Celebrate your summer with City Center Unplugged, a Friday evening (6 pm to 8 pm) outdoor music series featuring an array of local bands.

Save those Friday evenings for dinner at one of City Center Bishop Ranch’s many restaurants. Grab an outside table, enjoy a leisurely dinner, and catch some of the tunes that will be filling Alexander Square.

Each Friday’s music will have its own rhythm and beats, with everything from retro to rock, Brazilian to blues, Latin to salsa, and of course a good dollop of jazz. You just might find yourself dancing your way back to the car. And setting the tone for a fine weekend.

Midsummer is the season of leisurely picnics and lively fairs, and come August 21 from Noon to 4pm at City Center you’ll have the chance to enjoy a European-style Block Party and all its noisy fun. It’ll be a steady swirl of performers wandering around both levels of Alexander Square: amazing jugglers, a stilt walker, a dizzyingly kinetic plate spinner, a roaming, and distinctly Parisian accordion player, and games like oversized Jenga on the lawn. Plus you can grab a delicious cup of gelato from Gio Gelati’s cart, and maybe a bouquet from Poppy the Flower Truck.

There are 20-plus cupcakes on the menu, which ships nationwide and features everything from a Carrot Cake cupcake studded with walnuts to a Vegan Red Velvet cupcake. They also have cookies — hello, Salted Oatmeal Cornflake — plus chocolate bars and layer cakes. The San Ramon bakeshop also offers coffee as well as seating inside and an on-demand cupcake “ATM". Sprinkles is now open and located Inside Patelco Credit Union!