On the last Saturday in January, Knudsen's Ice Creamery ran out of ice cream by around 3 p.m. The Pioneer reported that people came from across the Bay Area for the shop's final day on Castro Valley Boulevard, after more than 20 years in town. Owner Shay Knudsen told the paper that the family would miss "having Santa for the kids, and everybody in the community."
At 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 14, the booths go up again for the Castro Valley Light Parade. The Chamber's best vendor spots are in front of Castro Valley Marketplace at 3295 Castro Valley Blvd., on the same downtown stretch as that old storefront at 3323. No stretch of the route has changed more since last year's parade. The parade's busiest frontage now runs past a cluster of new names, a few empty spaces with signs promising more, and one landmark you won't find there this time.
The Chamber Prices the Marketplace Frontage Like Downtown's Center
The Castro Valley/Eden Area Chamber of Commerce splits the vendor area into three zones and charges by distance from the Marketplace:
| Zone | Location | Non-member | Chamber member |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Prime spots in front of the Marketplace | $249 | $149 |
| Zone 2 | West of the Marketplace | $199 | $99 |
| Zone 3 | Far west | $99 | $49 |
For a member, a Zone 1 booth costs three times the far-west rate. The Chamber has also stopped taking food vendor sign-ups for 2026. So the frontage around Castro Valley Marketplace at 3295 Castro Valley Blvd is where the crowd is expected to gather, and since last November that frontage has picked up new tenants.
Most of the new tenants are in the Marketplace Shops, the retail strip beside the grocery. The redesign gave it new facades, lighting, storefronts and outdoor seating, plus a paseo it shares with Castro Valley Marketplace. That paseo is what turns a parade stop into a short walk between places to eat.
What Left the Boulevard, and What Stayed in Different Hands
Knudsen's is the closure most people will notice. The family business is older than its Castro Valley storefront. The Pioneer traced it back to 1968, when founders Dave and Kathy Knudsen, Shay Knudsen's grandparents, opened an ice cream shop in San Francisco. The space is already lined up for a new tenant. Campus Burgers has announced it is opening soon in the former Knudsen's location, with made-to-order burgers, fries and a house sauce. No opening date has been announced.
A longer-running Boulevard name made it through. SFGATE reported in October 2025 that the Castro Valley Kasper's Hot Dogs closed that June, and that a former employee quickly reopened it under the name Karmen's with the same menu. Karmen's is at 3300 E. Castro Valley Blvd. and describes itself as serving hot dogs since 1982. Customer reviews on Karmen's Roadtrippers page dated this June, August and September show it still serving this year.
Farther along the Boulevard, Castro Valley Lumber came down in February at the corner of Stanton Avenue. The Castro Valley Forum reported that the site was planned for a self-service Splash Brothers car wash with vacuums, proposed to run 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Splash Brothers' Castro Valley page lists the address as 2495 Castro Valley Blvd. and still says "Coming Soon."
None of these three changes went the same way. One landmark closed, one survived under a new name, and one became a construction site. The new arrivals all landed on the same few hundred feet near the Marketplace.
The New Cluster, Address by Address
Here is what you'll walk past on November 14 around the Marketplace:
| Business | Address | Status this fall |
|---|---|---|
| Castro Valley Marketplace | 3295 Castro Valley Blvd. | Open; Zone 1 booths out front |
| Urban Matcha | 3311 Castro Valley Blvd. | Soft opening reported in June, and again in September leasing materials |
| Campus Burgers | Former Knudsen's, 3323 Castro Valley Blvd. | Announced as opening soon |
| Philz Coffee | 3359 Castro Valley Blvd. | Open; opened recently |
| Pour House | Marketplace Shops | Announced; was set for June, then listed as "soon to open" in September |
| Workroom Pilates | Marketplace Shops | Scheduled for the first quarter of 2027 |
Urban Matcha is the newcomer that sets this block apart. The Oaklandside reported in June that the Las Vegas-founded brand chose Castro Valley for its first Northern California cafe. Alongside matcha, the menu has hojicha, and the ice cream, sponge cakes, waffle cones and adzuki bean toppings are all made in-house. Leasing materials for the center describe lines out the door during its soft opening. Urban Matcha's address is just a few numbers down from the old Knudsen's space, so the 3300 block has a scoop shop again, just a very different one.
Philz Coffee at 3359 is the other recent arrival on the stretch. It shares the stretch with Canyons Barbeque, Beyond The Leaf and Slice House. The Marketplace's merchant directory also lists Akemi Sushi, Beard Papa's, La Perla, Pho 5-10 and Seven Hills Baking Co. inside the center.
Pour House is the one to check before you plan around it. The tap room was announced with more than 30 rotating taps, a full-service bar and California comfort food, and a June 2026 debut. In September, leasing materials still described it as "soon to open." Pour House's website shows the concept: handcrafted cocktails, craft beer and American-style comfort food. Look for an opening announcement there before you plan a post-parade beer on the block.
Planning Parade Night Around the New Block
The Chamber lists event hours of 3 to 9 p.m. and closes Castro Valley Boulevard from Lake Chabot Road to Redwood Road, with detours on Norbridge or Somerset. The Chamber page doesn't give a 2026 step-off time. The Castro Valley Forum's preview of a past parade describes the usual pattern, which matches the Chamber's hours:
- Between 1 and 3 p.m., the Boulevard closes so crews can set up the booths and float staging area.
- From 3 p.m., booths, live music and a kids' area open along the Boulevard from Santa Maria to Redwood Road. That's the time to walk the new storefronts before the crowd gets thick.
- Around 5:30 p.m., as it gets dark, the parade has started in past years.
- For viewing, the Forum pointed to the north side between San Miguel Avenue and Redwood Road, or the south side between Wilbeam Avenue and Redwood. Floats turn off on Wilbeam toward the Castro Valley BART station.
Put together, a coffee at Philz or a matcha drink from the new block fits easily into the gap between the booths opening and the first floats. A curb spot inside one of the Forum's recommended stretches lets you see every entry before the floats turn off at Wilbeam.
A Quieter Preview a Week Earlier
To see the new block without parade crowds, the Marketplace holds its free First Fridays Community Night on Friday, November 6, from 5 to 8 p.m. at 3295 Castro Valley Blvd. It brings local makers, music and DJs, food tastings and craft activities. It falls eight days before the Light Parade and uses the same paseo and storefronts. It's an easy way to work out which counter you want to hit on the 14th, and whether Pour House or Campus Burgers has opened by then.
Workroom Pilates is scheduled to open at the Marketplace Shops in the first quarter of 2027. The Splash Brothers lot and the former Knudsen's space are both still waiting for their opening days.
If you live near the Boulevard and want to know where your own home stands as downtown Castro Valley fills in, The Duarte Team would be glad to put together a free home valuation, and we'll see you on the curb on November 14.
