Nothing says summer like outdoor activities, and this week we’re featuring plenty of them. Whether you want to check out some artwork in Fruitvale, dance till sunset in Old Oakland, check out a festival in the Laurel district, or hang out at the OMCA gardens, there’s something for everyone.
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.
Salsa dancing lessons at In Lak’ech Dance Academy
If you love to dance salsa but need to update or better your moves, In Lak´ech Dance Academy, an LGBTQ+ Afro-Latin dance school in West Oakland, has one-hour salsa classes every Wednesday. The drop-in class is taught by Angelica Amor Medina, who co-founded the academy with her partner Jahaira Fajardo. If you’ve never danced salsa but want to learn, there are classes for every level. Classes on the first Wednesday of the month are designed for beginners. Bachata dance classes are also available.
Every Wednesday, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., $20, or $160 (for a 10-class pack), The Orange Room, 2885 Ettie St.
Bay Area Hip Hop Archives induction ceremony at OMCA
OMCA is celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with a month of special Friday Nights programming. This week, 55 Bay Area hip-hop artists, activists, and educators will be inducted into the Bay Area Hip-Hop Archives. The inaugural group of inductees includes musician and filmmaker Boots Riley, activist, and former Black Panther Erica Huggins, and Oakland hip-hop group Digital Underground, to name a few. The night will also include a turf dance class by Turfin’ with Telice and DJ sets by Jahi (who is also curating this month’s Friday Nights at OMCA programming) and multi-media artist, DJ, and hip-hop journalist Davey D.
Friday, Aug. 11, 5 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., free to attend, OMCA, 1000 Oak St.
Laurel Street Fair & World Music Festival
The yearly festival spans eight blocks of MacArthur Boulevard from 35th Avenue to Maybelle Avenue and features musical performances by artists from different genres. Duniya Dance and Drum Company, the Bay Area’s only South Asian and West African drumming and dance company, and West African drummer Bongo Sidibe, are two acts making their festival debuts. One other new addition is the Black Cultural Zone’s pop-up roller skate rink. The family-friendly event is ADA-accessible.
Saturday, Aug. 12, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., free to attend, MacArthur Boulevard between 35th Avenue and Maybelle Avenue
Kiss N Grind daytime party
Summertime calls for outdoor daytime parties, and For the Culture, a restaurant and community event space located where Mexicali Rose restaurant once was in Old Oakland, has been hosting parties as a way to keep “Oakland culture” alive. This Saturday, the Kiss N Grind party will take over the venue. You’ll be able to dance to reggae, Afro beats, R&B, hip-hop, and much more. The party starts at 3 p.m. and goes on till sunset.
Saturday, Aug. 12, 3 p.m. to sunset, $20-$100 (for bottle service), 701 Clay St.
International Space Station outdoor exhibit
Every Sunday from now through the end of the month, the International Space Station, a mobile gallery and workshop featuring artwork created by seniors from the San Antonio Senior Center and teens from The Unity Council’s youth program, will set up shop next to the Fruitvale Market Plaza. Fred Alvarado, the artist behind the project, wants Sunday’s exhibit to serve as a way to make the plaza a safe place for community members “to create, play, and gather.”
Every Sunday in August, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., free to attend, 3340 E 12th St.
