The end of the month is almost here, which means next week’s roundup will be filled with Halloween events for kids and adults. Till then, there are plenty of other local events to check out.
Two that we wanted to mention straight away involve members of our team here at The Oaklandside: On Saturday, Oct. 22, Oakstop will be hosting In the Banlieues/Centering the Margin: Oakland/Saint-Denis, an exhibit featuring the work of artists, entrepreneurs, and other creatives exploring the similarities between Oakland and Saint-Denis, a municipality in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. One of the participating artists is none other than Oaklandside photographer and visual journalist Amir Aziz. Saturday’s event will include readings by Bay Area poets, and music.
Then, on Tuesday, Oct. 25, I’ll be in conversation with some of the Oakland artists and community leaders who were involved in the project about their experience, the work they are doing in Oakland, and why it’s important that Oakland be included in international conversations about urban culture. Both events, which are being put together by California Humanities and Albertine SF, are free to attend.
If you have an event that you’d like me to consider for this roundup, email me at azucena@oaklandside.org. If there’s an event that you’d like to promote on our calendar, you can use the self-submission form anytime by clicking on our homepage’s “Events” tab.
Inaugural Love Life Day at Frank Ogawa Plaza
This Thursday, join members of the city of Oakland’s Cultural Affairs Commission, local artists, neighbors, and others at Frank Ogawa Plaza to celebrate and honor community members who are working to prevent violence in Oakland. Kev Choice will both perform at the event with his ensemble and play host in his role as a cultural strategist for the city of Oakland. Also performing will be Mistah F.A.B., Karega Bailey of Sol Development, Loove Moore, Oakland’s Poet Laureate, Ayodele Nzinga, and DJ Red Corvette. In addition, Mayor Libby Schaaf will be presenting keys to the city to four Oakland residents who have made a difference in the community through the years: rapper, songwriter, and community leader Mistah F.A.B., Bishop Yvette A. Flunde, who is the founder of Ark of Refuge, Inc., which provides housing, direct services, education, and training for persons affected by HIV/AIDS in the Bay Area, Marilyn Washington Harris, who founded the Khadafy Washington Foundation for Nonviolence following the murder of her 18-year-old son, and Russell Jeung, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate.
Thursday, Oct. 20, 5 p.m to 7 p.m., free to attend, Frank H. Ogawa Plaza Amphitheater
Pop-Up Magazine Love Stories at the Paramount Theatre
The popular Pop-Up Magazine event is kicking-off its first themed tour in over three years at the Paramount Theatre. This year’s theme is “love stories” about first love, heartbreak, friendship, one-night stands, pets, spies, and more. Performers—who often include journalists, authors, photographers, documentary filmmakers, and others—use sound, illustrations, animation, film, and photography to make their stories come to life. This year’s stellar lineup includes writer and actor Ryan O’Connell (writer of Peacock’s Queer as Folk and author of I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves), poet Sarah Kay (Project VOICE), musician Victoria Canal (Elegy EP), poet and playwright Marc Bamuthi Joseph (The Just and The Blind, Watch Night, The Kennedy Center), radio producer Rachael Cusick (Radiolab), filmmaker Nadav Kurtz (Paraiso, a Sundance Film Festival selection), comedian Pamela Rae Schuller (What Makes Me Tic), and more. The show will have ASL interpreters, open captioning, and ADA-accessible seating.
Saturday, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m., $39-$79, Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway
Old Oakland Celebrates: Honoring Our Ancestors, Celebrating Culture
This weekend, E14 Gallery in Old Oakland is hosting a community event where people will be able to learn about the ancestral tradition of Day of the Dead. Attendees will have the opportunity to view altars and understand how and why they are made every Nov. 2 to honor and celebrate our loved ones who have passed. Afterward, take a stroll around Old Oakland to see the altars that other businesses in the neighborhood have set up.
Saturday, Oct. 22, 11:30 a.m. to sundown, free to attend, E14 Gallery, 461 9th St.
Partners in Preservation Awards at Pardee Home Museum
This Sunday, the Oakland Heritage Alliance is hosting Partners in Preservation at Pardee Home Museum. This awards ceremony celebrates groups who have safeguarded history through architectural preservation. After a two-year hiatus, the awards ceremony is back to recognize local restoration efforts—from the vintage climbing structure at Lake Merritt to the restoration of the water fountain at Joaquin Miller Park—as well as hand out several lifetime achievement awards. The awards ceremony has been an annual event at the Pardee Home Museum, recognizing conservation contributions by Oaklanders for over 20 years.
Sunday, Oct. 23, 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., $20-$25, Pardee Home Museum, 672 11th St.
We R Here at The New Parkway
Oakland-based filmmaker Kyung Lee’s newest documentary, We R Here, is screening next Tuesday at The New Parkway Theater. In the film, the cinematographers themselves are the subjects. Lee worked with three unhoused individuals, DJ, Billy, and Maria, to capture their unique perspectives. The three are all currently living in Oakland and San Leandro and used cellphone cameras to film their daily experiences. The screening will be followed by a panel on the homelessness crisis featuring several Oakland mayoral candidates.
Tuesday, Oct. 25, 6:30 p.m., $12-$15, The New Parkway Theater, 474 24th St.
