Livermore's Elephant Herd Has a Month Left, and Its Last Saturday Is Already Spoken For

Volunteers moving the elephants in Stockmen's Park have had to pull tufts of grass out of their mouths, because children keep trying to feed them. Anne Giancola, visual arts and education manager for Livermore Valley Arts, told The Independent about that problem when the herd arrived. It sums up the installation well: 30 life-sized Asian elephants that you can touch, pet, and walk among for free, set up in a downtown park instead of behind a museum rope.

The herd is scheduled to stay through December 6. That leaves about a month, and the herd's final Saturday falls on the same day as downtown's biggest holiday crowd. If you want time with the elephants rather than a glimpse over strollers, plan to go in November.

What Is Standing in Stockmen's Park

The Great Elephant Migration opened with a celebration on Saturday, October 10, and most of the herd stands in Stockmen's Park, with a few more in front of the Bankhead Theater. Livermore is the first Bay Area stop for the installation and its only West Coast location this year. In 2024 and 2025 the herd went from Rhode Island to Miami, Texas, Wyoming, and Beverly Hills. Giancola first saw it on vacation in Rhode Island two years ago and decided to bring it home.

The materials are part of the story. Each elephant is built from lantana camara, an invasive plant that has shrunk habitat for elephants, tigers, and other native species. Artisans from the Bettakurumba, Paniya, Kattunayakan, and Soliga communities of Southern India made the sculptures. These communities have lived alongside elephants for centuries, and the project's operations lead says each creator knows every elephant by name and personality. The herd belongs to Coexistence Story Inc., a New York-based nonprofit, which has granted more than $1.4 million to coexistence projects since 2024.

Volunteer docents staff the herd so visitors can ask questions. According to a separate Independent notice, Livermore Valley Arts recruited them for 3.5-hour shifts, and anyone who wants to work one before the herd leaves can write to [email protected]. You can find more about the project at thegreatelephantmigration.org.

Why December 5 Is a Hard Day to Say Goodbye

Saturday, December 5 is the herd's last full day, and it's also one of downtown's biggest days of the year. Livermore Downtown Inc. runs its Holiday Open House through the day, then holds the Holiday Sights & Sounds Parade on First Street at 6 p.m., with the tree lighting right after. The organizers say the parade draws thousands of families, residents, and visitors, and it goes on rain or shine.

The open house specials announced so far cluster near the herd:

• Pinot's Palette, 153 South L Street: $1 mimosas and free ornament painting from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Paris Baguette, 1772 First Street: 15% off any purchase
• Wingen Bakery & Restaurant, 50 South Livermore Avenue: hot cocoa, espresso drinks, full-service dinner, and face painting for kids
• Sauced BBQ & Spirits, 2300 First Street, Suite 120: seasonal menu items and holiday cocktails
• Sweet Hope Naturals, 21 South Livermore Avenue: a car diffuser charm bar and a free gift with purchases of $75 or more

That same weekend, December 5 and 6, from noon to 4:30 p.m., the Livermore Valley Wine Community holds Holidays in the Vineyards. Wineries decorate their tasting rooms and offer special wines, artisan crafts, and holiday music. Admission is free, though tasting fees vary by winery. Bring an unwrapped toy to any participating winery, and Pacific States Petroleum will match it toy-for-toy, up to $25,000, for Toys for Tots.

On December 5, the herd shares downtown with a parade route, an all-day shopping event, and a wine-country weekend pulling people out to the vineyards. The elephants will still be there, but with far more company.

Four Weeks That Pair Better

November gives you the herd with room around it, plus a short list of other reasons to come downtown.

1. Thursday, November 5, 7 p.m. Vine Cinema shows the last screening of its Princess Bride series.
2. Friday, November 27, noon to 4:30 p.m. Retzlaff, at 1356 South Livermore Avenue, has live music and welcomes picnics on the day after Thanksgiving, according to the wine community's events calendar.
3. Saturday, November 28. McGrail, at 5600 Greenville Road, holds a post-Thanksgiving tasting room day with live music and food trucks. That evening at 8, the Bankhead stages Jeff Bordes: A New Orleans Christmas, a few steps from the elephants out front.
4. Sunday, November 29, 3 p.m. Handel's Messiah plays the Bankhead. An afternoon walk through Stockmen's Park fits before the performance.

The Thanksgiving weekend is the obvious time to bring visiting family, and it comes a week before the parade crowd.

Coffee and Ice Cream Within a Few Blocks

Several places near the herd have opened since late summer. Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters held its grand-opening ribbon cutting on August 4 at 1320 Railroad Avenue, according to the Livermore Valley Chamber of Commerce. Dumont Creamery & Cafe followed with its ribbon cutting on September 17 at 2375 Railroad Avenue, Suite 101.

Doppio Zero, the Southern Italian group with locations in Concord and Walnut Creek, is coming to 23 South Livermore Avenue, Suite 101, in Blacksmith Square. Bay Area Telegraph reported that the company advertises wood-fired pizza made with imported 00 flour, plus pasta and bread made from scratch daily. The group placed 20th in 50 Top Pizza's 2025 World Artisan Pizza Chains ranking.

One familiar name is gone. Zephyr Grill & Bar at 1736 First Street served its last day on October 31, ending 22 years downtown, as The Independent reported.

Out toward the vineyards, Cellar 13 opened its first Livermore tasting room in the former Cuda Ridge space at 2400 Arroyo Road in September, according to Pleasanton Weekly.

The Downtown Around the Herd Is Newly Finished

The elephants have a park to stand in because of a plan that is mostly built now. The City of Livermore's downtown status page, updated October 22, lists Stockmen's Park, Livermorium Plaza, the I Street Garage, and the First Street streetscape between L and M Streets as finished in 2024. It lists Flagpole Plaza, the L Street Garage, the Blanco Events Center, and Blacksmith Square as finished in 2026.

Some of downtown is still being built. The City expects Eden Housing to start construction on its 130-unit Downtown Livermore Apartments by February 2027. Veterans Park, a linear park planned between those buildings, is scheduled for final design in mid-2028. The downtown hotel has approved plans and a development agreement, and the owner is working with City staff on next steps. The City's Livermore Village pages show remediation excavation at the Railroad Depot and lumber yard site expected to finish in January 2027.

The Week After

Holidays in the Vineyards continues on Sunday, December 6, the herd's last scheduled day. The weekend after, December 12 and 13, the Bankhead stages The Nutcracker at 2 p.m. both days, and the space out front will be back to an ordinary plaza.

Michael's work in real estate and redevelopment means watching how public spaces like Stockmen's Park change the blocks around them, and this herd is a good test of that. If you have questions about downtown Livermore or the projects still to come, Michael Forkas is glad to talk. Let's Connect.