A large share of the news in downtown Walnut Creek since August is about names locals already know. Sur la Table is coming back to Broadway Plaza after several years away. VICI is moving back to North Main Street. State & Liberty left its storefront for a renovation and was back in about a week. The North Face is changing spaces inside the same shopping center. Even the truly new arrivals are filling spaces people still call by their old names: the former Essence Indian Cuisine, the old Oyama Sushi, the old Sleep Number.
All of it leads up to Friday, November 20, when Walnut Creek on Ice opens its 21st season in Civic Park on the same date as the city's holiday tree lighting. That gives you four weeks between this Friday's Trunk or Treat and the night the rink lights up. Here is how the map has shifted in the meantime.
The Same Names, Different Doors
Four businesses that already had a downtown history are making moves this fall. Three of them have stayed within a block or two of where they started.
| Business | Earlier downtown spot | Where it's headed | Status as reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sur la Table | Broadway Plaza | Broadway Plaza, the former P.F. Chang's space | Announced September 8 |
| VICI | The Mercer apartments, then a Broadway Plaza pop-up | 1366 N. Main St. | Announced September 4 |
| State & Liberty | Broadway Plaza | Back in its original Broadway Plaza location | Reopened by October 13 |
| The North Face | Broadway Plaza | Former White House Black Market space at Broadway Plaza | Fall 2026 move announced September 1 |
Sur la Table has the longest gap. Beyond the Creek reported that the cookware shop is returning "after several years away," into the space next door where P.F. Chang's used to be. P.F. Chang's served its last meals at 1205 Broadway Plaza on June 23, 2023, after 24 years, according to The Oaklandside's roundup of June closures. That puts one of the plaza's best-known corners back in use with a brand that has its own history in the center. The same report includes a regional detail too. Sur la Table opened its first shop in Seattle in 1972 and waited 23 years before opening its second one, in Berkeley in 1995.
VICI has moved the most. The clothing shop began at The Mercer apartments, moved to a pop-up at Broadway Plaza, and is now headed to 1366 N. Main St., per Beyond the Creek. Neither the VICI nor the Sur la Table announcement gave an opening date, so check before you plan a trip around either one.
State & Liberty's move was the shortest. The clothing store relocated within Broadway Plaza for a renovation and was back in its original spot when Beyond the Creek checked in on October 13, about a week after the first report.
New Names in Storefronts You Already Know
The pattern carries over to the newcomers. Most of this fall's arrivals moved into spaces with a recognizable past, so the easiest way to find them is by what used to be there.
Mensho, 1512 N. Main St. The ramen restaurant opened this summer in the former Essence Indian Cuisine space. Bay Area Telegraph reports that chef Tomoharu Shono founded Mensho in Tokyo in 2005. Its original San Francisco restaurant has been in the Michelin Guide since 2017, though it does not hold a star.
Salt & Lime, 1521 N. Main St. Announced September 25 for the former Oyama Sushi location, almost directly across North Main from Mensho. It's an announced arrival, not an open restaurant yet.
Saatva, 1619 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Opened by mid-September in the former Sleep Number store, so a mattress showroom has replaced another mattress showroom.
Rowan, Broadway Plaza. The ear-piercing and jewelry brand was announced in August for the former Aveda space, with no opening date given.
The BOBA Lounge, Broadway Pointe. Opened in late September in a spot that has housed one boba cafe after another. Beyond the Creek lists iTea, Teapot and Li Cha Tea among the earlier tenants.
Two more opened at Broadway Plaza: Läderach Chocolate in mid-August and the 7th Avenue showroom a few days later.
The North Main pairing changes a downtown evening the most. Once Salt & Lime opens, the 1500 block of North Main will have two new restaurants facing each other. That's a short walk from Civic Park, where the rink goes up next month.
Two Storefronts That Went Dark
Not every change this fall involves a returning name or a new tenant. Yardbird, the furniture retailer at 1406 N. Broadway, closed in late August, as Beyond the Creek reported.
On Locust Street, a fire on August 19 caused significant damage at Lettuce Restaurant & Catering, 1632 Locust St., Bay Area Telegraph reported. The cause was still under investigation in that first report. Nosh reported on August 28 that Lettuce was closed indefinitely with no reopening timeline. For regulars, it's one more downtown spot that may yet join this fall's list of returns.
The Rink Is the Oldest Return on the Calendar
Walnut Creek on Ice comes back to Civic Park, 1365 Civic Drive, on November 20 and runs through January 18, 2027. Walnut Creek Downtown's October 13 announcement calls this the 21st season and describes it as the Bay Area's only outdoor ice rink and ice slide. In that release, Kathy Hemmenway, executive director of the Walnut Creek Business Association, said, "After 21 years, we've seen kids grow up on this ice and come back with families of their own."
The lineup will look familiar:
- The 90-foot Frosty's Summit Ice Slide
- The Ice-Skating Academy and hockey classes throughout the season
- Wednesday-morning Littles Skates for the youngest skaters, including a morning visit from Santa
- Private fire pits for a Rinkside Experience
Prices on the official rink page are $20 for a 90-minute skating session and $20 for the ice slide. The skate-and-slide combo is $20 on non-holiday weekdays and $30 on weekends and holidays. The combo prices match what Bay Area Telegraph reported for the 2025–26 season, so a family returning this year pays what it paid last year. The rink is fully cashless, and tickets can be bought online or on-site with approved digital payment methods. Hours for the new season weren't posted when this went to publication, and parts of the ticketing site still carry last season's labels. The release sends visitors to WalnutCreekOnIce.com for hours, classes and reservations.
Four Weeks to the Ice, and What Follows
Here's how the calendar runs from now through early December.
- Friday, October 23, 3–6 p.m. Walnut Creek Arts + Rec's Trunk or Treat in Civic Park, with a low-sensory hour from 3 to 4 p.m. It falls one day earlier on the calendar than last year's October 24 event.
- Friday, November 20. Walnut Creek on Ice opens, and the Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place in Civic Park, per the downtown seasonal events listing. Last year's tree lighting was on November 21.
- Saturday, November 21, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Broadway Plaza's "Once Upon a Street: Evergreen & Elegance," on the downtown calendar.
- Thursday, December 3, 6–8:30 p.m. Broadway Plaza's Holiday Parade of Lights & Tree Lighting, held throughout the center.
The opening weekend stacks up neatly. Friday has the rink and the Civic Park tree lighting. Saturday midday has the Broadway Plaza event, a short walk from the Sur la Table, State & Liberty and North Face storefronts. A post-skate dinner on North Main now includes Mensho at 1512.
Downtown changes affect how a neighborhood feels to live in, and that eventually shows up in what a home is worth. If you're near downtown and wondering how your place compares these days, Kailani Kimoto can walk you through it over coffee before the rink opens. Request Your Free Home Valuation and get a clear, no-pressure read on where your home stands this season.
