EBBC's Velo Wonderland: Bike & Art Party

You are invited to the East Bay Bicycle Coalition's holiday event,

"Velo Wonderland: Bike and Art Party".

Date: Friday, December 4, 2009 - 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Admission is free, and everyone is welcome - bring a friend!

Uptown Body & Fender

401 26th Street, Oakland

We've had a fantastic year, and it's time to celebrate with our fellow cyclists. The party takes place the same night as Oakland 's First Fridays art walk, Art Murmur, and we'll have bicycle-themed and recycled art curated by local artist Margo Rivera-Weiss. Enjoy snacks from Spice Monkey and beer from Linden Street Brewery. DJ Olga T will be spinning music all night long.

They will have a pedi-cab on hand, so you can take a ride in style to nearby Art Murmur galleries.

To read more

Pedi-cab services will be available.

Oakland currently has two pedicab services:

Oaksterdam Bike Rental, 410 15th St. , 510-290-1883 and

Backseat Beta: 557-9150 or bakseet.com backseatcab.com backseatcabs.com

CENTRAL STATION BLOCK PARTY

Thursday night Central Station was hoppin'! More than 250 people came to the block party for food, drink, to meet their neighbors or find out what the hub bub is about. The local vendors who fed and entertained were fabulous. Pulled pork and eggplant sandwiches from Brown Sugar Kitchen, great beer from the kegs of Linden Street Brewery, wine tasting with the owners of Urban Legends Winery, coffee, pastries and some great chai from Galatea Cafe, and fruit and vegetable skewers from Namie's Kitchen all accompanied by the the music of DJ, Jonathan Smothers. To top it off dessert was provided by Scream Sorbet with flavors ranging from carmel cashew and lemon buttermilk to thai basil. Needless to say most of the partygoers went back multiple times for the tasty treats!
It was so wonderful to see West Oakland so alive. Pine street was bustling as neighbors strolled down the street and then continued down the grove at PCL to the heart of the new developments. From there people wandered onto the beautiful podium and into the community room at Ironhorse Apartments and to the models at Zephyr gate. The night was tepid and clear and a good time was had by all. Sunday following the party a very nice article came out in the Chronicle about the development of the Oakland's oldest neighborhood. (see blog below) We are on a roll!

CENTRAL STATION BLOCK PARTY

Tomorrow night is the Central Station Block Party, a celebration of the Central Station Community! Please gather where the three developments, Ironhorse Apartments, Pacific Cannery Lofts and Zephyr Gate, meet, eat, drink and then wander through the beautiful, well planned community. Models will be open at Pacific Cannery Loft and Zephyr Gate. You can also wander up onto the beautiful Ironhorse podium and into their community room. In the corner Pacific Cannery Gallery at 12th and Pine there is a photography exhibit featuring a beautiful interior shot of the Train Station by award winning Katherine Westerhout. In addition there are photos by Jason Mehrtens for our first Artist in Residence program.
Food, drinks and music will be provided by local merchants including:

Jonathan Smothers DJ will provide the music.
Linden Street Brewery will provide the beer.
Brown Sugar Kitchen will be providing tasty food.
Namie's Kitchen will provide more tasty food and snacks.
Urban Legend Winery will have a barrel tasting of their wines.
Galatea Cafe will provide coffee, tea and pastry.
Scream Sorbet will provide dessert.

Don't miss it! Come meet your neighbors from all three developments and from the rest of the community. Bring friends and neighbors and enjoy!!

Reminder: 8TH OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Screening continues today until Wednesday, Oct. 14th, ending with the short film titled “Country Rose” starring local country western star Miko Marks and directed by Prescott Oakland Point resident Edward Rosenblum.

For more information on this and other events, go to the POPna site

Full Moon Buy Night-Thursday, Oct. 1st

There are many rituals associated with a full moon. There is one ritual that brings together song, dance, magic and comedy.

On Thursday evening, October 1st, starting at 5:30 p.m., Jack London Square will host Full Moon Buy Night, a night market in the festive tradition of Italian village fairs, the German holiday market, and the Moroccan bazaar.

Between 7:30 p.m. enjoy a This dockside concert aboard FDR's presidential yacht, the USS Potomac will be a great evening of live music by The Picasso String Quartet.

For those wanting a more relaxed activity while enjoying the moon, shop Oakland online where you can just about find anything.

Additional information can be found on POPna

Bookmark it! Prescott-Oakland Point Blog

I recently went back to check the Oakland Prescott Blog created by Marcus Johnson. I hadn't been there for a while and was amazed at the amount of updated information that is gathered there. From art to culinary interests, from getting around by bus, train, bike or walking, to up to date events in the area....it is all there on this one blog. Easy to navigate and ever growing I would strongly suggest bookmarking this site and visiting it often.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please send a email to blogger, Marcus Johnson and put "POPNA" in subject line.

Art @ Pacific Cannery Lofts

Last Friday night the Pacific Cannery Lofts came alive with activity as 30 local artists displayed their work. The art included sculptures, paintings, metal works, collage, fashion and music. The food was provided by Brown Sugar Kitchen, the new "PLACE TO EAT" in Oakland. Pulled pork and vegetable sandwiches followed by individual pecan pies where examples of the delicious fare. The music touched on both Jazz and fabulous violin music accompanied by drums and guitar. Hardly a foot was able to keep from moving!

We will keep you posted of future events in the courtyards of the Pacific Cannery Loft!

Emory Douglas at the Pacific Cannery Lofts

Village Bottoms Cultural District and the Black New World Presents:

BLACK PANTHER
the culture of ministry of
EMORY DOUGLAS

in collaborations with and curated by
Marcel Diallo

August 22, 2008 - Sept 26, 2008

Pacific Cannery Lofts,1200 Pine Street, Oakland ART @ THE CANNERY

Opening Night Reception
Friday Aug. 22 @ 7pm
A conversation with Emory Douglas
A performance by Marcel Diallo & co.
Plus a special cultural presentation

Prints and Books available on site
510.451.4661 BlackNewWorld.com

Prescott/Oakland Point/Central Station Community Neighborhood Block Party

COME MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS!

National Night Out is the nation's night out against crime. Sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch, residents are encouraged to join with their neighbors to have a neighborhood block party, ice cream social or other outdoor event to build neighborhood spirit and unity - which is the first defense against crime. Research shows that when neighbors know each other and look out for each other crime goes down.

Oakland's National Night Out is on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm at the intersection of 12th and Pine St. adjacent to the Pacific Cannery Lofts. Please bring you favorite food or snack to add to the shared refreshments.

For additional information please contact Marcus Johnson, Prescott NCPC (Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council)
at 510 290 8300

For information on this national event go to http://www.oaklandnet.com/nno2008.html

Fire Arts Festival

I was there on Friday night, at the Fire Arts Festival put on by the Crucible in West Oakland. This was a celebration of creativity through fire and light.

This scorching showcase of fire performance is the largest collection of fire and light installations on the West Coast. The Fire Vortex by Nate Smith, pictured here, was a stream of fire spun around by well placed fans reaching up towards the height of the BART tracks. I kept wondering what the people riding BART were thinking as they looked down on this fire vortex and all the other blazing pieces of art. The proceeds from the festival provide critical funding for the Crucible's arts and education programs for all ages from 8 up. Classes include anything from blacksmithing and ceramics to glass, foundry, jewelry making and working with neon and light. You can find out more about this incredible art opportunity at www.thecrucible.org. Check it out!

Brewery set to rekindle Oakland's heyday

Headquarters for the Linden Street Brewery is in a historic warehouse along the city's industrial waterfront, a few blocks north of Jack London Square, that manufactured underground street-lighting cables in the late 1800s.

The Linden Street brew space dates back to 1890, the year four breweries were turning out 35,000 barrels of beer annually ...

"We're just a couple of guys out in West Oakland," he added. "As long as the future of Oakland embraces us we'll be OK."

The gatherings, a brewery tradition, help create community — something Lamoreaux said West Oakland could use more of.

Indeed. Sitting there, it was easy to imagine West Oakland when it was a neighborhood of Portuguese, Italians, Greeks, East European Jews and African Americans, including the illustrious Capt. William Shorey, known for its public-mindedness. That was before the Nimitz highway sliced through West Oakland's main arteries and BART went for the jugular.

Lamoreaux said he plans to focus on the brewing and getting Linden Street beers into the city's outlets. The Fireside Lounge in Alameda's West End and The Trappist Belgian beer pub already carry Linden Street's flagship Common Lager, which is made in the old-fashioned steam method that was typical of Bay Area breweries, according to Lamoreaux.

That's all for now, ladies and gentlemen. But if you have a cool shindig e-mail me at awoodall@bayareanewsgroup.com or visit the Night Owl blog http://www.ibabuzz.com/nightowl for more events and oddities.

Full Oakland Tribune Article, click here

Free food and free beer Friday nights at Linden Street Brewing in Oakland