The Oakland Weekend

There’s an embarrassment of riches for music lovers in Oakland this weekend. Folks will be making some hard choices.

Oakland Youth Orchestra

The always-excellent Oakland Youth Orchestra will perform pieces by Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Geminiani, and Boyce at a free concert at the Allen Temple Baptist Church Sunday afternoon. For 46 years the OYO has been representing Oakland’s young musicians all over the world – picking up all kinds of awards and accolades. Families are welcome and the concert is free.

Sunday, November 8 3 pm
Allen Temple Baptist Church, 8501 International Blvd.
Free

Lullabies to Wake You Up

The New York Times has called Hasmik Harutyunyan’s CD “the best Armenian recording worldwide.” It’s praise that may not sound like much unless you are familiar with the beautiful music of the Trans-Caucasia. Harutyunyan, the songstress famous for popularizing the lovely tradition of the Armenian lullaby performs at St. Vartan Armenian Church Saturday evening. She will be accompanied by Kitka, “a grassroots group of singers from diverse ethnic and musical backgrounds, who share a passion for the stunning dissonances, asymmetric rhythms, intricate ornamentation, lush harmonies, and resonant strength of Balkan, Slavic, and Caucasian women’s vocal traditions.”

Saturday, November 7 8 pm – 10 pm
St. Vartan Armenian Church
650 Spruce Street, Oakland
$15-$20

By the Waters of Babylon

Chalice Consort is devoted to resurrecting forgotten or rarely heard music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. On Saturday night they will present work by the English composer William Byrd, a crypto-Catholic who nonetheless composed for the Anglican Church as a member of Queen Elizabeth I’s court. Titled “By the Waters of Babylon” the performance presents a sampling of Byrd’s choral pieces. Chalice Consort’s Davitt Moroney writes: “His beautiful and highly passionate music illustrates many of the historical issues that were being played out at that time, including religious fanaticism, oppression of minority communities, and political issues church and state, many of which are being replayed in different ways around the world today.” There could hardly be a better venue than St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Saturday November 7, 8 pm – 9:30 pm
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
114 Montecito Ave, Oakland
$10-$20

Latin American Mash-Up

The Bolivian Women’s Association, Friends of Bolivia, and the Bolivian Center of Northern California present Uniendo a las Americas, a farewell reception for Bolivian artists Mamani Mamani and Jacqueline Conley. This is a must-attend for all local art lovers.

Sunday November 8, 7pm – 9pm
VERO, 6052 College Avenue

Art@TheOakBook: RE:Design

In recent decades, the line where fine art, craft and design meet has been drawn and redrawn. This constantly shifting intersection is debated by critics, and maintains a symbiotic relationship with cultural realms as disparate as sports, music, and business. In RE:Design, Art@theOakBook presents two artists whose work blurs the aesthetic dictates of what is and isn’t art. Marcos LaFarga and Joel Scilley provide departure points for taking the debate into fresh territory.

Saturday, November 7, 6 pm – 9pm

423 Water Street in Jack London Square

Celebrations: Halloween and the Day of the Dead

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29

Uptown masquerade

When was the last time you went to a masquerade, complete with masks and all? This Halloween bash will have masks for sale, if you didn’t get a chance to pick up yours. The organizers are promising an evening of live music, dancing and of course, food. Reed Fromer Band, an R & B group, will perform, and there will be a “surprise celebrity guest.”

This is a benefit for the Fox Theater, with proceeds going to Friends of the Oakland Fox, which preserves the theater, and to East Bay Emergency Relief efforts.

Thursday, October 29, 7:30 p.m. to midnight.
The Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph General admission:$20, VIP: $100

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30

Pre-Halloween with Frankenstein

Want a low key beginning to your Halloween? Watch the 1948 scary comedy, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein on the big screen at the Paramount.

The Paramount, 2025 Broadway
Box Office opens at 6:00pm, doors open at 7:00. The curtain rises at 8:00pm
All Tickets: $5.00

10000 Things That go Bump in the Night

Chabot’s having its Halloween party with live music from BandWorks School of Rock, a costume contest, spooky beverages, views of the cosmos (if the weather holds up) and a special haunt jaunt crawl of things that go bump in the night with the Galaxy Explorers. Kids of all ages –and all kinds of costumes – welcome.

6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Chabot Space and Science Center, 10000 Skyline Boulevard
$20 Adults, $15 Students/Members $8

6th Annual Dimond Howl-o-ween Pet Parade & Costume Party

Don’t leave the pets out of the Halloween fun! The Dimond movers and shakers at Paws & Claws are hosting a party for you and your pets. Meet at Paws and Claws, then join the 6 p.m. parade through the district collecting treats, then return to Paws & Claws and enjoy the outdoor campfire, food & drinks.

$5 Donation Benefits PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support)
6 p.m.to 9 p.m. Paws & Claws 2023 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland 510-336-0105
pawsnclawsoakland.com

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31

Days of the Dead Fiesta 2009

On Saturday, head over to La Borinqueña Restaurant & Specialty Shop in Old Oakland for cooking demonstrations, folk arts and crafts, and to celebrate both the Day of the Dead holiday as well as the 10,000 Steps project. Old Oakland impresario Tina “Tamale” has put together an afternoon that anyone who loves Mexican food and culture will enjoy. If you miss this event, catch up with the tamale queens at the Fruitvale festival on Sunday.

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
582 7th Street at Jefferson

Halloween Haunted House

If your kids are into scary Halloween events, consider what the folks at Studio One Art Center are offering. They’re hosting a haunted house – for adults and kids. There will be face painting, games and light treats.

6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Studio One Art Center, 365 45th Street

$2 for children accompanies by adults, $2 for adults with children, $3 for everyone else.
For info, call 510-597 5027

Celebrations on Piedmont/Halloween Movie Night for Kids

Oakland retailers are really getting into the Halloween spirit. On Piedmont Avenue, they’ve got a full day of Halloween activities – free cartoons at Piedmont theater, a grand parade, trick-or-treat, face painting, live music, and a lot more. Check out the complete schedule at piedmontavenuemerchants.org/halloween-parade-09-schedule

And when the day’s over, Video Room on Piedmont will have a kids costume contest and a free screening of the Nightmare Before Christmas. Remember to take your chair and blanket.

7 p.m.
4364 Piedmont Avenue
Free
For questions, e-mail: Mandel Lum twentybelowzero@gmail.com

Thrillerthon: Haitian Day of the Dead party

This Halloween costume party celebrates Haitian “Gede” and Michael Jackson’s thriller. DJ Epic and DJ Mpenzi will spin Soca, Soukous, Samba, Soul and Dancehall. El Wah Movement Caribbean Dancers and the Kendra Kimbrough Dance Ensemble will perform.
The Den @ the Fox
1807 Telegraph Ave, Uptown Oakland
Doors open @ 8:30 p.m., $5 before 10pm/$10 thereafter

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1

The Annual 2009 Fruitvale “Día de Los Muertos” festival

It’s happening! Earlier this year, it had looked like Oakland’s Dia De Los Muertos Festival would be a victim of the recession. But Council member Ignacio de la Fuente intervened. With some help from the City, the Day of the Dead celebration, which is the largest festival of its kind in the Bay Area with more than 100,000 attendees, is back on its feet.

Held in Fruitvale every year, this one day event will feature more than 20 altars, art and craft vendors, traditional Latin American foods, musical performances, and an interactive exhibit by the Oakland Museum of California. There’s also going to be a kids area with games and rides.

The festival honors a traditional holiday in several Latin American countries, where families and friends gather to pray for and remember ancestors and relatives who have died. If you’d like to volunteer, get in touch with Claudia Burgos at
cburgos@oaklandnet.com

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Along International Boulevard between Fruitvale Ave. and 35th Ave.; at the Fruitvale Transit Village;  and along 12th Street to 37th Avenue in the Fruitvale district of Oakland, California
Free

Sunday Book Readings

Poets C.S Giscombe and Charity Ketz will be reading at Diesel in Oakland. Giscombe, the editor of Mixed Blood, a poetry journal, has written several books of poetry and a memoir. His newest collection is Prairie Style. Ketz, a Ph.D student in English Literature at the University of California, Berkeley, recently had her first poetry collection published – The Narcoleptic Yard.

3 p.m.
Diesel – A Bookstore, 5433 College Ave., dieselbookstore.com

Local author Canyon Sam will be reading from her new book, Sky Train: Tibetan Women on the Edge of History, at Laurel Books.

4 p.m.
Laurel Books, 4100 MacArthur, 510-531-2073

Thursday Block Party

From its earliest days West Oakland has been home to folks representing many races and a wide range of social classes. So, if you are familiar with the real West Oakland, there really isn’t anything that unusual about the three new developments out by the old Central Station. Together, the Pacific Cannery Lofts, Iron Horse and the Zephyr make up 395 units of housing ranging from $400 rental units to $350,000+ town homes. Common landscaping links the developments to each other and to the surrounding Prescott neighborhood.

The developers are inviting the community to a block party celebrating the Central Station developments becoming a part of West Oakland. The party starts Thursday at 5:30 p.m. There’ll be good local food, music, and drinks. Click here for more information.

Thursday, October  29
5.30 p.m. onwards
Central Station, 14th and Frontage Road

TONIGHT: Kev Choice @ Yoshi’s

It’s Monday.. Maybe your week got off to a good start. Maybe your day sucks. Either way, pamper yourself by heading out to Yoshi’s tonight to see pianist Kev Choice and his ensemble. A local celebrity, Kev is already making waves on the national circuit. What people seem to love about him is his versatility and unpredictability — you never know what he’s going to play next. No matter what genre you like, there’s got to be something in his show for you – soul, funk, hip hop, jazz, classical…

Local musician Knox Bronson met up with Kev Choice and his ensemble while they were rehearsing in Jack London Square last week. Watch this video where Knox is trying to get to know Kev a little bit better…

Getting to Know Kev Choice’s Music

TONIGHT
8 p.m.
$14
Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero W.

10/23: The Pre-Halloween Scene

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23

Percolating Poetry
Spoken word is a mixed bag, and it’s not for everyone. But it might be worth checking out the spoken word scene at Farley’s East on the fourth Friday of each month. Instrumentation is encouraged by the sponsors of “Uptown, Downtown, and Around Town,” which promises one or two featured artists followed by an open mic.
7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
33 Grand Avenue
Free

Scholars on Ice
Cal is not exactly known for its ice hockey. How many people get excited about The Big Freeze? That’s when the Golden Bears take to the ice against Stanford. Still, five bucks to watch two decent teams clash over the puck is a good deal. On Friday, the Golden Bears take on Gonzaga University at the Oakland Ice Center. The Golden Bears are 4 and 3 this season, and they meet Gonzaga following a loss to UCLA last weekend.

Hockey: Cal Golden Bears vs. Gonzaga University
7  p.m.
Oakland Ice Center, 519 18^th Street
$5

Book reading: Anne Laughlin
Anne Laughlin reads at Laurel Books on Saturday evening. Her second bay, Veritas, will be out this fall. The Chicago-based writer has been published in anthologies by several well known lesbian and gay presses. Last year, she was named an Emerging Writer by the Lambda Literary Foundation.

7 p.m.
4100 MacArthur

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24

Neo-Soul at the New Parish
Meshelle Ndegeocello performs at the New Parish Friday night. One of the first neo-soul artists, Ndegeocello a D.C.-native, but a Berkeley transplant, is known for her husky sweet voice and a searching, philosophical take on the world.
Doors open at 8 p.m., Show starts at 9 p.m.
The New Parish, 579 18^th Street
$25

Brews and Boos
If Fairyland’s Halloween event is a tad too kid-centric for you, the pumpkin patch at the Dunsmuir House on Saturday will offer beer and sausages for the grown-ups. The only thing scary will be the polka music. Kids will enjoy the hay rides, the pumpkin carving, and old-fashioned games (and we don’t mean Pac Man.) One free pumpkin per family while supplies last. The event will be held around the Carriage House at Covington Gate.

11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Dunsmuir House, 2960 Peralta Oaks Court
Adults are $7, Ages 5 – 12 are $5, Five and under are free

F.A.S.T. Community Event
The second annual F.A.S.T. (For A Safe Town) community event will serve up entertainment, free food, and employment opportunities, and promises “lots of old fashioned fun.” This event is a result of the partnership between Youth Uprising, a community youth organization, and the Oakland Police Department and represents an ongoing effort to help heal relations between the community and the police.

Noon to 5 p.m.
Verdese Carter Park
98th & Bancroft

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25

Scaryland
Fairyland turns spooky this weekend for the annual Jack O’Lantern Jamboree. Come in costume and enjoy unlimited rides, parades, goody bags for kid, pirate school, plus the usual puppet shows and other Fairyland attractions. Admission for everyone is $10.

Saturday and Sunday, October 24-25, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
699 Bellevue Avenue
Admission $10
For more info, go to fairyland.org

Middle Eastern Treasure Concert
On Sunday afternoon, acclaimed Middle Eastern percussionist and recording artist Mary Ellen Donald will present a six-piece Arabic music ensemble. There will be singers from the Aswat Choir, a vocal ensemble called Mozaik, which will perform harmonies from around the world, belly dancing  by Amira Ariana and April Faith, and yes, audience dancing, too. They’ll bring out the wine and you’re welcome to take some food for a potluck. If you like Middle Eastern culture, you can’t miss this event.

2 p.m. to 5:15 pm
Humanist Hall, 390 27th Street, Oakland, CA 94609 (between Broadway and Telegraph)
$17 adults, $8 children under 12. No advance ticket sales
Ticket price includes complimentary wine and other beverages.

For more details call Mary Ellen at (510) 654-DRUM (3786)

TONIGHT: Jazz at Farley’s East

If you haven’t been to Farley’s East as yet, tonight’s a good night to check it out. They have live jazz tonight from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m with Nancy Wright’s Trio.

Oakland resident Nancy Wright performs with Robert Kennedy on organ and Casey Smiley on drums. Hear her music online at
www.myspace.com/nancywrightmusic

10/16: O-Scene’s Weekend Picks

Friday, October 16

Crabby Friday

This week, Lake Chalet debuts Crab Friday with whole steamed crabs for $24, a crab cocktail for $5 and happy hour on the dock and at all of the restaurants bars. Beers are $3, selected wines and cocktails are $5. The crab is all evening, but happy hour expires at 6 p.m.

4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
1520 Lakeside Drive
510-653-8660

Bench and Bar: Change of Venue

As if one needed any more evidence that Oakland’s Uptown district was jumping these days, the Bench and Bar is opening a new location in the site of the old @17th on Friday. Downtown’s venerable gay bar, and the host of the Mr. Gay Vaquero contest, will move to the new location, while the old spot will become Club 21. Stop by Friday night for their cross over party with a Live Performance by Lolene.
At Midnight, Bench and Bar @ 2111 Franklin Street will become Club 21. The official opening is October 22.

9 p.m. to 2 p.m.
bench-and-bar.com/

Saturday, October 17

Strange Beerfellows

File this event under Only in Oakland. The Rotary Club and Oaklandish (polar opposites on the hipness scale) are hosting a fundraiser at Linden Street Brewery. The afternoon will be an ideal time to try Linden Street’s two delicious brews: Urban People’s Lager and Burning Oak Black Lager. Star Meats made the brats. Ten bucks gets you a mug and two beers. The proceeds go to Bay Area Community Services and the Rotary Club’s community endowment.

12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Linden Street Brewery, 95 Linden Street

Plan for a Safer Oakland presents a community townhall

Saturday morning – head out to MetWest High School to meet the EastSide Arts Alliance staff and youth for a town hall meeting discussing safety. Meet other Oaklanders and local organizations and talk about Oakland’s future. There will be speakers, free food, child care & live performances.

Sponsored by Plan for a Safer Oakland; a community collaboration organized by All of Us or None and Critical Resistance. For more info: 510-444-4484

MetWest High School 314 E.10th Street
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Free

Black Panther Film Festival

Celebrate Black Panther month with a film festival at the Oakland Public Library. You can read about their events at the Chron’s In Oakland here.

1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
West Oakland Branch, 1801 Adeline
Questions: Veronica Lee 510-238-7352

Oakland’s Diwali Celebration

As you might know, Oakland is an attractive destination for refugees looking to resettle. Recently, many Sri Lankan Tamils as well as refugees from Bhutan and Nepal have been finding their way to Oaktown. A non-profit called RMD Housing and Support Services is hosting a little Diwali celebration to make them all feel at home this Saturday evening. For those of you that do not know what Diwali is, it is the festival of lights, celebrated across parts of south Asia. It’s a Hindu festival, but is often celebrated as a secular holiday in the Indian subcontinent. So if you know someone who might enjoy a taste of Diwali festivities, spread the word.

October 17, 5.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.
759 Barbara Road, Oakland
Free

Musical Monsters

Get out of the house to cheer the Monsters of Folk: Conor Oberst, Jim James, M Ward and Mike Mogis will perform for two and a half hours. You’ll hear new songs from the forthcoming album as well as music from Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket and M Ward.

Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph
8 p.m.
Tickets 39.50 to 45.50
thefoxoakland.com
monstersoffolk.com/

Sunday, October 18

Cedar Walton Performs

Pianist Cedar Walton has written popular tunes like Mosaic, Ugetsu and Bolivia used by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. He has been Abbey Lincoln’s accompanist and has made records with the likes of Lee Morgan and Hank Mobley.

From Yoshi’s website: “One of the most valued of all hard bop accompanists, Cedar Walton is a versatile pianist whose funky touch and cogent melodic sense has graced the recordings of many of jazz’s greatest players.”

Hear Cedar Walton this weekend at Yoshi’s, where he will be accompanied by Steve Nelson, Eric Alexander and others.

Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West
Friday and Saturday 8 p.m. shows $15;  10 p.m. shows $10
Sunday 2 p.m. kids matinee - $5 kids, $15 Adult
Sunday 7 p.m.  show $15
For tickets, go to the Yoshi’s website

10/09: Weekend plans

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8

Oakland International Film Festival

The 8th Annual Oakland International Film Festival kicks off Thursday evening, and runs until Wednesday. Movies shot as close to home as West O and from as far away as Pakistan will be screened the Grand Lake Theater, Maxwell’s Lounge, Jack London Theater, and Merritt College during the event. Click here for showtimes and a list of the films. (Above: Still from River of Renewal, screening at Maxwell’s lounge on Sunday, 9 p.m.)

Thursday, October 8 through Wednesday, October 14

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9

Prairie Home Companion in the DTO

So you didn’t want to brave the throngs in Golden Gate Park last weekend for the free bluegrass festival, but you still have a hankering for some fiddle playing? No worries. Berkeley’s own Laurie Lewis will play with Tom Rozum at the First Unitarian Church of Oakland Friday evening. You’ll have to pay for this gig, but the price is reasonable for big bluegrass names like these: $14 in advance at $18 at the door. The show is part of the ongoing Utunes Coffee House program.

Friday, October 9, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.
First Unitarian Church
685 14th Street
$5 for kids 6-15

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10

Oaktoberfest

There used to be breweries and beer gardens in what’s now the Dimond District, and the suds will be flowing there again when the neighborhood throws an Oaktoberfest this Saturday. To get that old Munich atmosphere, there’ll be a beer hall featuring brewers from all over the Bay, including the excellent beer from the Town’s own Linden Street Brewery. A homebrewer competition will determine who makes the best DIY beer in Oakland. It’s a family friendly scene with live music, food, and a rootbier garten for the kinder.

Saturday, October 10, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Corner of Fruitvale and MacArthur

Town Park Opening/Graffiti Battle

On Saturday, the much-awaited town park finally opens. K-Dub, a former teacher-turned-local skating celebrity, has spent the last few years taking this skate park from concept to reality. Celebrate the skate park’s “official” opening this weekend with him, lots of skaters and graffiti artists, who’re going to come out for the Big Battle: the Third Estria Annual Invitational Graffiti Battle.
Saturday, October 10, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
De Fremery Park, 18th & Adeline street  (West Oakland)
For a list of events associated with the battle, click here.

Sing Like Taylor Swift in Jack London Square

The radio station 95.7 – The Wolf will be in Jack London Square on Saturday from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. to host the Sing Like Taylor Swift contest. If you think you can sing like her, look up the rules over at their website and then head over to be videotaped by the Wolf.

1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Inside Jack London Square

East Bay for East Africa Fundraiser

Just last year a school opened in western Kenya with the goal of teaching young people from the area of Musoli critical trades such a sewing, welding, and other skills that can provide self reliance. The Saint Teresa Technical School was funded by the folks from East Bay for East Africa, a small non-profit that grew out of a conversation between a visiting Kenyan priest and an East Bay resident four years ago.  On Saturday night, East Bay for Africa holds its annual fundraiser at Uptown Body and Fender (the coolest body shop in the East Bay.) Tickets are $50 and $35 for folks under 35. RSVP here.

Saturday, October 10, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
401 26th Street

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11

Acclaimed violinist Regina Carter plays at Yoshi’s this weekend. This talented MacArthur fellow has wowed audiences worldwide with her ability to play across genres — classical, pop, jazz, even folk.

Regina Carter – violin
Will Holshouser – accordion
Yacouba Sissoko – kora
Chris Lightcap – bass
Alvester Garnett – drums & percussion

Thursday 8 p.m. & 10 p.m. shows $18
Friday – Saturday 8 p.m. & 10 p.m. $22
Sunday 2 p.m. Kids’ matinee: $5 Kids, $18 Adult (with kid), $22 Adult (general)
Sunday 7 p.m. $22

510  Embarcadero W.  For tix, visit http://yoshis.inticketing.com/

Tonight: A Greek Tragedy

Do you enjoy a good story? There are few that can compete with the ancient Greek tragedies.

Tonight, the Round Belly Theatre Company presents Orestia: Before the Furies, adapted from Aeschylus’ classic Greek trilogy. The modernized tale depicts the brutal and tragic ramifications of a blood curse on the House of Atreus. The story of a woman’s murder of her husband, and their children’s desperate revenge explores the complex web of vengeance and personal redemption that plagues a prominent house in an age of war, poverty and a public teetering on the brink of cultural apocalypse.

When: Thursday Oct 8th – Saturday Oct 10th @ 8pm
Where: The Noodle Factory, 1255 26th St @ Union, Oakland
How much: $10 Suggested donation.

The Full Moon Weekend

Photo by Steven Von Worley

First Friday

OakBook art critic Theo Konrad Auer gave his picks for this month in Oakland’s art scene, but Friday is the first of the month, and you know what that means.

Timed to coincide with Art Murmur, the artfest that goes down in Oakland once a month, Oakland’s marketing department is unveiling 510arts.com and something called the East Bay Cultural Corridor. It might be worth stopping by the party at Frank Ogawa Plaza Friday night, if only to catch a glimpse of the “luminous corridor,” an idea to make the Uptown area even cooler.

Friday, October 2, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Frank Ogawa Plaza

Workplace Communication Workshop

We human beings are so whacked out and kooky it’s amazing the average workplace is as sane as it is. Do you ever imagine what your office would be like if everyone really let their freak flags fly, and didn’t just dribble out their neuroses in small acts of passive aggressive behavior? Those little demonstrations of wounded hearts and bruised egos are bad enough. Enter Bay Area Nonviolent Communication to the rescue. The outfit is offering a workshop aimed at improving workplace relationships. Led by Miki Kashtan, the two-hour program promises to help coworkers deliver feedback without criticism and maintaining presence during difficult times (Don’t call in sick when everything starts going to hell.) The workshop is free, and the organizers hope that small outfits with no training budgets will send representatives. You know who needs to go in your office. Register by calling 510-433-0700.

October 2, Friday, 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
First Congregational Church of Oakland
2501 Harrison Street
Free

The Annual Black Cowboy Parade

Oakland’s pre-automobile history is not famous for black cowboys. In fact, it’s not famous for cowboys of any race. That’s never bothered the Oakland Black Cowboy Association. Since 1974 Oakland has been home to the organization’s annual Black Cowboy Parade. Over the last 35 years there have been competing events in locales one associates more readily with bronco busting and cattle drives, but the Oakland parade is the survivor. It’s the big show for the Oakland Black Cowboy Association, which spends the rest of the year teaching folks about the contributions of people of color in settling the American West. The spectacle of cowboys riding on horseback down 14th Street is worth a trip downtown.

October 3, Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The parade starts at DeFremery Park and finishes at Frank Ogawa Plaza

People Power Publications

Before there were bloggers, there were scrappy little rags printed on small presses serving folks who didn’t see themselves in the pages of the Trib and the Chron. The Oakland Public Library is launching its Black Panther Party History Month with an exhibit of “movement papers” from the 60s and 70s at the West Oakland Branch, not far from where many of the papers were printed. In addition to venerable mastheads like the Berkeley Barb, the exhibit has less well-known but equally fascinating publications like Flatlands and the SF Good Times. Stop by on Saturday and check out a DVD from the branch’s extensive African-American film collection.

Saturday, October 3, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
1801 Adeline Street
238-7352

Martin Webb at Zza’s

Obi Kauffman curates a show of Martin Webb’s paintings called “Fully Guaranteed Genuine Pure” at Zza’s Gallery. Here’s an excerpt from the artist’s statement: “This group of pictures result from thinking about migration and immigration, and particularly about the personal journeys that people make. They’re populated by a cast that includes hopeful day‐laborers, forgotten coal miners, and elusive coyotes caught in fragmented narratives in fragmented landscapes. When looking at the work it may be useful to know that I grew up in an English town where coal was mined until Mrs. Thatcher shut down both the mines and the town.”

Saturday, October 3 6pm – 9pm, Zza’s Gallery 550 Grand Avenue

Otsukimi at Lake Merritt

Quick! What’s Oakland’s Japanese sister city? You don’t know? What kind of global citizen are you?

Let’s be honest. City sister relationships are usually only useful to the politicians and local nabobs who get to go on free trips to foreign lands.  But on Sunday you can enjoy Oakland’s sororal bond to Fukuoka, the capital of Fukuoka Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, by contemplating the full moon in the bonsai garden near Lake Merritt. The free event starts at 5:30 and the moon viewing – or otsukimi – starts at 7:30. There’ll be martial arts demos and musicians performing Japanese folk music.

Sunday, October 4 5:30 pm, Lakeside Park Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Ave.