May Day, May the 4th Be With You, and Cinco de Mayo are some themed events you’ll find all over town. But we wanted to step outside the box and feature other types of events this week, including ballet dancing, a queer Latinx party, a photography exhibit, a documentary screening, and a literacy event.
If there’s something you’d like me to consider for this weekly list, email me at azucena@oaklandside.org. And if you want to promote something on our calendar, you can use the self-submission form on our events page.
‘NOTICE’ exhibit at East Bay Photo Collective
From Friday, May 3 through Sunday, June 23, NOTICE, an exhibit by ten Oakland-based photographers and the Oakland Street Photography Collective will be displayed at the East Bay Photo Collective. Artists part of the exhibit include pablo circa and Demondre Ward (co-curators), Ariel Mason, Brandon Ruffin, Bradley Fowl, Elvin Catley, Kristian Salum, Najee Tobin, Rudi Cruz, and Tarence Sang. The work by these photographers invites people to look up from their phones and pay closer attention to fleeting moments around them.
Opening reception, Friday, May 3, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., free to attend, 312 8th St.
‘Lustig LIVE!’
This weekend, fans of the Oakland Ballet will get two chances to check out Lustig LIVE!, a program of four works celebrating Graham Lustig, the Oakland Ballet’s artistic director since 2010. The program includes the world premiere of Faun, inspired by the life and career of Russian dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, where Graham Lustig will perform as the mature Nijinsky, and three shorts: Uncertain Steps, created initially for the Introdans, a dance company based in the city of Arnhem in the Netherlands; Dialogues, about a woman who looks back at her life and past lovers; and Heartbreak Hotel inspired by the Californian invention of speed-dating and set to songs popularized by Elvis Presley.
Friday, May 3, and Saturday, May 4, 7;30 p.m., $20-$100, Odell Johnson Performing Arts Center, Laney College, 900 Fallon St.
Screening of ‘All We Carry’ at the Kehilla Community Synagogue
Journalist and filmmaker Cady Voge is screening her new documentary All We Carry. The event will be co-sponsored by the Kehilla Community Synagogue Immigration Committee and the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity. The documentary follows the three-year journey of a family fleeing Honduras, their months spent at an immigration detention center, and everything they endured while waiting for the asylum verdict. A panel discussion with the filmmakers and other community leaders will follow the screening.
Saturday, May 4, 6:30 p.m., $10-$20 suggested donation, 1300 Grand Ave. Piedmont.
Oakland Arts and Lectures: Dr. Darcie Little Badger and Tommy Orange
“An exciting evening of literature and intellectual stimulation” is what to expect at this lit event with authors Dr. Darice Little Badger, a member of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas, and Tommy Orange, a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. Both have new books: Sheine Lende, a prequel to Badger’s 2020 young adult novel Elatsoe, and Wandering Stars, a prequel and a sequel to Orange’s 2018 There There. Oakland Arts & Lectures was launched as part of the Activate Oaklang grant funding.
Sunday, May 5, 3 p.m., free to attend, Oakstop, 1723 Broadway
Chillonas party at FLUID 510
If you’re looking for a day party to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, look no further than the Chillonas party at FLUID510. The queer Latinx party is produced by local Drag Queens La Chucha, Sally Limon, and Jose Alejo. The day party features DJs Marv and La Hija del Volcán behind the turntables, go-go dancers, and artwork by La Chucha. The party will be hosted by drag queens Luke Modelo, Sicaria Contract Killa, and 2024 Santa Clara County Poet Laureate Yosimar Reyes.
Sunday, May 5, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., $10, 1544 Broadway
