Meet your 2026 Arts and Culture & Personal Services Stars
After six weeks of nominations and voting, polling for the 2026 Alameda Community Stars Awards ended on February 17. Almost 90,000 votes were cast for 1,995 contenders across 182 categories in nine divisions. Following a brief audit and cleanup of duplicate votes, we are ready to share the results and announce the winners from each category. Second and third runners up and other contenders are listed in their respective categories on the AlamedaStars.com website.
Today we list the winners for Stars in the Arts and Culture & Personal Services divisions. On Wednesday, we will list the winners of the Business Services & Household Services divisions. Winners in the Food and Drink & Sports and Recreation divisions will be listed on Thursday, and Friday will feature the Retail, Community, & Kids and Family division winners. The Alameda Stars website will remain available to the public for the rest of the year, so you can check the standings anytime you like.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the competition, whether as a contender, a voter, or both. Be sure to show your appreciation by patronizing these Alameda businesses and service providers.
Arts and Culture
- Art Gallery – Rhythmix Cultural Works
- Art Lessons – Coven of Stitches
- Arts Organization – Rhythmix Cultural Works
- Dance Studio – West Coast Dance Theatre Alameda
- Date Night Activity – Pacific Pinball Museum
- Event of the Year – Alameda 4th of July Parade
- Event Space – Faction Brewing
- Exhibition of the Year – In Plain Site by West End Arts District and RADIUM Presents
- Live Music Venue – Faction Brewing
- Local Band / Performer – The Permanent Records
- Museum – Pacific Pinball Museum
- Music Lessons – Starland School of Music
- Performance of the Year – Rising Seas series by Rhythmix Cultural Works
- Social Media Account – Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda
- Theater Company – Altarena Playhouse
- Website – Alameda Post
View the Arts and Culture division on AlamedaStars.com.
In the Arts and Culture division, Rhythmix Cultural Works was voted the recipient of three Stars, for Art Gallery, Arts Organization, and Performance of the Year (for their Rising Seas series of climate-change inspired performances). Pacific Pinball Museum was the top choice in two categories—Star Museum and Date Night Activity, while Faction Brewing got the nod in the Event Space and Live Music Venue categories.
Out of the 16 categories in the Arts and Culture division, the most contested category was Event of the Year, with a total of 19 contenders—all of which received votes from the community. In the end, the 2026 Star in the category was the annual Alameda 4th of July Parade, with Alameda’s GrannyCon and the Filipino Island Fest as runners-up.
The Local Band/Performer category was almost as busy, with 17 nominees. Hard rockers The Permanent Records were the choice of the largest number of voters, followed by holiday favorites, the Tap Dancing Christmas Trees, and drag performer Vicki Sparkle-Titz.
A special bark-out to the intrepid canine reporter for the Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda, who is now the proprietor of Alameda’s 2026 Star Social Media Account, beating out Alameduh Zine and Alameda Peeps. Other busy categories included Art Lessons, led by Coven of Stitches, with Alameda Arts and Mandar Fine Art next, and Music Lessons, for which the Star went to Starland School of Music, followed by Cadenza Studio of Music and Arts and Ozzies’s Music Academy.
Personal Services
- Acupuncture – Mari Kubota LAc.
- Alternative Medicine – Holomua Healing Arts
- Barbershop – Frank Logan Barbershop
- Chiropractor – Radiant Life Chiropractic
- Dentist – Alameda Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics
- Elder Care – Alice Home Care
- Facials – eleven esthetics
- Hair & Beauty Salon – Kalos Salon
- Hairstylist / Colorist – Jori Arata, 1500 Salon
- Lash & Brow – Simply Vanity SVSkinlashpros
- Manicures & Pedicures – Meraki Nail Studio
- Massage – Jessica’s Peaceful Journeys
- Nail Salon – Meraki Nail Studio
- Nutritionist – Alameda Nutrition
- Optometrist – Dr. Daniel Chin, OD
- Pet Adoption – Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter
- Pet Boarding – Under One Woof
- Pet Grooming – Alameda See Spot Run
- Pharmacy – Versailles Pharmacy
- Physical Therapy – Emily Noonan, DPT
- Psychic/Fortune Teller – Feathered Outlaw
- Tailor/Alterations – Arkea Tailor Shop
- Tattoo Shop – Lucky 13 Tattoos
- Therapist/Counselor – Jackie JacksonDaley, M.A.
- Veterinarian / Clinic – Park Centre Animal Hospital
- Waxing – The Suite Spot
- Yoga Studio / Teacher – Svastha Yoga, Wellness and Community Hub
View the Personal Services division on AlamedaStars.com.
Although this division featured 537 contenders across 27 categories and was the most active within the 2026 Alameda Stars competition, only one contender took home multiple Stars in the Personal Services division—Meraki Nail Studio took top honors in both the Manicures & Pedicures and overall Nail Salon categories out of a field of 21 and 35, respectively.
The Hair & Beauty Salon category had a wide-open field of 72 nominees, and out of all of those, Kaos Salon emerged as the top choice, followed by We Are Hair of Alameda and the Hairmonstr Salon. However, out of 29 choices for Hairstylist/Colorist, the Star was awarded to Jori Arata of 1500 Salon, while Ash and Bone Hair Studio and Hair by Erica Ferriera were the runners up.
Other active categories in the division included Facials, where eleven esthetics came out on top of a field of 34, trailed by Faces by Liliana Skincare and Skinn by Francesca. The Star for Massage was awarded to Jessica’s Peaceful Journeys, followed by Secret Garden Skincare and LV Massage Therapy. In the Alternative Medicine category, Holuma Healing Arts was first choice, then Greater Movement Wellness, and The Funky Truth Healing. For Waxing, The Suite Spot was picked as the Star, with Secret Garden Skincare and Skinn by Francesa following behind.
