Alexander Square has become more useful this summer, and the change is bigger than any single restaurant or event. The square now supports a full Saturday plan: shop the farmers market in the morning, stop for brunch or a movie, have dinner nearby and finish with live music.
That progression is the real story behind the City Center Bishop Ranch summer calendar. Recent openings and recurring events are giving San Ramon residents more reasons to stay for a few hours instead of making one stop and heading home.
Here is what is open, what is scheduled and what is still on the way as of July 2026.
A Saturday can now stretch from the market to live music
The San Ramon Farmers Market starts the weekend rhythm every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The year-round market includes produce, prepared foods and rotating vendors. The Prominent Roast and Starter Bakery are among the names promoted by the market, while the food truck and pop-up schedule can change from week to week.
From there, residents have several ways to build out the day.
A practical Saturday at City Center
- Visit the farmers market before 1:00 p.m.
- Stay for brunch at Slanted Door or catch a movie at THE LOT.
- Return to Alexander Square around 5:30 p.m. to find lawn space.
- Pick up dinner nearby or reserve a restaurant package.
- Settle in for the 7:00 p.m. Smooth Jazz Series performance.
Slanted Door’s weekend brunch runs from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Current calendar dates include July 18 and 19, July 25 and 26, August 1 and 2, August 8 and 9, and August 15 and 16. The menu draws on Vietnamese flavors and seasonal ingredients, with selections such as rice-flour dumplings, savory pastries, eggs and French toast.
That market-to-brunch connection gives the square a dependable daytime pattern. The evening concert schedule completes it.
The Smooth Jazz Series offers three distinct ways to attend
The remaining 2026 Smooth Jazz Series performances bring two established musicians to Alexander Square:
| Date | Performer | Time | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, July 18 | David Benoit on piano | 7:00–8:30 p.m. | Free |
| Saturday, July 25 | Lee Ritenour on guitar | 7:00–8:30 p.m. | Free |
The concerts are open to the community, but the experience depends on how you want to spend the evening. Residents can choose lawn seating, patio dining or a dinner package with reserved seating near the stage.
Keep it casual on the lawn
Lawn seating is first come, first served. Organizers recommend arriving around 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. if you want to claim a spot before the music starts.
Blankets are allowed on the lawn, but chairs are not. Chairs may be placed on concrete areas. Coolers and outside alcohol are prohibited, while beer, wine and cocktails are available for purchase in the square.
Several nearby restaurants are promoted as convenient dinner-to-go options, including:
- MIXT
- Fieldwork Brewing
- Roam Artisan Burgers
- Mendocino Farms
- World Wrapps
This is the simplest choice for residents who want a flexible evening without committing to a reservation.
Reserve a patio table
Social Affair, Ramen Hiroshi, Delarosa and ZENTRL Kitchen + Bar have patios near the performances. Sightlines can vary, so a patio table should be viewed as a dinner reservation with live music nearby rather than a guaranteed stage view.
Special patio menus listed for the series include a $65 Indian prix fixe menu at KHAKI, a $92 menu at Slanted Door and a $125 menu at Bamboo Sushi. These options provide seating around Alexander Square but do not include the front-stage concert seats bundled with the VIP dinner packages.
Pair dinner with reserved concert seating
The official series page also lists prix fixe dinners that include reserved seating in front of the stage. Published options are:
- Alora Social at $75 per person
- Meyhouse at $95 per person
- Slanted Door at $105 per person
- Bamboo Sushi at $62.50 per person, purchased in pairs
Availability can change as each concert approaches, so confirm the current offering before making plans. The contrast is useful: the same evening can be a free picnic-style concert or a reserved dinner experience, depending on the occasion.
Meyhouse adds a second kind of jazz night
The free Alexander Square concerts are only part of the live music schedule. Meyhouse opened at City Center in late April 2026, bringing contemporary Turkish dining and a dedicated jazz venue to San Ramon.
This is the restaurant group’s East Bay debut. The concept combines a full dining room with an engineered performance space designed for a smaller audience. That creates a different option from the outdoor series: a ticketed dinner-and-show format with a scheduled seating.
The current Meyhouse calendar includes:
- Freddie Bryant on July 17
- Kai Lyons on July 18
- Marina Crouse on July 24
- “A Night of Legends in New Orleans” on July 25
The Freddie Bryant event offers 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. seatings. Tickets cover admission to the performance, with food and drinks sold separately.
Meyhouse San Ramon currently lists lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and until 2:30 p.m. on weekends. Dinner runs from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday, and from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Check the restaurant directly before visiting because operating hours can change.
Meyhouse matters to the summer story because it extends live music beyond a few outdoor concert dates. Residents can now choose between the scale of Alexander Square and the smaller format of a dedicated jazz room.
Trivia gives the weeknight calendar its own anchor
Summer activity is not limited to Saturdays. Social Affair Trivia Night runs on the first and third Thursdays of the month from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Current dates include July 16, August 6 and August 20. Teams compete for bragging rights and a bottle awarded to the winner. It is a straightforward weeknight option that fits the broader pattern at City Center: recurring programming is making Alexander Square more than a setting for occasional seasonal events.
What is still coming soon
Several tenant announcements have generated interest, but their opening status deserves careful wording.
lululemon pop-up
A one-year lululemon pop-up has been announced for the former Nike space in Suite 1400. Although the original announcement anticipated a June start, the official lululemon store page still labels the location “Opening Soon.” No exact opening date is listed.
Rico Rico Taco
Rico Rico Taco is planned for the former C Casa space beside Fieldwork Brewing. City Center describes the Oakland-based concept as a modern Mexican taqueria featuring handmade tortillas and spit-roasted al pastor. The official directory still lists it as “Coming Soon.”
lil sweet treat
lil sweet treat is also listed as “Coming Soon.” The shop plans to offer a rotating selection of sweets sourced from around the world, but an opening date has not been posted.
Palmetto Superfoods
Palmetto Superfoods appears in the City Center dining directory as another forthcoming tenant. No firm opening date is available.
These additions may broaden the mix of quick meals, treats and shopping around Alexander Square. For now, they are previews rather than places to include in a weekend itinerary. Checking the official directory before visiting will prevent an unnecessary trip based on an earlier projected opening window.
Know before you go
City Center’s general hours are 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday. Restaurants and entertainment venues often remain open later, so check individual business hours.
For the Smooth Jazz Series, free event parking is available at 3001 Bishop Drive, directly across from the stage. Additional surface parking is located behind that garage. The broader property has 1,200 parking spaces, including 900 garage spaces and about 300 surface spaces, and self-parking is free.
Other useful details include:
- Valet service is available Thursday through Sunday for a prepaid $15 fee.
- Complimentary EV charging is available.
- Bike racks and BikeLink-accessed lockers are provided.
- Leashed pets are permitted during the outdoor concerts.
- Accessible parking and a designated accessible seating area are available.
- Outside alcohol and coolers are not allowed at the jazz concerts.
The City Center parking guide has the latest arrival information.
The summer update is really about how the pieces connect
City Center Bishop Ranch is a roughly 300,000-square-foot retail, dining and entertainment complex, but its size is not what makes this summer useful to residents. The more meaningful change is the connection between recurring events and everyday businesses.
A morning farmers market can lead into brunch. Dinner can lead into a free concert. A ticketed Meyhouse performance offers a smaller alternative on the same weekend. Trivia provides a reason to stop by on a Thursday rather than waiting for a major event.
That is how a commercial center becomes part of a local routine: not through one opening, but through enough well-timed options to make staying close to home an easy choice.
Our family has spent four generations getting to know the Tri-Valley one block, business and neighborhood at a time. If a future home sale is part of your plans, Fracisco Realty & Investments can help you understand your property’s position, prepare it carefully and bring it to market with a clear plan.
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