Summer’s in full swing and there’s lots to do around town. If you prefer to stay home and are interested in local politics, we have two virtual events: one to discuss housing developments with District 6 Councilmember Loren Taylor and another with PG&E about wildfire prevention.
Have an event that you’d like to promote on our 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.
District 6 town hall on housing developments

Do you live in District 6? Interested in knowing what new developments are coming to the area? Then join this virtual town hall where Councilmember Loren Taylor will be discussing three upcoming housing projects: the Kingdom Builders senior housing development, Liberation Park market hall and residences project, and Simmons MacArthur multi-unit housing complex. If there are questions you’d like to ask, you can email them ahead of time to district6@oaklandca.gov. If you don’t have access to Zoom, the event will also be live-streamed on Facebook.
Thursday, July 14, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., register online, virtual via Zoom
First-ever Oakland Festival of Immersive Arts

A new walkable and immersive festival is taking place in Oakland over the next two weekends. The Oakland Festival of Immersive Arts will feature four art project premieres and work by 20 artists and collaborators at half a dozen locations—storefronts, galleries, and outdoor public spaces—along a six-block stretch of Broadway and adjacent streets. A similar art installation, Story Windows, was on display along Broadway last summer. The artworks being showcased will utilize technologies like augmented reality, holographic effects, kinetic sculpture, video animation, and more. The festival’s anchor exhibitions and projects are meant to celebrate the extraordinary history and diversity of its host city and are being presented primarily by Oakland and Bay Area-based artists.
Friday, July 15 through Sunday, July 17, and Friday, July 22 through Sunday, July 24, see website for info on venues and times
Car wash for a cause at Fremont High School
Edwin Rivas, Edwin Perez, and Danilo Solorzano were three men from Oakland, originally from Guatemala, who drowned this past Fourth of July weekend while trying to save a child in the Sacramento Delta. The families of the three men want to repatriate the bodies back to their home country and are holding fundraisers to help them do so. The next event is an exterior car wash to be held at Fremont High School. The daughter of Edwin Rivas also has a GoFundMe set up for additional donations.
Saturday, July 16, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., $20, Fremont High School, 4550 Foothill Blvd.
Minions-themed kids party at Korner Oakland
Korner Kitchen & Bar is a kitchen incubator and outdoor cocktail bar located adjacent to Fruitvale Bart where people can enjoy food and cocktails from several vendors including Noodle Belly, Ono Bakehouse, and Padron Grill. For this event, the organizers are keeping children and parents in mind. There’ll be plenty of sitting areas for parents as well as food and drinks to choose from. The little ones will have interactive games, arts and crafts, and complimentary snacks.
Sunday, July 17, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., $5 per person w/RSVP on Facebook, $8 per person at the door, 1014 Fruitvale Ave.
PG&E fire-safety town hall

With the Washburn Fire currently burning around Yosemite National Park, it is never too late or too soon to think about wildfire safety right here at home. Downed power lines and faulty equipment owned by PG&E have been blamed for starting over 30 fires in Northern California in recent years, and the company is now increasing its efforts to mitigate the risk of fires in the region. This week, PG&E is hosting a virtual town hall to share tips and information about fire safety, wildfire preparedness, and potential outages in the region. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to PG&E staff including regional leadership.
Wednesday, July 20, 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., register online, virtual via Zoom