Category — lakemerritt

Memorial Day weekend is considered the official beginning of summer, California’s finest season, and downtown Oakland’s mix of urbane and natural is the perfect place to ring in the season. Fairyland will be open for a rare Monday, for family fun. A picnic by the Lake could be made up of Korean snacks and bottled teas from EM Market (332 14th St), or champagne and cheese from Ratto’s (821 Washington St). With many restaurants, particularly in Old Oakland and Uptown, offering outdoor seating, downtown is a great place to enjoy your holiday weekend!

Weekend events include:

• Tomorrow is the deadline for artists to submit work for Bay Area Currents, ProArts’ juried exhibition of contemporary works from Bay Area artists. The show will open July 3 at the gallery (15th St at Frank Ogawa Plaza).
• Sunday night at Era (19 Grand Ave), Kev Choice’s soul band performs with DJ Soul Profess, a unique mix of live music and spinning – perfect for dancing!
• Monday afternoon, Linden Street Brewery hosts a Jamaican jerk cook-off benefitting My Yute Soccer camp.
• Monday evening, the Afrorican weekly party will show Ice T’s new documentary The Art of Rap, featuring interviews with many hip-hop legends. The event also features food and happy hour drink specials, starting at 5pm at Liege Lounge (491 9th St).

Next Thursday is the Oakland Indie Awards at the Kaiser Center (300 Lakeside Dr), a celebration of the independent businesses which give Oakland, downtown and the neighborhoods so much vibrancy.

Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend, DTO!

Yesterday was Bike to Work Day in the Bay Area, and by all accounts it was a big success, with a record-setting number of Oaklanders riding to work! Check out Oakland North’s article about the festivities outside City Hall. In honor of Bike to Work Day and Bike to Work Month, here are several bike-related events this weekend.

• May’s East Bay Bike Party, with a pajama theme, leaves this evening at 7:30 from Lake Merritt BART station.
• The Geared for Kids family ride returns for Mother’s Day, leaving from Jack London’s cabin Sunday morning at 10:30.
• Rebecca Kaplan announced yesterday that a bike station in Uptown will open within a year, hosting bike party and other facilities for cyclists.
• ProArts hosts a Preview Exhibition of its East Bay Open Studios – a self-guided tour of working artists’ spaces, many accessible by bicycle!
• Bike lanes on Broadway are expected to be approved by the City Council next week.

Happy weekend – enjoy it whether you are on two feet or two wheels!*

*Other configurations of mobility are also welcome in the DTO.