Summer is fast approaching, and as the weather starts to heat up, so does the events calendar. In the upcoming months, there won’t be a shortage of events to showcase, and this week, we have a taste of the many outdoor activities to partake in, like this week’s free softball and baseball clinics for youth 5-14 years old or the free concert at the Edoff Memorial Bandstand at Lake Merritt.
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.
Day Thinking Trivia 2000s edition
Dust off your low-rise jeans, butterfly hair clips, and CD collection of your favorite 2000s tunes to get all the correct answers at this weekend’s Day Thinking Trivia. Eat brunch and drink mimosas while remembering forgotten and obscure facts about the Y2K decade. If the 2000s isn’t your forte, the one in June is the Pride edition.
Saturday, May 18, 12 p.m., free to attend (food not included), FLUID510, 1544 Broadway
Chapter’s 510 Spring Lit Fest
This Saturday, students part of Chapter 510, the youth writing, bookmaking, and publishing space located at Swan’s Market in Old Oakland, will showcase the release of House Where The Earth Shakes, an anthology of poetry by teens, Hello From Somewhere, an anthology of fiction by middle schoolers and the podcast, Sound Space: Tales of Surviving High School. The event will also feature music, book readings, a book signing, and more. Also, Chapter 510 is celebrating its 10th anniversary in helping Oakland youth.
Saturday, May 18, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., free to attend, 546 9th St.
Oakland Girls Softball Team intro to softball and baseball
The Oakland Girls Softball League was one of the grantees that received funds from the Activate Oakland program. This Sunday, the softball league will host a free introduction to softball and baseball clinic for kids ages 5-14 at DeFermery Park. The league is partnering with the local youth baseball leagues, NOLL/SOLL and Babe Ruth leagues, and the Oakland Ballers. Kids will get free snacks, refreshments, and the chance to play carnival games and win prizes.
Sunday, May 19, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., free to attend, DeFremery Park, 1651 Adeline St.
Town Up Tuesday Music Festival
For the past three years, the Urban Peace Movement, a local organization that helps end youth incarceration, has hosted this free music festival. The event will be hosted by educator Leon (DNas) Sykes and Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist Mystic, with music by DJs Emelle and Daghe. The lineup will be announced soon with guest appearances by Oakland music legends.
Tuesday, May 21, 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., free to attend, RSVP online, Edoff Memorial Bandstand at Lake Merritt
Workout classes at the Self.ish Society
With summer around the corner, if you’re still looking for places to exercise, The Self-i.s.h. Society, a hair salon and community space in East Oakland, offers workout classes three days a week by Samara Pereira of Body By She three times a week in a small setting of five women per session or one-on-one personalized sessions.
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, $25-$175, 5859 Foothill Blvd.
