BPC’s Joyful 50th Anniversary Kick-off Event!

Black Pine Circle celebrated its 50th anniversary on September 30 with a block party, taking over the length of 7th Street and much of the upper school campus. Over 500 revelers across the generations gathered to celebrate this milestone. Guests enjoyed shave ice, ice cream, cotton candy, bouncy houses, dunk tanks, tours, face painting, rockets, chickens, food trucks, music from Jerry Kennedy and the BPC Band, and much much more!

While the kids played, the adults gathered to establish and rekindle relationships borne at BPC. During a brief presentation, Head of School John Carlstroem read a proclamation from the Mayor of Berkeley and, in a special treat, welcomed the return of two of BPC’s founders, Frances Kandl and Carmen Gonzalez, and the last four BPC Board Chairs.

For the event, the FAD was festooned with images and artifacts from BPC’s past, including three curated videos. Special thanks to BPC parents Peter Allen, Matthew Specter, and Dana Sandu for doing the lion’s share of the work archiving, organizing, and presenting these poignant materials and memories. Thanks also to Cheryl Sumsion and Jerry Kennedy for curating the BPC music performance videos.

A heartfelt thank you to our event organizers, parent volunteers, faculty & staff who hosted activity booths, and facilities team, making it a very special event for our wonderful community.

It was certainly a day to remember—50 years in the making!