Summer may be coming to an end, but the fun doesn’t stop in Oakland as the real summer heat extends into the fall. This week, Children’s Fairyland’s puppet theater is marking a huge milestone with a whole weekend of celebrations that allow visitors to get a behind-the-scenes tour of how the theater works. Afterward, if you want to shake your hips, stop by the Edoff Memorial Bandstand at Lake Merritt for an afternoon of salsa dancing. 

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Hot Ticket in The Town this week: 70th Anniversary of Fairyland’s historic puppet theater

The Open Storybook Puppet Theater at Fairyland is celebrating this milestone with a two-day celebration. Attendees will be able to get exclusive behind-the-scenes tours of the historic theater; enjoy an all-day archive showcase in the Merry Meadow featuring hand-crafted original puppets that span seven decades of Fairyland performances; and engage in plenty of interactive activities for children. 
Saturday, Aug. 29 and Sunday, Aug. 30, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., $18+, 699 Bellevue Ave.

Xicana Moratorium block party

EastSide Arts Alliance, the longstanding East Oakland nonprofit, is hosting its annual Xicana Moratorium block party. The festival honors the legacy of resistance of the Chicano Moratorium that took place in Los Angeles in 1970. While typically held in San Antonio Park, this year’s festival will take place at the arts organization’s headquarters. The afternoon event will include music by DJ La Femme Papi, food by Tacos Mi Barrio, facepainting, screenprinting, a children’s art station, and other activities. 
Saturday, Aug. 29, 12 to 5 p.m., free, 2310 E. 12th St.

Salsa by the Lake

The event that brings salsa dancing enthusiasts to Lake Merritt is coming back to the bandstand for an afternoon of twirling and quick-slow steps. You can bring a partner or find one on the dance floor.
Sunday, Aug. 30, 2 to 5 p.m., free, Edoff Memorial Bandstand at Lake Merritt, Lakeside Park, off Bellevue Avenue

Dorothea Lange, “Japanese Owned Grocery Store,” Oakland, 1942. Film negative digitized for the Oakland Museum of California. Credit: courtesy of the Dorothea Lange Collection, the Oakland Museum of California.

Project Plethora at The Continental Club Oakland

Four Bay Area artists are teaming up for this immersive dancing event, where four DJs will be spinning everything from jazz to house, R&B, disco, Afro beat. The organizers call the event, “a space and time to be free and expressive. Reminding you to love the life you live and live the life you love.”
Sunday, Aug. 30, 8 p.m., $20, 18 and up, Continental Club, 1658 12th St.

Weekly life drawing classes at Faultline Gallery

If you are looking for a chance to unleash your inner artist, then this weekly class in the Laurel is for you. The class, open to beginners and experienced artists, features a professional model who will pose for the class. You can bring your own materials or borrow from the gallery. No need to bring a drawing bench, an easel or a board as the gallery will provide them. Space for the class is limited.
Every Monday, 6 to 9 p.m., $20, Faultline Gallery, 3908 MacArthur Blvd.

Coming soon to The Town: ‘BeHere/1942: A New Lens on the Japanese American Incarceration’ at OMCA

Media artist Masaki Fujihata found historical photographs by photographers like Dorothea Lange and Russell Lee from documenting the forced removal of Japanese Americans from Oakland and Los Angeles during World War II and transformed them into large-scale projections, video, and augmented reality that invite viewers to reflect on how visual narratives shape our civic understanding of history. The works will be displayed inside a gallery and, through an AR app, on Oak Street Plaza. The exhibit will be on display through Dec. 26.
Opens on Friday, Sept. 18, see website for times, $15 to $25, free for children 12 and under, OMCA, 1000 Oak St.

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