When a small shop's events outgrow the room, where do they go next? In downtown Martinez, Ember Rest's game nights now spill onto the rest of Main Street.
On Saturday, November 7, the game shop at 901 Main St. runs its second Downtown D&D. Ticket holders spend 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. walking downtown, solving short challenges at participating shops, restaurants, bars and community spots. The night before, the same street has a community altar for Día de Muertos. The pattern holds for the rest of the month. Martinez doesn't stage one big November festival. A handful of local organizers each treat Main Street as their venue for a day or an evening, and the City approved a new rule in August for exactly that kind of event.
A shop that started as a room full of tables
The Advocate profiled Ember Rest in May and described it as a small games store run by a mother and her sons. It opened the previous September. Ricco Short is one of the owners. His mother, Annita Emerson, is a co-owner, and she told The Advocate what she hopes the business adds to the town.
"The goal is to make [Martinez] a 'Hallmark Town.'"
That's the small-town, everyone-knows-the-shopkeeper feel of a holiday movie set. The same article reported that the first Downtown D&D sold out, had some hiccups, and drew requests for a repeat. It also said Ember Rest was moving to make room for more people after its events kept filling up.
The shop now lists 901 Main St. as its home, with more than 3,000 square feet of retail and play space. There are forest-themed playrooms and tavern-style rooms for role-playing campaigns. For $7 per person you get all-day access to a board game library that includes heavyweights like Gloomhaven and Kingdom Death: Monster alongside family games.
The bigger space helps on a normal Saturday. On November 7, the shop has the whole downtown to work with.
How Downtown D&D actually works
The first one ran on November 1, 2025, also from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 2026 edition is called The Conclave Ignites. According to the Eventbrite listing, it's a self-guided adventure with puzzles, tavern encounters, costumed characters and one story that runs across the whole city.
Here's what to know if you're thinking about going:
- No experience needed. The listing says you don't need to know D&D or bring dice or a character sheet.
- Small parties. Groups of up to four are recommended. Costumes are encouraged but optional.
- Two kinds of pass. Ember Rest's event page describes an all-ages Adventurer pass and a 21+ Tavern Trail pass.
- The route arrives later. Starting locations and final instructions go to ticket holders before the event, so there's no public route map.
- Stops. The Eventbrite listing says you can pick which stops to visit. Ember Rest's own page says all five quest stops are required. Ask the shop before you plan your day around it.
- Prices. The two pages show different prices and discounts, so check the ticket page for the current price before you buy. The Meetup listing says an RSVP there doesn't count as a ticket.
You can come downtown that day without a ticket. Ember Rest says the Cauldron & Cloak Marketplace runs on Main Street from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is completely open to the public, separate from the paid adventure. A family that just wants to see the costumes, or browse stalls between errands, can walk over without signing up for the quest.
Friday night, the same street holds an altar
The evening before, Main Street hosts a very different gathering. First Fridays – Día de Muertos runs Friday, November 6, from 6 to 9 p.m. The City of Martinez calendar describes a community altar honoring departed loved ones and ancestors, with story time, music, dancing, crafts and a downtown walk. Visitors can add to the altar.
Martinez has done a community altar before, just in a different spot. Last year's Festival of Altars took place in Plaza Ignacio Park at 550 Henrietta St., hosted by the City and the Martinez Arts Association, with a community altar in the center. That was reported by the Bay Area News Group. The Martinez Arts Association's recap says community members set up ofrendas and Main Street Arts Gallery honored two local artists. This year the altar is listed on Main Street as part of the monthly First Fridays art and music night. That puts it on the same blocks the D&D adventurers will walk the next morning.
The rest of the month, weekend by weekend
After the first weekend, the calendar gets quieter but stays steady. The monthly Open Air Market on the 800 block of Main Street ran second Sundays from May through October and is done for the season. Here's what's still on.
| Date | Event | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sundays: Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 | Downtown Farmers' Market | Downtown Main Street | 9 a.m.–1 p.m. |
| Fri., Nov. 6 | First Fridays – Día de Muertos | Downtown Main Street | 6–9 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Downtown D&D and Cauldron & Cloak Marketplace | Downtown Main Street | 11 a.m.–5 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Harvest Craft Fair | Martinez Senior Center, 818 Green St. | 9 a.m.–3 p.m. |
| Starts Sat., Nov. 28 | Santa House Visits | Downtown Main Street | See City calendar |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Holiday Frolic on Main Street | Downtown Main Street | 6:30–8 p.m. |
The Harvest Craft Fair is the one event a few blocks off Main. The City lists local vendors selling handcrafted goods, seasonal décor and gifts, plus free hot chocolate. Crafters who want a table can reserve one by calling 925-372-3557. Two Saturdays after the D&D marketplace, it's another chance to shop small for the holidays. Santa House Visits begin the weekend after Thanksgiving, with Santa opening his Main Street house for family photos.
In its May profile, The Advocate described downtown's weekends as nearly full. It pointed to Aire Libre Weekends from Del Cielo Brewing Co. on Escobar Street and the Sunday farmers market as examples. November follows that pattern. Each event has its own host and fills its own afternoon or evening, and you can walk from one to the next.
A new rule for downtown events, still waiting for its first night
In August, the Martinez City Council approved a Downtown Entertainment Zone. Under it, participating businesses with liquor licenses can serve alcohol to people 21 and older in designated outdoor areas during approved events. That was reported by Contra Costa News. In the City's announcement, Mayor Brianne Zorn called it a way of "creating more reasons for people to come downtown, stay a little longer, and enjoy everything Martinez has to offer." Sarah Baird, executive director of Downtown Martinez & Co., said the zone would build "on the momentum we already have downtown."
The City's management plan is written for the kind of event this post describes. Downtown Martinez & Co., the Chamber or the City can organize an activation with a permit. Recurring events like First Fridays can use a single safety and security plan, subject to police approval. Event hours are capped at 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Drinks have to stay in City-approved compostable or reusable cups, with no glass or metal. The City's event checklist also limits each person to two drinks at a time and requires last call at least 30 minutes before the event ends.
Each event application has to name the participating businesses. When it approved the zone, the City said details on the first activations, boundaries and operating rules would come as the program got going. So far, no event on the November calendar has been announced as an Entertainment Zone activation. The City's Entertainment Zones page links to the boundary map and is where any news about a first activation would show up.
Gillian loves a town where a game shop, an arts association and the City can each fill Main Street for a day. If you're in Martinez for the altar on Friday or the quest on Saturday and want to talk about which parts of town put you closest to these blocks, Gillian Judge Hogan is happy to walk through it with you over coffee downtown. Work With Gillian.
