This weeks storms have made for some lovely sunsets. And though we need the rain (and snow in the mountains), I hope it lets up for all the holiday events this weekend.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
photo of the week: painterly colors
This weeks storms have made for some lovely sunsets. And though we need the rain (and snow in the mountains), I hope it lets up for all the holiday events this weekend.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
upcoming Oakland events
Friday
Saturday & Sunday
Bulky Waste Dropoff - Saturday, December 1, 9am-noon. The Free Bulky-Item Drop Off at the Waste Management Davis Street Transfer Station on 2615 Davis Street in San Leandro. Proof of Oakland residency is required. (free)Jingletown Art Walk - Saturday and Sunday, December 1 and 2, 11am-6pm. The annual art walk in Jingletown features the works of numerous Oakland artists. Read more at Oakland Local. (free)
OACC Holiday Bazaar - Saturday, December 1, 11am-5pm. Join the Oakland Asian Cultural Center for a holiday bazaar featuring local artists and vendors. (free)
5th Annual Holiday Skate & Stroll in Temescal - Saturday and Sunday, December 1 and 2, noon-4pm. Celebrate the holidays with faux ice skating, skateboard demos, music, crafts and more. (free)
Holiday Parade - Saturday, December 1, 2pm. The annual children's holiday parade through Oakland, with floats, balloons, bands and more. (free)
Piedmont Avenue Tree Lighting & Holiday Stroll - Saturday, December 1, 5pm. Annual tree lighting, carols and more at 41st and Broadway. (free)
Lighted Yacht Parade - Saturday, December 1, 5:30pm. The 36th annual lighted yacht parade. A benefit for OF Random Acts and the Alameda County Community Food Bank. (free)
ongoing events:
Art Murmur (1st Friday)Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)
looking further ahead:
Support Saint Vincent de Paul at Farley's East - Thursday, December 6, 5-9pm. Farley's East non-profit of the week is the Saint Vincent de Paul. For more info, email Info@Farleyscoffee.comThe Transmigration of Soul - Artist Reception - Friday, December 7, 7pm. An artist reception for Norm Maxwell hosted by Blackball Universe music.
Great Wall of Oakland - Friday, December 7, 6-11pm. The Great Wall of Oakland will present a digital holiday extravaganza, "Oakland: Home for the Holidays" as part of Oakland's Art Murmur. In addition to hosting the first Digital Tree Lighting Ceremony, the Wall will present holiday-inspired short films and multi-language/cultural holiday cards created by children from the Oakland YMCA. (free)
Holiday Gifty Art Sale & Open House at the Crucible - Saturday, December 8, noon-6pm. Sunday, December 9, noon-4pm. The Crucible's annual art sale and tour. (free)
Urban Legend Wine Cellars Tour with OHA - Saturday, December 8, 10am-noon. Meet Urban Legend Cellars owner, Steve Shaffer, who will speak about the appeal of locating his winery in one of Oakland's historic industrial spaces. Ed Fernandez, the architect who designed the warehouse renovation, will talk about the unique challenges and opportunities offered by this adaptive use project. Includes wine tasting. ($20-$25)
Nicolas Bearde's 6th Annual Holiday Jazz and Blue Concert - Friday, December 14, 9pm. Annual holiday concert, at the Piedmont Piano Company. ($20-$25)
Lake Merritt Station Area Plan Streetscape Design Open House - Saturday, December 15, 9am-noon. Join the City of Oakland to learn about the plans for the Lake Merritt BART station area plan. (free)
Celebrate the Holiday Season on Lakeshore - Friday, December 21 and Saturday, December 22 - 4-6pm. Celebrate the holidays on Lakeshore. Free Carriage Rides, Santa Visits, Face Painting and more! (free)
Monday, November 26, 2012
waterfront walk
Instead of buying anything, K and I celebrated the day after Thanksgiving with a walk along the Lake Merritt channel and the Jack London waterfront. It was a much more pleasant way to spend the day than fighting crowds and buying stuff we don't need.
We started by exploring along the Lake Merritt channel near Laney College. Lots of football fans were in the stadium, watching MyClymonds beat Oakland Tech in the Silver Bowl. There were tons of birds in and around the channel, including a pelican, a red-tailed hawk, grebes, and lots of coots and seagulls.
Then we headed over to the estuary, and walked as far north as the Lightship Relief. On the way back, there was a Coast Guard cutter following two pilot craft out towards the bay. There were lots of people out for leisurely walks and bike rides, and quite a few stopping for refreshments at Pearl's Jam House or Heinhold's. Another beautiful day in Oakland!
More pictures:
Thursday, November 22, 2012
upcoming Oakland events
Friday
PLAID FRIDAY is keeping Oakland Businesses IN THE BLACK Commercial by Youth Radio from Oakland CBDs on Vimeo.
Saturday
Rockridge in the Snow - Saturday, November 24, 3-6pm. Join Rockridge merchants in celebrating the season, featuring a children's play area with snow. (free)ongoing events:
Art Murmur (1st Friday)Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)
looking further ahead:
History Cafe at Peralta Hacienda - Wednesday, November 28, 6-7:30pm. This month's history cafe at the historic Peralta Hacienda will focus on the military service of Luis Peralta. (free)5th Annual Holiday Skate & Stroll in Temescal - Saturday and Sunday, December 1 and 2, noon-4pm. Celebrate the holidays with faux ice skating, skateboard demos, music, crafts and more. (free)
Jingletown Art Walk - Saturday and Sunday, December 1 and 2, 6-9pm. The annual art walk in Jingletown features the works of numerous Oakland artists. (free)
OACC Holiday Bazaar - Saturday, December 1, 11am-5pm. Joiin the Oakland Asian Cultural Center for a holiday bazaar featuring local artists and vendors. (free)
The Transmigration of Soul - Artist Reception - Friday, December 7, 7pm. An artist reception for Norm Maxwell hosted by Blackball Universe music.
Holiday Gifty Art Sale & Open House at the Crucible - Saturday, December 8, noon-6pm. Sunday, December 9, noon-4pm. The Crucible's annual art sale and tour. (free)
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
food: Los Cantaros Restaurant & Taqueria
The other weekend when K and I walked around Lake Merritt instead of doing all the other things we could have done, we started our walk with lunch at Los Cantaros on Grand Avenue across from the corner of Lakeside Park.
I'd never eaten there, so it was a nice chance to try it. K had tamales, which were good, though not up to the level of Tina Tamale's creations. But my vegetable burrito was awesome. The vegetables were sliced and sauteed, and there was healthy dollop of sour cream (I opted for that instead of guacamole). Plus they had TVs showing various NFL games. In short, good food, good atmosphere, and I'd go again.
More pictures:
Monday, November 19, 2012
Oakland Urban Paths: Rockridge Ramble
Ididn't go on the most recent Oakland Urban Paths walk earlier this month, but there's a nice write-up of the Rockridge Ramble by OUP founder Paul Rosenbloom.
I did do the test walk with Paul, where we noted the non-matching sidewalk stamps and street signs, at what is now the corner of Romany Road and Golden Gate Avenue. The names stamped in the sidewalk are McAdam St. and Hays Ave., and a nearby contractor stamp is dated 1913. But when were the streets first created? When did they change names?
Examining the great set of historic maps of Oakland at teczno.com, we can learn a few things. McAdam Street is on the 1877 map, and started at "Broadway Street" near where the Safeway is now, and went through land owned by H.P. Livermore. It's not clear how far the street actually went, since on the map the upper part is drawn as a perfectly straight line, which is unlikely given the hills.
Between 1877 and 1912, there was clearly a whole lot of building going on. The 1912 map shows McAdam Street with a different, curvier route, and Hays Avenue, along with a whole lot of other streets that weren't on the earlier map.
The 1936 map shows McAdam Street is now Broadway Terrace, and Hays Avenue is now Golden Gate Avenue. It's possible the labeling as Broadway Terrace is an error, because there's a road in the current location of Broadway Terrace on the map with no label on the nearby section. Finally, the 1950s map shows the present names, Romany Road and Golden Gate Avenue, as do the 1967 map and the current day maps.
I did do the test walk with Paul, where we noted the non-matching sidewalk stamps and street signs, at what is now the corner of Romany Road and Golden Gate Avenue. The names stamped in the sidewalk are McAdam St. and Hays Ave., and a nearby contractor stamp is dated 1913. But when were the streets first created? When did they change names?
Examining the great set of historic maps of Oakland at teczno.com, we can learn a few things. McAdam Street is on the 1877 map, and started at "Broadway Street" near where the Safeway is now, and went through land owned by H.P. Livermore. It's not clear how far the street actually went, since on the map the upper part is drawn as a perfectly straight line, which is unlikely given the hills.
Between 1877 and 1912, there was clearly a whole lot of building going on. The 1912 map shows McAdam Street with a different, curvier route, and Hays Avenue, along with a whole lot of other streets that weren't on the earlier map.
The 1936 map shows McAdam Street is now Broadway Terrace, and Hays Avenue is now Golden Gate Avenue. It's possible the labeling as Broadway Terrace is an error, because there's a road in the current location of Broadway Terrace on the map with no label on the nearby section. Finally, the 1950s map shows the present names, Romany Road and Golden Gate Avenue, as do the 1967 map and the current day maps.
signs: Club 2101
From the posted-before-but-cooler-at-night category, Club 2101 on MacArthur in the Dimond. It shows off the iconic drink glass part much better, too.
Friday, November 16, 2012
signs: Peralta Junction
Anew sign with a lovely retro style. Alas, it's probably just temporary, since it's for the Peralta Junction popup market and carnival in West Oakland. Note that they're closed tomorrow (Saturday), and open Sunday, weather permitting.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
upcoming Oakland events
Thursday
Humblebee Grocery Pop-Up Farmstand - Thursday, November 15, 4:30-7:30pm. Come for pink chioggia beets, pea shoots, apples from Sebastopol, pastured eggs, baby tokyo turnips, white necked leeks, shiitake mushrooms, sweet baby Carola potatoes and more!
authors of Oakland book-signing - Thursday, November 15, 7-8:30pm. Join the Oakland Heritage Alliance for a book-signing by dozens of Oakland authors, followed by their annual meeting. Authors include Annalee Allen, Dennis Evanosky, Matt Werner, Ishmael Reed, Serena Bartlett and more. ($10 donation)Anne Lamott at Montclair Presbyterian - Thursday, November 15, 7pm. Hear renowned spiritual writer Anne Lamott talk about her newest book, Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers. Need the book? Shop your local indie bookstores. (free; seating is limited)
Friday
Coastal Melodies featuring Emily Moldy - Friday, November 16, 7pm. Awaken Cafe does regular live music events; Friday's features Oakland singer-songwriter Emily Moldy and other indie bands. ($5)
Saturday
I Meant to Do That: Incidental Compositions - Saturday, November 17, noon-4pm. Reception for artist Angel Delgado, at The Dimond Gallery, 2812 Hopkins Place (near Loard's). (free)Meet the Artists: Playing with Fire - Saturday, November 17, 2pm. Part of the Oakland Museum's Playing with Fire: Artists of the California Art Glass Movement. (with admission)
Oakland in the Civil War - Saturday, November 17, 2:30-4:30pm. As part of the on-going national recognition of the Civil War's sesquicentennial, local history scholar, newspaperman and iconoclast Dennis Evanosky will host an afternoon salon to survey the contributions of Oakland and its residents to the abolition of slavery and the preservation of the union. At the Temescal library. (free)
Celebrate with Show & Tell - Saturday, November 17, 7-10pm. Join local shop Show & Tell in celebrating their 1st year in business, and the signing of a long-term lease. DJ with music, local food and drink, 30% off everything in the store, and more. (free)
Sunday
Patchwork Indie Art & Craft Festival - Sunday, November 18, 11am-5pm. Indie art and craft festival at JLS featuring 100+ vendors, including Marion and Rose, 1870 Oakland, fiftyseven-thirtythree, and more. Read more at Oakland Local. (free)Tuesday
screening of Redemption - Tuesday, November 20, 6:30-7:30pm. Redemption is the story of a marginal and gritty community of recyclers in Dogtown, one of the poorer neighborhoods of Oakland, California. Sample cut screening at the Golden Gate Library; other screenings to be added. (free)ongoing events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)
looking further ahead:
Rockridge in the Snow
- Saturday, November 24, 3-6pm. Join Rockridge merchants in celebrating the season, featuring a children's play area with snow. (free)
History Cafe at Peralta Hacienda - Wednesday, November 28, 6-7:30pm. This month's history cafe at the historic Peralta Hacienda will focus on the military service of Luis Peralta. (free)
5th Annual Holiday Skate & Stroll in Temescal - Saturday and Sunday, December 1 and 2, noon-4pm. Celebrate the holidays with faux ice skating, skateboard demos, music, crafts and more. (free)
Jingletown Art Walk - Saturday and Sunday, December 1 and 2, 6-9pm. The annual art walk in Jingletown features the works of numerous Oakland artists. (free)
OACC Holiday Bazaar - Saturday, December 1, 11am-5pm. Joiin the Oakland Asian Cultural Center for a holiday bazaar featuring local artists and vendors. (free)
The Transmigration of Soul - Artist Reception - Friday, December 7, 7pm. An artist reception for Norm Maxwell hosted by Blackball Universe music.
Holiday Gifty Art Sale & Open House at the Crucible - Saturday, December 8, noon-6pm. Sunday, December 9, noon-4pm. The Crucible's annual art sale and tour. (free)
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
celebrating the new 40th Street parklet
Earlier this month dozens of people (and quite a few dogs) gathered to celebrate the completion of the new 40th Street parklet outside Manifesto Bicycles and Subrosa Coffee. It's the second permanent parklet in Oakland, and won't be the last.
The guests included mayor Jean Quan, and the designer of the parklet, landscape architect Andrea Gaffney. The construction of the parklet was funded by a Kickstarter project, and many of the guests were contributors. The parklet includes bike racks, planters and lots of seating. It uses reclaimed wood for parts, and the center piece is a large tree branch. It can be used as additional seating, but seemed to get the most use from kids who thought it was fun to climb on. It's a beautiful addition to the neighborhood. Stop by for some coffee at Subrosa or while your bike is being serviced at Manifesto and check it out.
More pictures from the celebration:
Monday, November 12, 2012
weekend reflections
Despite all the great things to do this week in Oakland, I didn't do any of them. Not the Cracking the Code screening, not the symphony, not the Oakland Urban Paths walk, none of it. I've been busy with work and starting to come down with something, so I skipped all those things. Instead, after a quiet couple of days (except the work parts), K and I went to church, then had some lunch, and took a leisurely walk through the gardens at Lake Merritt and then around the lake. And while I missed doing all those other things, somethings the simple things are enough.
Lots more pictures:
Sunday, November 11, 2012
thank you, veterans
my grandfather in Italy
A fellow DIYer wrote this great post several years ago.
Friday, November 9, 2012
blog: Oakland 12th Street Project
The Oakland 12th Street Project blog is coming to an end soon. The blog has been carefully following the progress of the 12th Street project, which is getting rid of "world's shortest freeway" and widening the opening between Lake Merritt and the estuary. The good news is that the 12th Street work is nearing completion. The bad news is that the writer and photographer behind the blog, Erik Niemann, has moved from Oakland to Sacramento.
Erik started documenting the project at the May 6, 2010 groundbreaking, and started the blog not long after. Although he's received a small stipend for some special projects (e.g., documenting the construction of the new marsh), he's mostly done this task for over two years because he wants to. In fact, he delayed his move to Sacramento to continue the documentation. Now that's dedication.
That amazing dedication was celebrated at a reception Erik hosted in the 11th-story apartment where he lived until recently and where he took many of his photos from. Pat Kernighan presented Erik with a commendation from the Oakland city council thanking him for his work. Guests enjoyed the view, and took in some of the more than 22,000 pictures he's taken to document the progress.
The time lapse below shows the progress from the beginning of 2011 through March of this year:
_2010_05_07.JPG)
_2012_11_04.JPG)
Although Erik and his wife have moved to Sacramento, Erik will be making a few return trips to continue documenting the progress. Erik is also a painter and photographer, and you can view an exhibit of his work at EBMUD headquarters on 11th Street. The exhibition runs until December 20th. So long, and thanks for all the great photos, Erik!
More pictures from my visit with Erik:
Related posts:
The Lake that Isn't (May 2012)
Oakland Urban Paths: Jane's Walk (May 2012)
New in Oakland (June 2011)
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
upcoming Oakland events
Thursday
Humblebee Grocery Pop-Up Farmstand - Thursday, November 8, 4:30-7:30pm. Come for tender pea shoots, pink striped chioggia beets, big sweet corno di toro peppers, rainbow bunches of carrots and more!
Cracking the Codes screening - Thursday, November 8, 6:30-9:00pm. Join World Trust for the hometown premiere of Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity and a discussion with filmmaker Shakti Butler. ($20)book event: Our Food, Our Right: Recipes for Food Justice - Thursday, November 8, 7-9:30pm. Join the Ecology Center in Berkeley to celebrate stories from the global food sovereignty movement, try recipes from the book, and hear the stories behind the recipes.
Friday
Grand Opening of Drop-in Space for Queer Youth - Friday, November 9, 6-8pm. Join HIFY to celebrate the launch of their drop-in space for queer youth, Oakland QTY Treehouse. Music, snacks, speakers and more. (free)Art Party at Halmoni - Friday, November 9, 6:30-9pm. Halmoni hosts its monthly art party, with food, fun, music and of course art. This month features the work of Bay Area painter Renee Castro. (free)
Oakland East Bay Symphony: Celebrating Democracy - Friday, November 9, 8pm. The Oakland East Bay Symphony opens their season with Celebrating Democracy at the beautiful Paramount Theatre. ($20-$70)
Saturday
Oakland Urban Paths walk: Rockridge Stairs - Saturday, November 12, 10am-12:30pm. Join Oakland Urban Paths for a more vigorous walk on some of the many stairs in Rockridge. (free)authors of Oakland book-signing - Saturday, November 10, 10am-noon. Join the Oakland Heritage Alliance for a book-signing by dozens of Oakland authors, followed by their annual meeting. ($10 donation)
Oakland Wiki Bikeabout - Saturday, November 10, 11am. The OaklandWiki folks will be cycling about Oakland to catalog some of Oakland's murals.
Kinetic Steam Works - Roll Out Festival - Saturday, November 10, noon-10pm. Kinetic Steam Works' Roll Out Festival features steam-powered machines, art performances and more. A fun way for the whole family to learn about steam engines. ($5-$10 suggested donation)
Mousetrap and Music - Saturday, November 10, 12-10pm. Premiere of the life-sized mousetrap and live music at Peralta Junction. The mousetrap is scheduled to run at 2pm, 5pm and 8pm. (free)
Firefighters Weekend at Fentons - November 10-11, noon-4pm. Fenton's special sundae this month is the Firefighter Sundae, benefiting Oakland Firefighters Random Acts. For some special fun, join them for the sundae-building contest this weekend, which will pit 3 Oakland firefighters against 3 Berkeley firefighters. It's also the kick-off the annual toy drive.
Interpretive Beer Tasting - Saturday, November 10, 7-10pm. A benefit for Oakland's Feather River Camp, featuring a tasting of some of the world's great beers. At the Lake Merritt Garden Center. ($25)
Sunday
more Mousetrap and Music - Sunday, November 11, 12-6pm. More of the life-sized mousetrap and live music at Peralta Junction. The mousetrap is scheduled to run at 2pm and 5pm. (free)ongoing events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)
looking further ahead:
Plaid Friday - Friday, November 23. Shop local! It's always a good idea to shop local, but on Plaid Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, you can join others in supporting local businesses. Some will have specials for folks wearing plaid, so break out the tartan!
Holiday Gifty Art Sale & Open House at the Crucible - Saturday, December 8, noon-6pm. Sunday, December 9, noon-4pm. The Crucible's annual art sale and tour. (free)
Monday, November 5, 2012
Oakland Pathways Volunteers
Given my involvement with Oakland Urban Paths, it's probably no great surprise that yesterday after church and some lunch, I rode over to Lakeshore to join other volunteers in cleaning up some stairs. The group is Oakland Pathways Volunteers, and was started by a guy named Howard who leads walks all around the Bay Area. After seeing the condition some of the stairs and pathways around Oakland are in, he was inspired to spend some tine and energy making them better.Today we met up and worked on some stairs off of Balfour in Crocker Highlands that I've been on several times before. Once with OUP on the Lakeshore to Park Blvd. walk, and other time with Oakland Heritage Alliance on the Oakland's Walkways and Streetcar Heritage walk. It wasn't the first time the group has worked on the stairs, and they're in much better shape than they were in January. The set of stairs below these are in good shape, largely because the neighbors take care of them. While this set is now fairly clean, they need serious structural work to make them easily passable again.
January vs. now:
more photos from yesterday:
Friday, November 2, 2012
Peralta Junction: art pop-up + carnival = lots of fun
West Oakland has joined in with the pop-up market fun that has appeared elsewhere in Oakland. There are art and clothing vendors, home-made carnival games, a stage for live music, and a rotating series of food trucks. Stop by and check out Peralta Junction. They're open weekends through December 15th, with Thursday movie nights, a variety of special events, and lots of fun for all ages.
More pictures from Peralta Junction:
Thursday, November 1, 2012
upcoming Oakland events
Thursday
Humblebee Grocery Pop-Up Farmstand - Thursday, November 1, 4:30-7:30pm. Come for wild nettles, sunshine kabocha squash, apples from Sebastopol, leafy dinosaur kale, brown crimini mushrooms, whole fennel, rainbow bunches of carrots and more!
Day of the Dead in North Oakland - Thursday, November 1, 5-8pm. Come and remember the dead with a blend of old traditions and new. Processions ending at Dover Park, altar-building, and a candlelight dinner. Read more at Oakland Local.
Friday
#exhibitoakland photos - Friday, November 2, 6-9pm. See the winners from the #exhibitoakland photo contest, featuring photos from around our favorite city. (free)Great Wall Oakland - About Oakland, by Oakland - Friday, November 2, 7:30-11:30pm. A regular part of the Art Murmur, Friday's Great Wall showing will be films about Oakland made by people from Oakland. (free)
Saturday
ribbon cutting for 40th St. parklet - Saturday, November 3, 2-5pm. Join Manifesto Bikes and Subrosa Coffee to celebrate the opening of the new 40th Street Parklet. There will be food, drink, a raffle, and more. (free)Oakland in Popular Memory reading - Saturday, November 3, 3-4pm. Join Oakland author Matt Werner for a reading from his book, Oakland in Popular Memory. There will also be a Q&A and book signing. In conjunction with Art Murmur's Saturday Stroll (free)
jazz mixer at AAMLO - Saturday, October 3, 6-9pm. Listen to jazz and meet others at the African American Museum and Library of Oakland. Bring a non-perishable food item or an unwrapped toy, and get 1/2 off admission. ($5-$10)
Tuesday
Vegetarian Feast and Popup Market - Tuesday, November 6, 6-9pm. Join Kitchner Oakland for a vegetarian feast and popup market, and watch the election results. Vendors include Muffin Revolution, Barbarian Gourmet, Sunny Side Catering, Picnic Bakery, Javi's Empanadas and more. And watch the election results roll in!
ongoing events:
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)
looking further ahead:
Cracking the Codes screening - Thursday, November 8, 6:30-9:00pm. Join World Trust for the hometown premiere of Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity and a discussion with filmmaker Shakti Butler. ($20)Grand Opening of Drop-in Space for Queer Youth - Friday, November 9, 6-8pm. Join HIFY to celebrate the launch of their drop-in space for queer youth, Oakland QTY Treehouse. Music, snacks, speakers and more. (free)
Oakland Urban Paths walk: Rockridge Stairs - Saturday, November 12, 10am-12:30pm. Join Oakland Urban Paths for a more vigorous walk on some of the many stairs in Rockridge. (free)
authors of Oakland book-signing - Saturday, November 10, 10am-noon. Join the Oakland Heritage Alliance for a book-signing by dozens of Oakland authors, followed by their annual meeting. ($10 donation)
Holiday Gifty Art Sale & Open House at the Crucible - Saturday, December 8, noon-6pm. Sunday, December 9, noon-4pm. The Crucible's annual art sale and tour. (free)