What's happening this weekend in Sebastopol?
Sebastopol Walks, Met Opera Live about Frieda Kahlo and Diego Rivera, Occidental World Music Festival, Sip & Stroll in Graton and much more
Sebastopol Walks: Exploring the History & Future of the Laguna de Santa Rosa
Saturday, May 23, 9 am to 12 pm. Meet at 9 sharp at the downtown plaza, 140 Weeks Way, Sebastopol. Free.
Join Sebastopol Walks for a guided walk through the Laguna de Santa Rosa, led by Brent Reed of the Laguna Foundation. The walk will highlight some of the most splendid remnant habitat in the Laguna, along with its rich history—including agricultural heritage, the Cnopius Airfield, and apple processing—as well as a variety of habitat restoration and conservation endeavors over the past 25+ years. Brent will also talk about the Laguna Restoration Plan and how the Laguna Foundation is working to replicate similar restoration in the 100-year floodplain, as well as some larger wetland restoration efforts. You can register in two ways—pre-register through Eventbrite or sign up at the event, like always.
Met Opera Live: El Ultimo Sueno de Frida y Diego
Saturday, May 30, at 10 am, and Wednesday, June 3, 1 pm & 6:30 pm, at Rialto Cinemas, 6868 McKinley St., Sebastopol. $23.95 - $31.95.
American composer Gabriela Lena Frank makes her Met debut with her first opera, a magical-realist portrait of Mexico’s painterly power couple Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, with libretto by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Nilo Cruz. Fashioned as a reversal of the Orpheus and Euridice myth, the story depicts Frida, sung by leading mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, leaving the underworld on the Day of the Dead and reuniting with Diego, portrayed by baritone Carlos Álvarez. The famously feuding pair briefly relive their tumultuous love, embracing both the passion and the pain before bidding the land of the living a final farewell. Get tickets.
4th Annual Occidental World Music & Dance Festival
Saturday, May 30, 10 am to 9 pm, at Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental. $75-$80.
This unique festival of world music celebrates diversity and participation. Think of it as a musical passport where you can experience music and dance from around the world all in one place. There will be more than 40 workshops and performances to choose from. At a time when things seem divisive, music transcends to create unity through a global community. Get tickets and learn more. (See our story on the festival.)
Nature Linocut Workshop
Saturday, May 23, 10 am to 4 pm, at the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa. $147.99
Celebrate spring in this fun and beginner-friendly linocut printmaking workshop. We’ll start with a short nature photo walk around our beautiful blooming Native Plant Garden to gather inspiration, then head into Heron Hall to create a small series of hand-printed cards on a variety of paper choices. No experience is required. Students can work from photographs or sketches and will learn to carve and print a 4 x 6 inch rubber block using a carving tool and water-soluble inks. Whether you’re new to printmaking or looking to expand your skills, this hands-on workshop offers a supportive space to create something truly special. Class fee includes all materials. Reserve your spot.
Seed Saving Basics
Saturday, May 23, 10:30 am to 11 pm, at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 500 Robinson Road, Sebastopol. Free.
If you are new to seed saving, this is a perfect class to learn how to successfully grow your own seeds. Learn about plant families, integrating seed saving into a home garden, and preventing cross-pollination. Taught by Sara McCamant, Youth & Garden manager at Ceres Community Project. No ticket or RSVP required, just show up.
The Fascinating Life of Isadora Duncan
Saturday, May 23, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, at the Sebastopol Area Senior Center, 167 N. High St., Sebastopol. Members $5, non-members $8.
The dance legacy of Isadora Duncan (1877–1927) represents a profound revolution in the aesthetics of classical and historical dance. Breaking away from rigid forms, Duncan championed natural movement, emotional expression, and freedom of the body, forever changing the language of modern dance. This special program features acclaimed solo dancer Lois Flood, whose expressive performance brings Duncan’s visionary style to life. Lois is the guest narrator who provides rich historical context and insight into Duncan’s enduring influence. Reserve your spot.
Book event: Romancing Normal
Saturday, May 23 from 12 pm to 2 pm, at Copperfield’s, 138 N. Main St., Sebastopol. Free.
Meet and greet with Santa Rosa author L. Flick Hatcher featuring his new book Romancing Normal, which follows the journey of Drew Carter, a romantic, closeted baby-boomer whose mission is to date gay away by finding a woman who so captivates his heart that his lust for men is obliterated, leaving him free to fulfill The Plan: great job, beautiful wife, 2.25 kids, white picket fence and Ford Country Squire station wagon. Maybe even a pony. From straight to gay to grey, Drew learns to love himself and fulfills a plan even greater than he’d hoped for, proving that nice guys don’t finish last.
Sip & Stroll Fundraiser for the Graton Town Square
Saturday, May 30, 4 pm to 6 pm, in downtown Graton
This Sip & Stroll Tasting features Green Valley wines and local food growers and purveyors. This joyful community fundraiser is bringing together local wineries, seasonal bites, live music, growers, makers, and neighbors for an early-spring evening supporting the future of Graton Town Square and public life in West County. Get tickets.
SambaDá
Saturday, May 23, 8 pm, at HopMonk (in The Abbey), 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. $30.57.
SambaDá musically unites the Americas, drawing from percussion-based styles of South and Central America, blended with that good old funk and reggae back beat so familiar to crowds of North America. Brazilian natives Papiba Godinho and Dandha da Hora bring their profound knowledge and respect for the roots of Afro-Brazilian song and dance. Together, their band has developed a type of samba-reggae-funk with a universal appeal. Get tickets.
Plein Air Watercolors at Ragle
Saturday, May 30, 10 am to 1 pm, at Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sebastopol. $65.
Learn to paint landscapes en plein air at Ragle Ranch. In this single-session workshop, participants will learn and practice watercolor while spending time outdoors at our beautiful local park. Students will choose a scene to paint and receive instruction on the basics of landscape painting, including composition, color temperature and value, linear perspective and atmospheric perspective. Gain a new appreciation for the beauty of your surroundings through close observation and careful rendering. All levels of experience are welcome! Feel free to bring a portable easel if you have one and a lightweight folding chair. Otherwise seating is at picnic tables and park benches or on the ground. All other materials are provided. Reserve your spot
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