Newark Days Celebration
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Event Participant Applications

See links below to participate in these Newark Days events in 2025!  

  • The Newark Mile 4k Race 
  • Car and Truck Show (coming soon)
    • Online registration
    • Paper registration
  • Parade Application and Information
  • Community Information Faire
  • Coloring Contest for Kids (coming soon)

Vendor Applications

The Newark Days Celebration annually has around 100,000+ visitors, which makes it a great opportunity for vendors!  

  • Arts, Crafts, and Trade Faire Application and Information
  • Food and Game Booth Application and Information - Our food area is currently full for 2025. If you think you would be a great fit and would like to be on our waitlist, please email us your information. 

Have a question? Email us at newarkdays1@gmail.com with questions.

Featured Events

Carnival

The centerpiece of the Newark Days Celebration is the carnival. There are rides for all ages, and you can test you skill with a variety of classic carnival games. The carnival is open at 5pm on Thursday and Friday and opens at 11am over the weekend. 

Parade

The hometown parade takes place at 10am on Saturday. The route starts near City Hall and goes down Newark Blvd before turning on Cedar Blvd and finishing by MacGregor school. Interested participants can find the application above. 

Food Festival

Take a tour around the globe with delicious food, drinks, snacks, and desserts sold by dozens of local vendors.  Limited covered seating is available along with a Beer and Wine pavilion. Interested in selling food at Newark Days? See the food and game booth application above. 

Arts, Crafts, and Trade Faire

Local artisans and businesses come together to showcase their craft, including a petting zoo and pony rides! The Faire takes place from 10-5 on the weekend. Interested vendors can find the application above. 

Stage Shows

The main stage presents a collection of local talent bringing live entertainment to Newark Days Friday-Sunday, no tickets needed! The lawn stage has kid focused acts that are fun for the whole family throughout the weekend! See the full line up on the Schedule page

The Newark Mile 4K Race

Proud to be Newark’s only road race, just $20 gets you entry into this Newark classic which includes a free t-shirt, finisher medal, and chipped timing. The Saturday morning route takes runners 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) along Cedar and Newark Boulevards to see who will be crowned the fastest man and woman in Newark!

See the Newark Mile website for full details.

Car and Truck Show 

Held on Saturday in the Community Center Park, visit this showcase of classic cars and trucks. For those interested in participating, find the registration form above. There are awards for the winners across several categories!

Kids Activities

Friday night at 6PM there is a special themed kids event. Past events have been a haystack coin hunt, a field day, and an under the sea treasure hunt. Also, visit the Kids Crafts Booth over the weekend to make theme related crafts! These activities are free! 

The Newark Mile 4Kids! 

This approximately 50 meter race is intended for kids not yet confident in running the full Newark Mile 4K. Arrive at 8:15am on Saturday at Race HQ (near the corner of Cedar Blvd. and Chapman Dr.) to participate. Participation is free and no registration is needed. 

Assorted-color Aired Balloons Under Blue Sky

Birthday Bash

Newark Days celebrates Newark’s birthday, and what’s a birthday without a cake? Come on Sunday to get your free cupcake and sing Happy Birthday! The birthday bash drawing also takes place here, and you must be present to win. Get your free tickets at the Arts, Crafts, & Trade Faire.

Community Information Faire

Taking place on Sunday, this Faire showcases services offered by local government and non profit organizations. In order to participate, submit the registration form above. 

Coloring Contest

The annual coloring contest lets kids show off their artistic skills! Download this year’s image above to participate. The top 3 in each age group get prizes and the winners are invited to ride in the parade! 

The History of Newark Days

The City of Newark has been celebrating its birthday, September 22, 1955 – annually since incorporation. Over 200 volunteers come together to make this a truly wonderful annual celebration.

A parade was at the heart of it – and old-timers remember when the City’s first Mayor, George Silliman’s car broke down and he walked the parade route down Thornton Avenue. Members of the Newark Chamber of Commerce – who later turned the festivities over to the Junior Chamber of Commerce, planned the early years of what is now called Newark Days. In the 60’s – a group called “Newark Birthday Celebration” was formed. The weekend events were held on the Newark Pavilion grounds, in the Newark High School auditorium, and of course, in the Thornton Avenue parade.

The “Newark Birthday Celebration” dissolved at the end of the ’60s and for several years – the only celebration commemorating the City’s birthday was put on in Newark Community Park by the Newark Recreation Department – a one-day event with games and a birthday cake. In 1972 Shirley Sisk ran for City Council and in walking door-to-door during the campaign, the predominant question was – “when is the Newark birthday celebration coming back?”. Shirley and her husband Frank had volunteered and worked with the old “Newark Birthday Celebration”, so in the Summer of 1972, a meeting was called to see if there were enough volunteers to plan an event for that September. Interest was high and “Newark Days Celebration” was formed. The Newark Rotary offered to bring in a carnival and the committee put together food booths and games at the Pavilion. The weekend was a huge success.

The next step was to form a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation: Newark Days Celebration Inc. The original signers were: William & Bonnie Chivers, Robert Jaeger (Executive Director of the Newark Chamber of Commerce), Barbara Lane, Marilyn Rogers, Frank & Shirley Sisk, and John Fulgaro. From that small step, Newark Days has grown from a weekend event to 4 days centered in the Newark Community Park & Community Center as well as the adjacent MacGregor School Grounds. However, Newark Days maintains it’s volunteer spirit with an all volunteer Board of Directors and organizing committee. The parade now goes down Newark Blvd, and ends on Cedar Blvd, a much longer walk if a car breaks down!

The Current Newark Days Committee

Newark Days has no employees and is planned and organized by a dedicated group of volunteers.

Board of Directors

  • Laurie Gratz (President)
  • Filip Nowak (Vice President)
  • Mary Ann Mellons (Treasurer)
  • Donna Sisk (Secretary)
  • Cheri Neaylon
  • Christopher Chandler
  • David Fink
  • Jane Burns
  • Ramona McMaster
  • Nick Valencia
  • Tony Vargas

Event Chairs

  • Gil Fletcher
  • Glorianne Wong
  • Jason Biser
  • John Sargent
  • June Smith
  • Kim Ortiz
  • Libby Macris
  • Matthew Jorgens
  • Rob Rodriguez
  • Shawn Smith
  • Tamie Limtiaco
  • Valarie Smith
  • Laurie Gebhard (City of Newark Liason)

Contact

Newark Days
PO Box 608
Newark, CA 94560
Phone (510) 320-3990
Email newarkdays1@gmail.com

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