What's happening this week in Sebastopol?
SebastoSoul, Broken Compass Bluegrass, Peaceful Pottery, and bridging the political divide
Multi-Generational Chess Club
Monday, August 26, 3 pm to 4:30 pm, at Sebastopol Regional Library, 7140 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol. Free.
Calling all chess players—everyone, 3 to 103, who enjoys playing chess. All levels are welcome. Every Monday from 3 pm to 4:30 pm at Sebastopol Regional Library. See our article on the multi-generational chess club here.
Calligraphy and Tea
Tuesday, August 27, 2 pm to 4 pm, at Soft Medicine, 16 N. Main St., Sebastopol. $20-$30.
Join Buckminster and Jun-Jun, tea and art curators of the cafe, for a playful dive into traditional Chinese culture and practice through calligraphy and tea. Calligraphy materials included. Bring your creations home. Drop in. Up to 2 hours of practice!
Home Gardener Produce Exchange
Tuesday, August 27, 5 pm to 5:45 pm, at the Sebastopol Grange Hall, 6000 Sebastopol Ave. (Hwy. 12), Sebastopol. Free.
Bring your surplus produce and starts to swap with other home gardeners. Excess produce will be donated to the local food pantry.
Sebastopol Grange General Meeting
Tuesday, August 27, 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, at the Sebastopol Grange, 6000 Sebastopol Road (Hwy. 12), Sebastopol. $10.
Join the grangers for a potluck dinner and speaker. The Grange will provide a Mediterranean entree. Please bring complementary side dishes and your own dishes and utensils. The speaker is Angela Borge, owner of Homebody Refill in Sebastopol, who will talk about her family-owned business that focuses on sustainability and natural ingredients that are good for us and the earth.
Peacetown concerts at Ives Park
Wednesday, August 28, 5 pm to 8 pm, at Ives Park, 7400 Willow St., Sebastopol. Free.
At this week’s summer Peacetown Concert in Ives Park, hear Poor Man’s Whiskey and the Peacetown All Stars. Friends, food trucks, fun!
Intro to Peaceful Pottery
Wednesday, August 28, 6 pm to 8 pm, at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 South High St., Sebastopol. $245.
This is a great class for those who want to enjoy building something with their own hands and experience the personal benefits of working with clay. Instruction will cover the basics of wheel throwing, hand-building (slab, coil, freeform), and glazing techniques. Explore the benefits of joining in collaborative art and letting go of the need to be productive. Students will have unstructured time to work on, fire, and glaze their own pottery to take home. A goal of this course is to familiarize students with how clay rooms work and why they’re a fun place to be. Reserve your spot.
The Renovators at Community Market
Wednesday, August 28, 6 pm to 9 pm, at Community Market, 6762 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol. Free.
The Renovators are back on the Community Market stage by popular demand, closing out the last of our 2024 Wednesday night music. Their depth of experience as musicians delivers great vocals and instrumental finesse that will keep you movin’ and groovin’ to the classic rock and roll you love.
Rabbi Irwin Keller on talking across political divide
Thursday, August 29, 5 pm to 6:30 pm, at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 500 Robinson Road, Sebastopol. Free.
This month’s speaker at St. Stephen’s monthly “Talking with your mouth full” dinner and speaker series is Rabbi Irwin Keller, the spiritual leader of Congregation Ner Shalom in Cotati. In this heated and polarized political time, it has become so hard to talk to people with differing political views, including family members and loved ones. In this conversation, Rabbi Irwin will bring some traditional Jewish texts that may be helpful in finding ways to remain in relationship with people who are important to us and with whom we disagree. Dinner begins at 5 pm and is free. Speaker and childcare at 5:45 pm. RSVP here.
Cybersecurity Workshop
Friday, August 30, 1 pm, at Sebastopol Area Senior Center, 167 N. High St., Sebastopol. $0-$5.
No one is prepared to harness the power of technology until they have learned to mitigate the risks associated with the digital world. Common scams like phishing, impersonation of loved ones or authority figures, and data ransom all target new learners with little prior online experience. Learn how to create strong passwords, monitor online account activity, and spot malicious content while browsing the Internet. FREE for members of the Senior Center, $5 non-members. Call 707-829-2440 to register.
Settle Down at Sundown: Ragle Ranch
Friday, August 30, 7 pm to 8:30 pm at the Gazebo in Ragle Ranch Regional Park. $10, plus $7 parking fee.
Connect with nature and soak up opportunities for quiet reflection. You’ll enjoy an evening focusing on outdoor wellness and relaxation exercises like mindfulness walks, journaling, stretching and deep breathing at twilight. Register here.
7th Annual SebastoSoul
Saturday, August 31, 5 pm to 1 am, at HopMonk Sebastopol, 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. $25.
The 7th annual SebastoSoul is back in full force. For all those who couldn’t make Burning Man this year, we bring you Burning Soul! Four acts performing from 5 pm to 1 am complete with burlesque intermissions, magic and vendors. Costumes strongly encouraged. Featuring The Gold Souls and Sam Cole & the Miners. Get tickets.
Broken Compass Bluegrass and Kyle Ledson
Saturday, August 31, 8 pm, at Sebastopol Community Cultural Center, 390 Morris St., Sebastopol. $25-30.
A mix of tradition and innovation. After their electrifying performance at the 2024 Sonoma County Bluegrass & Folk Music Festival, the incredible Broken Compass Bluegrass is coming to SCCC! With their unmatched passion and energy, Broken Compass Bluegrass promises a night of unforgettable music that will leave you grinning from ear to ear and eagerly counting down the days until their next performance. Get tickets.
Singer/Songwriter Greg Abel with Kevin Russell
Sunday, Sept. 1, 2 pm, Taft Street Winery, 2030 Barlow Lane, Sebastopol. $15-$20.
Singer/songwriter performance by Taft Street’s very own Greg Abel, with accompaniment by the talented multi-instrumentalist Kevin Russell. Greg describes his music as a mix of Americana, folk, and bluegrass. Relax on the winery’s shaded back patio and enjoy the show. Taft Street’s wines will be available by the glass and bottle. Reservations are required. This is a seated event with limited seats available, so please purchase your tickets soon. Get tickets.
For a more complete musical schedule for Sebastopol, see happeningsonomacounty.com and choose Sebastopol from the dropdown.
Want us to feature your event in “What’s happening this week in Sebastopol?” Submit your events to the Sebastopol Community Calendar, which is back online. This is one of the many resources I use to put this column together.