What's happening this week in Sebastopol?
What's happening this week in Sebastopol?
Morris dancing, Spring Farm Trails, Andy's Produce's 60th anniversary, and more
Sebastopol Grange’s April Meeting
Tuesday, April 30, 5:30 pm, at Sebastopol Grange Hall, 6000 Sebastopol Ave. (Hwy 12), Sebastopol. $10.
Everyone is invited to join grangers and friends at their monthly general meeting. Come for social time starting at 5:30 pm, followed by a potluck dinner, music and a presentation. The Grange will provide an entree. Please bring food to share and your own dishes and utensils. Suggested donation $10. We’ll be entertained by members of Apple Tree Morris, a troupe of English folk dancers (but for the full Morris dancing experience see the next item). Lecturer Jim Crawford will talk about relationships and the Grange and how relationships are like egg cartons.
Celebrate May Day morning with Apple Tree Morris Dancers
Wednesday, May 1, 5:15 am to 7 am behind the Sebastopol Youth Annex, 425 Morris St., Sebastopol. Free.
Come join Apple Tree Morris for their May Day celebration, early Wednesday morning on May 1st as they dance the sun up. Morris dancing is English folk dance with bells on, clashing sticks, and swooping hankies! They start dancing at 5:30 am so arrive a few minutes prior to that, around 5:15 am. Dress warmly and bring a chair or blanket to sit on.
Fall Prevention Speaker Series: Fear of Falling
Wednesday, May 1, 2:15 pm to 3:15 pm, at Sebastopol Area Senior Center, 167 N. High St., Sebastopol. $5.
Kicking off the center’s new Fall Prevention series is an engaging presentation by retired Gerontologist Dr. Rhonda Berney, focusing on the crucial subject of fear of falling. Seniors and caregivers alike are invited for this enlightening discussion on a topic that affects many.
Girls Group forming at Sebastopol Community Cultural Center
Starts Thursday, May 2, 4 pm at Sebastopol Community Cultural Center Green Room, 390 Morris St., Sebastopol. Free.
Starting May 2, join the new “Girls Group” peer discussion group for teens age 13-18. Topics will be chosen by the group participants. Join a safe space to share, connect and de-stress. Every Thursday the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center opens its Green Room door to welcome female-identifying teens between the ages of 13-18 years old to come together and have engaging and heartfelt discussions. Discussions will be held in the Green Room in the Main Hall. Access is via the exterior door on the east side of the building (facing the baseball fields). Register here.
Community Wellness Days: Understanding Vitamin Supplement Labels
Thursday, May 2, 1 pm to 2:30 pm at Sebastopol Community Cultural Center, 390 Morris St., Sebastopol. $18.
Community Market welcomes you to their Community Wellness Days: Understanding Vitamin Supplement Labels. Join them for an informative event on decoding those tricky vitamin supplement labels. Learn about the importance of reading labels, sourcing, raw materials, testing and certifications, fraudulent labeling, and research resources in support of making informed choices. Bring your questions and get ready to boost your wellness knowledge. Get tickets.
Old Blind Dogs at Hopmonk Sebastopol
Thursday, May 2, 8 pm at HopMonk, 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. $20-$30.
The musical evolution of Old Blind Dogs began in 1992 in Aberdeen, Scotland. Four musicians from very different musical backgrounds came together to create a full-time professional touring band with the aim of showcasing the rich tradition of songs and tunes of the North East of Scotland. Get tickets.
Last chance to see Pulp: Book & Paper Arts Exhibition
Thursday through Sunday, May 2 to 5, 10 am to 4 pm, at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High St., Sebastopol. Free.
This is your last chance to see this beautiful exhibition at Sebastopol Center for the Arts. The show features handmade artist’s books and book art objects, as well as letterpress printing, bookbinding, book art sculptures and paper arts.
Intro to Wheel Throwing
Friday, May 3, 5 pm to 7:30 pm at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High St., Sebastopol. $245.
There will be an initial demo on throwing and trimming, and you will also receive one-on-one guidance. The class will end with learning to attach a handle to a cup and glazing the cup with your chosen colors. The instructor will clear glaze your pieces once they have been bisqued at the studio. Come prepared to get messy and have fun!
Chimera First Friday Open House
Friday, May 3, 5 pm to 8 pm, at Chimera Arts and Maker Space, 6791 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol. Free.
At their First Fridays events, Chimera opens their doors to let you check out what they are all about. Stop by to meet your local community of makers, get a tour of the facility, enjoy some fine libations and food, and hear some great local music. You can also have some fun with hands-on activities and live demonstrations. Admission, demonstrations, tours and music are all free. Beer, wine and food are offered at a modest price.
Laguna Stewards End of Season Work Party at Irwin Creek
Saturday, May 4, 9 am to noon, at Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa. Free.
Join the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation for the final Stewardship Day of the season. Come celebrate the end of another season with a pizza party, after focusing on one final restoration project in Irwin Creek. Registration required. Register here.
Andy’s Produce Market 60th Anniversary Celebration
Saturday, May 4, 10 am to 2 pm at Andy’s Produce Market, 1691 Gravenstein Hwy N., Sebastopol. Free.
Andy’s Produce Market is celebrating its 60th anniversary! There are fun things planned for the day, including food vendors and tastings from Sonoma County’s best, a taco truck with 60-cent tacos, giveaways, super special prices on produce and more.
Asanas Outside Yoga
Saturday, May 4, 10:30 am to 11:30 am, at Ragle Ranch Regional Park (Lion’s Club Grove). $10-$12.
Breathe in the fresh air as you move through asana sequences for strength building and gentle stretching, breathwork and meditation. This is a vinyasa/hatha-style, mixed-level class. Come and enjoy the stress-relieving benefits of being outdoors and the strength-building yet grounding benefits of yoga. Please bring your own mat and props, if needed. The cost is $10 for in-county residents and $12 for out-of-county attendees. For more information, contact Mich Swannucci at ParkPrograms@sonoma-county.org. Registration required. Register here.
Coventry & Kaluza Show for kids
Saturday, May 4, 11 am to 12 pm, at Sebastopol Regional Library, 7140 Bodega Ave., Sebastopol. Free.
Coventry & Kaluza bring a variety of skills and thrills to their show, which features juggling, acrobatics, music, comedy and high numbers hula hooping. It’s interactive fun for the whole family, especially kids K-6th grade.
Saturday Watercolor Basics & Techniques
Saturday, May 4 and May 11, 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High St., Sebastopol. $110.
This two-session watercolor class will focus on skill and technique development: wash, color mixing, texture, and line. Beginning painters will practice developing a strong foundation. Advanced painters will benefit from new approaches to the basics and sharpened skills. Discussion will focus on the elements of visual art: light, form, color, and texture. Reserve your spot.
Play it Forward Music Foundation: Pop + Classic Rock
Saturday, May 4, 2 pm, at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High St., Sebastopol. Free.
Play it Forward Music Foundation is a nonprofit arts organization whose mission is to foster connection through music. Come see junior high rockers Rock-a-Doodle-Doo with Gabriel Fonseca, Katie Cogliandro, Ava Zalamea, Gavin Bryson, Mason McCarthy, Emily Little, playing classic rock and modern pop hits, as well as Ramona Rain Hymn, a soulful acoustic singer/ songwriter performing eclectic covers. This is part of SebARTS free Youth Concert Series. Reserve your spot.
Opening Reception for Kaare Iverson Art Exhibit, “The Last Coho”
Saturday, May 4, 3 pm to 5 pm at Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa. Free.
“The Last Coho” is a photography exhibit combining large-scale portraiture of endangered salmon with editorial excerpts that collectively illustrate the incredible effort to rehabilitate Coho in the Russian River Watershed.
David Luning with Ellie James
Saturday, May 4, 7 pm to 9 pm at Sebastopol Community Cultural Center, 390 Morris St., Sebastopol. $25-$35.
John Prine forced David Luning to drop out of college. Not at gunpoint or anything—the two had never even met—but the effect of hearing the songwriting legend’s music for the first time had an equally compelling effect on Luning, who was studying film scoring at the Berklee College of Music in Boston at the time. Now an accomplished artist in his own right, Luning is preparing to release a new collection of songs, “Restless,” and he can trace it all back to one fateful night that changed everything. Stylistically unique and captivating, Ellie James mixes lush indie-pop sounds with the style and edge of her rock ’n’ roll background. Her music is both genuine and dance-inducing, as she uses real instruments and electronic production to weave musical stories all her own. Get tickets.
Tom Freund at Pax Wines
Saturday, May 4, 7 to 9 pm at Pax Wines, 6780 McKinley St., Sebastopol. $20.
Over the course of his career, Tom Freund has released more than a dozen records, recorded and performed with legends such as Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, and his longtime collaborator Ben Harper. Freund has spent much of his career traversing genres, melding whatever sounds that happen to catch his whimsy. He is also well known as a multi-instrumentalist, performing on guitar, upright bass, mandolin, ukulele, piano or just about anything else in the room. Get tickets.
Spring Farm Tour: Blossoms, Bees & Barnyard Babies
Various times, May 4-5, at various locations. Free.
Choose your own agrarian adventure from dozens of farms and producers to discover where your food, fiber and flowers come from. Cuddle with adorable baby farm animals. Taste farm-fresh cheese, honey, juice, olive oil, and jams. Learn how to keep bees, and grow and use lavender. Shop for the tastiest ingredients at charming farm stands—and support local small-scale agriculture while you’re at it. Upon registration, please check your email for the tour directory link and important tour information. Register now.
PEEK INTO NEXT WEEK: Opening reception for Art at the Source open studios exhibition at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High St., Sebastopol, on Saturday, May 11, 2 to 4 pm. Also, bring your items in need of repair to the Sebastopol Repair Cafe, Saturday, May 11, 10:30 to 2:30 pm at Chimera, 6791 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol.
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.