanto,” “The Goonies” and “Star Wars” will screen Saturdays.

Slapstick Sundays will showcase comedies from Charlie Chaplin and the Marx Brothers to Jim Carrey and Edgar Wright, and there’s even a series of movies about art and artists — Exhibitions on Screen — set for Fridays. Tickets to individual movies are $12 each, but you can get a six-movie ticket for $60 or a full series pass for $175, and you can find more information at www.3belowtheaters.com.

The Guggenheims say shared experiences are thrilling, whether you’re discovering something new or indulging in a little nostalgia, and they’re working to keep those moments happening for San Jose through cinema. Sounds like a goal worth supporting to me.

BANDS READY FOR BATTLE: There’s still a couple of days for teen and adult bands to apply for the Santa Clara County Library District’s Battle of the Bands next month. Three teen (13-18 years old) and three adult bands will be selected to perform at the live showcase July 22 at the Milpitas Library. First-place gets $500, with second receiving $300 and $200 going to third.

Bands need to submit an online application by midnight June 30, though. Get more information at sccld.org/battleofthebands.