BERKELEY KITE FESTIVAL The annual Berkeley Kite Festival fills the skies over Cesar Chávez Park on Saturday and Sunday. You can marvel at the huge octopus kites (by the way, AP style for the plural is octopuses), enjoy team competitions, kite ballets, fighting kites, and much, much more. Oh, for the kids, the kite candy drop is pretty popular. On the ground, you’ll find bounce houses, a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, and plenty of food and drink. You can count on those steady winds off the Bay. Free shuttles from parking at Golden Gate Fields. Saturday and Sunday, July 29-30, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Cesar Chávez Park.
WEST SIDE STORY The Sharks and the Jets are coming to the big screen outside BAMPFA on Saturday, so start snapping those fingers. Revel in Leonard Bernstein’s music, Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics, Jerome Robbins’ choreography, and, among others, the Oscar-winning acting of Berkeley’s own Rita Moreno. The free outdoor screening of West Side Story will be preceded by a live performance by the All of Us Trio. The BAMPFA block of Addison Street will be closed, so you can settle in with lawn chairs and blankets, and refreshments will be on hand as well. Live music starts at 7 p.m. and the screening is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 29, 7 p.m., BAMPFA, corner of Oxford and Addison Streets.
JD SOUTHER JD Souther (left) hails from Amarillo, Texas, but his sound is rooted in the 1970s Southern California scene, where he got his start playing open mikes in 1969. He’s worked with Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, and The Eagles who have made massive hits of songs he wrote and co-wrote. He’s also released a string of successful solo albums including his latest, “Tenderness.” Souther will be performing at the Freight on Sunday night. Sunday, July 30, 7 p.m., Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse, 2020 Addison St.
MOANA Looks like it’s a great weekend for outdoor movie screenings. On Friday night, Berkeley’s Parks & Recreation Department hosts the latest free outdoor screening, this time of Disney’s “Moana.” Enjoy all the fun of a drive in movie at your local park. Bring blankets, sleeping bags and/or low-back beach chairs with a maximum height of 9 inches off the ground. A flashlight or headlamp makes walking out at the end of the night easier. Friday, July 28, 8:30 p.m., Cedar Rose Park, 1300 Rose St.
FOOD SWAP On Sunday afternoon, the Ashby Community Garden is hosting a homemade food and product swap. It’s a place for home cooks, bakers, canners, picklers, jammers, growers, and general “DIY-ers” to get together and swap ideas, foods and products. Check out the FAQ about food swaps, and complete one swap sheet for each type of item you are bringing. Sunday, July 30, 1-2:30 p.m., Ashby Community Garden, 1376 Ashby Ave.
Don’t forget this other event covered on Berkeleyside:
Big Screen Berkeley: 37th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
