BERKELEY KITE FESTIVAL The 28th Annual Berkeley Kite Festival & West Coast Kite Championships is this weekend, July 27 and 28, at the Cesar Chavez Park at the Berkeley Marina. Sponsored by Highline Kites of Berkeley, the festival includes activities like kite making, kite flying lessons, and a rokkaku kite battle. The Bay Area Sport Kite League will be at the festival, as well as the Sode Cho Kite Team, all the way from Hamamatsu, Japan. Also featured at the event will be the world’s largest octopus kite, as well as kites that are “bigger than a house and longer than a train.” The event finishes off with a Sunday evening dinner cruise on the Empress Hornblower Dining Yacht. July 27 and 28, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Park in the Berkeley Marina, 11 Spinnaker Way. Free. More information at the Berkeley Kite Festival website.
BERKELEY COMMUNITY MEDIA SUMMER SHORTS MOVIE JAM This Friday, July 26, the Berkeley Community Media Summer Shorts Movie Jam gathers together filmmakers in teams to create a 5-minute film in 48 hours. Teams are created at the 4:30 p.m. launch party, where there is also a raffle and Butoh performances, and at 6 p.m., three clues as to what to include in the film are given out, and the clock starts. Filmmakers will have all weekend to create their film and will reconvene on Sunday the 28th at 6 p.m., join an audience, and view all of the shorts together with the public at 7 p.m. in the BCM’s theater. Friday July 26 to Sunday July 28. $10 submission fee. 2239 Martin Luther King Jr. Way. More information at their website.
OHTANI BAZAAR The Berkeley Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple is having a bazaar this weekend, the 27th and 28th, at their temple on Oregon St. There will be children’s games and handmade crafts, as well as every shade of Japanese food from sushi to mochi to udon. Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m., Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. 1524 Oregon St. Check out the temple’s website for more information.
A BETTER WAY YARD SALE Local nonprofit A Better Way is hosting a yard sale on Saturday July 27 on Martin Luther King Jr. Way, between Vine St. and Rose St. All proceeds will go to children and families involved in the foster care system. Some items at the sale will include clothing, tools, home furnishings, games, toys, CDs, antiques, books, jewelry and more. For hungry shoppers, there will be a bake sale and lemonade stand. Saturday July 27, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. between Vine St. and Rose St. on Martin Luther King Jr. Way. More information on their events page.
THE TURN OF THE SCREW AT WEST EDGE OPERA The ghost story The Turn of the Screw with music by Benjamin Britten and based on a story by Henry James is playing this Sunday July 28th at the West Edge Opera. The opera is Britten’s last and is being played in honor of the 100th anniversary of his birth. The opera takes place in England and is a story of “good versus evil, natural versus the supernatural, possession and exorcism.” 1700 Shattuck Ave. Tickets here. More information at the West Edge Opera website.
Don’t miss these other events featured on Berkeleyside:
Bites: What’s new in East Bay food
Remembering the father of Son: Arsenio Rodriguez
The Hunt: A remarkable, beautifully shot film
Peter Stackpole’s photographs of the construction of two bay bridges
Vernon Bush is the Wiz at Berkeley Playhouse
Berkeley’s Sundays on Telegraph event gains momentum
Eden Teller, a graduate of Berkeley High School, is a summer intern at Berkeleyside. She will be attending Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, next year.
To find out about events in Berkeley and nearby, visit Berkeleyside’s Events Calendar. We also encourage you to submit your own events.
