FOURTH OF JULY AT THE MARINA Celebrate the Fourth of July on Saturday at the Berkeley Marina, from noon to 10 p.m. Enjoy food trucks and booths, handmade crafts, free dragon boat rowing from 12 to 5 p.m., pony rides, a petting zoo, an inflatable bouncy area, water bubble balls (pictured above) and more. The Adventure Playground will be open until 8 p.m. for children to use hammers, nails, saws and paint with parent supervision. The event culminates in fireworks over the water south of the Berkeley Pier at 9:35 p.m., presented by the City of Berkeley. The Berkeley Marina is at 201 University Ave. Parking in the Marina is $15 for the day, or you can ride your bike over the Berkeley bicycle overpass and use the free valet parking near Adventure Playground. Admission is free. Details on transportation and events at www.anotherbullwinkelshow.com.
POETRY UNBOUND Oakland writers Clive Matson and Richard Loranger host their monthly poetry event on Sunday evening featuring Andy Clausen and Pamela Twining from Woodstock, NY,
and BeachHead (with poet Pagan Neil and violinist Alan Shearer). There will be a brief open mic at the end featuring 10 poets – get there early to sign up. The event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Art House Gallery at 2905 Shattuck Ave. (one block north of Ashby, near Ashby BART). Admission is free with a requested $5 donation. Learn more at richardloranger.com.
REVOLUTION BOOKS BENEFIT Help save Revolution Books at a benefit featuring a reading, discussion and Q&A with Edwidge Danticat, author of the novel “Claire of the Sea Light,” and other books including “The Dew Breaker,” “Brother I’m Dying,” “Creating Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work” and “The Farming of Bones,” American Book Award winner. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. Revolution Books is located at 2425 Channing Way (near Telegraph Avenue). Tickets range from $10 to $500. Learn more at revolutionbooks.org. Read our feature article about Revolution Books.
THE HIGHLIFE BAND Visit the Starry Plough on Sunday to listen to The Highlife Band for free. The Highlife Band is a reggae band from Seattle, Washington that combines Spanish and French Caribbean styles with Jamaican rockers, bif-baf, steppers, one-drop, and dancehall reggae traditions. Its lyrics “sing of love and conscious direction in everyday life.” The event is from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Starry Plough Pub, located at 3101 Shattuck Ave. (at Prince Street). Admission is free. Learn more at www.thehighlifeband.com.
STAHL’S “BACK STREET” Catch John M. Stahl’s 1932 adaptation of Fannie Hurt’s bestselling novel at the PFA Theater. Ray Schmidt (Irene Dunne) reunites with almost lover Walter (John Boles) – after he has married someone else. As Tom Milne wrote in Time Out, “Stahl counters the danger of sentimentality by maintaining an even, beautifully controlled monotone (very moving in its quietude) that establishes a discreet distance between his camera and the excesses of the plot.” The movie will show on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive Theater, located at 2625 Durant Ave. (between College Avenue and Bowditch Street). General admission is $9.50. Buy tickets online or call 510-642-5249.
Don’t miss these other events featured on Berkeleyside:
Big Screen Berkeley: ‘The Third Man’ — The perfect film?
Detroit: Unpredictable, dark comedy shines at the Aurora
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.
-By Francesca Paris
