Fun Facts about Benicia Waterfront Rocks

In 1994 a new event was started by Benicia Main Street called the Seafood Celebration. It was held at the waterfront at the bottom of First Street in Downtown Benicia. That first year the venue was rough. It was before the Promenade and rail was constructed,  First Street Green was marshland, and the Spit (pier), the roundabout, and bathroom site was a gravel road. The historic Depot and Lido were abandoned and sat on wooden pallets.   The Celebration included one seafood vendor who specialized in Louisiana Cajun cooking, a beer booth that offered Devil Mountain micro beer and some tap beers. Local bands weathered the Benicia wind on a small stage with a back drop of the Carquinez Strait. Volunteers consisted of family members and friends who ran the entrance collecting $3.00 per person, picked up trash and acted as hosts for the event. Even with everything working against us it was a success. It brought hundreds to the waterfront (many who had never been there before) and focused attention to a neglected area of Benicia's history.

By 2002, the event's name had changed to the Waterfront Festival and was expanded to 3 days the last weekend in July.  The 9th year of the event encompassed the revitalized First Street Green, waterfront promenade, and pier. The entertainment consisted of local bands and included "Get Back" the Broadway and London cast of "Beatlemania". The event offered a wide assortment from 21 food vendors, market place crafters, 35 micro breweries and the Off Shore Power Boat Racing Association' Race the Strait Grand Prix. It was thrilling to see and hear the roar of the powerful boats racing bridge to bridge and watching helicopters circling the race route filming for a sports channel. The Waterfront Festival had reached the goal of bringing thousands of people to Benicia and its newly revitalized historic waterfront.

The event has gone through many rewrites the last 22 years. It was a Jazz Festival and an Art and Wine Festival and then back to the Waterfront Festival. The event footprint shrunk to only include the First Street Green making the water barely visible for participants. Meanwhile, the cost of putting on the event at the waterfront nearly tripled while attendance dropped significantly. Something had to give!

 In 2025, Benicia Waterfront Rocks Weekend is debuting with a complete makeover. Benicia Main Street, with the expertise of local promoter Kevin Frazier of Frazier and Trager has attracted an epic weekend of music with an international lineup. Headliner Pablo Cruise will be joined by Carolyn Wonderland, Super Diamond, Eric Lindell, Ally Venable and Australian Lachy Doley. The event will cover the entire waterfront and will host the First Annual Waterfront Sailboat Race on Sunday, July 27. Some other new additions are the Lil' Rocker Alley for children, The Little Train Ride on the Promenade following the path of railcars from 1902, and a Spa Retreat where festival attendees can participate in wellness activities and receive information on products related to health.

The Wine and Beer Pavilions will be curated by Sips, The Bottle Emporium. Offerings will be Chandon sparkling wine, Joel Gott select wines and wines from local vintner Benician. Crafted beer will be available from known breweries in the area. Grab something to eat from a wide selection of food and your favorite beverage and find a place along the Promenade in between music sets, taking in the beauty of Benicia famed waterfront. A Great Weekend by the Bay!