Pleasanton
Population: 74,110 (2013)
Incorporated as a city: 1894
Visitors to Pleasanton shouldn't miss:
- The popular annual Alameda County Fair. It has taken place at the Pleasanton Fairgrounds since 1912.
- The Pleasanton Farmers Market, which is held every Saturday and features fresh fruits and vegetables grown in California.
- Good Guys Car Show West Coast Nationals.
- The shops and restaurants in historic Downtown Pleasanton.
- Museum on Main, which preserves and interprets the history of the Tri-Valley region.
- The Friday Concerts in the Park series, which takes place every Friday from June until September local bands perform in the evenings at the Lions' Wayside Park.
- Scottish Games Gathering, held each year on Labor Day Weekend at the Alameda County Fairgrounds to celebrate the sport and spirit of Scotland.
Notable current and former Pleasanton residents:
- John Madden, former coach for the Oakland Raiders
- Brandon Crawford, MLB shortstop for the San Francisco Giants
- Gabrielle Union, actress in such as movies as "Bring it On" and televion shows like "City of Angels."
- Phoebe Hearst, philanthropist and suffragist
- Keith Millar, former football player
- Scott Perry, former football player
Employers with major presence in Pleasanton:
- Safeway (corporate headquarters)
- Clorox Service Company
- E M C Corporation
- Kaiser Permanente
- Oracle
- State Fund – Compensation Insurance
- Workday Incorporated
- Ross Stores
Pleasanton Fun Facts:
- The city was named after Alfred Pleasonton, a Union Calvary General. However, a typo by the U.S. Post Office led to the city's current misspelled name ‘Pleasanton'.
- The Pleasanton Racetrack, on which construction began in 1858, is the oldest horseracing track in the nation.
- Pleasanton's two comprehensive high schools, Amador Valley and Foothill, are ranked by Newsweek among the top 400 high schools in the nation.
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Hosting a town hall meeting in Pleasanton