Courtesy of the Downtown Stockton Alliance
Kathy Miller, Executive Director

Check out this amateur video of Downtown Stockton

Downtown Stockton is a vibrant and evolving environment filled with a mix of new and historic landmark architecture, sports and entertainment, live music and a variety of dining choices.  The waterfront downtown celebrates its unique geography with parks, amphitheaters, urban plazas and promenades.  Public art, a spectacular interactive fountain and a weekly Farmers Market encourage downtowners and visitors to walk, explore and enjoy the sunshine, the City and each other.

Downtown comes alive after five, with the sixteen-screen City Centre 16 Cineplex showing the latest films and the spectacularly restored Bob Hope Theatre presenting the finest in live theater.  The waterfront location of the new Banner Island Ballpark, home to the Stockton Ports, provides the opportunity for “splash landing” homeruns.  An array of multi-cultural eateries ensures a unique dining experience for every kind of diner.  From family-style Italian to white table cloth elegance, downtown restaurants are waiting for you.   

Historically, downtown Stockton began with a mix of residents, thriving commercial ventures, and “entertainments” that eventually led to a well-deserved reputation as a “show town and recreational Mecca”.  Development of Stockton’s downtown business district began near the head of navigation of the Stockton Channel. The El Dorado Street Bridge was built in 1855 and the waterfront continued to grow and thrive.  By 1900, downtown sported a mix of residential hotels which provided lodging for a downtown workforce and emerging, affluent middle-class. The Hotel Stockton, opened in 1910 as the city’s “grand statement” to travelers, provided first class lodging to Bay Area residents eager to play in Stockton’s “healthy air and therapeutic baths”, along with visiting performers who provided world class entertainment. 

Today, the commercial waterfront has been redeveloped into DeCarli Waterfront Square, a brilliant example of a public space being redesigned to support changing public needs.  The Hotel Stockton is beautifully restored with the upper floors providing affordable residential units and a lovely rooftop terrace, and ground floor restaurants and retail still undergoing development.   

Each April, Downtown bursts at the seams, as the Stockton Asparagus Festival celebrates agriculture’s contribution to the regional economy with a spectacular weekend of food, entertainment, more food, demonstrations, even more food, arts and crafts and all the tasty food you could hope for.  Volunteers are challenged to keep up with the demand for the ever-popular deep fried asparagus and visitors rave about Stockton’s waterfront beauty and unmatched spring weather.  April also brings Opening Day of Baseball Season and the Stockton Ports’ first home game in downtown’s Stockton Ballpark. 

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright.
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light.
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout.
But there is no joy in Mudville. Mighty Casey has struck out.

The name of the facility, Banner Island Ballpark is unofficial, until naming rights are awarded.  Visitors may ask, “Why the name Banner Island”?  Indeed, today there is water on only one side of the ballpark, located next to the Deepwater Channel.  But, before being filled in for development, the site was an island and the ballpark’s location is noteworthy for several reasons.

The Port of Stockton, located just west of downtown, claims to busiest inland port in the country. That's why the team's name is the Ports. Legend has it that a ballpark that once sat in approximately the same place as the Ports' new stadium was the setting for Ernest Lawrence Thayer's famous "Casey at the Bat" poem, written in 1888. Yes, the Mudville Nine's home field might have been right here. That alone is reason enough to enjoy a game, a hot dog and some sunshine in Stockton’s new ballpark! 

From May through October, downtown bustles with the sounds of the Friday Farmers’ Market and Street Faire.  Main Street and Hunter Square play host to the San Joaquin Certified Farmer’s Market and over sixty vendors, bringing shoppers fresh, local produce, artisan foods, cut flowers, jewelry, accessories and hand-crafted items.  Live music accompanies the tastiest of local foods, prepared while you wait by the misting fountain. 

The Downtown Art Walk, March through September, takes place on the second Friday of each month and features a simple process - proceed at your own pace, wander into galleries that capture your fancy, stroll past bubbling fountains, historic architecture, courtyards, restaurants and more.  Visitors may pick up a bright yellow Art Walk Guide  at numerous downtown locations.  The Guide includes a map locating all the evening’s featured art exhibits.  Temporary “galleries” in the Cinema's Janet Leigh Plaza, the Hotel Stockton and along Weber Avenue offer every kind of art, including paintings, sculpture, photography, ceramics, and drawings.  Artist demonstrations have included murals, spray painting, sidewalk chalk drawings, and plein aire painting.  All exhibits, demonstrations and entertainment are free of charge. 

The holidays bring a whole season of fun to downtown.  Holidays in the Park kicks things off at Thanksgiving, with activities and entertainment at Weber Point Events Center.  Admission to the park is free and there’s something for everyone.  Holiday crafts and food, fresh cut trees, greenery and wreaths join Ice on the Delta, outdoor ice skating located under the canopy, with heated seating nearby.  Light poles along Center Street sport holiday banners and the first Saturday in December, Weber Point fills with a dazzling forest of lights as the City’s official tree is lit by the Mayor at the annual Festival of Lights.  Santa arrives on a vintage fire truck and receives requests while grownups are entertained by strolling choirs and carolers.  The festival, a rain or shine event, includes the Delta Reflections Lighted Boat Parade, a gift to the community from the Marina West Yacht Club.  Visitors line the Weber Point Promenade to enjoy the brilliantly lit aquatic parade which has delighted young and old for over twenty-five years.

The City Centre 16 Cineplex offers an exhilarating selection of family films and Oscar hopefuls throughout the month of December.  Downtown has seen an explosion of new restaurants in recent years.  Coco’s Cafe, Mr. D’s Pizza, Moo Moo’s Burgers, Thai Palace, Misaki Sushi, Red Brick Pizza, Café Amore and Bradley’s offer a wide variety of dining experiences, with something for everyone.  They join such venerable eateries as On Lock Sam’s, serving authentic Chinese cuisine for over 100 years, and Yasoo Yani’s on Main Street, where the Aftios family has been serving traditional Greek delicacies since 1975.

While downtown has experienced many changes in the last few years, there are more ahead.  Construction of a new downtown marina and the addition of hotels and residential units on both sides of the waterfront will add an entirely new dimension to downtown Stockton.  So, enjoy your visit to Stockton.  We’re sure you’ll agree, “Now’s a great time to be Downtown!”