upcoming Oakland events

Given the long holiday weekend and the fact it's the First Friday of the month, there are a lot of upcoming events in Oakland. I love summer.

"Empowering Themselves" fundraiser - Tuesday, June 28, 6-9pm at SomaR. A fundraiser for Banteay Srei, an Oakland non-profit that works with young women who are sexually exploited. See more on the SomaR blog.

Downtown Oakland walking tours - Wednesday, June 29 in Old Oakland, Saturday, July 2 in Chinatown. Informative, fun and free! (free)

Oakland A's Root Beer Floats - Thursday, June 30, 10:30am-12:30pm at the Coliseum. A fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, A's players, coaches, and local celebs will be serving up root beer floats. See Oakland Magazine for more.

East Oakland Sports Center opening - Thursday, June 30, 4pm at the center. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new East Oakland Sports Center. The center sounds pretty amazing. Mayor Quan is scheduled to be there, and I imagine CM Larry Reid will be there, too, since he was a driving force behind the project. Read more in the Tribune article and at Oakland North. (free)

EBYD Awards Gala - Thursday, June 30, 6:30-9:30pm at Numi Tea. The 3rd annual awards gala for the East Bay Young Democrats. Get the full story at Living in the O. ($30-$40)

Bites on Broadway - Friday, July 1, 5:30pm at 45th and Broadway. It's mobile food and fun, Bites on Broadway. See some pictures from last Friday's Bites on Broadway.

First Friday - Friday, July 1 in various locations. There's the Art Murmur, of course, but there's also the Midtown Arts District First Friday Art Walk. (free)

Dancing Under the Stars - Friday, July 1, 8:30pm at Jack London Square. The annual free dance lessons at JLS are back -- this week: The Hustle! (free)

Family Fun on the 4th - Monday, July 4, 11am-4pm at Jack London Square. Lots of fun stuff for kids on the 4th, with jugglers, face painters, food and more. Given the time, there won't be any fireworks. Read more on the JLS website. (free)

Pardee House Patriotic Picnic - Monday, July 4, noon-4pm. The annual Pardee House picnic includes food, a concert, games in the garden and more. See the Pardee House website for more info. ($5-$15)

Municipal Band Concert - Monday, July 4, 1pm at Lakeside Park. The Oakland Municipal Band kicks off its 100th concert season with a concert at Lakeside Park. Read more in Annalee Allen's Tribune column. (free)