FIND PEACE IN THE GARDEN The UC Botanical Garden is offering free admission from 9-11 a.m. daily until Wednesday, Nov. 30, to “help community members, friends, and families find resilience and calm.” The UC Botanical Garden is at 200 Centennial Drive in Berkeley. Visit the garden’s website for information.
PARKS AND PATH CHALLENGE Berkeley Path Wanderers Association is holding its first fundraising event on Sunday, Nov. 13, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the paths and in the parks of the city. The Parks and Paths Challenge is a creative combination of scavenger hunt, mapping session, and path adventure that begins and ends at Codornices Park. Everyone will get a list of questions and a map marked with the locations of the answers. Participants will be on their own to plot the fastest route to reach all the checkpoints and return with the right answers. Participants can choose from three different levels and lengths of challenges that start at staggered times but all finish around 1 p.m. for an awards party and refreshments. Proceeds from this event will go toward improving the paths in the Rose Garden and adding handrails to steep paths in the hills. See a complete description of this family-friendly activity. Adult tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the event. Children, six and older, are $5. Advance tickets available.
UNFORGETTABLE: A NATALIE COLE STORY Opening Friday Nov. 11 at 8 p.m., and back by popular demand, the Black Repertory Group presents Unforgettable: A Natalie Cole Story Love, Life & Her Music, a show that examines the daughter of the legendary Nat King Cole. Natalie Cole had a career spanning four decades with 30 million record sales and nine Grammy awards. Dee Dee Simon reprises the lead role in the new production, which was written by Mona Vaughn-Scott and directed by Sean Vaughn Scott. Also starring Faye Carol as the gospel singer Albertina Walker, Clarence Ray Johnson Jr. and Cheryl Patrick-Williams. The multimedia show runs through Nov. 26 at Black Repertory Group Theater, 3201 Adeline St., Berkeley. Visit BRGT online for details.
WORKING PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPHS On Sunday Nov. 13 at 2 p.m., Joseph Blum will present a series of his photographs documenting the labor of ironworkers, carpenters, glaziers and other tradespeople at work in the Bay Area and abroad, at the ACCI Gallery. Blum’s photographs document the shipyards and the metal trades workshops of what was once a flourishing blue collar industry in the Bay Area. He documented the workers constructing the new east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, a project he followed from its inception to its completion in September 2013. Blum worked as a boilermaker, shipfitter, and welder for 25 years in the shops and shipyards of the Bay Area. Since retiring from the trades, Blum has dedicated himself to documenting the labor process in words and photographs. His photographs have been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the Bay Area. The talk is free to the public. ACCI Gallery, 1652 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley.
FREE DRAWING SESSION Whether you draw every day, or just want to try something new, come draw at the downtown Berkeley library on Saturday Nov 12 at 10:30 a.m. The sessions happen once a month on Saturday mornings and alternate between instructor-led sessions in even numbered months, and open drawing sessions in odd numbered months, where you bring your own project to work on or use the library’s supplies to start something new — which is what is planned for this Saturday. Supplies are provided, but feel free to bring your own. All skill levels, ages 12 and up, are welcome at this free program. Questions? Call Emily at 510-981-6121. Central Library, third floor Community Meeting Room, 2090 Kittredge St. Berkeley. Details online.
Don’t miss these other events featured on Berkeleyside:
Spanish jazz pianist Alex Conde’s flamenco soul
Big Screen Berkeley: The Love Witch
Ever wonder how Berkeleyside compiles its weekly It List? We rely on event organizers to tell us about their events (email editors@berkeleyside.com) and we also select events listed by organizers on the Berkeleyside Events Calendar — submissions are self-serve and free, so be sure to use it!