For a small town in the San Francisco Bay Area, Benicia can certainly hold its own when it comes to hosting a good party. First, our ideal location makes Benicia the perfect place for a celebration. And then in addition to lovely outdoor spaces, there are many event venues from the historic to the nautical that accommodate weddings, live music, fundraisers, wine tastings, crab feeds and more.
Even with the large number of venues available, coming into wedding season event space is at a premium. The Knot, a multiplatform wedding resource, recently released its eighth annual report with 2014 data: The average cost of a wedding in the U.S. is just over $31,000, and with couples looking for venues that uniquely suit their personalities, event spaces can be a large ticket item in the budget. However, some of Benicia’s venues are more wallet-friendly in comparison with those found in neighboring counties.
Malcolm Slight Benicia Community Center |
Courtesy Benicia Historical Museum Benicia Historical Museum |
On the nautical side, the Benicia Yacht Club offers a dining room with a marina view. Then there are the historic buildings such as the Benicia Historical Museum, where Stone Hall boasts an open room punctuated with arched pillars and a view of the garden, the opulent Jefferson Street Mansion, a restored Civil War period mansion, where the needs of today’s brides are met in exquisite detail, the Clock Tower, one of the largest event spaces in town and a local favorite for concerts, crab feeds (though this year’s crab season has been indefinitely delayed due to high levels of domoic acid), fashion shows and fundraisers. The historic B.D.E.S. Hall is also known for its crab feeds and popular annual events, with an elegant ballroom upstairs for those light of feet.
Jerry Bowles Benicia Yacht Club |
Then there are the banquet rooms, available inside Benicia restaurants and bars. These include Sailor Jack’s, Rookies, Benicia Grill, Pizza Pirate, the Union Hotel, Round Table Pizza, First Street Cafe and the Rellik Tavern. The Benicia Community Center offers the businessperson in need of meeting space an opportunity to gather in a classroom/conference room setting with all the necessary equipment, and also allows for catered food to be brought in. One of Benicia’s newest event centers will also be the largest in town, and is slated for completion this spring. Northbay Christian Fellowship’s new center for worship services will seat 800, and also function as an event venue or concert hall open to the public. La Fabriquita, a relative newcomer to the scene on Bayshore Road, offers three specific areas in which to hold a celebration.
The Benicia Public Library and the State Capitol offer event space, as well as local hotels and bed and breakfast inns, including the Best Western Plus, Holiday Inn Express and the recently remodeled Inn at Benicia Bay. So next time you need a spot for your special event or celebration, check out these establishments and find your perfect match.
