What's happening this week in Sebastopol?
Summer solstice, Juneteenth, antiques, lobster bash, a new art and poetry exhibition at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, and more
Habitat Gardening Workshop
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, June 18 to June 20, 10 am to 12 pm, at Sebastopol Community Cultural Center, 425 Morris St., Sebastopol. $35.
A short course designed to inspire anyone looking for hands-on ways to help our imperiled planet. In this course you will learn what elements can make an ordinary garden, an empty piece of ground, or even a few pots on a balcony into a Habitat Garden. Learn how anyone can make a difference in the health of the environment through supporting pollinators by cultivating a habitat garden. Taught by Gina Cloud, a lifelong gardener and a Sonoma County Master Gardener. Reserve your spot.
Sebastopol City Council Meeting
Tuesday, June 18, 6 pm, at the Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris St., Sebastopol. Free.
This week the city council will make a final decision about water and sewer rates, revisit their earlier decision not to partner with Saint Vincent de Paul to build a low-low income housing complex on the former Horizon Shine site, hear a report from the library ad hoc committee, and more. See the agenda.
Sonoma County Jewish Film Festival – Farewell Mr. Haffman
Tuesday, June 18, 1 pm and 7 pm, at Rialto Cinemas, 6868 McKinley St., Sebastopol. $15.75.
“Farewell, Mr. Haffman” guides the viewer through the world of Vichy France, where lives are irrevocably shaped by the twin scourges of war and the black market. Rich in moral complexity and empathy, with several twists too good to spoil, this is grand, big-screen adult entertainment at its finest. Senior discount available. Get tickets.
Dog Training with Judah Johnson
Wednesdays, June 19 to July 24 (6 class series), 10:30 am to 11:30 am, at the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center, 390 Morris St., Sebastopol. $240, drop-in $45.
Dive into the world of canine communication and understanding with “Motivation through the Eyes of the Dog.” Led by renowned trainer Judah Johnson, this enlightening journey will help you forge an unbreakable bond with your furry companion. Explore the depths of canine motivation and behavior, laying the foundation for a lifetime of mutual understanding and trust. Drop ins welcome at $45 per class. Reserve your spot.
Juneteenth Celebration with A Melodious Affair
Wednesday, June 19, 6 pm to 9 pm, at Community Market, 6742 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol. Free.
Join Community Market in this Peacetown pop-up where you will experience inspiring musical performances from extraordinary local talents. At the same time, enjoy some of Community Market’s Garden Taproom’s 20 ferments, including hyper-local beer, wine and ciders. Learn more.
Peacetown at Ives Park with Tommy Thomsen and Wendy DeWit
Wednesday, June 19, 5 pm to 8 pm, at Ives Park, 7400 Willow St., Sebastopol. Free.
Hear the western swing stylings of Tommy Thomsen and queen of boogie woogie Wendy DeWitt at Peacetown in Ives Park. Food trucks, friends, fun!
CANCELLED: Summer Solstice Community Sing
Thursday, June 20, 7 pm to 8:30 pm, at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 500 Robinson Road, Sebastopol. $20 suggested donation.
A community sing with Te Martin to welcome in the longest day of the year. The event will be held outside in the Outdoor Sacred Space. Let’s raise our voices in song together. $20 donation at the door.
The Right to Read: Juneteenth special
Sunday, June 19, 1 pm and 7 pm, at Rialto Cinemas, 6868 McKinley St., Sebastopol. $7.
This film profiles Oakland-based NAACP activist Kareem Weaver, who believes literacy is one of the greatest civil rights issues of our time and is fighting for better reading instruction. “What good is winning the right to vote if we can’t even read the ballot?” Fed up with the bleak reading scores in his own community, Kareem files a petition with the Oakland Unified School District demanding change. Q&A following 7 pm show with Petaluma City Schools Trustee Joanna Paun, Sonoma Valley Unified School District Trustee Celeste Winders, and Language and Literacy Coordinator at the Sonoma County Office of Education Lauren Ridgway. Get tickets.
Lions Club Speaker Series
Wednesday, June 19, 7 pm to 8 pm, at the Masonic Lodge, 373 N. Main St., Sebastopol. Free.
Sebastopol Gravenstein Lions Club presents a Speaker Series, open to the public, featuring Food for Thought. Find out how Food for Thought helps the community and how you can help them. Ever wonder what the Lions Club does? See their long list of good deeds and programs here. (Also Food for Thought is having a food drive at Pacific Market on June 22. Stop by and drop some food in their basket.)
Osmosis Solstice Ritual
Thursday, June 20, 8 am to 11 am, at Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary, 209 Bohemian Hwy., Freestone. $20-$50.
Celebrate the summer solstice this year in the serene meditation garden at Osmosis. On Thursday, June 20, Osmosis’s solstice sound healing ceremony will be led by Jim Corbett, founder of the annual Peacetown weekly summer music series and the Love Choir. This year Osmosis is all about locals, and singing with Jim promises to be an epic solstice celebration. Jim will guide participants through breath exercises, meditation with the "Magic Flute," and communal singing, accompanied by guitar and keyboards. This uplifting sonic ritual will leave you feeling elevated and connected. Get tickets.
New exhibit at SebARTS: Reverberations
Thursday, June 20 (members reception) and Friday, June 21 (public opening) at Sebastopol Center for the Arts Gallery, 282 S. High St., Sebastopol. $0 to $15.
Reverberations 2024 invites you into an immersive art experience, merging world-renowned art with ekphrastic poetry. An ekphrastic poem is written in response to a work of art. Sebastopol Center for the Arts is bringing together 56 rarely seen works of art from private collectors and Bay Area organizations along with 56 original ekphrastic poems written by some of the Bay Area's most prominent poets in response to those works. There is a members-only reception on June 20 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Not a member yet? Become a member here. The show opens to the public at 10 am on June 21. The Gallery is open from 10 am to 4 pm, Thursday through Sunday. Learn more about Reverberations.
Antiques, Art and Wine
Saturday, June 22, 3 to 6 pm, at various spots along Gravenstein Hwy. Free.
Sip local wine, enjoy local art, and shop vintage at the following locations: Ray's Trading Co, The Rabbit Hole, Windmill Antiques, Antique Society, and Dwell. Sponsored by the Sebastopol Chamber of Commerce. (We will be posting an article on the changing local antique market tomorrow.)
Lobster Bash
Saturday, June 22, 5 pm to 10 pm, at Enmanji Temple Memorial Hall, 1200 Gravenstein Hwy. South, Sebastopol. $125.
The Rotary Club of Sebastopol proudly presents “A Lobster Bash.” This is a country and western themed event so put on your cowboy boots and hat and plan to come out and enjoy dancing to the Marvelous Marshall Law Band. This is a fundraiser to support all of the great youth programs that the Sebastopol Rotary Club provides for West Sonoma County students, including Learn to Swim, scholarships, leadership camp, financial literacy, teacher grants, and more. Get tickets. (Learn more about Sebastopol Rotary’s good works here.)
Saturday Well Spent (R&B Party & AfroBeats)
Saturday, June 22, 3 pm to 8 pm, in The Barlow, 6770 McKinley St., Suite 100, Sebastopol. $12.
Saturday Well Spent is a pop-up day party event located at The Barlow. The DJs will be playing classic and current R&B, throwbacks and Afrobeats. $150 VIP table tickets available. Stylish day attire required. 21 and over. Get tickets.
Open Gardens Day at Hallberg Butterfly Gardens
Sunday, June 23, 10 am to 4 pm, at Hallberg Butterfly Gardens, 8687 Oak Grove Ave., Graton. Free.
Join Hallberg Butterfly Gardens for their 25th annual fundraiser, celebration, and plant sale. There will be native plants with blooms throughout the seasons and a fun variety of marigolds, sunflowers, and herbs. Take a leisurely stroll along garden trails for bird, butterfly (caterpillar), bee, dragonfly, and wildflower sightings with knowledgeable docents throughout the gardens. There will also be book sales, crafts for kids, and live music by the West County Recorders near the Gravenstein apple orchard. At the historic barn, you’ll find a display of common butterfly host plants, an insect display from Sonoma State University's Entomology department, bird ambassadors from the Bird Rescue Center, and a Xerces Society ambassador with interactive learning materials about pollinators and other invertebrates!
Pride Bingo
Sunday, June 23, 11:15 am, at the Community Church of Sebastopol, 1000 Gravenstein Hwy. N., Sebastopol. Free.
Play Pride Bingo. This rainbow event will include classic bingo with pride vocabulary. Test your knowledge and maybe even learn a few new terms. Colorful prizes will be awarded to our winners. No tickets necessary, just join us after our Sunday service at the Community Church of Sebastopol.
Reverberations Artist + Poet Panel
Sunday, June 23, 2 pm to 4 pm, at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 South High St., Sebastopol. $10.
Join us for an intimate conversation about the dialogue across eye and ear with Reverberations artists Gregory Rick and Emilio Villalba and poets Suzanne Maxson and Tamsin Smith. Just one of the many activities connected with SebARTS new Reverberation exhibit. Reserve your spot.
Sebastopol Coed Softball League: Play softball in fun adult league on Friday evenings at Ives Park. Teams are forming now. Please contact Mark at millsthysen@gmail.com.
For a more complete musical schedule for Sebastopol, see happeningsonomacounty.com and choose Sebastopol from the dropdown.
SUBMIT YOUR EVENT to the official Sebastopol Community Calendar, one of the many sources I use to put this column together.
So many "Happenings" in our little town. What a place... I don't have time to get bored!
We’ll be there!