Our weekly event roundup is back after a brief hiatus last week. There’s lots to do around town this weekend, both indoors and out. Are you a frustrated Oakland A’s fan? There’s a game that you should attend. Interested in Oakland’s geology after reading Andrew Alden’s new book? He’s hosting an informational walk around Lake Merritt. Want to learn more about Native American culture? There’s a festival happening in East Oakland.
If there’s an event 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 on our events page.
Into the Archives: Augmented Reality
At this downtown event, Oakland archivist Damien McDuffie will use his augmented reality app, Black Terminus, to share his experience traveling in five African countries, where he used AR to document life, art, and culture. AR is an interactive experience that superimposes images in the real-world environment, usually through a phone or a head-mounted device. McDuffie’s previous work includes an augmented reality mural honoring the Black Panthers at the corner of 7th and Washington streets.
Friday, June 9, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., free to attend, register online, 306 13th St.
So So Anxious: a ‘90s and 2000s RnB & Hip Hop dance party
The “So So Anxious” party, loosely named after singer Ginuwine’s 1999 track of the same name, went on a brief hiatus in 2022 after the venue where the party was hosted, Starline Social Club, shuttered. But the ‘90s and 2000s throwback party found a new home last March at Parliament in Old Oakland. This Friday, resident DJs Brigidope and Gold Gills will welcome all who want to dance, sing along, and reminisce about what these two decades of music were all about.
Friday, June 9, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., free before 10 p.m., Parliament, 811 Washington St.
Geology walk at Lake Merritt
No one knows the topography of Oakland better than local geologist Andrew Alden. In his recently released book, Deep Oakland: How Geology Shaped a City, Alden devotes a chapter to Lake Merritt, his favorite place to visit in the Town. (The book also has a chapter about the Hayward Fault and where to see signs of it around Oakland.) This weekend, fans of Alden’s work and others curious about geology can hear from him directly about pieces of the landscape surrounding Lake Merritt that date back a million years, and how the area came to be the body of water, we see today. Meet Alden outside Children’s Fairyland for a “vigorous” 3.6-mile walk around the lake. Act fast because the walk is limited to only 25 people.
Saturday, June 10, 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., $25, meet outside 699 Bellevue Ave.
‘Many Nations One Land’ American Indian music and cultural arts festival
Now in its second year, this annual festival will take place at La Escuelita Elementary School in East Oakland. The festival is being co-hosted by Manny Lieras of the American Indian Child Resource Center, and comedian Jackie Keliiaa. The free and all-ages festival will have musicians, dancers, cultural activities, food vendors, and a Native artisan market. There will also be cultural demonstrations, including corn husk doll-making and bead-making, Indigenous food tastings, and much more. Organizers of the event hope to have Oakland residents learn more about the Native community that still resides in Oakland.
Saturday, June 10, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., free to attend, La Escuelita Elementary School, 1050 2nd Ave.
‘We are here’: Oakland A’s reverse boycott
Diehard Oakland A’s fans are banding together to show their discontent with the Athletics organization after the team announced its intention to move to Las Vegas. Part of the messaging around the move to another state is the lack of attendance at home games. Fans who are fed up with the team’s lack of commitment to Oakland and its unwillingness to invest in keeping players long-term will show up to the game to send a dual message to the A’s ownership: “We are here” and “Sell the team.” Members of the Oakland ’68s, a nonprofit and independent fan group, will have a large tailgate at Lot B by the light towers with live music and food, where fans will have the chance to grab a free green t-shirt emblazoned with the word “SELL.”
Tuesday, June 13, 6:40 p.m., see ticket prices online, Oakland Coliseum, 7000 Coliseum Way
