Take a break from the rush of everyday life and join Parkway for the 2026 season of Respite by the River! Bring your picnic dinner and a blanket or lawn chair to spend the evening relaxing at the River Center while you enjoy local artistry.

Steven Sanchez’s debut book, Phantom Tongue (Sundress Publications), was chosen by Mark Doty for the Rochelle Ratner Memorial Award. He is a CantoMundo Fellow, a Lambda Literary Fellow, and the inaugural winner of the Federico Garcia Lorca Poetry Prize for an emerging Latinx poet and was also awarded residencies from Tin House and the Civitella Ranieri Foundation. The evening will also feature live music with Tip Jar, so bring your dinner, lawn chair or blanket.

Respite by the River is a free event, but all proceeds and donations support Parkway's mission to protect and preserve the San Joaquin River Parkway.

More information at Respite by the River.