JAZZ ON FOURTH Sunday marks the 20th annual Jazz on Fourth festival, which benefits Berkeley High School’s jazz program. The free festival has raised nearly $200,000 for the program over the last 19 years. In addition to the BHS Jazz Ensemble and combos, Fourth Street will be bopping with Mal Sharpe’s Big Money in Jazz Band with Kellye Gray, blues from Terrie Odabi, and salsa with Edgardo & Candela. Fourth Street merchants donate major gifts for a gigantic raffle, and the street will be lined with activities (you can visit Berkeleyside at our booth). There’s beer donated by Trumer Brauerie, and free photos courtesy of Photolab. Jazz on Fourth, Fourth Street, noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, May 17.
HIMALAYAN FAIR The 32nd annual Himalayan Fair transforms Live Oak Park into a marketplace of arts, crafts, live music and authentic cuisine on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free, and there’s a $5 raffle. All proceeds from fundraising will support The American Nepal Medical Foundation, Chhatrapati Free Clinic, Sahayeta, Nepal Freed, The Ghorka Foundation, Seva Foundation and Virtues Children Nepal — all for the emergency relief effort following the recent devastating earthquakes in Nepal. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Live Oak Park, 1300 Shattuck Ave.
WRITERCOACH CONNECTION The Read-and-Write-a-Thon for WriterCoach Connection will run for 10 hours straight in the library at Longfellow Middle School on Saturday. Non-stop poetry, prose, drama and fiction will share the stage with an ever-changing cast of writing coaches, students and friends of WriterCoach Connection. Proceeds support one-on-one coaching in 11 East Bay schools. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, May 16, Longfellow Middle School Library, 1500 Derby St.
KIDS TRIATHLON The eighth annual City of Berkeley Kids Triathlon will be held at King Middle School on Saturday. The swim, bike and run event is held entirely on a closed course, with distances that vary by age. In the 5-6 age group, children will do three widths of the pool, one loop of the King blacktop on their bikes, and one lap of the King running track. The oldest group, 15-18, will swim 500 yards, do five loops of the blacktop, and run five laps. Races start at 9 a.m. with the oldest groups going first. The youngest start at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 16, King Middle School, 1700 Hopkins St.
FREE BASKETBALL CAMP Berkeley Youth Alternatives are holding a health and wellness day with a free basketball camp for children 7-12 on Saturday (requires registration by the end of Friday: by email or phone 845-5010 ext 218 or 698-2907). The camp, run by experienced high-school and college coaches, will include games and skills challenges, and runs from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 16, Young Adults Projects, 1730 Oregon St.
Don’t miss these other events featured on Berkeleyside:
Jazz blooms in Berkeley with a rich choice of performers
Big Screen Berkeley: ‘I Am Big Bird’ and ‘100-Year-Old Man’
For more events in and around Berkeley, check out Berkeleyside’s new-look Events Calendar. Submit your own events there — the calendar also offers options for making your event stand out.
