IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE
Timeless R&amp;B and Neo Soul Take Center Stage at Askari's Place This
Mother's Day Weekend.
Vallejo, CA - This Mother's Day Weekend, step into something that feels good to your spirit.
Askari Sowonde~ Productions presents Askari's Place-an intimate evening where timeless R&amp;B, Neo Soul, and atmosphere come together to create a night you won't just attend... you'll feel.
Taking place Friday, May 8, 2026, at the Vallejo Naval &amp; Historical Museum, this experience is designed for those who appreciate real music, real connection, and a setting that invites you to simply exhale.
Headlining the evening is Greg Ballad &amp; The Dream Set Band, delivering rich, heartfelt R&amp;B with a sound reminiscent of Luther Vandross, Teddy Pendergrass, Will Downing, and more-bringing a level of soul that resonates across generations.
Also featured is Sharday, whose smooth Neo Soul sound adds a fresh, modern layer, effortlessly blending today's vibe with the essence of classic soul. "This is about creating a space where people can exhale, and the music speaks" says producer Askari Sowonde: "A space where the music is right, the energy feels good, and people can truly enjoy themselves."
Whether you're celebrating Mother's Day, stepping out for the evening, or simply looking for something that feels good to your spirit, Askari's Place welcomes you.
Event Details
Event: Askari's Place - A Mother's Day Soulful Experience
Date: Friday, May 8, 2026
Location: Vallejo Naval &amp; Historical Museum * 734 Marin Street
City: Vallejo, California 94590 &nbsp;Time: 7P Doors Open | 8-10P Show$40 Door $60 VIP
Tickets: Available now on Eventbrite (GA &amp; VIP options available)
Search: Askari's Place: A Mother's Day Soulful Experience
or visit: <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/askaris-place-a-mothers-day-soulful-" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">eventbrite.com/e/askaris-place-a-mothers-day-soulful-</a>
expedience-tickets-1987310488167
About Askari Sowonde~ Productions
With over 30 years of experience producing concerts, festivals, and cultural programming, Askari Sowonde~ Productions continues to create meaningful, high-quality experiences rooted in community, culture, and connection.
Media Contact:
Askari Sowonde~ Productions
&amp; 707.712.3669
iamblessed3204@comcast.net

Local Event: Askari's Place~ A Mother's Day Soulful Weekend 

Solano County

Vallejo

California

Askari's Place~ A Mother's Day Soulful Weekend 

IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE
Timeless R&B and Neo Soul Take Center Stage at Askari's Place This
Mother's Day Weekend.
Vallejo, CA -...

Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum

Experience an intimate and elevated evening of soul, style, and sound featuring Greg Ballad &amp; The Dream Set Band live in concert. This special Mother's Day event also features smooth neo-soul guest Sharday, with ticket options including $40 at the door and $60 VIP packages.

Local Event: Greg Ballad & The Dream Set Band

Greg Ballad & The Dream Set Band

Experience an intimate and elevated evening of soul, style, and sound featuring Greg Ballad & The Dream Set Band live in...

Askari Sowonde

Solano

Bay Area

Benicia

Contra Costa County

Pinole-Hercules

Martinez

El Cerrito

Pleasant Hill

Suisun City

Alameda County

Albany

Angela Woodall

Concord

Fernando Haro

Berkeley

Lamorinda

Todos Santos Plaza

5th annual free Bay Area SpringFest is TODAY&nbsp;celebrating spring with plants, arts &amp; crafts, music and food in Downtown Concord at tree-lined Todos Santos Plaza in the largest city of upscale Contra Costa County. 
There will be music on the Todos Santos stage, a dozen eclectic food vendors, beer and wine garden, free activities for kids and myriad shopping opportunities.
SpringFest is open from 12 noon to 7pm with free admission and ample free neaSpringFest is open open Rain or Shine.rby parking in historic Downtown Concord. 
This free outdoor fair allows shoppers to see the unique goods and services from 100 vendors, home-based businesses and commercial exhibitors. Arts &amp; crafts, jewelry, apparel, plants, CBD products, home improvement, technology and much more will be available at SpringFest.
Attendees of all ages can bring a blanket or lawn chairs to sit in the park and enjoy the spring day. Pets on a leash are welcome as well.
Our Beer &amp; Wine Garden features beer from popular Concord brewery <a href="https://www.sidegatebrewing.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Side Gate</a><a href="https://www.drmwinery.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">.</a>
Proceeds from the Beer &amp; Wine Garden benefit <a href="https://sustainablecoco.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Sustainable Contra Costa</a>.
<a href="https://eventhub.net/events/Bay-Area-SpringFest-2026_7090" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Click here for Exhibitor information and application.</a>
Live music at SpringFest entertains attendees enjoying spring in downtown Concord:
12:30-2pm The Commanders Jazz Band celebrates America’s musical heritage performing the rich sounds of small group jazz. Part of the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West, The Commanders harness musical excellence, honoring our nation and those who have served. Their performance will conclude with a Musical Tribute to America’s 250th Birthday this year.
2:45-4:15pm Audio Mynde is a long-standing Bay Area band specializing in classic rock, blues and hits from the '60s through the 2Ks. Founded in 1990, the band has regularly played in the area for over 3 decades.
5-7pm Katie Knipp: The Concord native is a 4x Top 10 Billboard Blues Albums artist. Her music celebrates eclecticism and genre-fluid creativity. Her band features Pancho Tomaselli on bass (War, Tower of Power, Philm), Steve Utstein on the B3 (Cafe R&amp;B, Bo Diddley, Junior Wells, Lonnie Brooks), Chris Martinez on guitar (Sac Blues Hall of Fame, Guitar Mac, Arbess Williams) &amp; Neil Campisano on drums (4 top 10 Billboard albums).
Kid's activities include free balloon animals and hats.
The first 400 attendees will receive a SpringFest Goody Bag sponsored by Hamilton Tree Service and Ecomulch. Each registered attendee will receive a free raffle ticket for numerous SpringFest-themed prizes.
Donation of food to the Monument Crisis Center will earn the donor another raffle ticket for each can donated.
Pre-register here and receive a free $2 Spring Buck
at check-in at the YELLOW Bay Area Festivals Tent and you are automatically entered in our free raffle with SpringFest-themed gifts.
Bay Area SpringFest is in Todos Santos Plaza in Downtown Concord at 2175 Willow Pass Rd. This outdoor festival is free to the public with two free parking garages on the block. SpringFest is held rain or shine.
Exhibitor booths are available. <a href="https://eventhub.net/events/Bay-Area-SpringFest-2026_7090" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Click for information and application.</a>

Local Event: Bay Area SpringFest FREE in Concord TODAY

Bay Area SpringFest FREE in Concord TODAY

5th annual free Bay Area SpringFest is TODAY celebrating spring with plants, arts & crafts, music and food in Downtown Concord...

The Commanders Jazz Band, part of the&nbsp;United States Air Force Band of the Golden West, will Celebrate America's 250 Birthday&nbsp;TODAY opening the music performances at the free Bay Area SpringFest in Concord's historic Todos Santos Plaza.
5th annual free Bay Area SpringFest is THIS&nbsp;Saturday&nbsp;celebrating spring with plants, arts &amp; crafts, music and food in Downtown Concord at tree-lined Todos Santos Plaza. There will be music on the Todos Santos stage, a dozen eclectic food vendors, beer and wine garden, free activities for kids and myriad shopping opportunities.
 The Commanders Jazz Band&nbsp;kicks off the SpringFest musical line at 2:30pm with a lunchtime performance celebrating America’s musical heritage performing the rich sounds of small group jazz. Part of the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West, The Commanders harness musical excellence, honoring our nation and those who have served. Their performance will conclude with a Musical Tribute to America’s 250th Birthday this year.
As a part of the Band of the Golden West, the Commanders’ mission is to harness musical excellence to honor our nation and those who have served, inspire patriotism and resilience in our Airmen, Guardians and nations’ citizens, and connect the Air Force with the American public and community partners.
The United States Air Force Band of the Golden West is stationed at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield. The only active-duty Air Force band west of the Rockies, the Band of the Golden West is comprised of about 60 talented and versatile Airmen-musicians under the command of Captain Brian O’Donnell.
In addition to performing for civilian communities throughout California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Nevada, the band supports 13 Air Force bases, 8 Air Force reserve wings, and 6 recruiting squadrons in over 250 annual performances for 1.5 million listeners. 
SpringFest is from 12 noon to 7pm with free admission and ample free nearby parking in historic Downtown Concord. 
This free outdoor fair allows shoppers to see the unique goods and services from 100 vendors, home-based businesses and commercial exhibitors. Arts &amp; crafts, jewelry, apparel, plants, CBD products, home improvement, technology and much more will be available at SpringFest.
Attendees of all ages can bring a blanket or lawn chairs to sit in the park and enjoy the spring day. Pets on a leash are welcome as well.
Our Beer &amp; Wine Garden features beer from popular Concord brewery <a href="https://www.sidegatebrewing.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Side Gate</a><a href="https://www.drmwinery.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">.</a>
Proceeds from the Beer &amp; Wine Garden benefit <a href="https://sustainablecoco.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Sustainable Contra Costa</a>.
<a href="https://eventhub.net/events/Bay-Area-SpringFest-2026_7090" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Click here for Exhibitor information and application.</a>
Live music at SpringFest entertains attendees enjoying spring in downtown Concord. After the The Commanders Jzz Band:
2:45-4:15pm Audio Mynde is a long-standing Bay Area band specializing in classic rock, blues and hits from the '60s through the 2Ks. Founded in 1990, the band has regularly played in the area for over 3 decades.
5-7pm Katie Knipp: The Concord native is a 4x Top 10 Billboard Blues Albums artist. Her music celebrates eclecticism and genre-fluid creativity. Her band features Pancho Tomaselli on bass (War, Tower of Power, Philm), Steve Utstein on the B3 (Cafe R&amp;B, Bo Diddley, Junior Wells, Lonnie Brooks), Chris Martinez on guitar (Sac Blues Hall of Fame, Guitar Mac, Arbess Williams) &amp; Neil Campisano on drums (4 top 10 Billboard albums).
Kid's activities include free balloon animals and hats.
The first 400 attendees will receive a SpringFest Goody Bag sponsored by Hamilton Tree Service and Ecomulch. Each registered attendee will receive a free raffle ticket for numerous SpringFest-themed prizes.
Donation of food to the Monument Crisis Center will earn the donor another raffle ticket for each can donated.
Pre-register here and receive a free $2 Spring Buck
at check-in at the YELLOW Bay Area Festivals Tent and you are automatically entered in our free raffle with SpringFest-themed gifts.
Bay Area SpringFest is in Todos Santos Plaza in Downtown Concord at 2175 Willow Pass Rd. This outdoor festival is free to the public with two free parking garages on the block. SpringFest is held rain or shine.
Exhibitor booths are available. <a href="https://eventhub.net/events/Bay-Area-SpringFest-2026_7090" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Click for information and application.</a>

Local Event: US Air Force Band celebrates America's 250th Birthday TODAY in Concord

US Air Force Band celebrates America's 250th...

The Commanders Jazz Band, part of the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West, will Celebrate America's 250...

US Air Force Band celebrates America's 250th Birthday TODAY in Concord

Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall

The 8th Annual Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure is coming back on May 2, 2026 to give you rare access to the region's best small, hard-to-find winemakers. At this intimate event, you will discover and taste amazing, cutting edge wines from over 40 high-quality, micro-production, commercial wineries from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Sierra Foothills, and more.
Find out for yourself why we’ve been selling out our events for ten years and why we were named the #1 Wine Festival in the Country by USA Today! Meet the winemakers and hear directly from them about the ins and outs of their winemaking styles.
Over 90% of Garagiste wineries do not have a tasting room, so this is truly a singular chance to discover and meet the next great winemakers and get the opportunity to taste their amazing micro-production wines.&nbsp;Your appointment to try these wines is all in one room, right here! You won't be able to duplicate this tasting experience at any other wine event.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Meet the winemakers, taste their passion!
2026 Winemaker Participants include:&nbsp;Absolution Cellars, Amalgam Wines, Burning Bench Cellars, Carpenter Wine, Cazadero Winery, Chaney Family Winery, Cormorant Cellars, Crosby Roamann, Diablo Paso, Flora Ranch Co., Forgotten Union Wines, G &amp; C Lurton Estate, Gothic Noir Wine, Greyscale Wines, Jambe de Bois Wines, Kaleidos Wines, Kendric Vineyards, Krueger Vaught, Lussier Wine Co., Maybach Family Cellars, McCarter Cellars, Mersenne Wines, Mon Premier Wines, Nicolina Wines, Oxlee Graham Wines, Panther Ridge Vineyards, Pine Mountain Vineyards, Rock &amp; Clay Wines, Schermeister Winery, Shick Family Wines, Spur Road Wines, Staysail Cellars, Tercero Wines and Y.B. Wine Co.
&nbsp;GRAND TASTING: 2:00-5:00pm - Includes unlimited tasting with over 30 small lot winemakers, complimentary cheese, bread and charcuterie, as well as samples from local artisan vendors.
RARE &amp; RESERVE EARLY ACCESS: 1:00-5:00pm&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Entry an hour early at 1:00pm and enjoy access to Rare &amp; Reserve wines only being poured during this hour. Limited tickets available to create a less crowded experience.&nbsp;Only 150 Tickets are available to this session.&nbsp;

Local Event: Garagiste Wine Festival: 8th Annual Northern Exposure

Sonoma County

Sonoma Valley

Garagiste Wine Festival: 8th Annual Northern...

The 8th Annual Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure is coming back on May 2, 2026 to give you rare access to the region's best...

Garagiste Wine Festival: 8th Annual Northern Exposure

Empress Theatre

Vallejo — this one hits different.
Join us for a special Sunday Jazz Brunch at the Empress Marquee Club featuring the&nbsp;<a href="https://oaklandjazzchoir.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Oakland Jazz Choir</a> — one of the Bay Area’s most respected vocal ensembles, known for blending rich jazz harmony, soul, and gospel influence into a powerful live performance.

Opening the afternoon is the DVC Jazz Choir from Diablo Valley College, a standout collegiate vocal program known for strong arrangements, serious talent, and fresh energy.
This is not background brunch music. This is a full live vocal experience — the kind of Sunday where the room fills, the music lifts, and the whole afternoon takes on its own energy.
BRUNCH &amp; SHOW DETAILS 
Brunch: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Live Music: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Entrées freshly prepared by Chef Dianna
Come early, grab brunch and cocktails, and settle in for an afternoon of soaring vocals, jazz energy, and one of the most uplifting live music experiences you’ll find anywhere in the Bay.
LIVE MUSIC &amp; BRUNCH
Great food. Full bar. A room lifted by voices.
TICKETS&nbsp;FOR&nbsp;SHOW&nbsp;ONLY&nbsp;ARE ALSO AVAILABLE

Local Event: Empress Marquee Club presents Sunday Jazz Brunch w/ the Oakland Jazz Choir

Empress Marquee Club presents Sunday Jazz...

Vallejo — this one hits different.
Join us for a special Sunday Jazz Brunch at the Empress Marquee Club featuring the Oakland...

Empress Marquee Club presents Sunday Jazz Brunch w/ the Oakland Jazz Choir

Join us for a memorable evening featuring Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, a work of profound beauty and spiritual depth. Composed during Messiaen’s time in a wartime prison camp, this piece explores time, endurance, and transcendence through its unique rhythms and harmonies.
The first half of the concert will feature a guided exploration of the quartet by our Artistic Director, highlighting key themes and movements to enhance your listening experience.
The second half will be dedicated to a full performance of this iconic work, followed by a festive post-concert reception where you can celebrate the season with our musicians and fellow concertgoers.
Don't miss this unforgettable evening of music and community as the Benicia Chamber Players closes the 2025-2026 season!

Local Event: For the End of Time

For the End of Time

Join us for a memorable evening featuring Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, a work of profound beauty and...

Lucca Bar & Grill

Return engagement/dance party, after last November's extremely fun dance party! Featuring the Bay Area's best rock and blues musicians--Marc Russo, Tal Morris, Curtis Ohlson, Kevin Hayes, John R. Burr, Margaret Bolton, and Marvin McFadden--Good times!

Local Event: Don Arbor and the Bay Area All-Stars

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Return engagement/dance party, after last November's extremely fun dance party! Featuring the Bay Area's best rock and blues...

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Askari Sowonde, Neighbor

Posting Activity

Askari's Place~ A Mother's Day Soulful Weekend

MAY

8

8:00 PM

734 Marin St, Vallejo, CA

Greg Ballad & The Dream Set Band

MAY

8

8:00 PM

Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum, 734 Marin St, Vallejo, CA

Bay Area SpringFest FREE in Concord TODAY

US Air Force Band celebrates America's 250th Birthday TODAY in Concord

Garagiste Wine Festival: 8th Annual Northern Exposure

Empress Marquee Club presents Sunday Jazz Brunch w/ the Oakland Jazz Choir

For the End of Time

Greg Ballad & The Dream Set Band

Don Arbor and the Bay Area All-Stars