Events that have not been canceled. Cancellations are ongoing, so please check individual events for updates.

 

 

 

 

ART

 

The Moraga Art Gallery announces a new art exhibit, “Spaces, Inside and Out” which runs through Dec. 24. The gallery is open Friday through Sunday, noon to 3 p.m. and is currently open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 3 p.m. For information, visit the Moraga Art Gallery website: https://moragaartgallery.com.

 

Valley Art Gallery 55th Annual Holiday Collection for artful giving! Gallery Artists through Dec. 26. Special holiday gift Trunk Shows  Dec. 10 - 12, (wood art by Robert Nolan.) 2020 marks the 55th Annual Holiday Collection at Valley Art Gallery, and we have a lot going on! Our new gift exhibition includes a wide variety of beautifully crafted, ceramic, wood and glass pieces, original designer jewelry, small paintings and many other unique, one-of-a-kind gift items. Free, open to the public. 1661 Botelho Drive, Suite 110, Walnut Creek; www.valleyartgallery.org; (925) 935-4311

 

MUSIC

 

Acalanes HS Instrumental Virtual Winter Concert Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. Enjoy the amazing musical talents of the Acalanes Instrumental Bands this month! Instrumental Music Director Ms. Lauren Gibson will be showcasing performances by each ensemble (Jazz Ensemble, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, and Orchestra) as well as chamber music. Best of all, you can hear all this beautiful music safely from the comfort of your home via Zoom video conference. This concert is free to the public but donations are always welcomed! Look for the Zoom link at http://acalanesinstrumentalmusic.com or http://ahsperformingarts.org.

 

Diablo Ballet will present an encore presentation of Julia Adam’s The Nutcracker Suite which will be available for viewing Monday, Dec. 21 through Wednesday, Dec. 23. Julia Adam’s The Nutcracker Suite, which was created for the company in November 2019, takes a local twist on the timeless holiday classic when the Diablo family and their daughter Clara check into the Nutcracker Suite at the Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill on Christmas Eve. This whimsical ballet captures the magic and anticipation of the holidays that will delight every member of the family. Virtual tickets are being sold one per household through the Lesher Center for the Arts and once a ticket is purchased, it’s viewable as many times whenever you’d like for three days. Tickets can be purchased by calling 925-943-SHOW (7469) or visit lesherartscenter.org. For additional information, visit diabloballet.org or call (925) 943-1775.

 

The Peter Pan Foundation presents “Winter: A Season of Virtual Entertainment and Inspiration,” featuring local youth and teen performers, professional headliners and special guests from the Broadway stage in a heartwarming series of winter-inspired showcases you won’t want to miss., Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. - Radio Hour Matinee. Evening shows: Friday, Dec. 11 at 5 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 12 at 5 p.m.; and Friday, Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.peterpanfoundation.org. In addition to our virtual Winter show, the PPF is busy creating and sharing music and magic throughout the season!

 

THEATER

 

Orinda Starlight Village Players Produces a Children’s Christmas Event Zooming with Christmas Jaunts and Jingles. Oh no! Santa is missing his lead reindeer and he really needs help finding him! Who would take him? And how can he get him back in time to make his Christmas gift deliveries? Written and produced by Malcolm Cowler, Christmas Jaunts and Jingles is the third Zoom mystery game for OrSVP.  The group has not been able to perform on their outdoor stage due to COVID-19 so Cowler developed interactive mystery games to keep patrons in touch with the theatre. The OrSVP actors perform the show and the online audience interacts via puzzles and questioning the suspects.  This Christmas Holiday show is designed to appeal to children 6-12 years old participating with an adult relative or guardian but will also be appreciated by the Young-At-Heart. Performances are every Tuesday and Thursday at 7 p.m at no charge in December.  To access the show, please contact Jill Gelster at info@orsvp.org for a reservation.

 

OTHER

 

Pre-School Fair. For more than 20 years, Lamorinda Moms has organized and hosted an annual Preschool Fair designed to help local parents find the perfect preschool for their child. This free event is open to Lamorinda Moms members as well as the general community. Like with many things in 2020, we did a pandemic pivot and went virtual with our 23rd annual preschool fair! In addition to our traditional booklet, we’ve added the participating preschools to our website. Get all the details about the schools, how they’re handling COVID-19 and even some video content. Live now on our website: www.lamorindamoms.org/

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Climate Action in Our Community Webinar Dec. 16, 6:30-8 p.m. It’s time to connect with others, save resources and money in the home, and create a healthier Contra Costa for the future! In this webinar, Sustainable Contra Costa will help you start Teams through the Cleaner Contra Costa Challenge. You can work together with friends, family, and community organizations to save resources and money in the home and fight climate change. http://climateaction

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Dorothy Day House is hosting a blanket and winter apparel drive to collect clean, gently worn or new warm blankets, coats, jackets, ponchos, and beanies throughout December between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 7 days a week at their primary location at 1931 Center St.  Area residents are invited to make a difference in our local community by donating to the coat drive and helping Dorothy Day House reach our goal of collecting enough items to ensure that no one goes cold this winter in Berkeley.  To coordinate a donation, drop off, please contact Robbi Montoya, Director of Programs, at (510) 705-1325.

 

See’s Candies online holiday program Moraga Kiwanis Club relies on its annual pop-up store and See’s candy fundraiser that generates funds that it gives to local charities.  For safety considerations, this year it is only participating in the See’s Candies online holiday program.  It still enables it to safely purchase See’s Candies at the same price as See’s factory stores and still help support the worthy charities the club supports.  Charities need help more than ever during COVID. Please support this online fundraiser and visit the Kiwanis Club of Moraga Valley website https://moragavalleykiwanis.org/ !  Thank you Lamorinda, for your ongoing support!

 

Hospice East Bay Moraga Tree of Lights: Live Streaming at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13. This free ceremony provides a way for families and friends to honor their loved ones and find solace in the symbolism of light as the names of their loved ones are read. The Live Stream is instead of the usual Moraga Country Club ceremony. Hospice of the East Bay provides hospice care whether or not patients have insurance and allows additional services, such as music therapy and children’s grief programs, which are not covered by Medicare. For the link to the event go to: https://hospicee.ejoinme.org/

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GARDEN

 

The Montelindo Garden Club January meeting begins Friday Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. on Zoom. Everyone is welcome. Presentation:  Inviting pollinators in; Speaker:  Janet Sluis. Janet Sluis is a well-known horticulturist specializing in organic, low water, regionally appropriate, easy-care plants.  She is the Sunset Western Garden Collection’s curator and plant expert. Janet will speak about what people can do to address declining bird and insect populations by selecting appropriate plants and trees, including those that will provide year-round habitat and food sources.  To request a Zoom link to attend this meeting, email:  montelindogarden@aol.com

 

The Orinda Garden Club, along with several other Bay Area garden clubs, together are sponsoring a free, virtual symposium:  Bay Visions 2021: “The Power of Plants Will Protect the Bay.”  Please join us for this discussion on Jan. 13, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., for an inspiring look at adaption, regeneration, and the powerful role plants play in mitigating the challenges facing San Francisco Bay.  Speakers include Karina Nielsen, Professor and Director, Estuary & Ocean Science Center, San Francisco State University; Dr. Katharyn Boyer, biology professor at San Francisco State University’s Estuary & Ocean Science Center; and Josie Iselin, author of The Curious World of Seaweed. Register (for free) here: www.eventbrite.com/e/bay-visions-tickets-127648342629