June 16, 2026 | Exhibit, Talk to Mark Reborn Fountain and Walk’s 30th Anniversary

Friends and neighbors:

This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the installation of Berkeley’s “new” Fountain at The Circle and the restoration of Fountain Walk in Northbrae. To celebrate this milestone, the main branch of the Berkeley Public Library will host a monthlong exhibit and a public lecture on the history of these beloved city landmarks, presented by Friends of the Fountain and Walk.

The exhibit is scheduled to open Monday, July 6, and be on view through Saturday, August 1. It will tell the stories of both the 1996 fountain, which was constructed thanks to efforts of Northbrae neighbors, and its predecessor from 1911, which was destroyed in a crash in the late 1950s.

The exhibit will feature original photos, drawings, documents and more, including a full-scale plaster model of one of the fountain’s signature grizzly bear cubs. These items can be seen in the library’s main display case facing Kittredge Street, and in tabletop display cases on the second floor.

The public presentation will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, in the Mystery Room on the library’s second floor.

Both the display and the talk are free and open to the public. The main library is located at 2090 Kittredge Street at the corner of Shattuck Avenue. Entry is through doors near the corner of Harold Way. Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The library is closed on Sunday.

More information about the events at the library can be found online at berkeleypubliclibrary.org.

Hope to see you there!

— Board of Directors, Friends of the Fountain and Walk