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🐝 Cyclists of all ages can join a community beehive ride tour to learn more about bees in Berkeley; stops include Bancroft Community Garden, Woolsey Delta Hive and Urban Farm Oasis. RSVP to reserve your spot and get a free burrito. Sunday, April 19, 10 a.m. Start at Downtown Berkeley BART. $25 suggested donation
☕ Every month, join mak-‘amham/Cafe Ohlone founders Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino as they discuss a topic related to East Bay Ohlone culture, experiences and community. Tea and a snack will be served.Thursday, April 16, 3:30 p.m. Lawrence Hall of Science. FREE (registration required)
☮️ Make Berkeley-themed bag charms to welcome the spring season — all materials provided. Thursday, April 16, 5-8 p.m. Super Duper Burgers. FREE
🥁 Pianist Sam Rudin (aka Hurricane Sam) opened up the Back Room 10 years ago, and over the past decade the living room-like space has become an essential outpost for a wide array of styles. Berkeley drum maestro Scott Amendola kicks off a nine-show concert series celebrating the milestone with his Anniversary Quartet featuring violin star Jenny Scheinman. Thursday, April 16, 8 p.m. Back Room. $30
🎸 Bass guitarist Chris Trinidad’s latest project, Chroma Tonic, makes its Jupiter debut concocting singular sounds and intriguing groove music with a wildly diverse cast of players, including Naima Shalhoub on vocals and synth, Alex Heigl on ambient and looped guitars, and Cy Thompson on an array of Afro-Caribbean percussive elements. Friday, April 17, 7 p.m. Jupiter. FREE
🧑🎨 ACCI Gallery will be hosting an art supply and garage sale of beads, tools, fabric, art books and more. Bring your own bags to fill them up with high-quality artist goods. Saturday, April 18, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. 1652 Shattuck Ave. at Lincoln St. FREE
♻️ In anticipation of Earth Day (April 22), the North Shattuck neighborhood holds a pre-party featuring community swaps, sidewalk sales, and a celebration of sustainable practices across multiple local spots. Saturday, April 18, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Shattuck & Vine. FREE
🌎 The Fourth Street shopping district celebrates Earth Day with music by Three Elements and free giveaways of seeds, succulents and mini clay pots (while supplies last). Saturday, April 18, noon-3:30 p.m. Peet’s Coffee. FREE
🏮 Contribute to a 1,000 origami paper crane project during an afternoon of crafting, wine and music. Make paper cranes for an art exhibition accompanying a taiko and string orchestra performance by taiko soloist Kohtaro Yamakawa and composer Erika Oba — premiering on May 17. The event will include a performance of Mary Lou Prince’s “Topaz” as part of a fundraising series for the Kakehashi Project, an initiative of the string organization Collective Counterpoint. Saturday, April 18, 1:30 p.m. Noria Winery. FREE
🤖 Children in the third, fourth and fifth grade can learn to build and drive mini robots with the VEX Robotics Kitz with the help of the Berkeley High School Robotics team. Saturday, April 18, 2-5 p.m. FREE (registration required)
🕊️ La Peña Community Chorus will be holding a benefit concert to sing for peace, solidarity and justice; all proceeds will go to Friends of La Peña Immigrant Rights, an immigrant rights group working to educate people in the Bay Area. Saturday, April 18, 7:30 p.m. La Peña Cultural Center. $20-$40
📚 With release events preempted by the pandemic shutdown in 2020, Johanna Silver is belatedly celebrating her book “Growing Weed In the Garden,” which includes a limited number of Humboldt Seed Company feminized seeds for giveaway, should you want to try your hand at outdoor cannabis cultivation. Sunday, April 19, 6 p.m. Afikomen Judaica. FREE
🍎 Need help but not sure where to start? Meet with a social services specialist at no cost to get connected to local organizations for assistance in healthcare, housing and employment. Monday, April 20, 10 a.m.-noon. Berkeley Library South Branch. FREE
🚴 Celebrate with CycleBar Berkeley for their 10-year anniversary of highlighting health and fitness in the city during a ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by a community cocktail hour. Monday, April 20, 4:30 p.m. 1929 University Ave. FREE
🎥 The same chemicals and microplastics contaminating the seas and wildlife are showing up in the human body, raising questions about hormone disruption, fertility issues and chronic disease. Detoxing from Plastic features an abbreviated screening of the documentary “The Plastic Detox” followed by a panel discussion with Academy Award-winning director Louie Psihoyos, Emmy Award-winning co-director and producer Josh Murphy, and epidemiological scientist Dr. Shanna Swan, whose research on fertility and endocrine-disrupting chemicals is featured in the film. The discussion will be moderated by Dianna Cohen, co-founder and chief vision officer of Plastic Pollution Coalition. Tuesday, April 21, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Brower Center. FREE (registration required)
🔬 The Popping the Science Bubble series, which presents UC Berkeley scientists talking about their cutting-edge research, continues with biologist Aleksey Maro talking about what the chimpanzee diet tells us about the origins of alcohol consumption and neuroscientist Deepthi Bannai on the optics of animal eyes. Tuesday, April 21, 5:30 p.m. Central Library Mystery Room. FREE (also online)
🎶 Catalan conductor, composer and viol master Jordi Savall and his Hespèrion XXI La Capella Reial de Catalunya (and special guests) return to Cal Performances for the wide-ranging program “Songs, Battles, and Dances from the Old and the New World (1100–1780)” a sonic journey illuminating the exchange of influences through song, battle and dance, exploring how music served as a tool of faith, resistance and survival over seven centuries. Tuesday April 21, 7:30 p.m. Zellerbach Hall. $43-$139
📚 Poet, musician and Russian-language translator Timmy Hall presents “The Thomas Salto” as part of the Holloway Poetry Series. Wednesday, April 22, 5:30 p.m. Wheeler Hall Room 315. FREE
🗓️ See more things to do in Oakland and Richmond. And check out our big list of affordable things to do anytime in Berkeley. Sign up for our weekly arts and culture newsletter, The Scene.
If there’s an event you’d like us to consider for this roundup, email us at the-scene@berkeleyside.org. The deadline to submit events for Around Berkeley is end-of-day Monday. 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.
