The first Stroll was held in 1994. It was the dream of a handful of local Chamber business people-with the purpose in mind of helping to acquaint our community with the services available within our own local business districts. It was a giant step for our small chamber to undertake, but it was a means of helping our home town small businesses survive in the wake of large shopping centers threatening our existence. It worked - our Stroll has now become a joint venture with many of our neighboring cities, growing from our first year with 2,000 strollers to 25,000 last year and we are determined to keep on Growing and Strolling!

Parade is held at 11:00 am and Stroll until 4:00 pm. San Pablo Dam Road from Appian Way to EI Portal Drive will be closed from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. Many stages for Music, Food Courts, as well as local restaurants and businesses open for your pleasure. The Pedaler Bike Shop professional bike show, 200 Craft and Information booths, Children's Playland, Classic Car Shows, Sheriff & Fire Dept. displays, demonstrations, schools, churches and organizations represented. Bring your blankets and chairs and reserve your spot. Everyone loves a parade - Marching Bands, all branches of the Armed Services are represented, with over 200 participants - something for everyone! EI Sobrante at its best!

Marie Carayanis, one of the organizers with the El Sobrante Chamber of Commerce stated "As shopping centers popped up in El Sobrante, local merchants began to feel threatened. So, we decided we needed to do something to promote our downtown business district, which mostly was made up of mom-and-pop family businesses. It was the dream of a handful of local Chamber businesspeople whose purpose was to help acquaint our community with the services available within our own local business districts. It was a giant step for our small Chamber to undertake, but it was a means of helping our hometown small businesses survive with the new, large shopping centers threatening our existence. Attendance grew from about 1,000 in the first year to about 20,000." Our goal in presenting this annual event is to promote community awareness, not only for within our EI Sobrante Valley, but that of our surrounding neighbors, and thus encourage the support of all of our local Business Districts.

Free parking is available at the Park and Ride lot at Interstate 80 and Hilltop Drive, and the El Sobrante Boys & Girls Club on Appian Way, with a free shuttle running from the event to both locations.