INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY Books and Berkeley: never did two words fit more easily together. Saturday, April 30, is a day to celebrate independent bookstores as 420 bookstores around the country, including many in Berkeley, will host authors and readings and other events. Famed and funny science writer Mary Roach will appear at 3 p.m. at Pegasus Downtown at 2349 Shattuck Ave. Roach will do an AMA (based on Reddit’s “Ask Me Anything” series). “Science quandary keeping you up at night? Want to know what happens when you place a chameleon on a mirror?… Mary Roach can answer your non-pertinent questions. “You can get homemade dog treats at Mrs. Dalloway’s all day, become your favorite literary character by dressing up in costume (provided) and taking your picture at Books, Inc., at 1491 Shattuck Ave., or join in the unveiling of the large transportation collection at Moe’s Books on Telegraph Avenue — and hear songs about trains. Check the website of your local bookstore for more details.
BERKELEY EMERGENCY PREP FAIR We all know the Big One is coming, but are we prepared? Of course not, which is why the city of Berkeley is hosting an Emergency Preparedness Fair at Civic Center Park on Saturday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Kids growing up in earthquake country need a disaster-prepared household,” according to the city’s website. “Pet owners need to know how to keep pets safe in a disaster. At this FREE community-wide event, we invite people at all levels of preparedness to take steps towards emergency readiness for their whole family. You’ll find family-friendly activities, tips and information, on-site training, and interactive demonstrations of safety resources available to you in our community. There will be a showcase of emergency vehicles, prizes, kids activities, and more.” (Read more about disaster preparedness on Berkeleyside.)
TWO PLANT SALES The UC Botanical Garden is hosting its spring plant sale April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (members can enter on April 29). Bulbs, ferns, house plants, vines, trees and many other types of plants are available. There will also be a large selection of drought-resistant California natives. Or, if you are of the mind to support Berkeley schools, Willard Middle School is holding the annual Growing Leaders Spring Plant and Pizza Sale on April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “The Growing Leaders students have been hard at work preparing the seedlings. The greenhouse is overflowing with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, basil and so much more,”says the school. The entrance to the garden is on Telegraph between Stuart and Derby.
GEOFF HOYLE’S NEWEST SHOW The story of King Lear is a sad one, but in the hands of clown Geoff Hoyle it turns into something funny. Hoyle’s solo show was repeatedly extended when it played at The Marsh in San Francisco in 2015. Now it is at The March in Berkeley, with performances scheduled to run from April 30 to June 18. “Audiences experience King Lear like never before as the fool (played by Hoyle), recently unemployed, tells his side to Shakespeare’s most tragic, cosmic, and human of stories in this poignant solo performance,” according to The Marsh. The show (co-written by David Ford) will run Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 5 p.m. at The Marsh, 2120 Allston Way. For tickets ($25-$35 sliding scale, $55-$100 reserved), visit www.themarsh.org or call 415-282-3055 between 1-4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
BAHA SPRING HOUSE TOUR The main fundraiser for the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA) is its spring house tour. People clamor to buy tickets because the tour always provides a peek into some of the city’s most storied homes. This year’s tour, on Sunday, May 1, 1-5 p.m., features homes around the Rose Garden. Patrons can see 10 houses designed by Bernard Maybeck, John Galen Howard, William Raymond Yelland, A.H. Broad, and Malcolm D. Reynolds. “The earliest residential tracts south of the Rose Garden were subdivided in the 19th century, but the district remained sparsely populated until the first decade of the 20th century, when a Key System streetcar started running along Euclid Avenue, making it possible for hillside residents to commute to work in Oakland and San Francisco,” the BAHA brochure reads. “New residents were attracted by the sweeping bay views and the quiet, leafy streets, located within easy walking distance to both the university campus and the surrounding hills.” Many of these houses were destroyoed in the 1923 fire. The tour will feature two homes that survived the fire and eight that were constructed afterward. Tickets are $45.
EXTRA FEATURE: BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGE FAIR: For Berkeley High and Berkeley Tech juniors only. Sunday, May 1, 1-3 p.m. in the gym at Berkeley High. Scores of admissions representatives from colleges and universities from all over the U.S. will gather at BHS with the express purpose of making the college search easier. Here is a partial listing of this year’s participants: Barnard; Bennington; Bowdoin; Brown; California College of the Arts; Cooper Union; CSU East Bay; CSU Northridge; DePaul University; Drexel; Emory University; Emory College & Oxford College; Goucher; Macalester; Middlebury; Mills; Simmons; Skidmore; Spelman; UC Davis; UCLA; University of Toronto; Wellesley; and Wesleyan.
Don’t miss these other events featured on Berkeleyside:
Big Screen Berkeley: ‘Sold’
Junior Reggae brings sweet sound of Jamaica to Jupiter
Big Screen double bill: ‘Dough’ and ‘Pali Road”
To find out what is going on in Berkeley and nearby, be sure to check out Berkeleyside’s Events Calendar. And submit your own events: it’s self-serve and free.
