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- 🐶 A Local Dog Makes Headlines & Your Guide to This Week in Palo Alto
🐶 A Local Dog Makes Headlines & Your Guide to This Week in Palo Alto
Plus a jam-packed lineup of events over the next week!
Greg Kemper
September 10, 2026
Good morning neighbors!
Welcome to this week's Palo Alto Scoop! This week, learn about a local dog who just won a prestigious award and how police drones aided a police search for missing child. Plus, check out a bookbinding event, attend a game night, go behind the scenes at the history museum, and celebrate Mexican Independence Day with Fiestas Patrias!
Let's get to it!
In this week’s edition:
Local Updates: Local dog wins award and police drones help search for a missing child
Events: Bookbinding, game night, behind the scenes at the history museum, and Fiestas Patrias returns!
Police Drone Used to Locate Missing Child
A Redwood City police drone helped locate a missing 10-year-old on Thursday, September 3, after the child was reported missing around 11:10 a.m. near the 600 block of Woodside Road — known for heavy traffic and a history of serious crashes. The department's growing drone program has become a go-to tool in searches like this one, particularly because children who wander or "elope" from safe environments, including some with autism, can be drawn toward roadways, traffic signals and moving vehicles. For Redwood City families, the incident is a reminder both of the real dangers posed by high-traffic corridors like Woodside Road and of a public-safety tool now regularly deployed to bring children home safely. Read more here.
Local Dog Takes Home 2nd Place in Ugliest Dog Competition
Redwood City has a new local celebrity: Pinky, an 11-year-old albino Chihuahua-Pomeranian mix, took home second place — and a $3,000 prize — at the 2026 World's Ugliest Dog Contest held at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa on August 14. It was Pinky's first time competing, and the shelter dog, known for her pink ears and nose and watery blue eyes, edged out third-place finisher Otto but lost the top spot to Jinny Lu, a rescued pug from South Korea. The contest, now in its 50th year, was founded not to mock dogs but to celebrate imperfections and encourage the adoption of rescue animals of all shapes, sizes and looks. |  While she may have won second place, we think she’s cute! Read more here. |
Palo Alto's Affordable-Housing Pipeline is Stretching the City's Rules
At 450 Lytton Avenue, a downtown parking lot at the corner of Lytton and Kipling Street, nonprofit developer Alta Housing wants to build a six-story, 72-unit complex where about half the units would go to households earning 30% or less of the area median income; because it was filed under the state's SB 79 transit density law before Palo Alto adopted interim restrictions, it's on track to rise 75 feet, some 25 feet taller than city rules traditionally allow, with City Council review expected by the end of the year. Across town, developer Acclaim Companies is pursuing an even bigger swing at the former Fish Market restaurant site at 3150 El Camino Real- they broke ground in August on roughly 386 apartments in a seven-story building using the state's "builder's remedy" provision. Together with several other projects moving through the pipeline, from a downtown lot to a former office park east of Highway 101, these proposals show Palo Alto leaning on new state housing laws and density bonuses to add homes in a city long defined by tight zoning. Read more here.
Gangsan in Redwood City
Gangsan has taken over the former Dasbierhauz beer garden space at 830 Middlefield Road in downtown Redwood City, bringing traditional Korean comfort food to a spot long known for German sausage and suds. The restaurant's signature dish is galbijjim, a slow-braised beef short rib simmered for hours in a soy-based sauce until it's fall-off-the-bone tender — a labor-intensive, special-occasion dish in Korean cooking that's become the talk of the new spot. Beyond the short ribs, the menu leans into hearty, traditional fare, including seolleongtang (a milky ox bone soup), kalguksu (hand-cut noodle soup) and a sizzling stone-pot bibimbap. Shareable dishes designed for two or three people round out the menu alongside individual soups and appetizers, making Gangsan a solid option for both a quick solo meal and a larger group dinner.
Son & Garden in Menlo Park
Son & Garden is a brunch-focused restaurant known for colorful, whimsical takes on classic breakfast dishes. Its menu combines familiar American brunch with Asian-inspired dishes, including bibimbap made with stone-pot Japanese rice, fried chicken, a fried egg, vegetables and kimchi. Benedict options include fried chicken, smoked salmon, Portobello and Korean versions, while other dishes include Wagyu beef loco moco, lobster Benedict, ricotta pancakes and deep-fried French toast. The restaurant describes its food as being designed to be visually striking as well as flavorful, giving the menu a playful presentation.
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We do our best to verify dates/locations of events, but please independently verify before attending as details are subject to change
🌼 Floral Book Vase Workshop | Los Altos | A Novel Affair | 9/10 | more
Turn an old book into a work of art at this guided workshop, crafting your own floral book vase to take home and display.
🌱 Gamble Plant Sale | Palo Alto | Gamble Garden | 9/11 - 9/12 | more
Shop a beautiful selection of edible and ornamental plants propagated right at Gamble Garden, including annuals, perennials, and hard-to-find varieties.
🍷 Winemaker Dinner | Los Altos | Rustic House | 9/11 | more
Sit down for a multi-course dinner paired with wines from acclaimed Sonoma producer Aperture Cellars, founded by winemaker Jesse Katz.
🎭 A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder | Palo Alto | Lucie Stern Theatre | 9/11 - 9/27 | more
Palo Alto Players opens its 96th season with the Tony-winning musical comedy about a penniless heir plotting his way to an earldom, one relative at a time.
🍖 Kick Off BBQ | Palo Alto | 1305 Middlefield Road | 9/12 | more
The Palo Alto Teen Art Council presents their first event, featuring tote bag decorating and BBQ fare.
🎓 Teen College and Career Day | Menlo Park | Belle Haven Community Campus | 9/12 | more
Teens can talk with professionals, college reps, and financial aid experts at this inaugural event, plus enter a prize drawing and enjoy a free light lunch.
🎨 Art and Wine Festival | Atherton | Menlo College | 9/12 | more
Menlo College's Quad hosts its first Art & Wine Festival with local artists, regional wineries, food trucks, live jazz, and family activities all afternoon.
🐝 BUG Initiative Workshop | Palo Alto | Gamble Garden | 9/12 | more
Check out the Biodiversity in Urban Gardens (BUG) Workshop- a morning of helping collect data on native plants and animals in partnership with the California Native Plant Society.
🍅 Second Saturday | Palo Alto | Gamble Garden | 9/12 | more
All ages are invited to a fresh-picked morning at the garden, tasting samples harvested and prepared on site.
💃 Ballet Folklórico | Redwood City | Redwood Shores Branch Library | 9/12 | more
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a lively, family-friendly performance by Casa Círculo Cultural, featuring colorful costumes and vibrant traditional dance.
🎨 Kid Makers Crafts | Redwood City | Schaberg Branch Library | 9/12 | more
Drop into the library's ongoing craft series for a hands-on project, all materials provided.
🥞 Pancake Breakfast | Menlo Park | Menlo Park Fire Protection District HQ | 9/12 | more
Firefighters flip pancakes at the firehouse for the 26th annual community breakfast, with fire truck tours, a silent auction, and kids' activities benefiting the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation.
🚴 Smart Cycling Class (Part 2) | Redwood City | Stanford University – Redwood City Campus | 9/12 | more
Put your road skills into practice with hands-on riding exercises and guided group rides in a free, beginner-friendly session.
📖 Kepler's Summer Block Party | Menlo Park | Kepler's Books | 9/12 | more
Drop by anytime for a joyful all-ages block party with story time, crafts, cake, and the launch of Kepler's new Community Reads program.
🤝 Seeds of Connection | Redwood City | Friendship Park | 9/12 | more
A community gathering focused on connection and resources, bringing neighbors together at Friendship Park.
🚗 Cars and Coffee | Redwood City | Woodside Plaza Shopping Center | 9/13 | more
Grab a coffee and stroll rows of classic and custom cars at this laid-back weekend gathering for local car enthusiasts.
🇲🇽 Fiestas Patrias | Redwood City | Courthouse Square | 9/13 | more
Courthouse Square transforms for this vibrant Mexican Independence Day celebration with live mariachi, Ballet Folklórico, authentic food, a kids' area, and a traditional flag ceremony.
🌿 Gardener's Hour | Palo Alto | Gamble Garden | 9/14 | more
Swap stories and tips with fellow plant lovers at this free, casual monthly meetup for gardeners and the gardening-curious.
🩺 Live Well, Age Well Health Expo | Los Altos | Los Altos Community Center | 9/15 | more
Explore health, wellness, and safety vendors, learn from professionals through educational sessions, and enjoy refreshments and giveaways.
🎲 Family Game Night | Redwood City | Downtown Library Family Place | 9/16 | more
Bring the whole family for a relaxed evening of board games and fun at the library.
💼 Off The Clock Networking | Redwood City | Port of Redwood City | 9/16 | more
Connect with fellow Chamber San Mateo County members over drinks and conversation at this casual professional networking mixer.
🏛️ Go Behind the Scenes at the History Museum | Los Altos | Los Altos History Museum | 9/16 | more
Go behind the curtain with the Museum's curator for a look at how "The Spirit of '76" exhibit came together, from choosing artifacts to shaping the stories on display.
📓 Japanese Bookbinding Workshop | Palo Alto | Gamble Garden | 9/17 | more
Learn the timeless art of Japanese stab binding in this hands-on workshop, crafting two beautiful notebooks of your own to take home.
🍺 Oktoberfest | Redwood City | Courthouse Square | 9/18-27 | more
Grab a friend and check out the beer tent, featuring live music, performances, German food, and beer