{"id":315536,"date":"2026-05-14T15:39:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T15:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/315536\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T15:39:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T15:39:09","slug":"around-berkeley-the-lunchbox-at-berkeley-rep-magic-the-gathering-meetup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/315536\/","title":{"rendered":"Around Berkeley: &#8216;The Lunchbox&#8217; at Berkeley Rep; Magic the Gathering meetup"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Victory-Point-Cafe-games-04.webp\" alt=\"\"\/>Victory Point Cafe hosts a Magic the Gathering meetup every Sunday morning for players of all levels, including absolute beginners. Credit: Kelly Sullivan<\/p>\n<p>Never miss local events!\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.berkeleyside.org\/sign-up-for-the-scene-newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Sign up for Berkeleyside\u2019s arts and culture newsletter, The Scene<\/a>. And check out our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.berkeleyside.org\/2023\/10\/17\/things-to-do-berkeley\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">roundup of affordable things to do anytime in Berkeley<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83e\uddd9 Experienced players, absolute beginners, and folks in between are all welcome to a casual Magic the Gathering meetup happening every Sunday. An online Discord group is also available for those who want to connect with other Magic the Gathering players. Sunday, May 17 and all Sundays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Victory Point Cafe. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.victorypointcafe.com\/pages\/events\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$12 reservation fee, or buy at least two items from the cafe<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udf39 Join the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association on a walk from the Berkeley Rose Garden to Grizzly Peak Boulevard and back. Bring extra layers and water, and the walk will be cancelled if there\u2019s rain. Thursday, May 14, 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m. Meet at 1200 Euclid Ave. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.berkeleypaths.org\/upcoming-events\/2026\/5\/14\/pop-up-walk-rose-garden-to-grizzly-peak?ss_source=sscampaigns&amp;ss_campaign_id=6a024467885a03767b2a707d&amp;ss_email_id=6a024558a4c88f5332ebc9e3&amp;ss_campaign_name=Popup+Walk+From+Rose+Garden+To+Grizzly+Peak&amp;ss_campaign_sent_date=2026-05-11T21%3A08%3A55Z\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udf75 Bring out your guitar, ukulele or other string instrument for a casual strumming and tea social with other music lovers at Teance. Thursday, May 14 and every second and fourth Thursday, 5-7 p.m. 1036 Grayson St. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teance.com\/strumming-and-tea-social.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Admission is to buy one pot of tea or tea flight.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\udded The Sampaguitas, featuring Jenevieve Francisco, Cristina Ibarra, and Aireene Espiritu, sing Filipino folk songs and inspired originals in three-part harmony, music inspired by folk sources, blues, doo-wop girl groups, and the Filipinx-American diaspora. Thursday, May 14, 6 p.m. South Branch. <a href=\"https:\/\/berkeleypubliclibrary.libnet.info\/event\/15942218\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfad Blending storytelling, stand-up, original songs, iconic pop covers and lively audience interactions, this fast-moving solo show invites audiences to laugh, sing along and celebrate the vivifying chaos of chasing a show biz dream that refuses to die in Noemi Zeigler\u2019s \u201cThe Madeline Minx Cabaret.\u201d Thursday, May 14, 7:30 p.m. The Marsh.<a href=\"https:\/\/themarsh.org\/shows_and_events\/noemi-zeigler-the-madeline-minx-cabaret\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> $15-$100<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2600\ufe0f Fourth Street is hosting a Rooted on Fourth outdoor market, where you can explore local vendors and enjoy activities such as a DIY succulent station, yoga classes, live drawing and permanent jewelry. Friday, May 15, 1-5 p.m. 1901 Fourth St. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fourthstreetmakersrow.com\/upcoming-events\/2026\/5\/15\/rooted-on-fourth\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcda Acclaimed poet and Brown University professor Eleni Sikelianos celebrates the publication of her new book, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/citylights.com\/city-lights-published\/memory-rehearsal\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Memory Rehearsal<\/a>,\u201d about how her great-grandmother Eva Sikelianos became a heroic figure in early 20th century Greece after earning notoriety running a Sapphic salon in Paris while holding backyard performances based on reimagining Sappho\u2019s work and life. She\u2019s joined in conversation by El Cerrito poet, critic and playwright Tess Taylor. Friday, May 15, 7 p.m. Mrs. Dalloway\u2019s Bookstore. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/eleni-sikelianos-memory-rehearsal-in-store-event-and-book-signing-tickets-1986778122848?aff=oddtdtcreator&amp;keep_tld=true\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE (RSVP)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfb6 Don\u2019t think you have an ear for music? Join an experiential music game for non-musicians \u2014 part storytelling, part improv, part party \u2014 where a group builds a song together live. Friday, May 15, 7-9:30 p.m. Lumen Labs. <a href=\"https:\/\/partiful.com\/e\/MNzjc5WsPbBoNEtnbbbx\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE (RSVP)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfa9 One of the younger members of the <a href=\"https:\/\/oaklandside.org\/2025\/02\/28\/oakland-magic-circle-turns-100\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Oakland Magic Circle<\/a>, Michael Nguyen presents a show of classic feats of prestidigitation, mystifying audiences of all ages. Saturday, May 16, 2 p.m. North Branch. <a href=\"https:\/\/berkeleypubliclibrary.libnet.info\/event\/16321124\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfd9\ufe0f Take part in the art workshop \u201cMake a \u2018Re-cycled\u2019 City,\u201d where you will learn to collect recycled materials, techniques for joining different materials (plastic, wood, cardboard, textiles, found objects) and build the parts of a miniature city (buildings, streets, traffic lights, etc.) with others. The final product will be presented in the exhibit \u201cStreet Encounters\u201d at Gallery 2727. Saturday, May 16, 2-4 p.m. 2727 California St. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DXu9qhij85t\/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u271d\ufe0f The Ephesian Church of God in Christ \u2014 the site of myriad 1960s Civil Rights gatherings and recording site of Edwin Hawkins\u2019s gospel song \u201cOh Happy Day\u201d \u2014\u00a0 is celebrating its 100th year anniversary with a weekend-long celebration, including a Pew Rally and celebration service. Attendees and artists include Bishop Donald Ray Murray, National Chairman Church of God in Christ Board of Bishops; recording artist Lawrence Matthews; and psalmist Afreda Lyons-Campbell. Pew Rally is on Saturday, May 16 at 5 p.m., and celebration service is on Sunday, May 17. 1709 Alcatraz Ave. FREE (donations appreciated)<\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfb8 A chaotic force in East Bay rock \u2018n\u2019 roll since he was at Cragmont Elementary School in the mid-1960s, Rubinoosguitarist Alex Carlinreturns to Berkeley for a show featuring music he performed across the length and breadth of Russia over hundreds of shows with a power trio and vocalist Schatzie Frisch. Saturday, May 16, 8 p.m. The Back Room. <a href=\"https:\/\/events.humanitix.com\/alex-carlin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$20<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2721\ufe0f Klez California\u2019s Joy of Jewish Music and Dance series continues with a jam session preceded by dance instruction led by Bruce Bierman, who draws on Yemenite, Mizrahi, Chasidic, Sephardic, klezmer and classic Israeli traditions, and music led by Boston-based clarinetist Nat Seelen, the founder and artistic director of the Boston Festival of New Jewish Music. Sunday, May 17, 2 p.m. Congregation Netivot Shalom. <a href=\"https:\/\/klezcalifornia.org\/events\/the-joy-of-jewish-music-and-dance-3\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$25-$54<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfbb Berkeley composer Erika Oba premieres her new Collective Counterpoint commission \u201cThe Kakehashi Project\u201d for taiko soloist Kohtaro Yamakawa and string orchestra, bridging Japanese drumming traditions with the sound world of Western classical strings. Sunday, May 17, 4 p.m. Kensington Community Center. <a href=\"https:\/\/collectivecounterpoint.art\/the-kakehashi-project\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$22<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udde8 A stellar constellation of artists come together to celebrate composer Terry Riley\u2019s 90th birthday, including Bang an a Can All-Stars, Berkeley saxophonist George Brooks, and former Kronos Quartet violist Hank Dutt (but Riley won\u2019t be on hand for the party). Sunday, May 17, 7 p.m. The Freight. <a href=\"https:\/\/secure.thefreight.org\/15354\/15361-terry-riley-90th-birthday-celebration-260517\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$44-$69<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\ude0b Berkeley Rep presents \u201cThe Lunchbox,\u201d an adaptation of Ritesh Batra\u2019s internationally acclaimed film filled with heart, humor and hope. In bustling Mumbai, a lunchbox delivery meant for one man lands in the hands of another, sparking an unlikely bond between a young wife longing to be seen and a widower nearing retirement. As notes pass back and forth with each meal, their words blossom into a romance that might save them both. Show runs from Sunday, May 17 to Sunday, June 28. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.berkeleyrep.org\/shows\/the-lunchbox-nkft?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23782431742&amp;gbraid=0AAAAABm9-UuRwypRU7OCmlQsFtbN4gYOo&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwn4vQBhBsEiwAq3hhN5Rt6BMVu-JB_NRK2O8SmBNjnjKvek8aYuMuinS-HVBommSm_VDe0hoC3YAQAvD_BwE\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$32-$113<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 Straight outta Odessa, the Ukrainian band Kommuna Lux performs what they call \u201cOdesa Gangsta Folk,\u201d a turbo-charged blend of klezmer and folk songs hailing the Black Sea port\u2019s vivid gallery of ne\u2019er-do-wells, smugglers, femmes fatales, and thieves, with vocalist Bagrat Tsurkan and his virtuosic crew delivering tunes with brio, irony and caustic humor. Sunday, May 17, 7 p.m. The Back Room. <a href=\"https:\/\/events.humanitix.com\/kommuna-lux\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$25-$30<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcd1 Get feedback on your poetry by award-winning Berkeley poet Ray Hsu. Each session will begin with a reading of your original poetry, followed by detailed commentary and open-ended conversation. Tuesday, May 19, 4-7 p.m. Central Library. <a href=\"https:\/\/berkeleypubliclibrary.libnet.info\/event\/16121505\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE (RSVP required to book one 15-minute session)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udf3a Celebrate the life of Clare Cooper Marcus and the release of her posthumous book \u201cGroundbreaking: My Unmapped Path as an Academic, Mother and Gardener\u201d that chronicles her life growing up as an evacuee during WWII, becoming a pioneering woman in academia, raising a family as a single mother, and lyrical \u201cGarden Stories\u201d \u2014 meditations rooted in her Berkeley garden that serve as metaphors for growth, loss and renewal. Wednesday, May 20, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. <a href=\"https:\/\/mrsdalloways.com\/event\/2026-05-20\/celebrate-clare-cooper-marcus-and-her-book-groundbreaking\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f\u00a0See more things to do\u00a0in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/oaklandside.org\/events\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Oakland<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/richmondside.org\/events\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Richmond<\/a>.\u00a0And check out our big list of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.berkeleyside.org\/2025\/10\/14\/things-to-do-berkeley\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">affordable things to do<\/a>\u00a0anytime in Berkeley.\u00a0Sign up for our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.berkeleyside.org\/newsletters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">weekly arts and culture newsletter<\/a>, The Scene.<\/p>\n<p>If there\u2019s an event you\u2019d like us to consider for this roundup, email us at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.berkeleyside.org\/2026\/05\/14\/mailto:the-scene@berkeleyside.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">the-scene@berkeleyside.org<\/a>. The deadline to submit events for Around Berkeley is end-of-day Monday. If there\u2019s an event that you\u2019d like to promote on our calendar, you can use the self-submission form on our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.berkeleyside.org\/events\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">events page<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>We know that most readers don&#8217;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 \u2014 particularly the ones who read the whole story!<\/p>\n<p class=\"gform_required_legend\">&#8220;*&#8221; indicates required fields<\/p>\n<p>\t<script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Victory Point Cafe hosts a Magic the Gathering meetup every Sunday morning for players of all levels, including&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":315537,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[7971,2465,2466,143,145,144],"class_list":["post-315536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-oakland","tag-around-berkeley","tag-home-highlight","tag-home-lead","tag-oakland","tag-oakland-headlines","tag-oakland-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=315536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315536\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/315537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=315536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=315536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=315536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}