East Bay Roundup

The San Francisco Bay Area is usually best around Thanksgiving Day. Yet, because the holiday was the earliest it’s been in years, there’s still another week of peak color to be seen in Bay Area cities.

On a weekend trip to attend the CU/Cal football game, I found Walnut Creek showing bright splashes of maroon, orange-red, russet and honey-colored trees. Orinda had peaked, though spots of gold appear. Berkeley was mostly brown with touches of saffron and carnelian. The same for Downtown San Leandro, where exotics dominate. Namita Mishra sent a shot of San Ramon, flush with bright color.

Color spotter Surjanto Suradji returned to his hometown of Danville for the holidays. Danville is 30 minutes east of San Francisco and described by Surjanto as located “in a narrow section of the San Ramon Valley between Mt. Diablo and Las Trampas Ridge.”

“Often referred to as the ‘Heart of the San Ramon Valley,’ Danville was first populated by Native Americans who lived near creeks and camped on Mount Diablo in the summer.

Danville was later “part of Mission San José’s grazing land and a Mexican land grant called Rancho San Ramon.” As seen in the above picture, Danville’s urban forest is filled with lurid autumn color in the last two weeks of November.  

In the middle of it stands the town’s “most iconic and beloved landmark,  the Old Oak Tree,” Danville.com reports. “The town’s official symbol is 65-feet tall and estimated to be 350-years-old.”

The town’s most cherished event is the annual “Lighting of the Old Oak Tree,” which was held on the Friday evening following Thanksgiving Day (Note: Be there in 2019).

Danville.com continues, “An estimated 7,500 people gather around the tree to see Father Christmas and Snow Angel flip the switch on thousands of twinkling lights, to many ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the crowd. There’s entertainment, refreshments, and holiday shopping amidst a decorated downtown. It’s been called a magical evening, and one of the best examples of community life in Danville.

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“The tree lighting event dates back to the 1970s, and according to historical records, actually started as a campaign to save the tree from being destroyed.  

“Artist and then Danville merchant Carmen De Vivi, alarmed by piles of debris around the base of the tree during a road-widening project, discovered that the root system had been severely compromised. He approached officials suggesting a community-wide effort to preserve the tree, recommending they draw attention to the cause by lighting the tree with as many lights as possible. The idea was unanimously approved, and soon it was decided to light the tree every holiday season. De Vivi himself played Father Christmas for 15 years.

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“De Vivi wasn’t the only one to voice concern over the tree’s health. In the late ’80s, after being told the tree was nearing the end of its life, the town planted a replacement oak just to the west nicknamed ‘Son of Oak.’ A decade later an investigation found the tree’s root structure was rotting and the tree itself was in danger of toppling. In 2001 the town constructed a sturdy steel support structure around the tree.

“Over the years, the valley oak (Quercus lobata) has served as an important communications hub. Banners announcing birthdays or anniversaries have appeared around the trunk, along with flyers for events around town.”

For Danville’s dedication to its old oak and because few other Bay Area autumn displays compare, Danville is declared “Peak of the Week.” 

• Danville (358′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!