Member Marketing Benefits
Utilize the tools we provide to market your business across various platforms.
E-News & Social Media Posts
Include your marketing content in our weekly public e-newsletter & on our Facebook/Instagram
Submit Marketing Content
Event Calendar
Share your upcoming event or promotion on the event calendar located on our homepage
Submit Calendar Request
Website Directory
Add or update your business listing on our online directory
Website Directory Request
Job Postings
Advertise job opportunities at your business or organization for free on our website
Submit Job Post
Member-Only Advertising Opportunities
Looking for additional exposure and paid advertising opportunities with Walnut Creek Downtown? Learn more about our Website Ads Program & our co-op advertising opportunity with Diablo Magazine's A-List
Website Ads Program
New style, modern design, fresh content and bright colors along with 5,000 visitors per month make WalnutCreekDowntown.com the best place to show off your brand
NEW!
Diablo Magazine's A-List
The A-List is a weekly digital newsletter that reaches over 22,000 opt-in subscribers. This shared ad space with WCD is a great way to highlight your upcoming events, sales or other promotional info
Downtown Construction Project 2023-2024
Several construction projects in the downtown are planned beginning in January 2023. Construction is expected to begin in January 2023 and end in June 2024. These projects will impact the roadway and may be noisy. These projects have been coordinated to immediately following one another in order to reduce the amount of time that the downtown will be impacted.
Downtown Construction Schedule (April 1st, 2024)
- Week of April 8th: Crew 1 will be conducting construction on Cypress St. east of Locust St. and then moving to the west of Locust St. & Crew 2 will be conducting construction on Locust St. continuing north from Mt. Diablo north towards Cypress St.
- Week of April 15th: Crew 1 will be conducting construction on Cypress St. west of Locust St. & Crew 2 will be conducting construction on Locust St. continuing north from Mt. Diablo north towards Cypress St.
Downtown Construction Schedule (January 22, 2024)
Please note the following schedule changes to the construction project along Locust Street:
- January 15th thru week of January 22nd – Construction on Locust between Civic Dr. and Bonanza St.
- Week of January 29th – Construction on Locust between Bonanza and Cypress
- Week of February 5th – Complete work on Locust between Bonanza and Cypress, begin work on Bonanza between Locust and California
Some areas where sewer installation has been completed were not paved due to weather conditions. If necessary conditions are met, the paving schedule may circle back to Giammona and completed sections of Locust.
Downtown Construction Project Resumes with Central San Phase (October 16, 2023)
Affected areas:
- Giammona Drive to Locust St. (South) to approximately Olympic Blvd., Bonanza & Cypress Streets (see map)
Timeline:
- October 16 through April 2024 beginning on Giammona Drive
- Daily work Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Holidays (No Work): October 27, November 10, November 23-24, December 25 - January 1, January 15, February 19
- Full block closures
Business Resources
City of Walnut Creek
REBOUND PROGRAM
As the Rebound Program expires, each business that made use of the program benefits will need to take action. A summary of the impacts is included below and detailed information will be provided in subsequent sections.
Changes for all City businesses:
Unpermitted signage must be removed. Temporary Commercial Signage and Window Signage Guidelines for businesses, including real estate, were relaxed during the Rebound Program and will revert to the City’s standard requirements. For example, banners will no longer be allowed without a permit and A-frames will not be permitted at all. The City is partnering with WCD to explore a potential pilot program to allow A-Frames to be used Downtown on a seasonal basis.
Planters, carts, barrels, railings, and other materials must be removed. All items that were
added as part of Rebound, such as planters for traffic protection in Rebound Popups or
materials used to delineate and decorate Rebound spaces, must be removed from streets and sidewalks by May 16, 2024.
Parking spaces must be made available for parking. As Rebound ends, both public and private parking spaces currently used for storage, operations, or other non-parking activities will need to be returned to parking unless allowed by a City permit.
Temporary structures must be removed. Building and Fire Codes were relaxed for temporary structures during the Rebound Program. Temporary structures built under these relaxed guidelines must be removed by May 16, 2024, or updated to meet standard City and Outdoor Dining Program requirements.
All Rebound Temporary Activity Permits (TAP) will expire. TAPs were used to allow extended special events and grand opening celebrations. At the end of Rebound, the TAP program will return to the standard guidelines and 5-day limit.
Read full statement here.
ADA Compliance
FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES
Downtown Walnut Creek businesses have been impacted by website compliance lawsuits. It's important for businesses to ensure that their websites are ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant to provide equal access to people with disabilities and to minimize the risk of potential litigation. ADA compliance for websites is an evolving field, and it's essential to stay up-to-date with the latest guidelines and recommendations to ensure compliance.
To begin, the State of California follows the federal ADA guidelines when it comes to website accessibility for businesses: https://www.ada.gov/resources/web-guidance/
Below are a few “common sense” issues to consider as a starting point when reviewing your website:
- All media files and maps should have an “alt” tag
- All online forms should have descriptive html tags
- All hyperlinks should have a descriptive anchor text
- All pages on your website have “skip navigation” links (this one I don’t usually worry about as much)
- Video and audio content must have text captions
- Websites should keep the color contrast ratio at a level for visually impaired users
- Underlined text should lead to a link
There are plug-ins, software and services available to assist you with this process, which is an ever-changing challenge.
Please consult with your webmaster to review your current website. If you need additional assistance, feel free to contact the team at WebQuarry who offers assessments and a variety of solutions that provide various levels of protection.
City of Walnut Creek
OUTDOOR DINING PROGRAM
The City of Walnut Creek has launched it’s outdoor dining program. The program includes the following activations:
- PODS (Permitted Outdoor Dining Structures)
- Privately-Owned Patios
- Private Parking Lots
- Sidewalk Dining
Learn more and view FAQs below. For complete details, visit www.walnut-creek.org/outdoordining.
Get Involved
Board & Committee Meetings
Walnut Creek Downtown Association Board and Committee Meetings are open to the public. Our Board of Directors are responsible for the governance, direction, policies, budgets, and positions of Walnut Creek Downtown Association. Special committees and taskforces include: Wellness Alliance, Arts Alliance, Hospitality Alliance, and Ice Rink Committee. All WCDA members are encouraged to attend these meetings as a way to connect with business community and get involved with local business initiatives.
Connect With WCD Members
MEMBERS-ONLY FACEBOOK GROUP
Join our private group on Facebook, made exclusively for Members and Associate Members of our organization. We have created this group to better serve our local businesses by having a forum to communicate directly with each other and in a closed environment. With this communication page, we hope to facilitate a mutual sharing of ideas and improve engagement within our partnership with all of you. We encourage businesses to connect, collaborate, and support one another. Join today and feel free to invite your fellow WCD businesses.
Keeping Our Community Safe
DOWNTOWN SURVEILLANCE
The Walnut Creek Police Department has recently been exploring ways to connect with the business community to share information when crimes occur. Together, WCD and WCPD have created a Downtown Security Surveillance Program.
A Microsoft Teams group named "WCPD / Walnut Creek Downtown Association" has been created to share information (text, photos, and video) with downtown businesses, the Walnut Creek Downtown Association, and WCPD. Click below to learn more details & opt-into the program.
Business Education Videos
Pareto Labs
Good News! We have a new resource to assist you in helping you improve performance and grow your business. We've partnered with Pareto Labs an online business learning platform containing a wealth of video content to help business owners, entrepreneurs and non-MBAs learn practical business skills. These on-demand video modules are short (between 20 and 60 minutes) and are super engaging, breaking down complex topics so business owners and employees can use the knowledge immediately. Their lessons also feature leaders in Fortune 500 companies and founders of billion-dollar startups.
In partnership with Walnut Creek Downtown Association, Pareto Labs is offering a 14 day trial followed by a month of unlimited access for FREE (6 weeks total). Use promo code WALNUTCREEKDOWNTOWN at checkout.
Below is a sampling of trailer links for some of their courses:
· BUILDING A BUDGET
· HOW TO READ FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
· WHAT DO I PAY ALL THESE PEOPLE
· DEMYSTIFYING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
City of Walnut Creek
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPT.
The economic vitality of the city’s business community is a valuable factor when businesses consider bringing their team to Walnut Creek. The diverse shopping, dining and services, particularly in the downtown district, are positive amenities appealing to new and existing owners, operators and their staff.
Walnut Creek’s Economic Development Department provides a snapshot of the Community, Shopping, Business & Industry profiles in their quarterly reports. Click here to view the department’s website and ED dashboard.
View the 2022 Q4 Data Dashboard
Events & Sponsorship Opportunities
The Walnut Creek Downtown Association plans events throughout the year with the goals of cultivating a vibrant community, encouraging visitors from near and far, and promoting our local businesses.
We are here to help!
Have questions about your WCD membership, member benefits, events or anything else about Downtown Walnut Creek?
Connect with a member of our team today.