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Children gather and dance at the 2025 National Night Out Block Party outside of the McGee Avenue Baptist Church. Credit: Daniel Ekonde<\/p>\nChildren gather and dance at the 2025 National Night Out Block Party outside of the McGee Avenue Baptist Church. Credit: Daniel Ekonde<\/p>\n
Never miss local events!\u00a0Sign up for Berkeleyside\u2019s arts and culture newsletter, The Scene<\/a>. And check out our\u00a0roundup of affordable things to do anytime in Berkeley<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf89 National Night Out, held on the first Tuesday in August, is described as a \u201cnational community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships.\u201d See a map<\/a> of the dozens of block parties scheduled in every corner of the city. The city is holding a \u201cStop the Violence National Night Out Block Party<\/a>\u201d in central Berkeley, in partnership with the McGee Avenue Baptist Church and other groups. The event is open to all. Expect live performances, carnival games, inflatables, informational booths and food. Tuesday, Aug. 4, 3-7 p.m. 1640 Stuart St. FREE<\/p>\n \u270d\ufe0f Discover how writing can be used to support your emotional well-being, creativity and intuition in a writing workshop with Susy Porter. Thursday, July 30, 2 p.m. 2727 California St. FREE (RSVP)<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83c\uddfb\ud83c\uddea A concert is being held to benefit the victims of the June 24 earthquakes in Venezuela. The \u201cnight of hope\u201d will feature music, culture and connection \u2014 including Venezuelan food and artisan vendors, a silent auction, the nonprofit Venezuelan cultural dance organization Dulce Tricolor, and a special musical performance by Venezuelan percussionist Lali Mejia\u2019s talent-packed dance band Bulul\u00fa and Friends. All proceeds from the event will be donated directly to Global Empowerment Mission, FUNDANA, and Bambi Foundation. Friday, July 31, 6 p.m. La Pe\u00f1a Cultural Center. $1-$100<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc56 Learn how to mend your clothes while enjoying some tea at Blue Willow Tea Spot\u2019s tea and mending lab. Artist Van Tran will share basic stitches, methods to darn socks, how to use various tools and supplies and more. Friday, July 31, 6-8 p.m. Donations accepted for entry<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83c\udfb8 Featuring original and former members of Malo and Santana, the Latin rock band Momotombo SF blends Afro-Cuban percussion, searing guitar work, and punchy horns, delivering infectious grooves for the dance floor and extended instrumental flights for jam fans. Friday, July 31, 8 p.m. Ashkenaz. $25<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83c\udfb6 Enjoy a wide variety of music from Bay Area-based and national artists at the 23rd annual Outsound New Music Summit. The range of music includes experimental pop, free improvisation, microtonal composition, experimental electronics, harsh noise and more. Friday, July 31 to Sunday, Aug. 2. Finnish Hall. $16-80<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcb5 What if you could pay your way to become a better person? The Actors Ensemble of Berkeley presents the play \u201cRepossessed,\u201d where a couple gets skills, knowledge and memories implanted into their brain by the corporation \u201cLife Enhanced\u201d \u2014 which works until they fall behind on their payments. Show runs on Fridays, Saturday and Sundays from July 31 to Aug. 9. LaVal\u2019s Subterranean Theater at La Val\u2019s Pizza. $15-$40<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5 From his radical work in the fields building solidarity for the United Farm Workers movement to his pioneering Broadway production \u201cZoot Suit\u201d and Hollywood hit \u201cLa Bamba,\u201d the new documentary \u201cAmerican Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez\u201d explores the extraordinary life and career of an artist who brought Chicano culture to the center of American culture. The screenings include Q&As with filmmakers David Alvarado and Everett Katigbak moderated by Kristine Samuelson (Aug. 1) and Gabriela Arvizu (Aug. 2). Saturday, Aug. 1, 4 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m. Rialto Cinemas Elmwood. $17<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddf1 Blending Malian musical traditions with the expansive energy of psychedelic rock, the powerhouse East Bay band Orchestra Gold is fronted by Malian singer Mariam Diakit\u00e9, whose declamatory vocals surge over an incantatory sound rooted in the Sufi teachings of the Baye Fall tradition. Saturday, Aug. 1, 8 p.m. The Freight. $39-$44 ($25 livestream)<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83e\ude84 Align yourself with the cosmos at the Cosmic Witch Market, featuring crystals, divination tools, jewelry, home decor and more for sale. Tarot readings, astrology, henna and sound healing will also be available. Sunday, Aug. 2, noon-5 p.m. Gilman Brewing. FREE (RSVP)<\/a><\/p>\n \u26f4\ufe0f Learn about the history, costs and benefits of ferries in Berkeley at a Berkeley Historical Society & Museum forum examining a proposal for a new Berkeley waterfront ferry with a new version of the Berkeley Pier. Speakers include historian Chuck Wollenberg, Councilmember Terry Taplin, and Jim McGrath, formerly of California Coastal Commission. (The museum\u2019s current exhibit, \u201cOn the Waterfront,\u201d will be open for a half-hour before and after the program.) Sunday, Aug. 2, 2:30 p.m. Berkeley Historical Society & Museum. FREE (donations appreciated)<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83c\udfbb The Bay Area-launched collective Classical Revolution has been celebrating its 20th anniversary with a series of performances, like this string quartet performance under a redwood canopy featuring violinists Anthony Blea and Charith Premawardhana, violist Keith Lawrence and cellist Ami Nashimoto. Sunday, Aug. 2, 5 p.m. 1 Pinnacle Path. $20<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udd25 As the school year rushes into view kids can get a late-summer thrill meeting a genuine Berkeley firefighter complete with gear and ready answers to all questions. A firefighter-themed storytime and song session follows. Monday, Aug. 3, 1 p.m. Central Library Children\u2019s Non-Fiction Room. FREE<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\uddbc\ufe0f Central Library\u2019s latest exhibition \u201cThe Books Are Open\u201d will showcase works by artists from 13 Berkeley tattoo parlors, as well as vintage tattoo equipment and materials. Opening reception is on Monday, Aug. 3 from 5-7 p.m. Exhibition runs from August 3 to September 6 on the second and fifth floors. FREE<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc89 In preparation of back-to-school season, the city of Berkeley is offering free vaccines for children to meet California immunization requirements. Clinics run from Aug. 4 through Aug. 13 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. 1900 Sixth St. FREE (appointments recommended)<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcd9 Pulitzer Prize-winning author Andrew Sean Greer will be in conversation with novelist Lucy Corin about his latest book, \u201cVilla Coco\u201d \u2014 where a young man takes an unspecified job with a charismatic elderly Baronessa at her crumbling villa in the Tuscan hills. Books will be available for signing. Tuesday, Aug. 4, 7 p.m. Pegasus Books Downtown. FREE<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83c\udfb6 Ukrainian-born New York jazz guitarist George Grydkovets makes a rare Bay Area appearance, joined by the singular improvisational vocalist Lorin Benedict, a Lawrence Livermore Lab physicist who has become a viral force online with videos capturing his language-like approach to scat singing. Wednesday, Aug. 5, 7 p.m. The Back Room. $20-$25<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f\u00a0See more things to do\u00a0in\u00a0Oakland<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Richmond<\/a>.\u00a0And check out our big list of\u00a0affordable things to do<\/a>\u00a0anytime in Berkeley.\u00a0Sign up for our\u00a0weekly arts and culture newsletter<\/a>, The Scene.<\/p>\n If there\u2019s an event you\u2019d like us to consider for this roundup, email us at\u00a0the-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\u00a0events page<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 particularly the ones who read the whole story!<\/p>\n “*” indicates required fields<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Children gather and dance at the 2025 National Night Out Block Party outside of the McGee Avenue Baptist…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":418023,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[7971,2465,2466,143,145,144],"class_list":["post-418022","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\/418022","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=418022"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/418022\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/418023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=418022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=418022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=418022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}