ART

North Shattuck Association presents Chocolate & Chalk Art Festival on Saturday, Aug. 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at North Shattuck Ave., 1601 Shattuck Ave. @ Cedar St., Berkeley. Eat Chocolate & Make Art! Free! Chalk Art Contest cash prizes. Street fair. Beer & Wine. ChocolateAndChalkArt.com Cost: Free Entry, Box of Chalk is $10/$20; Chocolate tasting 20 tickets/$20. For more info see www.anotherbullwinkelshow.com/chocolate-chalk-art/ or call (510) 334-6523 or email Lisa@AnotherBullwinkelShow.com.

Art Gallery at the Orinda Library – Ceramic Vessels to Inspire, Woodturnings, Fabric Art, Photographs and Paintings presented by the Lamorinda Arts Council during August. Learn more about these talented artists at a reception in their honor from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6 where light refreshments will be served. Visit lamorindaarts.org.
Art Gallery at Wilder – Reclaimed Wood Transformed with Patina and Imagination. View this virtual artwork exhibit from Aug. 6 through Sept. 9 at https://lamorindaarts.org/current-exhibits-wilder/ for details.

Music

Free Rotary concert at Lafayette Reservoir’s Rotary Stage, Aug. 6. The concert will begin at 4 p.m. with a warm-up act, followed by a 90-minute concert featuring the Big Band of Rossmoor.  Audience members are encouraged to bring a picnic, a blanket, and enjoy the music.  Visit www.lafayetterotary.com and order your free tickets.

“Courageous” is the first concert in the Pacific Chamber Orchestra’s 2022-23 season. Are the names Grazyna Bacewicz, Wojciech Kilar, Mykola Kolessa, Miroslav Skoryk, or Antonin Dvorak familiar to you? If not, “Courageous” opens the doors to world-class composers and the deep cultural roots of Eastern European folk music you will never forget. Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m., St. Stephens Church, Orinda. Tickets at https://pacificchamberorchestra.org/

Irish Music Concert at the Veterans Memorial Building in Danville Friday, Sept. 16. A concert of traditional and contemporary Irish music. The concert celebrates the Friendship City relationship between Danville and New Ross, Ireland, from which O’Neill’s father James emigrated. Acclaimed Bay Area musicians Cormac Gannon, Erin Thompson, and Steve Gardner will sing and play a variety of instruments, including the fiddle and uilleann pipes. Tickets are only $20 at https://eugeneoneill.org/.

Want to have some fun? Come sing with the Diablo Women's Chorale! The fall season starts on Monday, Aug. 15, and we'll hold auditions by appointment that evening between 6 and 9 p.m. Auditions are open to all female voice parts. Contact Nancy Hickman, Membership Chair, at (925) 899-5050 or hickmandg@gmail.com. www.DiabloWomensChorale.org

Gold Coast Chamber Players concert: Brahms Reunion. Friday, Sept. 23, at 7:30 p.m. Pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. Don Tatzin Community Hall at the Lafayette Library, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette. Johannes Brahms Sonata for cello and piano, No. 2 in F Major, op. 99 Piano Quintet in F minor, op. 34. The concert will be recorded for online viewing beginning Sept. 30. Single tickets $15-45; Online: www.gccpmusic.com, by phone: (925) 283-3728 Discounted subscription packages also available.

Theatre

Orinda Starlight Village Players presents "The Marvelous Land of Oz" with adaption and lyrics by Malcolm Cowler and music by Rice Majors, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. July 22 through Aug. 13, Sunday, Aug. 7 at 4 p.m. and Thursday, Aug. 11 at 8 p.m. at the Orinda Community Center Park Outdoor Amphitheater. Regular admission: $20 (discount for seniors and children). Tickets at Box Office or call (925) 528-9225 or email info@orsvp.org. www.orsvp.org

Town Hall Theatre Company presents “The Re-Education of Fernando Morales,” by Justin P. Lopez and directed by River Bermudez Sanders at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20. Town Hall Theatre, 3535 School St., Lafayette Office: 925-283-1557. Tickets $20 at www.TownHallTheatre.com.

Shotgun Players presents Man of God on Sept. 3-Oct. 2: Sept. 3 and 8-10, 8 p.m.; Sept. 4 and 11, 5 p.m.; Sept. 14-Oct 1: Wed-Thur 7 p.m., Fri-Sat 8 p.m., Sun 5 p.m., at Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave, Berkeley. A feminist thriller about that moment when girls realize the male gaze has been watching all along - and decide they are going to do something about it. Cost: $7-36. For more info see https://shotgunplayers.org/online/article/man-of-god or call (510) 841-6500 x303 or email boxoffice@shotgunplayers.org.

Literature

Orinda Books event: Thursday, Aug. 4, 11 a.m. Pat’s book club will read and discuss “The Personal Librarian” by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. Everyone is welcome; just email info@orindabooks to let us know you're coming. This is a remarkable novel about J. P. Morgan's personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation.

Other

Lamorinda Idol Finals at the Orinda Theatre presented by Lamorinda Arts Council begins at 11 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 14. They continue until the awards ceremony for winners at 7 p.m. This seven-level competition for young singers (grades K-12) is in its 17th year at the Orinda Theatre, 2 Theatre Square, Orinda. Visit www.lamorindaarts.org/idol-2/ or email idol@lamorindaarts.org for more information.

Community Coffee Meetings with the OUSD Board. The School Board wants to hear from you! Meet from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. each Thursday morning following the monthly regular Board meetings. The next coffee is Aug. 11 on Zoom.  Two Board members will attend each coffee, and the members attending will rotate from month to month. We want to answer any questions you may have, hear your concerns and ideas, and share new information as it arises.

Join us on Sunday, Aug. 28 for the annual Kapnek Trust USA fun run/walk. Starting at 9 a.m. on the Moraga Commons Path this event supports pre-school education and nutritious food to children in Zimbabwe. Participants enjoy a T-shirt, food, music, carnival games, and fun! To register go to: https://kapnektrustusafunrun.eventbrite.com/

Mocktails & Cocktails – Sunday, Aug. 28, 3 to 5 p.m. Join those who love art, literature, music and everything in between at The Coop, 32 Lafayette Circle, Lafayette. Time for some artsy conversation with Ani Breslin and Elana O’Loskey of the Lamorinda Arts Council. No host bar. Just show up. Questions? Email literary@lamorindaarts.org.