ART

The Lamorinda Arts Alliance is delighted to present a juried art exhibition “Under Pressure 2,” at the Main Street Arts Gallery at 613 Main Street, Martinez, through Oct. 6. All printmaking mediums were considered for exhibition with an emphasis on varied techniques. Intaglio etchings, monotypes, monoprints, solarplate etchings, Chine-coll, relief print woodblocks and linoleum art will be represented.

Valley Art Gallery presents “Celebrating 70 Years of Fine Art,” a new exhibition by gallery artists on its 70th Anniversary though Nov. 9. The gallery always features selected works by Gallery Artists on its unique sliding walls. Reflecting a wide range of motifs, styles and media, the show continues the mission to represent the best of the best of more than 100 East Bay artists. www.valleyartgallery.org

The Lamorinda Arts Alliance will hold a one-day show and sale from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 5 at the Lafayette Christian Church, just off St. Mary’s Road at 584 Glenside Drive, Lafayette. More than two dozen painters, jewelers, ceramicists, photographers, card and print-makers, and one virtuoso chocolatier will display media-spanning collections of recent works. The participants, mostly Lamorinda-based, hail also from Alameda, Benicia, Clayton, Walnut Creek, San Ramon, Pacheco, and other nearby towns. Free.

Community Mural Project unveiling and reception for the artists from 5 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 5 at JPG@The Bank Pop-up Art Gallery 3525 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette. Artist, architect, placemaker, and community activator Lara Dutto will lead a community mural for the outside of JPG@The Bank. The mural will be installed inside the abandoned ATM Niche on Moraga Road. Dutto has gathered several local teens, to create the mural off-site and install it over a 3-day period. While on-site at the pop-up, they will incorporate and put the final touches on the installation.

Lamorinda Arts Alliance announces “Keep It Local” at Lafayette Bank of America at 3530 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in Lafayette. The exhibit features local scenes by local artists, including George Ehrenhaft, Judith Feins, Debby Koonce, Jill Landau, Margaret Lucas-Hill, Judy Bolef Miller, Wenda Pyman, Sheila Reid, Adrienne Rogers and Maria SantoStefano. The show will run through Oct. 30.

MUSIC

Count Basie style Jazz performed by Steve Snyder’s Big Band from 4 to 6 p.m. on Oct. 6 at 584 Glenside Drive, Lafayette, Back Courtyard patio. Craft beers and wine for purchase. Snacks available. The concert is free with a good-will donation to help cover expenses.

OSLC Concert Series presents The Black Cedar Trio (Kris Palmer, flute; Steven Lin, guitar; Isaac Pastor-Chermak, cello) in a performance spanning four centuries of music at 4 p.m. on Oct. 6 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 1035 Carol Lane in Lafayette. Compositions by J.S. Bach, Paganini, Piazzolla, and a special commission (2018) Tres Colores by Javier Contreras. Free admission/freewill offering.

Devil Mountain Coffee House announces North Country Blue show at 8 p.m. on Oct. 18. at Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church 55 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek. North Country Blue (www.northcountryblue.com)  established itself as one of California’s freshest and finest bluegrass bands. The band combines fresh takes on the traditional bluegrass canon, thoughtful covers of challenging modern material, and a number of startlingly mature and well-crafted originals. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 students and $5 children. Sliding scale is also available at the door. Tickets are available at: www.eventbrite.com/e/north-
country-blue-tickets-7243353
3649?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Gold Coast Chamber Players will present culturally distinct music with a journey from the USA to China. “Pairs” - music featuring pairs of string instruments performing together at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 19 in the Don Tatzin Community Hall, Lafayette Library. Tickets are $45- $40 Senior (65+), $15 Student. Discounted season tickets are available. For more information, call (925) 283-3728 or visit GCCPMusic.com.

THEATER

Town Hall Theatre opens their milestone 75th “Transformations” 2019-20 Season with Matthew Lopez’s comedy “The Legend of Georgia McBride,” a celebratory piece about a young man discovering his inner drag queen through Oct. 19. For tickets and showtimes: BOX OFFICE: (925) 283-1557; www.townhalltheatre.com

LECTURE & LITERATURE

Diablo Writers’ Workshop is excited to present “Launching” - a creative writing reading program from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17 at Orinda Books. Eight local writers will share debut stories developed with the Diablo Writers’ Workshop. The reading is being held in conjunction with San Francisco’s annual literary festival - Litquake - and hosted by DWW founders and teachers Janine deBoisblanc and Andrea Firth. Come out for refreshments, great storytelling, and a fun evening.

KIDS, PARENTS & TEENS

“Love & Logic - Parenting Made Fun.” For parents of children of all ages. Learn simple and proven techniques that teach responsibility and character, lower your stress level, and have immediate and positive results. Taught by Connie Kellaher, director of MVPC Nurtury Preschool, and Love and Logic Independent Facilitator. Join us for any or all of 7 sessions on Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church, 10 Moraga Valley Lane, Moraga. Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and Nov. 6 and 13. Each session stands alone, so come when you can! No charge, and no pre-registration needed. Free childcare is available by emailing ckallaher@mvpctoday.org at least one week in advance. For more info, visit www.thenurturypreschool.
com/programs/parenteducation/

Mindful Littles & White Pony Express volunteer opportunity from 4 to 5:15 p.m. on Oct. 22 and from 1 to 2:15 p.m. on Oct. 27 at White Pony Express 3380 Vincent Rd #107/ Pleasant Hill. Mindful Littles will be facilitating family volunteering projects at White Pony Express. Each project will be a unique, highly-engaging experience for families with children under 12 -  grandparents welcome! This is an opportunity for children to engage in service in fun ways and for families to spend quality time together, including learning more about empathy and mindfulness. Please wear comfortable clothes. Register at: https://whiteponyexpress.volunte
erlocal.com/volunteer/?id=41555

OTHER

Serbian Food Festival from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 at Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church 1700 School Street, Moraga. Serbian favorites like sarma, kobasice, cevapcici, live Serbian music, delicious homemade pastries and a bounce house for the kids.

Lafayette Juniors 25th Annual Rummage Sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5. Special Early Bird Entrance fee $10 per adult from 7 to 8 a.m. Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church, 49 Knox Dr., Lafayette. Pre-loved designer clothes, baby and kid clothes, toys, children’s gear, furniture, household goods, and much more. Visit www.lafayettejuniors.org.

Volunteers will remove Fire Blight - damaged branches from the 106-year-old pear orchard adjacent to Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School in Moraga from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 5. The trees are doing better after several years of fire blight removal, treatment with an organic fertilizer last year, and our winter rains in 2016. The Fire Blight infection threatened to kill this historic orchard, which is a source of great local pride and the impetus for the annual Moraga Pear Festival. There will be instruction, tools, and a lot of fun. Bring gloves, sunscreen, hats and sturdy shoes. If you have them bring (labeled with your name), loppers, hand pruners and (especially needed) pole pruners and orchard ladders.

OTHER ... continued

Fall in love with beautiful kittens and cats from Community Concern for Cats. Meet them at this weekend’s adoption event from 1 to 4 p.m. on Oct. 5 and 6. Locations are Pet Food Express in Lafayette, Petco in Walnut Creek, Pet Food Express in Pleasant Hill (Saturday), and Pet Food Express in Concord (Sunday). For more information, visit www.communityconcernforcats.org online.

The Diablo Valley Literacy Council fall workshop is scheduled. Adults interested in helping other ESL (English as a Second Language) adults in the community to learn the English language are encouraged to attend. No teaching experience is required. We will teach you to be a tutor! $20 registration covers materials and training. Sessions are from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 5 and Oct. 12 at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Concord. Attending both sessions is required.

Public Hearing of the OUSD Board of Trustees at 6 p.m. on Oct. 7 in the Orinda Union School District Conference Rooms A & B, 8 Altarinda Road Orinda. The purpose of this Public Hearing is for the Board of Trustees to obtain public input on whether each pupil in the District has sufficient textbooks or instructional materials in specific subjects that are aligned to the academic content standards.

Shred papers, hard drives and CDs on site: AAUW’s 6th Annual October Shred Fest is from 9 a.m. to noon on Oct. 12, at 5A Rent-A-Space, 455 Moraga Road, Moraga. Rain or shine, securely shred papers on site. New services: Destroy computer hard drives (removed from computer) and metal CDs (up to 20). $10 per bankers file box, computer hard drive, or CDs. This AAUW fundraiser helps send teacher-nominated Lamorinda girls to Tech Trek Science & Math Camp on campus at Stanford University. https://oml-ca.aauw.net/tech-trek/

Friends Corner Book Shop in Lafayette is having a Half-Price Book Sale from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 12. Now that school has begun again, what a wonderful opportunity for family members to settle into new routines and learn something new from an interesting book! Proceeds benefit the Lafayette Library. https://www.lllcf.org/shop-for-
a-used-book/

The giant fall book sale sponsored by the Friends of the Moraga Library will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Moraga Library, 1500 St. Mary’s Road. Books, CD’s and DVDs in all categories will be sold at prices ranging from $0.25 to $3. Beginning at 1 p.m. a bag can be purchased for $5 and filled with all the books it will hold. Proceeds from the sale go to fund library materials and programs in addition to paying for staffing of the library’s Sunday hours.

The Saint Mary’s College Guild presents “A Night in Italy” from 5 to 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 19 in the Saint Mary’s College Soda Center featuring Delizioso Cuisine - Bella Muscia by the Joe Simoni Duo featuring opportunities for dinner, wine, entertainment and more! Proceeds benefiting student financial aid scholarships. $49/per person, including parking. Make check payable to: SMC Guild and mail to: Karen Cain, 1835 Joseph Drive, Moraga, CA 94556.

Practical Advice for Those with Osteoporosis & Osteopenia at 7 p.m. on Oct. 22 with Valerie Watase, PT, Co-Owner and Ambassador of Lafayette Physical Therapy at 3468 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Suite B110 in Lafayette. This is a free event, but space is limited, so please sign up at lafayettept.com/events or call (925) 284-6150.

Pivotal Twist Presents - Improv Your Intro: A Fun Way to Craft Your Personal Introduction from 7 to 10 p.m. on Oct. 23 at JPG@The Bank, 3525 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette. Expect good energy, a fun group, and a non-judgmental playground where you can try new ideas. Led by Sean Perlmutter and Henry Caplan of Pivotal Twist, Improv Your Intro is built on their background as actor/writer/directors, speaker coaches, and brand consultants. Limited to 30 participants. $45 registration includes light snacks and soft drinks. https://improvyourintro.event
brite.com.

Women’s Spiral Dance - A Multicultural Celebration of Our Beloved Ancestors and Crones from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 25 at the Orinda Masonic Temple, 9 Altarinda Road, Orinda. $23 in advance by Oct. 23/$29 at the door. During this multi-cultural and intergenerational ritual, led by Kahuna Leilani, and accompanied by spiritual elders of different traditions, we come together to honor and celebrate our loved ones who have passed away. Tickets and questions: Leilani@DaughtersoftheGoddess.com. www.DaughtersoftheGodess.com

Many Faces of Brain Cancer from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 29 at Cancer Support Community, 3276 McNutt Ave., Walnut Creek. Join an engaging panel of medical experts as they explore key advances in neuro-oncology. The panel will offer insight into latest treatments including magnetic resonance thermography, laser tumor ablation, brain mapping, immunotherapy, tradition radiotherapy and stereotractic radiosurgery. Speakers include: Maxwell Merkow, MD - James Rembert, MD - Gigi Chen, MD. RSVP to sjung@dvohmg.com or (925) 677-5041 x272.

GARDEN

The Lafayette Garden Club will meet at 10 a.m. Oct. 10 in Lafayette Veteran’s Bldg, 3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette. October’s speaker is Pamela Berstler, who co-founded and continues to manage G3, Green Gardens Group, and is also currently the executive director of Pacific Horticulture Society. She focuses on gardens that promote biodiversity, sequester carbon, cool the atmosphere, build water reserves, and are gorgeous as well! For more information please contact twalklet@comcast.net

Lafayette Community Garden presents Wind Chime Workshop from noon to 2 p.m. on Oct. 12 at Lafayette Community Garden, 3932 Mt. Diablo Blvd. This will be a fun class involving assembling a wind chime which you will make out of various objects and equipment provided by the teacher. You are also encouraged to bring your own “found” objects which can be attached to the mobile. Registration for this class is required on the website at www.lafayettecommunity
garden.org.

The Walnut Creek Garden Club will hold its monthly meeting beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 14 at the Gardens at Heather Farm, 1540 Marchbanks Drive, in Walnut Creek. The featured speaker will be Dr. John Fike, who is a master gardener and retired biomedical researcher. His presentation titled “Those Darn Pests” will introduce Integrated Pest Management (IPM), an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term control using biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, and resistant varieties.

The Montelindo Garden Club October meeting will be at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 18 at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center’s Community Hall, 3491 Mt Diablo Blvd. Everyone is welcome. Presentation: Bulbs, Bulbs, and More Bulbs! Speaker: William Welch, a.k.a. Bill the Bulb Baron. Bill has been growing and hybridizing bulbs his entire life and has bred and named several new varieties. He grows all of his bulbs organically, and will be bringing with him a wide selection of bulbs for sale after the talk. www.montelindogarden.com

10th Annual Orinda Olive Festival, Oct. 6
Submitted by Kathy Barrett

The first Sunday in October, families will be gathering in the olive grove and around the frog pond to enjoy nature, music, crafts and the bounty from local olive growers. The beautiful historic Wagner Ranch Nature Area is open to the public just twice a year. Learn about (and taste) a variety of olive oils from local producers, including award-winning Grumpy Goats Farm Extra Virgin Olive Oil, local East Bay favorite Amphora Nueva, McEvoy Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Olive Drop from Lodi, Calif., and also featuring olives from the region to taste during the 10th annual Orinda Olive Festival from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6 at the historic Wagner Ranch Nature Area.
    John Helms and Reg Barrett will lead tours of the meadows, woodland, ponds and streams, and the 135-year-old olive grove. Play family-friendly games such as the “Olive Pit Spit Contest,” and try your hand at Pioneer Chemistry, and solar cooking while wearing nature tattoos and olive crowns.  Visit a local beekeeper’s display, and explore for turtles and tadpoles in the pond. Toddlers are invited to a treasure hunt in the garden for toy bugs to take home.
    Visitors may bring their own picnic to enjoy at the many picnic tables or visit the several Food Trucks onsite. The historic olive grove will feature a ukulele concert for your enjoyment, and nearby is nature story telling for kids. Student music recitals presented by ALMA are ongoing near the main garden. A silent auction and eco-friendly raffle support the outdoor education programs in the Nature Area.
    The weather can be very warm in October. Participants should wear sunglasses and hats and bring your refillable water bottles (many water stations on site). Comfortable shoes will provide stability on uneven/gravel surfaces. Pets are not allowed in the Nature Area, due to school district policy.
Admission is free.

Mixologists create cocktail creations at annual competition
An anticipated crowd of 300 is expected at this year’s Art of Mixology event from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12 at Orinda’s Theatre Square.  The event, which is a competition among up to 18 bartenders who will vie for prizes for their craft cocktail creations as well as their table decorations, is the Lamorinda Arts Council’s largest fundraiser of the year.  
    Participants, who will cast their votes for their favorite drink, can sample over 20 cocktails as well as finger foods, and will receive a souvenir shot glass.  Bartenders will compete for the coveted Mixologist of the Year award as well as several other awards and cash prizes.
    Tickets are $55 in advance, $65 at the door.  For information, visit https://lamorindaarts.org/mixology/

Live At the Orinda:  Nicolas King
Submitted by Michael Williams

Award-winning jazz singer Nicolas King will swing into the historic Orinda Theatre along with Emmy Award-winning jazz legend Mike Renzi at 5 p.m. Oct. 13 for his Bay Area concert debut.
    King is the 2019 Legends Award-winning jazz vocalist and former child star who grew up working on Broadway and television with Carol Burnett, Liza Minnelli, Jerry Lewis, and Jay Leno.     Now 27, he’s a multi-award-winning jazz crooner often compared to Mel Torm‚ and Bobby Darin.     King will be accompanied by seven-time Emmy Award-winning musical director and jazz legend Mike Renzi, who has worked with Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Tony Bennett and Natalie Cole and was musical director, arranger and producer for both Peggy Lee and Mel Torm‚ for over 25 years.
    The Live At the Orinda concert series brings world-class, award-winning Broadway, jazz and cabaret artists to the intimate Orinda Theatre. Subscribers receive substantial ticket discounts, first choice at reserved seating for the season, complimentary drinks and more. This new season also includes Tony Award winners Faith Prince and John Lloyd Young. Previous artists include Rita Moreno, Maureen McGovern, Lorna Luft and Franc D’Ambrosio.
    Information and tickets are available at www.OrindaMovies.com or (925) 254-9065.