The It List: Five things to do in Berkeley this weekend

WEST COAST LIVE West Coast Live, the two-hour variety show hosted by the estimable Sedge Thomson, is coming live this Saturday from the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse in downtown Berkeley. The line-up is superb. (And we’re not just saying that because Berkeleyside is one of the guests!) Investigative journalist Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation and Reefer Madness, Command and Control), will be there, as will Malcolm Margolin, founder of Berkeley’s Heyday Press, and A. Scott Berg, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Wilson, the acclaimed biography of the 28th President of the United States, and the Ethiopian-born, San Francisco-based singer Meklit and her band. Tickets to watch the show are $15 ($13 seniors, $5 youth) — or listen at 10am on KALW 91.7.

CELEBRATE OUR PARKS Sunday Sept. 28 is “Berkeley Partners for Parks Day” honoring the organization’s 20 years of volunteering for parks and green spaces — and there’s lots going on to help us celebrate our urban green spaces. Starting at 10am, the Hidden Gems of Berkeley Tour includes a bicycle tour of parks and gardens around Berkeley, showcasing the “grassroots-greening” projects of Berkeley Partners for Parks and its affiliates. Prefer a walk? Join Berkeley Path Wanderers’ Charlie Bowen on an easy, level, 4.5 mile loop on the Ohlone Greenway/Santa Fe Right of Way, now open to Bancroft Way. Visit murals, public art, gardens, and more. Both tours culminate at 2pm at the annual Garden Party at Westbrae Community Gardens, on the  between Peralta and Gilman. Food and live music until 5pm. Full details of these and other related events can be found at Berkeley Partners for Parks. The City is also sponsoring a 9am-3pm event at San Pablo Park for Community Parks Day. Starting at 9 am, staff will be on hand to provide games and activities for kids; a Tree Climbing demonstration with a City Forester; a barbecue; and a tree planting project with volunteers. 8am-12pm: Volunteer Work; 2-12:30pm: Recognition and lunch; 12:30-3pm: Parks Carnival.

TILDEN’S 80TH BIRTHDAY More on parks! East Bay Regional Park District is hosting a public anniversary celebration in Tilden Regional Park on Sunday Sept. 28 to mark the park’s 80th birthday, and the fact that, in 1934, citizens of the East Bay voted to preserve open space, improving the quality of life for future generations. Families and friends are invited to celebrate with a day of music, games, crafts, and fun – at the park where it all began. Meet a pig, a goat, or a chicken at the Little Farm. Help crank some ice cream, enjoy it, then “stroll it off” with the Passport to History walk to beautiful Jewel Lake and earn a prize. There’ll even be a cake at 12:30pm, and commemorative lapel pins will be available free while supplies last. Information at EBRPD online.

A DAY ON THE WATER FESTIVAL On Sunday you can enjoy a free music and crafts fair at Cesar Chavez park on the Berkeley Marina. A Day on the Water Festival runs from 12 noon to 7pm and includes live music from, among others, new Latin rock band Manzo Rally, funk and R&B band Crosscut, and reggae outfit Caesar Miles and the Dreaded Truth. Full detail at the festival website.

WE LOVE WATER While on the subject of water, the We Love Water event on Sat. Sept. 27 in central Berkeley will reveal a multitude ways to conserve this precious resource Described as a water conservation fair in collaboration with the Watershed Environmental Poetry Festival, the event will offer demonstrations and information on how to check for leaks, learn about your local creeks and where your water comes from, discover the best native plants for your garden, and much more. When: Sept. 27, 10am-3pm Where: MLK Jr. Civic Center Park, 2151 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley.