🟡 The View from the Foothills

Spring has officially settled in. Weekend forecast looks picture-perfect — sunny mid-70s by day, cool 50s in the evenings, and you can still catch snow on the San Bernardinos if you look north on a clear morning. Orange blossoms are scenting the neighborhoods around Sunset Drive and Cajon Street. If you've been waiting for the right weekend to walk downtown with a coffee, this is it.

🥬 Market Watch

Three markets running this weekend — the student-led Grove School Farmers Market (Saturday 8 am–noon, 11126 Iowa St), the Downtown Redlands Farmers Market on State Street, and Sunday's Olive Ave Market (9 am, 530 W Olive). Word is the citrus stands are overflowing, and Olive Ave's spring lineup has added two new food vendors worth showing up hungry for.

🏬 Downtown Notes

La Popular on State Street still has paper on the windows but construction is moving — folks walking by say the interior is starting to look like a restaurant. Ritual Brewing is hosting the Silent Book Club anniversary Sunday (noon–4 pm) and the patio has been packed. And the Redlands Mall site — now under Dangermond ownership — is quietly moving forward. Worth watching.

🎓 Campus Corner

The University of Redlands softball team is 29–4 and ranked No. 7 in the nation heading into their home matchup against Chapman on April 23 at 3 pm. If you've never been to a U of R softball game, grab a folding chair and go — free, family-friendly, and the program is quietly one of the best in Division III.

❤️ Community Heartbeat

Earth Day volunteers are already prepping Smiley Park for Saturday. The Sakura Festival organizers have been setting up taiko drums behind the Japanese Cultural Center all week. And the Redlands Fire Department has been sharing new videos of Fae, their support dog — she's become a local celebrity (and she should be).

Friday, May 9 — wait, scratch that. Friday, May 8.

🌸 Mother's Day on Cajon | Friday, May 8 | 127 & 115 Cajon Street
The downtown small-business move of the weekend. Shop for Mom, enjoy refreshments, pot a plant, personalize a limited-edition candle, and check out a new line of herbal salves. Kicks off a Mother's Day weekend that runs Friday through Sunday on Cajon.

🛍️ Friday Flea Market | 5:00 PM | Olive Ave Market (530 W. Olive Ave)
Vintage, records, local vendors, that easy Friday Olive Avenue energy. A solid pre-weekend warm-up if you want to ease into Saturday.

🎪 The Great Y Circus: "Saturday Morning Cartoons" | 7:00 PM | Redlands Family YMCA (500 E. Citrus Ave.)
Now in its 84th season, this is the only YMCA youth circus program in the United States — and it lives right here in Redlands. More than 300 performers and volunteers, aerial acts, unicycles, and a soundtrack pulled straight from your kid's (or your own) Saturday mornings. Tickets are $24 per person and only available at the YMCA front desk.

Saturday, May 9

🌳 Mega May Free Tree Giveaway | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | U of R Memorial Chapel (1200 E. Colton Ave.)
Drive-thru. Up to two free trees per household. Bring proof of address if you're in a higher-need CalEnviroScreen area for a shot at the bigger 5- and 15-gallon trees.

☕ Downtown Morning Market | 9:00 AM | Municipal lot by Ed Hales Park (off Redlands Blvd. between Fifth & Sixth)
The reliable Saturday move. Coffee, produce, and a downtown walk before the day gets away from you.

🥕 The Farmers Market at the Grove School | 8:00 AM | Grove School
Eating fresh, supporting local agriculture, being part of the community — exactly what the Grove School does.

🌿 Make N Take Roller Ball Perfume with Botanicals | Feel Good Market (623 W. State St.)
A fun, hands-on Saturday workshop. Make your own. Take it home. Especially good as a Mother's Day gift if you procrastinated (you're not the only one).

🎪 The Great Y Circus: "Saturday Morning Cartoons" | 5:00 PM | Redlands Family YMCA (500 E. Citrus Ave.)

Sunday, May 11 — also scratch. Sunday, May 10. Mother's Day.

💐 Mother's Day Bouquet Pop-Up | Slow Bloom Coffee (420 W. Colton Ave.)
Coffee plus flowers plus Mom. Easy win. This is the kind of last-minute play that saves a Sunday morning.

🍊 Sunday Morning Market | 9:00 AM | Olive Ave Market (530 W. Olive Ave)
The slow-down version of a Redlands weekend. Wander, eat, breathe.

🍳 Sunday Brunch | Las Fuentes Grill and Bar (336 N. Eureka St.)
Listed on the local calendar as one of the recommended Mother's Day brunch spots. If you don't have a plan yet, this is one.

🎪 The Great Y Circus: "Saturday Morning Cartoons" | 3:00 PM | Redlands Family YMCA (500 E. Citrus Ave.)
The Sunday matinee is the move if you've got grandparents and grandkids in the same group.

Mother's Day weekend in Redlands has the kind of live music lineup that doesn't ask you to drive to L.A. for a good night out. Country, Irish, rock, blues — pick your flavor.

Friday Night, May 8

🎤 Jim Alexander – Rock / Country | 6:00 PM | Hangar 24 Brewing (1710 Sessums Dr.)
Two hours of solid rock and country at the Hangar 24 taproom. The patio crowd usually shows up early on Fridays — get there before 6 if you want a table.

🍀 The Three Stags Live Music | 8:00 PM | The Three Stags Irish Pub (328 Orange St.)
The Three Stags runs live music every weekend in their downtown spot. Perfect pint of Guinness, traditional Irish pub feel, and the kind of room where you actually hear the music. Check their socials for the Friday act.

Saturday Night, May 9

🤠 Just Dave Band – Country | 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM | Hangar 24 Brewing (1710 Sessums Dr.)
Three solid hours of country at Hangar 24. If your weekend includes a beer, a fire pit, and live music, this is the easiest play of the night.

🎤 Bren Holmes Live | 8:30 PM | The Three Stags Irish Pub (328 Orange St.)
A Three Stags regular who knows how to work that room. Saturday nights at the Stags get loud in the best way — go early, eat first, then stay for the music.

🎪 The Great Y Circus: "Saturday Morning Cartoons" | 5:00 PM | Redlands Family YMCA (500 E. Citrus Ave.)
Yes, it's already on the Battle Plan — but the Saturday show is the entertainment story of the weekend. 84 years of Redlands history, the only YMCA youth circus in the country, and a Saturday Morning Cartoons theme that rewards every parent who grew up on Saturday TV.

Sunday, May 10 — Mother's Day

🌼 Mother's Day Country Band | 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Hangar 24 Brewing (1710 Sessums Dr.)
A daytime country set right in the brunch-and-beer window. Easy answer if Mom likes a patio more than a fancy dining room.

🍀 The Three Stags Sunday Music | The Three Stags Irish Pub (328 Orange St.)
The Stags keeps the music coming through Sunday. A relaxed, family-friendly room — and they take Mother's Day reservations seriously, so call ahead.

🎶 On the Horizon

Looking past this weekend: Citrus Plaza brings back its summer live music nights at the Mountain Grove Food Court starting later this month. Hangar 24 has the Ashley Felton Band on May 22 and a King Sol & The Vibes reggae set on May 24. And the Redlands Bowl's 103rd season is officially on the calendar — Disney's Frozen headlines this summer's musical. Save your evenings.

📣 WE'RE LOOKING FOR A SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN

RedlandsNow is hiring (well — sort of). We're looking for a college student to help us launch and grow our social media presence.

If you love Redlands, live on Instagram and TikTok, and want real hands-on experience building a community-driven local media brand from the ground up, we want to talk to you.

What you'd do:

Help create, schedule, and post content across our social platforms. Capture short-form video around town. Build engagement with our growing readership. Bring fresh ideas to the table.

What you'd get:

This is an unpaid position — but it's a real one. You'll get hands-on experience launching a social media platform, a portfolio of published work, behind-the-scenes access to local news and events, professional mentorship, and a strong resume builder with a real reference at the end of it.

Who we're looking for:

A college student (preferred) who's reliable, creative, and excited about Redlands. Marketing, journalism, communications, or media majors are a natural fit — but if you've got the eye and the energy, the major doesn't matter.

Interested? Email info@redlandsnow.com with a quick note about yourself, your school, and a couple of links to social content you've created or accounts you've helped grow.

Help us tell the story of Redlands.