The Oakland Weekend

A Contemplative Angel on the Crocker Tomb (Photo Mountain View Cemetery)

Friday

King Kong
It’s been remade twice in the last 75 years, and both versions failed to match the original RKO masterpiece of 1933. See King Kong the way the great ape was meant to be seen, on a huge screen in one of the nation’s great Art Deco film palaces. Watch Kong swat biplanes from atop the Empire State Building at the Paramount Theatre Friday night. The doors open at 7 pm.

What: King Kong
When: Friday, July 9, Movie Starts at 8 pm, Mighty Wurlitzer at 7:30 pm
Where: Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway
How Much: $5

Hairspray
The Woodminster Summer Musical series opens with Hairspray. Woodminster favorite Greg Carlson takes his first turn in drag as Edna Turnblad in the musical based on John Waters’ 1988 film. As always, champagne will be served on opening night.

What: Hairspray at Woodminster Amphitheater
When: Friday, July 9, 8 pm
Where: Woodminster Amphitheater, Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Road
How Much: $25-$45

The Princess Bride
Angry apes not your thing? What about The Princess Bride, The sweetly goofy fairytale beloved by gentle nerds everywhere? See it for free at the Redwoods Heights Recreation Center.

What: Princess Bride
When: Friday, July 9, 8:15 pm – 10:15 pm
Where: Redwood Heights Rec Center, 3883 Aliso Avenue
How Much: Free

Sun Ceremony
Here’s the pitch: Come to drum and stare at the sun. Oakland-based artist David Wilson in collaboration with artist Chris Duncan, opens the Berkeley Art Museum to a “fully participation-based drum and light orchestration” Friday evening. There will be “light projections and visual guidance from Jeffrey Manson (Misto Reef Lights), a Chladni singing performance by Meara O’Reilly (Avocet), and SUN choir.”

What: L@TE: Friday Nights
When: Friday, July 9, Doors open at 6, Ceremony starts at 7:30 pm
Where: Berkeley Art Museum, 2626 Bancroft Way
How Much: $5, free for members and UC Berkeley students, faculty, and staff

Some Kinda
Dwele blends neo-soul, hip-hop, and jazz the way few musicians can. The sly musician and songwriter will be at Yoshi’s in Jack London Square all weekend. His new album is called “Some Kinda,” which gets it just about right.

What: Dwele at Yoshi’s Oakland
When: Friday, Saturday & Sunday, July 9, 10 & 11, 8 pm – 10 pm, 7 pm – 9 pm Sunday
Where: Yoshi’s. 510 Embarcadero West
How Much: $28

Saturday

Walking Tour of Mountain View Cemetery
One of the loveliest spots in our city is Mountain View Cemetery. It’s also fairly described as “California’s most historic” boneyard. Meet some of the legendary figures from our state’s past who made this corner of the Oakland Hills their last home on a walking tour sponsored by the Oakland Heritage Alliance. Barbara Smith and Michael Crowe are the tour leaders.

What: Walking Tour of Mountain View Cemetery
When: Saturday, July 10, 10 am – 12:30 pm
Where: Meet at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Avenue
How Much: $15, $10 OHA members

Comics and Islam
G. Willow Wilson is an American author who lived in Cairo for four years. When she was there,  she met her husband and converted to Islam. She also wrote the graphic novel “Cairo.” Wilson will be at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California Saturday night to talk about her new book, “The Butterfly Mosque.”

What: G. Willow Wilson
When: Saturday, July 10, 6 pm – 7:30 pm
Where: Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California, 1433 Madison Street
How Much: $7, $5 for students

Sunday

Rowing Races on Lake Merritt
For the second year in a row the Lake Merritt Rowing Club is hosting the United States Rowing Association’s SW Masters Regionals on Lake Merritt. More than 800 rowers are expected to be racing 1,000 meter sprints. There is excellent viewing along Lakeshore Avenue, at the City Sailboat House, as well as the grounds near the remodeled Lake Merritt Boathouse on Lakeside Drive (the start line). Or have a drink at Lake Chalet while watching the races.

What: Rowing Club Hosts USRA Masters Regionals
When: Sunday, July 11, 7:30 am – 5 pm
Where: Lake Merritt
How Much: Free 

Justa Space Queen
We’re excited about our next show at Art@TheOakBook. Two women artists who have been inspired by the cannabis movement have joined forces to install “Justa Space Queen” at our Jack London Square location. Come to the opening to see the work ofMonika Lea Jones and Smokie of Guns and Brushes.

What: Justa Space Queen
When: Sunday, July 11, 12 pm – 3 pm
Where: Art@TheOakBook, 423 Water Street
How Much: Free

12/11: Your O-Scene Weekend’s Here

The weekend starts today with the Holiday Buy Night market in Jack London Square. There’s shopping, more shopping, lots of art, parties, music and a lot more to see and do in Oak-town this weekend.

Tonight: Holiday Buy Night

Tonight, come to Jack London Square to shop for gifts, accessories, clothes, art and specialty items that were made and manufactured locally. Hosts Oakland Unwrapped, ProArts, Oakland Grown and Jack London Square want this event to be your mall-ternative.

Jack London Market, 55 Harrison Street @ Water Street
Thursday and Friday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, December 11

Strumming, Picking, and Sawing

A banjo, a fiddle, and a geetar – that’s the Paper Crocodiles. The Oakland trio will be one of three East Bay bands performing at Mama Buzz Friday evening. The Paper Crocodiles, along with Scattered Like Birds, and Glass Cake will be at the venerable coffee house/art gallery starting at 7 pm. A $3 donation is suggested.

Friday, 7 p.m.
2318 Telegraph Avenue
$3 Donation

Uptown Improv

There’s something about the daredevilry of improv that makes audience participation inevitable. If the performers go down in flames, the house goes with them. The improv masters at Pan Theater take the thrilling demolition of the fourth wall a step further by using audience suggestions as the departure points for their sketches. On Friday night, Pan’s performers put on a theater jam and comedy show with both comedic and dramatic sketches.

Friday, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m.
2135 Broadway
$10 at the door

The Wiz at the Fox

This is the inaugural event of the Oakland School for the Arts in the Fox Theatre. If you feel like seeing some musical theater at the Fox, or are just curious about the school that Jerry Brown built, this is your chance. And they have a special offer for you — If you buy 20 or more general admission tickets, you’ll get 50% off the adult $20 tickets.

Friday, 7 p.m.
Fox theater, 1807 Telegraph
Tickets: $30, $20, $10 (youth and seniors)

Beer fest

Old Oakland’s beer bar, the Trappist is hosting the KerstBier festival this weekend. They’ll have more than 20Belgian, Danish, French and America Christmas beers for you to try out.

Friday & Saturday; Starts at 4 p.m. on Friday
The Trappist, 460 8th Street,www.thetrappist.com,(510)326-5881
$25 tasting flight includes commemorative glass & 5 – 5 oz samples

A Long Way from the Cabbage Patch: Art@TheOakbook’s Holiday Art Show

This holiday season, Art@theOakBook invites you to discover the work of six local emerging artists who have received positive critical accolades on the local and national level. Affordable art will be presented by Marcos LaFarga, Kevin Earl Taylor, Jake Watling, Savanna Snow, Theo Konrad Auer, and Joel Scilley. Their beautiful – and inexpensive — artworks make for great Made-in-Oakland holiday gifts.

Friday, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Art@theOakBook, 423 Water Street (inside Jack London Square)
The show runs through January 9, 2010 (Disclosure: This gallery is run by the OakBook.)

SATURDAY, December 12

Jingletown Art Walk

It’s called Jingletown because the Portuguese cannery workers who used to work there would jingle their wages in their pockets on the way home from work. You can stroll the neighborhood tucked between I-880 and the Estuary Saturday and Sunday with an eye for affordable, local art. The many artists who now live and work in Jingletown are holding their 4th annual Holiday Art Walk. Click here for directions and a list of participating artists. You’ll get to see mosaic art, metal work, ceramic sculpture, oil paintings, stationary, and much more.

Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Fun for Kids: Candy Cottages

The Museum for Children’s art is calling kids to build candy cottage or cookie castle using sugary frosting paste, licorice, lollipops, gumdrops and more.  Your kids will have their fair share of sticky, gooey fun.

The Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA), 538 9th Street,  510-465-8770, www.mocha.org
Saturday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
$7 per child, $3 per adult (This includes the cost of all materials)
No need to pre-register

KFOG’s 24th Annual Concert for Kids to benefit Toys for Tots and Ronald McDonald House

The concert features Brandi Carlile, Mat Kearney, and Eoin Harrington. Concert attendees are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped book or toy to donate to the Marines’ Toys for Tots program. Proceeds from tickets sales benefit The Ronald McDonald House of San Francisco.

The Paramount, 2025 Broadway
Saturday, December 12 @ 7 p.m.
Doors open 60 minutes before show time.
$125.00, $65.00, $50.00, $45.00, $35.00

For more, visit KFOG

LOCAL LOVE

Join Rowan Morrison Gallery and the businesses of the 40th Street Corridor are hosting Local Love, a holiday stroll and an informal open house.

If you didn’t already know, Rowan Morrison is one of the best galleries in Oakland. Their show Double Exposure is worth seeing. If that weren’t enough, they’ll be serving up chai, snacks, treats, & drinks (later on).  The other businesses in the corridor include Manifesto Bicycles, Premium Tattoo and Vintage, 1234GO! Records

Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Rowan Morrison, 330 40^th Street
http://www.rowanmorrison.com/doubleexposure.html

SUNDAY, December 13

Let us Break Bread Together

This is Oakland’s musical holiday event. The Oakland East Bay Symphony celebrates the holidays with performances of gospel music, classical selections and other holiday favorites, as well as a few sing-alongs. The ever-popular Michael Morgan conducts the orchestra. You’ll also see (and hear) the Oakland Symphony Chorus, Terrance Kelly and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, Mt. Eden High School Choir, Klezmer ensemble  Kugelplex, and others.

Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway
Sunday, 4 p.m.
Tickets: $40, $25, $15, $10 (youth), Family pack – $50

The Silver Screen

WE Artspace, the brainchild of artists Tina Dillman and Naaman Rosen, hosts the first of its short film series – the Silver Screen. In December, WE will be showcasing California film-makers, who explore the realm of documentary and experimental film through portraits and music. We will be screening short films by Brigid McCaffrey, Erika Anderson, K.C. Bull, Molly Snyder-Fink, Orlando Richards and Luke Judd.

Sunday, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
768 40th Street (two blocks west of the MacArthur Bart Station)
$2 donation at the door, snacks and beverages available.
For more, visit their website.

Get Those Cool gifts at the Crucible

Support local artists and community arts education for youth and adults while you shop at the Crucible’s Holiday Gifty celebration. Shop for gifts created by over 70 Bay Area artisans — handmade jewelry, glass creations, sculpture, clothing, ceramics and more. Catch the demonstrations of glass blowing, metal casting and blacksmithing
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Santa gets in at 1 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
1260 7th Street, 510-444-0919, http://thecrucible.org
Free admission

Saturday: Tibetan Breakfast

Churu, it’s what the folks eat for breakfast in Kongpo, a Tibetan area of China along the banks of the Yarlung River. Learn to make this delicious fermented cheese soup, along with parched barley flour, and tingmo, a steamed leavened bread at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center Saturday morning. There’s a $30 donation to cover materials, but no one will be turned away. Space is limited, so call to make sure there’s a spot: 510-637-0462.

Saturday, December 12 10 am – 1pm
388 9th Street
$30 Donation for materials