New Palo Alto Shop & Fun Events for September!

Plus local restaurants to try this weekend!

Author

Greg Kemper
September 03, 2026

Good morning neighbors!

Welcome to this week's Palo Alto Scoop! This week, we’re learning more about the Palo Alto teachers housing project, Byxbee park repairs, and a vote on term limits for the El Camino Healthcare District. Plus, we have musicals and plays, Gilded Age at Filoli, comedy, and cycling safety and maintenance classes.

Let's get to it!

In this week’s edition:

  • Local Updates: Byxbee Park repairs, term limits on the ballot for El Camino Healthcare District

  • Business Updates: a major investor backing out of the Palo Alto teacher housing project, CardVault opens in Palo Alto

  • Events: Musicals and Plays, Gilded Age at Filoli, Comedy, Cycling Safety and Maintenance Classes

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Valley Water Continues Tide Gate Repairs Near Byxbee Park

Valley Water is in the midst of a multi-year seismic retrofit of the Palo Alto Flood Basin Tide Gate Structure, located about half a mile northeast of the Byxbee Park parking lot along the Adobe Creek Loop Trail. Built in 1957, the tide gate structure has been showing serious wear – including spalled concrete and exposed rebar – and this phase of work will replace six water flow gates that keep high tides out of the basin while draining it during low tides. The structure is essential to preventing flooding along the lower reaches of Matadero, Adobe and Barron creeks, as well as a stretch of Highway 101, and also protects wildlife habitat in the basin. A portion of the Adobe Creek Loop Trail will be closed from September 1 through October 30, 2026, so plan alternate routes if you frequent that stretch this fall. Read more here.

Los Altos School District Breaks Ground on New Mountain View Campus

The Los Altos School District held a groundbreaking ceremony for its long-awaited "10th site," a new TK-8 campus being built at the former San Antonio Shopping Center in Mountain View (at the intersection of Showers Drive and California Street). Superintendent Sandra McGonagle was joined by current and former trustees for a gold-shoveled ceremony on Aug. 19 on the 11.7-acre former retail site, with McGonagle noting the school will serve students "not yet born." The 70,000-square-foot campus, being delivered by Quattrocchi Kwok Architects and Blach Construction, will include 29 classrooms, an administration wing, library, gymnasium, and multi-purpose room, and is intended to serve Bullis Charter School. Completion is scheduled for August 2028, though trustees are still working through details of the district's facilities-use agreement with BCS, which expires in June 2027 – a year before the new campus opens. Families in the area should watch for updates as enrollment and site logistics get sorted out over the next two years. Read more here. 

Term Limits on the Ballot for El Camino Healthcare District

Voters in the El Camino Healthcare District – which covers Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, most of Sunnyvale, and parts of Cupertino, Santa Clara and Palo Alto – will decide on Measure S this November, a proposal to cap board directors at four four-year terms. Currently there are no term limits on the five-member board, which oversees both the tax-funded healthcare district and sits on El Camino Hospital's governing board. This year's board election is largely a formality, with incumbents Peter C. Fung and George O. Ting running unopposed for the two open seats, but Measure S could reshape future races by limiting how long directors can serve. Arguments for and against the measure are expected to be published later this month, so keep an eye out if you want to weigh in before Election Day. Read more here. 

Tom Brady's CardVault Opens in Town & Country Village

CardVault by Tom Brady, a retailer specializing in trading cards and authenticated sports memorabilia, has opened its newest store in Palo Alto's Town & Country Village. Located next to the chocolate shop SWISS55 at the corner of El Camino Real and Embarcadero Road, the store is CardVault's 17th location nationwide and features the brand's signature "vault" displaying autographed helmets, jerseys, bats and balls in a museum-quality setup. The shop offers cards and memorabilia from brands like Topps, Panini, Upper Deck, Pokémon and Fanatics Authentic, plus on-site grading submission services as an authorized dealer for PSA, Beckett and SGC. Brady himself made a surprise appearance at the grand opening, spending nearly two hours signing autographs and greeting fans. Read more here. 

Mountain View Whisman Backs Out of Palo Alto Teacher Housing Project

The Mountain View Whisman School District is pulling out of its investment in the Acacia, a teacher-housing complex located at 231 Grant Ave. in Palo Alto, after nearly all of its allotted units sat empty. The district's school board voted unanimously to end its partnership with the 110-unit complex, having purchased rights to 12 apartments back in 2023 for $600,000 using Measure T bond funds – but only one of those units is currently occupied. The district will receive a full refund now that it has forfeited the units, and the current occupant's housing is unaffected until they choose to move out. The Acacia was a multi-district effort spearheaded by former Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, with Palo Alto Unified, Los Altos, and Foothill-De Anza also buying in when it opened in summer 2025, and with Mountain View Whisman stepping back, its former units can now go to income-eligible members of the public instead. It's a notable shift for a project that was once seen as a promising regional solution to educator housing shortages. Read more here. 

SAJJ Mediterranean Opens First "Non-Traditional" Location at Stanford

SAJJ Mediterranean, a Bay Area-born fast-casual chain, is opening its newest location inside Tresidder Memorial Union on the Stanford campus. The company described the Stanford spot as its first "non-traditional" restaurant format and said it plans to pursue more locations like it going forward. SAJJ serves customizable bowls, wraps and salads with a range of proteins, spreads, sauces and toppings, including falafel and shawarma, and founder Zaid Ayoub opened the first SAJJ back in 2012, since expanding to San Mateo, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Sunnyvale and San Jose. It's part of a broader growth push for the chain, which also just opened its third San Francisco location. Read more here.

Oak + Violet in Menlo Park

Oak + Violet is the dinner restaurant at the Park James Hotel in Menlo Park, where Michelin star-winning Executive Chef Joseph Humphrey leads a seasonal, California-focused menu. The restaurant emphasizes locally sourced ingredients, with dishes changing alongside the seasons; recent menus have included summer melon gazpacho with wild king salmon, grilled Sonoma quail with corn polenta and roasted heritage pork tenderloin. The menu has also featured dishes such as Dungeness crab toast, mini lobster tacos, oysters, pan-roasted king salmon and a whole stuffed branzino. A curated wine program overseen by James Beard Award-winner Shelley Lindgren accompanies the food, along with craft cocktails and an extensive selection of non-alcoholic drinks. Oak + Violet also has an outdoor courtyard and a café serving specialty coffee, matcha, botanical lattes, pastries and breakfast items.

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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

🎬 Movie on the Square: Freakier Friday & Independent Shorts| Redwood City | Courthouse Square | 9/3 | more
Courthouse Square's weekly Thursday night movie series continues with a free double feature for all ages.

🚴 Smart Cycling Class | Redwood City | Redwood City Public Library | 9/3 | more
Learn how to ride safely with traffic in this free, hands-on class covering bike fit, safety checks, road positioning, and defensive riding, no bike required.

🖌️ Public Art Walking Tour | Los Altos | Third St. & State St. | 9/4 | more
Join volunteer docents for a free, guided stroll past downtown Los Altos's murals and sculptures, starting at the Mandahlia sculpture.

🎤 de Vine Comedy | Redwood City | de Vine Wine & Beer | 9/4 | more
Peninsula Comedy brings a lineup of the Bay Area's funniest stand-up comics to this intimate wine and beer spot for a free, laid-back night of laughs.

🛠️ Kid Makers Crafts | Redwood City | Downtown Library | 9/5 | more
Kids can drop into the library's Makerspace for a hands-on crafting session, part of the ongoing Kid Makers series.

🚲 Basic Bike Maintenance Class | Palo Alto | Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange | 9/5 | more
This beginner ABC (Air, Brakes, Chains) repair class from the Bicycle Exchange and Bicycle Coalition teaches the basics of keeping your bike road-ready.

🤝 Community Partner Day | Palo Alto | Magical Bridge Playground | 9/6 | more
On the first Sunday of the month, local nonprofits and community groups set up tables at the playground for hands-on activities, resources, and a joyful day of connection.

🌸 Fleurs de Villes: The Gilded Age | Woodside | Filoli | 9/8-18 | more
Global flower show sensation Fleurs de Villes brings its floral artistry to Filoli's historic house with one-of-a-kind mannequins inspired by HBO's The Gilded Age.

🔥 Heads Up Hot Stuff | Redwood City | Alhambra Irish House | 9/9 | more
Meet fellow singles for a lively night of mingling and games at this social mixer hosted by the Thursday app.

🐱 Cats the Musical | Palo Alto | Palo Alto Children's Theatre | 9/9-27 | more
The Jellicle Cats take the outdoor stage for this high-energy, family-friendly production based on T.S. Eliot's classic, complete with catchy songs and a sensory-friendly, ASL-interpreted performance on 9/17.

🧘 Tai Chi | Redwood City | Redwood Shores Branch Library | 9/9 | more
Start your week centered with a gentle, guided tai chi session at the library.

🥗 Garden Fresh Luncheon | Palo Alto | Gamble Garden | 9/9 | more
Enjoy a delicious set-menu lunch outdoors on the Carriage House Patio, a lovely spot for a birthday celebration, ladies' lunch, or catch-up with friends.