Locals and visitors celebrated the nation\u2019s semiquincentennial with the 45th annual Davis Criterium, the Kiwanis Kiddie Parade,\u00a0 neighborhood baseball games and barbecues, and the City of Davis\u2019 Fourth of July celebration at Community Park.\u00a0<\/p>\n
More than 200 cyclists raced the criterium, organized by the Davis Bike Club.<\/p>\n
They came from far and wide to race in the Davis Criterium, for the \u201cday full of bike racing action on a figure-eight course in Downtown Davis, with the start\/finish located on Third Street between E and F Streets.\u201d\u00a0 Pros, amateurs, juniors, masters, and elite men and women all took part in the day\u2019s races.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/6a4d2c917610b.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Participants in the 2026 Fourth of July Davis Criterium women\u2019s division zoom through the downtown Davis figure-8 course.<\/p>\n
Monica Stark\/Enterprise photo<\/p>\n
The city of Davis\u2019 celebration of the country\u2019s 250th birthday was like previous years, with food, music, vendors, a game zone, fireworks, and lots of people. The crowd\u2019s energy filled Community Park on Independence Day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the festival, parents proudly shared on social media the items their children sold at the kids\u2019 market. Snacks and treats were available for purchase from local non-profit groups, a free game zone coordinated by Discovery Christian Church, live music, coordinated by the Davis Live Music Collective, featuring local band\u00a0 Rainbow City Park<\/a> and RonKat Spearman\u2019s Katdelic<\/a> (\u201cfunk, rock, pop and afrofuturism; he is a multi-instrumentalist and a prolific songwriter, a triple platinum, Grammy and BMI songwriter award winning artist who has has written for and toured with legends.\u201d) And the 15-minute fireworks display.<\/p>\n For Rainbow City Park<\/a>, playing at Community Park was a dream since the band\u2019s founding in 2022, as the name comes from the children\u2019s playground there, though it wasn\u2019t at the park where the band grew up. Members found each other online during the pandemic.\u00a0 But they like the small-town feel of Davis.\u00a0<\/p>\n Participants in the 2026 Fourth of July Davis Criterium line up as they race through downtown.<\/p>\n Monica Stark\/Enterprise photo<\/p>\n Seeing some of the same cyclists every year brings camaraderie to the criterium, named in honor of its founder, Helen Pool,<\/a> who died at 95 \u00bd and opened B&L Bike Shop in Woodland in 1964, then in Davis. They purchased Foy\u2019s Bike Shop in Woodland in 1984, according to the Davis Bike Club, which she also founded. Pool wanted the criterion to include not only racing but also community outreach.\u00a0<\/p>\n Overheard near the registration table (at least once) was: \u201cI haven\u2019t seen you since last year!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s exciting to see everybody coming out and supporting local bike racing,\u201d said Evan Larson, UC Davis Cycling Team incoming president. With an uptick in attendance, support from the sidelines, and an \u201coverfilled\u201d volunteer sheet, he said, \u201cWe had volunteers that we didn’t know what to do with, which was an excellent problem to have.\u201d<\/p>\n Winners of this year\u2019s Helen Pool Fourth of July Criterium included locals who made the leader board: Colleen Mills, Davis Bike Club; Maggie Orellana, UCD; both on the “Women Cat 4\/Novice”(entry-level category); Karl Wurzbach, Davis Bike Club (Masters 60+ 1\/2\/3).<\/p>\n The Race Team co-directors, husband and wife Ray Spore and Heidi Verbeeck, both sustained injuries before this race, which they had trained extensively for. They nevertheless kept busy fielding calls from volunteers throughout race day.\u00a0<\/p>\n Spore proudly calls Verbeeck (\u201cthe Belgian Wonder\u201d) for having competed as a kid in the World Championships in Belgium with the country\u2019s national team.\u00a0<\/p>\n In tandem with the Davis Bike Club, the UC Davis Cycling team focuses on racing. If it\u2019s a DBC event like the criterium, UCD works registration, and the same goes for the other way around.\u00a0 Larson says DBC has helped provide physical resources and connections with the city in making an event happen.\u00a0<\/p>\n Larson said cycling is making a comeback post the Lance Armstrong era. \u201cThere was a golden age in the \u201880s and \u201890s, and it’s been on a trickle off since\u2026but now we’re starting to see more Americans back in the world tour ranks, the highest rank of the sport in the professional world over in Europe. So I think people are getting more excited about American cycling and kind of seeing a bit of an upswing in things like attendance at races and attendance at community events.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Families participate in the Kiwanis Kiddie Parade on July 4 in downtown Davis.<\/p>\n Monica Stark\/Enterprise photo<\/p>\n Because of this, the Fourth of July fell on a Saturday this year, and the Kiwanis kiddie parade took place during a break in the criterium.\u00a0<\/p>\n From some of the fastest cyclists on the road to children just learning to ride a bike, downtown Davis celebrated the Fourth as the Bicycle Capital of America.\u00a0<\/p>\n As part of the national bicentennial celebrations in 1976, the City of Davis created a walking\/bicycling tour to explore the history of Davis.\u00a0<\/p>\n What follows is information from the city of Davis \u00a0Historic Pedestrian and Bike Tour website, which encourages people to \u201cexplore these historic locations at your own pace and in any order you choose.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n 1. Old Davis Library (now Hattie Weber Museum) \u2013 445 C St \u2013 1911<\/p>\n First library building in Davis. The Bachelor Girls, a social organization, collected $550 to purchase a lot on F Street to construct this building. Hattie Weber, the first librarian, remained in charge for 43 years. When the building was moved to its present site in 1988, it opened as the Hattie Weber Museum in honor of the years of service she dedicated to the citizens of Davis.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2. Lincoln Highway Marker \u2013 Central Park near B St \u2013 1920s<\/p>\n Who could have imagined that the first highway connecting New York to San Francisco would pass through Davis? The Lincoln Highway, later known as U.S. 40, did just that on its final stretch from the Sierra to the Bay Area. The oak-shaded Slater’s Court on Olive Drive and the Boy Scout Cabin on First Street are glimpses of history from the 1920s era of the Lincoln Highway. Lincoln Highway markers, originally used to indicate turns in the road, stand in Central Park at the corner of Fifth and B Streets and on the south side of Russell Boulevard at Arthur Street.<\/p>\n 3. Davis Community Church \u2013 412 C St \u2013 1926<\/p>\n The only large-scale Spanish Colonial structure in Davis is a fine example of the 1920s’ architectural achievements. Cypress trees grown from seeds brought from the Garden of Gethsemane flank the front entrance.<\/p>\n 4. Jacobson-Wilson House \u2013 232 B St \u2013 1914<\/p>\n John Jacobson, a carpenter employed by the University, built this one-story bungalow, which fuses the Craftsman and Colonial Revival styles, in 1914. He built other houses in the neighborhood, mainly working for professors he met on campus. He lived in this house until 1919, when it was purchased by James Wilson, Professor of Animal Husbandry at the University. In 1925, Professor Wilson became the first chair of the Planning Commission and served as chair for 12 years.<\/p>\n 5. Clancy House \u2013 137 C St \u2013 1913<\/p>\n This structurally impressive residence stands as a symbol of what diligent, hard-working immigrants could accomplish “starting on a shoestring” in the early days of California. Mathew Clancy, an Irish immigrant who settled in Davisville in 1862, built this variation of Colonial Revival style house 51 years later in 1913. He worked for various local farmers and, in 1873, leased 520 acres, where he raised wheat and livestock. By 1896, his savings enabled him to purchase 160 acres in Solano County, and he continued to rent other farms, including the land where the College Park section of Davis is now. He continued to increase his acreage, both owned and leased, and farmed until his death.<\/p>\n 6. A.J. Plant Home \u2013 221 1st St \u2013 1911<\/p>\n This Colonial Revival house was constructed in 1911 by A.J. Plant, who was very influential in the campaign to locate the University of California’s University Farm in Davis. The building is now used as a fraternity house.<\/p>\n 7. Barovetto Home and Tank House \u2013 209 and 209\u00bd 2nd St \u2013 1915<\/p>\n This Craftsman bungalow, built in 1915, was the home of Giovanni Barovetto, an early employee of the University Viticulture Department.<\/p>\n 8. Eggleston Home \u2013 232 3rd St \u2013 1870<\/p>\n This one-story Victorian house, built in 1870, is one of two remaining Victorians in the University area. It is one of the earliest houses in this part of the City, and one of the oldest surviving buildings in town. Associated with 19th-century agriculture, the house pre-dates the subdivision of lots and development of urban residential dwellings in the area. It is also associated with Lucy Eggleston, an early resident of Davis and the long-time Secretary of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in the town.<\/p>\n 9. Greive-Asbill Home \u2013 310 A St \u2013 1909<\/p>\n This 1 \u00bd story shingled Craftsman bungalow was built of Humboldt County redwood by Albert “Jack” Greive. The Greive family played a significant role in the commercial development of Davisville. The house was moved to its present location in the 1970s from its original site on the northeast corner of 3rd & A Streets.<\/p>\n 10. McDonald House \u2013 337 B St \u2013 1894<\/p>\n This Victorian cottage with its gable detailing is an example of a simple Queen Anne style. Built in 1894, it pre-dates the establishment of the University Farm and the subdivision of the area into residential lots. Along with the Eggleston home on 3rd St, it is one of two pre-20th-century houses in what is now the University area.<\/p>\n 11. H.J. Hamel Home \u2013 505 2nd St \u2013 1920<\/p>\n Built by Henry Jacob, son of Hartman Henry Hamel, a German immigrant who came to Davis in 1867. A typical example of the fusion of Colonial Revival and Craftsman elements.<\/p>\n 12. Dresbach-Hunt-Boyer Mansion \u2013 604 2nd St \u2013 1875<\/p>\n The Dresbach-Hunt-Boyer Mansion, a two-story Italianate house topped by a very shallow hipped roof, is a superb example of the style and one of the few remaining mansions in downtown. The 12-room, 3500-square-foot main house and 340-square-foot water tower were built between 1871 and 1875 by William Dresbach, the original owner and Davisville’s first postmaster. Mr. Dresbach is credited with naming the town after rancher Jerome C. Davis. The land on which the mansion sits is likely some of the first residential land purchased in Davisville. Mr. Dresbach, one of Davisville’s wealthiest citizens, also owned a livery stable, general store, hotel, and saloon, and a grain warehouse.<\/p>\n 13. Varsity Theatre \u2013 616 2nd St \u2013 1950<\/p>\n The Varsity Theatre is a superb example of a late Streamline Moderne movie palace. The architect William Bernard Davis (1905-1985) designed many movie houses in Northern California, including the Tower Theatre in Sacramento. Mr. Davis honed his skills as an apprentice to Hollywood architect S. Charles Lee, the most famous West Coast movie palace designer of the Art Deco era. Interior design was by theater decorator Santocono, with structural engineering by L.H. & B.L. Nishikian of San Francisco, a long-established San Francisco family firm specializing in theater design. Billed in 1950 as the most modern theater in the Sacramento Valley, the Varsity Theatre boasted all the latest amenities. The city of Davis remodeled the Varsity in the 1990s for use as a performing theater and conference center. It was designated a City Landmark in 1998. In 2006, the Varsity reopened under private management as a movie theater featuring independent and art films.<\/p>\n 14. Boy Scout Cabin \u2013 1st & F Sts \u2013 1927<\/p>\n Members of the Davis Rotary Club used telephone pole logs donated by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to build this cabin for use by local Boy Scout troops. This cabin is an example of a continued fondness for the rustic forms and images of pioneer America.<\/p>\n 15. Davis Subway (Richards Underpass) \u2013 Richards Blvd & 1st St \u2013 1917<\/p>\n The Davis Subway, better known to the community as the Richards Boulevard Underpass, is listed on the prestigious National Register of Historic Places<\/a>. The subway, built in 1917, is formed by the last remaining I-beam railroad bridge in use in California. It was constructed as part of the first state highway, State Route 6. Once complete, the highway became an alternate route on the coast-to-coast Lincoln Highway, linking Sacramento to the Bay Area<\/p>\n 16. Southern Pacific Depot \u2013 2nd & H Sts \u2013 1913<\/p>\n In 1868, the California Pacific Railroad built a branch north from Davisville to Yuba City off its main line between Vallejo and Sacramento. This “Y Junction” greatly stimulated growth in Davisville. The original frame depot was replaced in 1913 by the present Mission Revival-style structure, commonly used by the railroad to let people know they had arrived in “exotic” California. The Depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places<\/a>.<\/p>\n 17. Brinley Block \u2013 714-726 2nd St \u2013 1926<\/p>\n An attractive example of Commercial architecture of the late 1920’s. Ornamentation primarily consists of integral patterns in the brick.<\/p>\n 18. Anderson Bank Building \u2013 203 G St \u2013 1914<\/p>\n Built by J.B. Anderson, thefirst mayor of Davis, to house the newly formed Bank of Davis. The direct simplicity of its style reflects the influences of Louis H. Sullivan, a landmark American architect of the Prairie School.<\/p>\n 19. Masonic Lodge \u2013 221-225 G St \u2013 1917<\/p>\n This two-story structure was formally dedicated in 1917, although the Masonic Lodge of Davis had been chartered in 1873. This is a typical American building type: a two-story structure housing a fraternal society on the second floor, with the ground floor devoted to income-producing commercial space. The Masons no longer occupy the building. Although not as visible today because of mature trees, the Renaissance Revival building is one of the largest and most imposing of the historic commercial buildings on G Street. It joins with the Brinley Block, the Anderson Bank Building, and the Bank of Yolo as visible remnants of the historic Davis commercial district along “Main Street.<\/p>\n 20. Old Davis City Hall \u2013 226 F St \u2013 1938<\/p>\n This Spanish Colonial Revival-style building originally housed all city administrative offices and the Police and Fire Departments.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/6a4d2c0e00336.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/6a4d2c9777f37.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n