CHOCOLATE & CHALK The 21st annual Chocolate & Chalk Art Festival will be held on Saturday in the Gourmet Ghetto. It’s an opportunity for artists of all ages to make art: areas of sidewalk are assigned to you (for free!) to create chalk drawings (artist’s chalk is available for $10, or bring your own). The contest for best drawing will be judged after 4 p.m. And, as the festival’s name implies, you can eat plenty of chocolate. Among the chocolate offerings are – brace yourself – chocolate dessert pizza, chocolate rum gelato, chocolate chip waffles, Oreo shakes, chocolate ganache cupcakes, chocolate empanadas, chocolate molé chicken and more. Tasting tickets for $1 each or 20 for $20 are available from the festival booths or online. Saturday, Aug. 24, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Shattuck Avenue between Rose and Vine streets.
SAN QUENTIN PROJECT How many people cross the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge without giving a thought to the prison that dominates the Marin end? A new exhibition at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive might change your perspective. A collaboration between artist Nigel Poor and inmates at San Quentin, The San Quentin Project centers on nearly 30 works creates by the inmates working together with Poor, who has taught classes on visual literacy and photography at San Quentin since 2011. The works are complemented by audio stations where visitors can listen to Ear Hustle, the award-winning podcast co-created by Poor and Earlonne Woods. The exhibition, which opened this week, will be on display until Nov. 17. BAMPFA, 2155 Center St.
BANG DATA Oakland-based Bang Data (left) is built on Latin traditions, but with plenty of twists. In the description of its Saturday night performance, the Freight & Salvage writes, “They spin cumbia, hip-hop and rock into a new language of sound for the people.” Bang Data is releasing its third studio album, LOCO, this fall. Saturday, Aug. 24, 8 p.m., Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St.
FREE CLINIC 50TH There’s a festival-full roster of events at Live Oak Park on Saturday to celebrate 50 years of The Berkeley Free Clinic. There’s plenty of food and drinks, local performers, a silent auction and raffle giveaway. Events kick off at 2 p.m. with Chilean harpist Kay Serrurier, followed by blues rock from the Blue Alley Cats. In between the music, attendees can hear from founders of the Free Clinic and other activists in the free clinic movement. Tickets online are $20 to $40, but the organizers note donations at the door will be on a sliding scale to raise funds for the clinic. Saturday, Aug. 24, 2-8 p.m., Live Oak Park, 1301 Shattuck Ave.
BRAZILIAN JAZZ At a moment when the news from Brazil is particularly grim (those photos of the Amazonian rainforest in flames are tragic), perhaps you can find an interlude of hope with two young jazz talents from the country. The California Jazz Conservatory dubs Michael Pipoqunha, bass guitar, and Pedro Martins, electric guitar, “two of the brightest young stars to come out of the Brazilian Jazz scene today.” On Sunday afternoon at the intimate Rendon Hall they have their Bay Area debut. Sunday, Aug. 25, 4:30 p.m., Rendon Hall/Fiddler Annex, 2040 Addison St.
Don’t miss these other events covered on Berkeleyside:
Cal Shakes’ glimmering adventure story ‘House of Joy’ explores women’s roles in India’s Mughal empire
Alumni to celebrate at Berkeley High’s All-Class Reunion Picnic Saturday
Big Screen Berkeley: ‘Piranhas’ and ‘Buñuel in the Labyrinth of Turtles’
A packed program for a packed up Wil Blades
