What's happening this week in Sebastopol?
Sebastopol City Council goal-setting workshop, SDFF online, Peacetown fundraiser, and lots of political events
Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival: Online Streaming
Tuesday, April 1 to April 9, on your computer
Did you miss the live event over the weekend? You can still see the films in the comfort of your own home during the streaming portion of the Festival. Take your pick of dozens of exciting documentaries from around the world. Learn more and get tickets. Films will be available here.
Sebastopol City Council Goals Setting Session & Council Meeting
Tuesday, April 1, 1 pm to 8 pm, at the Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris St., Sebastopol. Free.
On Tuesday, April 1, the City Council will meet at 1 pm for a multi-hour Goals Setting Session and at 6 pm for a very short regular city council meeting. Both meetings will be held at the Youth Annex and on Zoom. Agenda and documentation for the goal-setting meeting. Agenda and documentation for the brief council meeting.
Poetic Medicine: An Instrument for Healing
Tuesdays, April 1 - 15, 4 pm to 5:30 pm, at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High St., Sebastopol. 3 weeks for $30 or 1 session for $15.
The practice of “poem making” offers a means to express the metaphors and meaning of the joys and suffering we experience in ourselves and bear witness to in others. Poetry can be a salve for the heart and soul. It is a way of speaking what is true in our hearts and is often difficult to access without a creative spark. You do not have to be a poet or even a writer to allow words and feelings to pour through your pen. Teacher Redwing Keyssar has been leading "poetic medicine" sessions through her work in Palliative Care at UCSF for the past 5 years. Reserve your spot.
Film: The Manchurian Candidate
Wednesday, April 2, 1 pm and 7 pm, at Rialto Cinemas, 6868 McKinley St., Sebastopol. $10 at the door, $11.50 online.
Near the end of the Korean War, a platoon of U.S. soldiers is captured by communists and brainwashed. Following the war, the platoon is returned home, and Sergeant Raymond Shaw is lauded as a hero by the rest of his platoon. However, the platoon commander, Captain Bennett Marco, finds himself plagued by strange nightmares and soon races to uncover a terrible plot. This is a part of the Indivisible Sonoma County Film Series presented by Rialto Cinemas. Panel discussion to follow the 7 pm screening. Get tickets.
Town Hall on Fire Reorganization
Wednesday, April 2, 5:30 pm, at the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center, 390 Morris St., Sebastopol. Free.
The City of Sebastopol and Gold Ridge Fire Protection District are hosting an important town hall meeting on the future of our fire and 911 emergency medical services. After many years of discussion and careful analysis, our city has taken steps to enhance fire protection and emergency medical response through a proposed reorganization with Gold Ridge Fire Protection District. Sebastopol’s current volunteer-driven staffing model has been stretched by rising service demands and fiscal constraints. According to the city, the proposed reorganization offers a more efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective emergency response model for our community. More information can be found on the City’s website here.
Analy Teen Job Volunteer Fair
Friday, April 4, 10 am to 12:30 pm, at Analy High School (on the track)
Are you a business seeking to hire teens and/or young adults this summer? This is a great opportunity to talk to our students about various opportunities with your business. To reserve a table, please contact Stacy Fortin, sfortin@wscuhsd.org.
Graton Community Club Spring Flower Show
Friday and Saturday, April 4-5, Graton Community Club, 8996 Graton Road, Graton. Free.
Come to Graton for this downhome, 111-year-old tradition. Available for purchase are veggie starts, flowering perennials and shrubs, garden art, handcrafted items including seasonal wreaths, terrariums, quilts and embroidered tea towels, crafts and collectible treasures. Exciting raffle prizes. Live local music all day. This event benefits a scholarship program for local SRJC Students pursuing higher education and a building capital campaign to preserve our historic clubhouse. Bring your family, neighbors and friends. Enjoy live music, lunch, crafts, raffle, coffee, dessert/
Bob Dylan Singalong
Friday, April 4, 4 pm to 6 pm and 7 pm to 9 pm, at Soft Medicine, 186 N. Main St., Sebastopol. $10-20 at the door.
The classic songs of Bob Dylan were the soundtrack to the ’60s revolution and beyond. With the release of the movie, “A Complete Unknown,” the interest in his music has created an itch for more Dylan. You can scratch that itch by attending the Bob Dylan Singalong at Soft Medicine. Live music featuring the Peacetown All-Star Band and a host of guest singers. There will be two shows: 4 pm to 6 pm and 7 pm to 9 pm. Admission is on a sliding scale $10-$20. Come and relive the songs of this magical era and the prolific songwriter who continues to dazzle the world with his music and classic songs. A Peacetown presentation.
Talking Back Through Erasure Poetry, with Iris Jamahl Dunkle
Friday, April 4, 4 pm to 5:30 pm, at Sebastopol Regional Library, 7140 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol. Free.
Learn the empowering act of erasure poetry in this hands-on workshop. Bring a text that has upset you and talk back to it using a variety of mediums. For grades 7-12. Register to save your spot.
First Fridays at Chimera Arts
Friday, April 4, 5 pm to 8 pm, at Chimera Arts, 6791 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol. Free.
Chimera Arts, Sonoma County’s maker space, continues its First Fridays tradition, a showcase of our local maker community. There will be live music, food and beverages, activities and live demonstrations. Chimera Arts is Sonoma County’s only community arts and maker space, located in downtown Sebastopol at the old Ford Garage building. Discover this community of makers that offers classes, expertise and equipment to anyone interested in bringing their creative ideas to life.
Our Wild Watershed: River Otters with Mary Ellen King
Friday, April 4, 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm, at the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa. $11.50
Join the Laguna Foundation for an exciting presentation on the River Otter Ecology Project and explore the remarkable comeback of these charismatic predators and the hopeful signs they represent for our local ecosystems. River otters, once thought to be in decline, are making a comeback, indicating that our natural spaces are recovering. Our presentation delves into this captivating natural history, illustrating how the otter’s return is not just about the species itself, but also about a broader story of environmental resilience. Reserve your spot.
Community Protest Poster Printing Day
Saturday, April 5, 10 am to 1 pm, at North Bay Letterpress Arts, 925-D Gravenstein Highway S., Sebastopol. $20.
Design and print your own message for change. The poster has long been a critical tool for social movements—amplifying voices, building solidarity, and creating visual symbols that capture the public imagination. NBLA is opening their doors to the community for a lively day of letterpress poster printing. Be a part of the tradition and make your voice heard. Experienced printers will guide you through the printing process, and you’ll leave with your own letterpress posters to share with the world. Space is limited. Sign up ahead of time to reserve your spot. The cost is $20 per person, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Reserve your spot.
Hands Off! Sebastopol Fights Back
Saturday, April 5, 10 am to 1 pm, 104 N. Main St. (the crossroads of Highway 12 & 116), Sebastopol. Free.
From the organizers: “On Saturday, April 5, we’re taking to the streets. This mass mobilization day is our message to the world that we do not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies. Alongside Americans across the country, we are marching, rallying, and protesting to demand a stop the chaos and build an opposition movement against the looting of our country. A core principle behind all Hands Off! events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.” Check out handsoff2025.com for more information.
Celebration of the installation and dedication of ‘Koan’
Saturday, April 5, from 12 pm to 1 pm, at the Joe Rodota trailhead at Petaluma Avenue in Sebastopol (across from the HopMonk parking lot). Free.
Join the city of Sebastopol and its Public Arts Committee for a celebration of the installation and dedication of ‘Koan’ by sculptor, Bruce Johnson (1947-2023). Members of Johnson’s family and council members will be there for the dedication.
The Qadim Ensemble: Sacred Hebrew Song from the Near East
Saturday, April 5, 7:30 pm to 10 pm, at Soft Medicine Sanctuary, 186 North Main St., Sebastopol. $36.
Qadim is a word found in both Arabic and Hebrew meaning ‘ancient’ as well as ‘that which will come.’ The ensemble’s repertoire includes Arabic, Jewish, Turkish Sufi, Hebrew-Yemenite, Armenian, Greek, Ladino and Moroccan music, celebrating the common musical and spiritual heritage of the region’s cultures, while honoring the great diversity found within them. Get tickets.
How to Make Great Photos with Your iPhone Camera
Sunday, April 6, 12 pm to 4 pm, at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High St., Sebastopol. $85.
Back by popular demand! Learn how to make great photos to enjoy, create memories, and capture those life moments. All iPhones are welcome. (Android phones are also welcome, but the demonstrate will be with an iPhone). Your phone does not have to be the latest rendition, and all levels of photographic experience are welcome. Learn about settings, filters, exposure, focus, shutter speeds, lenses (yes you do have lens choices on the phone camera), panoramas, macro and close-ups, portraits, and videos. All will be presented with an eye toward creativity and compositional power. Discover and master the potential of your iPhone camera. Reserve your spot.
The Second Annual Friends Of Peacetown Benefit Concert
Sunday, April 6, 1 pm to 7 pm, at Hopmonk, 230 Petaluma Ave, Sebastopol. $25.
Friends of Peactown is a fundraiser for Sebastopol's summer long event that brings free live music to multiple venues around the city! Peacetown is a place where lovers of peace gather as a community to incubate and promote peaceful coexistence, kindness, love and joy. All of the musicians are donating their time. 100% of the profit goes directly to Peacetown. Bands include Marshall House Project, Freestone Peaches, The Soul Section, Volker Strifler Band, The Pulsators, Sebastian St. James, Thugz, Onye & The Messengers, Spike Sikes & His Awesome Hotcakes, The Sorentinos, Burrows & Dilbeck Trio, Sarah Baker, Weekend At Bernie's, The Familiar Strangers, and Sonoma Shakers. Get tickets.
Our Shared Interest in Fighting Fascism: Building Solidarity and Resistance in Sonoma County
Sunday, April 6, 2 pm to 5 pm, at the Sebastopol Grange, 6000 Sebastopol Ave. (Hwy. 12), Sebastopol. Free.
Come to connect, feel and strategize, to make sense of this moment together. We aim to catalyze existing progressive communities, galvanize volunteer energy, share resources, foster networking, and launch a strategizing and action momentum. A number of local organizations, networks and formations will be represented at this event. Learn more.
Giving up the Ghost: A Daughter’s Memoir
Sunday, April 6, 3 pm to 5 pm, at Rialto Cinemas, 6868 McKinley St., Sebastopol. Free.
Former Press Democrat Reporter and Sebastopol resident Susan Swartz died by suicide in 2020. Her daughter, Samantha Rose, has written a memoir, Giving Up the Ghost: A Daughter’s Memoir, and will be giving a reading at Rialto Cinemas. This event is free. See our article about her story here.
Author Talk: Jeanne Carstensen and Michael Krasny
Sunday, April 6, 5:45 pm to 7 pm, at the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center, 390 Morris St., Sebastopol. $20-$150.
The Community Center presents an insightful evening as journalist and author Jeanne Carstensen, as she discusses her powerful new book, A Greek Tragedy, in conversation with renowned broadcaster and author Michael Krasny. A special fundraising event for the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center. Get tickets. (See our article on Carstensen.)
See What’s Happening Sonoma County for more music listings.
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