{"id":385518,"date":"2026-07-03T23:40:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T23:40:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/385518\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T23:40:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T23:40:22","slug":"around-berkeley-alice-in-wonderland-gilman-first-fridays-playreaders-circle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/385518\/","title":{"rendered":"Around Berkeley: Alice in Wonderland, Gilman First Fridays, Playreaders Circle"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/large-John-Hinkel-Park-reopens-historic-Amphitheater-and-a-new-playground-after-years-of-restoration.webp\" alt=\"\" style=\"width:780px;height:auto\"\/>The amphitheater at John Hinkel Park. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside\/CatchLight Local<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc07 Follow the White Rabbit to the hidden jewel known as the John Hinkel Park Amphitheater to experience Brainerd Duffield\u2019s adaptation of \u201cAlice in Wonderland,\u201d directed by Michael Sally. Saturdays and Sundays (plus Friday, July 3) through July 19, 4 p.m. John Hinkel Park. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aeofberkeley.org\/productions\/upcoming-shows\/135-at-live-oak-theatre\/435-alice-in-wonderland-opens-july-3rd-2026\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE (reservations encouraged)<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\uddbc\ufe0f Admission is free at BAMPFA on the first Thursday of each month. Thursday, July 2 and subsequent first Thursdays, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. <a href=\"https:\/\/bampfa.org\/event\/free-first-thursdays\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83c\udfad The Playreaders Circle meets the first three Thursdays of the month to read aloud from plays, changing parts frequently so everyone gets a chance to bring theater to life. Thursday, July 2, noon-1 p.m. Central Library. <a href=\"https:\/\/berkeleypubliclibrary.libnet.info\/event\/15990002\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2699\ufe0f East Bay Makers Club \u2014 Berkeley\u2019s newest makerspace \u2014 is celebrating its grand opening with hands-on demos, community activities, a special appearance by founder of the Maker Movement Dale Dougherty and an opportunity to join the founding member cohort. Friday, July 3, noon-midnight. 1619 San Pablo Ave. <a href=\"https:\/\/eastbaymakersclub.com\/#calendar\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83c\udf77 The Gilman Wine Block hosts Gilman First Fridays, where you can enjoy live music and art while perusing natural wine and local vendors during the first Friday of each month. Friday, July 3 and subsequent first Fridays, 3-8 p.m. Donkey and Goat Winery. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitberkeley.com\/events\/first-friday-block-party\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83d\ude08 The Starry Plough puts the frisky fun back into the pursuit of happiness with a Sindependence Day celebration featuring burlesque artists Cat Sweet and Rosa Robada with Oakland surf rockers the Helltones, trailer-park punkers Fail Salon and the burlesque-inspired pop-punk band the Hyper Drive Kittens. Friday, July 3, 7 p.m. Starry Plough. <a href=\"https:\/\/thestarryplough.com\/tickets\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$19<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83c\udfb6 The summer jazz-youth tide continues to surge with 20-year-old San Francisco-reared, Brooklyn-based bassist Sedge Green, who presents a program of original music for a quintet powered by drummer Miles Turk. Friday, July 3, 8 p.m. The Back Room. <a href=\"https:\/\/events.humanitix.com\/sedge-green-group\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$20-$25<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83c\udfca Cool off during the Fourth of July weekend by swimming in West Campus Pool or King Pool, which will have additional community swim hours for the holiday weekend. Payment is not taken on-site, so make sure to pay admission online before going. Saturday, July 4, noon-5 p.m. <a href=\"https:\/\/berkeleyca.gov\/community-recreation\/events\/4th-july-community-swim-west-campus-pool\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$7-$8 for a daily pass<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf7 Performing as Esot\u00e9rica Tropical, Puerto Rico-raised Maria Jose Montijo is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and sound healer whose charismatic performances turn into dance parties, mesmerizing spectacles, and welcoming communions. Sunday, July 5, 7 p.m. Open Doors.<a href=\"https:\/\/partiful.com\/e\/y5F1PJ2KCfSTamqti9VY\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> $20-$40<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83c\udfad A narrative longform group based in the Bay Area, Improv On Demand hosts a first-Monday-of-the-month improv session, which opens with a show and closes with a jam. Come for a fully unscripted play, and stick around for a guided group improv fracas afterwards. Monday, July 6, 7:30 p.m. The Marsh. <a href=\"https:\/\/themarsh.ludus.com\/show_page.php?show_id=200530396\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$10-$25<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udcda Legal expert, Strict Scrutiny podcast cohost, and NY Times bestselling author Melissa Murray discusses her new guide \u201cThe U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader\u201d in conversation with Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of UC Berkeley Law. Tuesday, July 7, 7 p.m. Mrs. Dalloway\u2019s Bookstore. <a href=\"https:\/\/mrsdalloways.com\/event\/2026-07-07\/melissa-murrays-us-constitution\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE (registration encouraged)<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83c\udfad Berkeley labor organizer Yvonne Martinez has transformed her book about her experiences at the Harvard Trade Union Program into the stage production \u201cScabmuggers, The Play,\u201d about contending with harassment and political divisions that mirror historic fissures in the labor movement (while anticipating today\u2019s fraught political landscape). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.berkeleyside.org\/2023\/03\/08\/yvonne-martinez-memoir-someday-mija-youll-learn-the-difference-between-a-whore-and-a-working-woman\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read Berkeleyside\u2019s story about the memoir the play is based on<\/a>. Tuesdays, July 7, 14 and 21, 7 p.m. The Freight. <a href=\"https:\/\/secure.thefreight.org\/15960\/15961-scabmuggers-260707\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$30 (livestream $20)<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u265f\ufe0f Come play some board games offered by Games of Berkeley in a monthly game night hosted by author Kitty Stryker (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.berkeleyside.org\/2025\/10\/20\/bruce-lee-and-the-making-of-asian-america-jeff-chang-scabmuggers-yvonne-martinez-love-rebels-how-i-learned-to-burn-it-down-without-burning-out-kitty-stryker\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read about her latest book on Berkeleyside<\/a>). Wednesday, July 8, 5:30-7:30 p.m. West Branch Library. <a href=\"https:\/\/berkeleypubliclibrary.libnet.info\/event\/16296461\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udcda Author Brandon Shimoda discusses his book of essays \u201cThe Afterlife is Letting Go\u201d about the aftermath of Japanese-American incarceration during WWII. Wednesday, July 8, 6 p.m. Tarea Hall Pittman South Branch. <a href=\"https:\/\/berkeleypubliclibrary.libnet.info\/event\/16668705\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u267b\ufe0f Join the founder of the Labor Network for Sustainability, Joe Uehlein, for a reading, talk and musical celebration of his latest book, \u201cTHREE ROADS: Labor, Music, Ecology,\u201d which details his journey intersecting the labor and climate movements. Wednesday, July 8, 7 p.m. Pegasus Books Downtown. <a href=\"https:\/\/pegasusbookstore.com\/joe-uehlein\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\ude42 When were you the happiest and why? Come reflect and discuss this question with others in an informal gathering hosted by Conference. Wednesday, July 8, 7 p.m. Roses on Adeline. <a href=\"https:\/\/confcal.org\/event\/the-pursuit-of-happiness\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">FREE<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\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 class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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\/07\/02\/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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The amphitheater at John Hinkel Park. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside\/CatchLight Local Never miss local events!\u00a0Sign up for Berkeleyside\u2019s&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":385519,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[7971,2465,2466,143,145,144],"class_list":["post-385518","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\/385518","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=385518"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385518\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/385519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=385518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=385518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=385518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}