The Berkeley Path Wanderers Association is hosting a walk from the Berkeley Rose Garden to Grizzly Peak on Saturday, Aug. 8. Credit: Ximena Natera
Never miss local events! Sign up for Berkeleyside’s arts and culture newsletter, The Scene. And check out our roundup of affordable things to do anytime in Berkeley.
👹🚚 Five Little Monkeys brings a real monster truck to Fourth Street, along with raffles, prizes, crafts and hands-on toy testing. The truck will be on display resting quietly, so appropriate for all ages. Thursday, Aug. 6, 3-6 p.m. Fourth Street and Delaware. FREE
🇯🇵 This Intergenerational Peace Day Commemoration marking the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki features traditional koto music by East Bay master Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto, an origami crane folding project, an Obon dance and a recounting of the story of radiation victim Sadako Sasaki. Ages 8 and up. Thursday, Aug. 6, 3:30 p.m. Central Library Mystery Room. FREE
🍼 Celebrate World Breastfeeding Week at a family-friendly picnic hosted by the city. Swing by to grab free food, diapers and breastfeeding supplies. Friday, Aug. 7, 1-3 p.m. 2121 Tenth St. FREE
🎨 Get a glimpse of the artistic process in 2727 California Street’s latest exhibition “Timelapse: Works in Progress,” featuring unfinished works of art that invites audience members to directly engage with it and consider what constitutes “finished” or “gallery-ready” art. Opening reception is on Friday, Aug. 7, 6-8 p.m. Exhibition runs from Friday, Aug. 7 to Sunday, Aug. 16. 2727 California St. FREE
🎷 Berkeley-reared tenor saxophonist Kazemde George recently relocated from Brooklyn back to the Bay Area, and his sumptuously warm sound and expansive rhythmic sensibility is a welcome addition to the local scene. Friday, Aug. 7, 7 p.m. Jupiter. FREE
🎶 Six months of bassist Lisa Mezzacappa’s tenure as director of the Jazzschool has led to a flood of activities designed to turn the facility into a thrumming cultural center, like the new After Hours Vinyl Lounge, a late-night community hang where Jazzschool faculty and staff will spin their favorite jazz records from the in-house vinyl collection. Fridays, Aug. 7-28, 9:30 p.m. The Jazzschool. FREE
🌹 Start off your Saturday with a five mile, fast-paced group hike from the Berkeley Rose Garden to Grizzly Peak. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome. Saturday, Aug. 8, 9 a.m. Meet at 1200 Euclid Ave. FREE
🧑🎨 Local artists are invited to attend an open house for studio space in the former Half Price Books building in Downtown Berkeley. Studio pricing, sizes, access, availability, application details, and move-in timeline will all be reviewed during the preview. Saturday, Aug. 8, 11 a.m. 2036 Shattuck Ave. FREE
💃 Uruguayan-born percussionist Edgardo Cambon is in the midst of a series of gigs celebrating four decades as a musical force on the Bay Area Latin music scene, including this outdoor dance session with Edgardo Cambón y su Orquesta. Saturday, Aug. 8, 1-4 p.m. 1780 Fourth Street. FREE
🖼️ Watch artists demonstrate their craft in real time at the ACCI Gallery’s Demo Day. This month’s theme is “Mixed Doubles,” featuring Karen Mason doing resin layer painting, Mayumi Fujio doing botanical printing and Eric Blanpied doing woodworking. Saturday, Aug. 8, 1-4 p.m. FREE
🪴 Unwind at Berkeley Horticultural Nursery’s Paint and Pinot, where you’ll get a terracotta pot to paint, two drinks, a plant to add to your pot and a BHN reusable mug. Saturday, Aug. 8, 2 p.m. 1310 McGee Ave. $40
✏️ The Marin Poetry Center is coming to Berkeley for their travelling show, where six poets will read their poems aloud. Saturday, Aug. 8, 2-4 p.m. South Branch Library. FREE
🎶 Bay Area-based band Alchemy will be playing hits from Earth, Wind & Fire, Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars and more in a space-themed dance party. Audience members must be 21+. Saturday, Aug. 8, 7-10 p.m. Yeti Sports Bar and Restaurant. $5
🎸 A gust of brilliant young Black musicians is breathing new life into the blues, a refreshing blast that includes 19-year-old Mississippi guitar phenomenon Harrel Davenport, a skilled songwriter, fat‑toned harmonica player, and a persuasive vocalist whose debut album, “Young Rell” was just released on the Little Village Foundation label. Sunday, Aug. 9, 7 p.m. The Back Room. $25-$30
🌹 The library’s focus on body art continues with a presentation on women in tattooing and the tattoo community by Karen Roze, owner and founder of Sacred Rose Tattoo. With more than a quarter century of tattooing experience, Roze makes a rare speaking appearance to share stories about her experiences as a woman tattoo artist in the greater Bay Area community. Monday, Aug. 10, 6 p.m. Central Library Art & Music Study Hall. FREE
🕺 Every Monday, learn Irish ceilí dancing (a form of Irish folk dancing) at the Starry Plough Pub. Lessons for beginners start at 7:30 p.m., intermediate lessons start at 8 p.m., and group dancing with live music begins at 8:45 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10 and all subsequent Mondays, 7-11 p.m. FREE ($5 suggested donation)
📚 S.C. Godfrey presents her new mystery “The Enigma Challenge” in conversation Michelle Chouinard, detailing the story of lonely California academic Zoe Wilder, whose life studying literary ciphers takes a harrowing turn at a Madrid conference when she triggers the Enigma Challenge, a clandestine puzzle competition few dare to enter. Tuesday, Aug. 11, 7 p.m. Mrs. Dalloway’s Bookstore. FREE (registration recommended)
🗓️ See more things to do in Oakland and Richmond. And check out our big list of affordable things to do anytime in Berkeley. Sign up for our weekly arts and culture newsletter, The Scene.
If there’s an event you’d like us to consider for this roundup, email us at the-scene@berkeleyside.org. The deadline to submit events for Around Berkeley is end-of-day Monday. If there’s an event that you’d like to promote on our calendar, you can use the self-submission form on our events page.
We know that most readers don’t get to the end of the article. But you did! To support our in-depth, rock-solid reporting, please consider making a donation to our nonprofit newsroom today. We rely on our readers — particularly the ones who read the whole story!
“*” indicates required fields