Since Juneteenth and Father’s Day both fall on the same day this year, we’ve decided to highlight events taking place on Saturday to free up your Sunday for celebrating both. To see Juneteenth happenings on other days this week, be sure to check out Nosh’s roundup of food and drink-related Juneteenth events, as well as listings on The Oaklandside’s new events calendar.
This week’s roundup features a mix of Juneteenth events in West Oakland, an Oakland mayoral candidates forum ahead of the November election, and the return of the Children’s Fairyland Book Festival.
Have an event that you’d like to promote on the calendar? You can use the self-submission form. Is there something you’d like me to consider highlighting in this weekly roundup? Email me at azucena@oaklandside.org.
Black Liberation Walking Tour
Get to know the history of West Oakland, its famous former residents, and how it was a thriving hub for the Black community. Community advocate David Peters leads this oral history walking tour. Peters grew up in Hoover-Foster and has amassed stories from people of all walks of life who have called the neighborhood home. If you don’t have the chance to attend this weekend’s tour, don’t worry! Peters will be hosting the walks monthly through October.
Saturday, June 18, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., donations, $25 and $40, St. Andrews Baptist Church, 2624 West St.
Second-annual Free the People Block Party
This Juneteenth marks the one-year anniversary of the completion of the Women of the Black Panther Party mural and the opening of the mini-museum housed inside the private West Oakland residence where the mural is located. Attendees will have the chance to see the museum, listen to live music and check out open mic performances. There will also be activities for the kids and free food.
Saturday, June 18, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., free to attend, 831 Center St.
Black Father’s Day Walk
Jamaal Dennis is a personal trainer and owner of J. Dennis Fitness in Oakland. Before the pandemic, he hosted a yearly Black Father’s Day Walk, where he and other dads would meet up with their kids for a walk around the lake. Dennis hosted five of these annual walks until the pandemic forced him to hit pause. This year, he is again inviting dads to meet up at the Pergola and join him in walking one single lap around Lake Merritt, mingle with other dads, and talk about fatherhood.
Saturday, June 18, 9 a.m., free, plaza across the street from the Lakeview library.
Moms 4 Housing Oakland Mayoral Candidate Forum
Moms 4 Housing, a collective of unhoused and housing insecure mothers that started when a group of Black women activists took over a West Oakland home owned by investors in 2019 to draw attention to the homelessness crisis, is hosting a virtual conversation with Oakland mayoral candidates ahead of the November election. Candidates will be given time to make opening and closing remarks, and local grassroots organizations will be asking questions about how the candidates would address constituents’ needs. One of those organizations is Care 4 Community (C4C), which seeks to increase civic engagement among residents in District 3. Spanish translation will be available. Community members can submit questions for the candidates in advance by emailing info@oaklandc4c.org.
Saturday, June 18, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., free, register online
Fifth-annual Children’s Fairyland Book Festival
The popular day-long festival is back after an in-person hiatus due to the pandemic. Twenty-five of the Bay Area’s emerging children’s book authors and illustrators will gather, and audience members will get a chance to ask the authors about their craft and the stories that inspire their books. Six high-profile authors and illustrators: JaNay Brown-Wood, Johanna Ho, Nina LaCour, Angela Dalton, and more will give special 25-minute book presentations and live art demonstrations at Fairyland’s Emerald City stage. In addition, young Bay Area writers ages 8-12 from Fairyland’s Youth Writer’s Workshop will share a special reading at the Youth Author Table.
Saturday, June 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $15, Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave.
