Temescal Street Fair delivers fun

Sunday was the 9th annual Temescal Street Fair. Unlike last year's street fair which had to be rescheduled because of unseasonable rains, this year's had perfect weather.

The fair was even bigger this year, spread out over an even longer stretch of Telegraph. After parking my bike with the East Bay Bicycle Coalition (which provided free valet bike parking), I wandered for a bit to check things out. I saw Annalee Allen, various district 1 and 3 candidates for city council, mayor Jean Quan, BART board candidate Rebecca Saltzman, Tina Tamale, and thousands of other people out having fun. And of course fair organizer Karen Hester was zipping about and keeping in touch with her crew by radio.

Lots more pictures:


Other coverage:

• Oakland Daily Photo photos
• Club Antietam photos
• Club Antietam time lapse
• Oakland North

Lake Merritt Rowing Regatta

This past Sunday, the Lake Merritt Rowing Club hosted the Southwest Masters Regional Championships. Oakland didn't have the picture postcard perfect weather that we had when the LMRC held an open house in June for National Learn to Row Day, but this weather was probably better for competitive rowing. The skies were overcast and it was a bit cooler, and there wasn't much wind, making for fairly calm waters.

I didn't have time to watch very much, but I saw people rowing shells of various sizes (from one rower up to 8 plus a coxswain) up the northwest arm of Lake Merritt, which was used for warm ups. And it being the weekend, there were the usual crowds of walkers, joggers, dogs and bikers going around the lake. The races were held along the eastern side of the lake, starting near 12th Street and heading towards the pergola at the north end of the lake.

More pictures:

Family Fun on the Fourth

There was perfect weather on Wednesday for Friday Fun on the Fourth at Jack London Square. We didn't have that many people take advantage of the free valet bike parking provided by the East Bay Bicycle Coalition, but those who did were appreciative. I don't know if there were fewer people overall or fewer vendors or what, but the crowds felt a bit smaller than last year, or at least more spread out. Kids were enjoying a lot of the activities, but the bubble station was probably the most popular. The Coast Guard boat that was docked was popular with young and old alike.

Lots more pictures:

upcoming Oakland events

There's lots of stuff going on for the Fourth of July, plus Friday is a First Friday with the Art Murmur, Jack's Night Market, and more. And the Temescal Street Fair on Sunday! Let me know in the comments if there's other interesting stuff going on.

Fourth of July:

Family Fun on the Fourth - 11am-4pm. Fun for the whole family at Jack London Square, with food, live music, and lots of stuff for kids. See my coverage of last year's event. The East Bay Bicycle Coalition will be providing free valet bike parking. (free)

BBQ at the Pardee Home Museum - noon-4pm. Visit the beautiful gardens of the historic Pardee Home Museum. An old fashioned BBQ will include hamburgers, baked beans, corn on the cob, beverages and more. There will be special activities for all ages, including children's craft table, croquet, badminton and volleyball. Tours also available. Admission is $15 adults, $5 for children ages 5-11. Those under 5-free. A $2 discount for guest who attend in period costume. All proceeds benefit the preservation of the historic home and gardens.

Fourth of July Concert - 1-3pm. At the bandstand in Lakeside Park. Hear the Oakland Municipal Band play patriotic favorites from The Star-Spangled Banner to California Dreamin'- Monday, Monday Medley, The Symphonic Gerswhin, Stephen Foster Rhapsody and The Stars and Stripes Forever.

Fourth of July Fireworks Cruise - 7:30-10:30pm. Cruise the bay aboard the USS Potomac, and view the fireworks from some of the best seats in the house. ($125)

other fun stuff:

Bicycle Bingo at Actual Cafe - Thursday, July 5, 7-9pm. Actual Cafe hosts Bicycle Bingo, benefiting different local non-profits each week. This week's beneficiary is East Bay Bike Coalition, which works for safe, convenient and enjoyable bicycling for all people in the East Bay.

Oakland Landmarks art reception - Friday, July 6, 5-7pm. Painter Heidi Wyckoff of the Oakland Landmarks book will have a reception at Caffe 817. (free)

Dancing Under the Stars - Friday, July 6, 8:30-10pm. Free dance lessons and a dance party. This week's dance: East Coast Swing (free)

Jack's Night Market - Friday, July 6, 6-10pm. A fun evening market at Jack London Square, featuring food, fun, vendors and more. See photos and read about our visit last month. (free)

Downtown Walking Tours - Wednesdays and Saturdays, 10am. The walking tours program goes through the summer, rotating through the 8 different tours. They're a great way to get out and see Oakland and learn about its people and history. Coming up: Saturday, July 7 - Preservation Park. (free)

OHA Walking Tours - Saturday, July 7. The Oakland Heritage Alliance's summer walking tour season kicks off with a tour of the former F.M. "Borax" Smith estate near Park Blvd. Read about last year's tour. ($10-$15)

Beast Crawl - Literary Pub Crawl - Saturday, July 7, 5-9pm. Readings, poetry and more at 25 venues around Oakland. After party at Club Paradiso at 9pm.

Temescal Street Fair - Sunday, July 8, noon-6pm. The annual street fair in Temescal features food, music, art and fun for the whole family. (free)

looking further ahead:

Waterfront Flicks - Thursday, July 12, at dark. The monthly waterfront flicks are back, with We Bought A Zoo on July 12. Beverages and free bike parking available from EBBC. (free)

Fiddler on the Woof - Thursday, July 12, 6pm. Unique evening under the stars for dogs and the people who love them at Woodminster Amphitheater, Joaquin Miller Park. Enjoy a pre-performance picnic and silly party with your pup and then see the traditional Fiddler On the Roof in Full Dress Rehearsal at Woodminster Amphitheater in Joaquin Miller Park. Dogs are welcome at the picnic space. Thursday July 12, 6pm picnic and party / 8pm performance. Tickets at www.odogparks.org Adults $25 Kids $20 to help build a user friendly gate system at the dog park/ parking lot interface.

Montclair Stairs with OUP - Saturday, July 14, 10am. Join Oakland Urban Paths for our July walk in the Montclair and Thornhill neighborhoods of the Oakland Hills. Learn about the old Sacramento Northern railroad line & the scuttled plans for the Shepherd Canyon Freeway (Route 77). Travel along the upper reaches of the Temescal Creek watershed. Walk the all-wooden stairways of the Thornhill Canyon neighborhood. (free)

Jazz by the Lake - Sunday, July 15, 2-4pm. Camron-Stanford House hosts jazz concerts in their beautiful lakeside setting. July 15 features Terrence Brewer. Small plates, wine and champagne will be available. ($25-$30).

Salsa by the Lake - Sunday, July 15, noon-5pm. DJ and live music for salsa dancing! Free dance lessons, and some of the best people-watching around. (free)

Fairyland for Grownups - Friday, July 20, 7-10pm. A chance for grownups to visit Fairyland, with music, food trucks galore, and fun. ($15 - pre-sale only)

Community Arts Festival - Sunday, July 29. Art show at Mosswood Park. Music, snacks, art and more. Contact HellaCity@rocketmail.com if you'd like to participate.

Pedalfest - Saturday, August 18, 11am-8pm. The second annual Pedfalfest at Jack London Square. Last year's Pedalfest was hella fun, for cyclists and non-cyclists alike.

ongoing events:

Bites off Broadway (Fridays)
Piedmont Avenue Art Walk (3rd Thursday)
Art Murmur (1st Friday)
Saturday Art Stroll (Saturdays)
Mt. View Cemetery Tours (2nd and 4th Saturdays)
OMCA Summer Nights (last Friday of the month)

new mural adorns San Pablo Ave. underpass

There's a beautiful new mural being completed under the I-580 underpass on San Pablo Avenue. It features West Oakland's music history, people and architecture. The elements of the mural were designed by McClymonds High School students, and put together by head artist David Burke. The mural is sponsored by Attitudinal Healing Connection, which is based nearby. AHC-Oakland will be holding a completion celebration on July 12 at 1pm.

This mural is one of six planned for West Oakland. Read more about the larger mural project for the area at the Oakland Super Heroes Mural Project website.



More photos of the painting:


On a less cheerful note, several photographers and reporters have been robbed in the area during the day, the most recent a veteran Oakland Tribune photographer. I was there on Sunday taking pictures, but fortunately I didn't have any problems.