While we’ve spent the last few months curating events that you can do from your home, the times are changing—so we’re starting to include in-person events that are socially distanced and responsibly organized. This week, venture to an outdoor arts and crafts market, watch an uplifting documentary directed by a Berkeley native and learn how to do breath meditation, among other activities. Whether you decide to stay inside or go out with caution, we hope this week’s list will give you opportunities to transcend whatever challenges you’re facing.
SHOP OUTSIDE It’s been a minute since we could walk into a shop without anxiety, peruse, and select some items that grab our attention. Local business Indigo Vintage is among the vendors at a brilliant outdoor market this Sunday at The Graduate Hotel that will satisfy the thrill of the hunt while allowing us to shop outdoors. A selection of local artists, makers, vintage vendors, and plants and flowers will be laid out in a mini-market. Masks are required, hands must be sanitized, social distancing will be enforced, and a maximum capacity will be upheld. Masks on, wallets out, smiles all around. 12-5 p.m. on Sunday, July 26 at 2600 Durant Ave.
UPLIFTING DOC This year’s activism has been transformational. Berkeley native Jalena Keane-Lee’s short film, “Standing Above the Clouds,” adds to this collective narrative of change. The movie, which is streaming as part of the PBS Short Film Festival, follows the journey of Native Hawaiian mother-daughter activists as they protest the building of the world’s largest telescope on their sacred mountain, Mauna Kea. The UC system has invested $38 million in the telescope, which will rise 8-stories on Hawaii’s highest mountain. The film, which currently runs at 15 minutes, is in the works to be made into a feature-length documentary. Watch this film—it’ll take you into a world of passion, dedication, and culture. Streaming until July 26 on PBS.
BOOK TALK Generations of gritty women are also the subject of Connie Schultz’s novel, The Daughters of Erietown. Schultz is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, memoirist, and columnist, and also the wife of Sherrod Brown, the Democratic Senator for Ohio. This Sunday, Ashby Village—a Berkeley nonprofit dedicated to healthy aging—is hosting a free talk with Schultz about her book and the relevance of its themes to these times. The novel explores narratives of working-class families, the evolution of women’s lives in America, and the explosive potential of family secrets. Join Schultz and Ashby Village for a live talk and Q&A session on Zoom. 2-4 p.m., July 26. Free.
LAUGH OUT LOUD They say laughter is the best medicine and we can all use some healing right now. You don’t even have to leave your house: you’ll get the best of the San Francisco comedy scene right on your screen. Every Saturday, comedians from the Bay Area will perform on Zoom and bring you to tears with their jokes. You’ll hear lines from comics who have been previously featured on HBO, NBC, and Comedy Central. Register on Eventbrite and they will send you a link with the lineup two hours before the show. Bring a snack, settle in, and prepare to laugh out loud. Every Saturday at 8 p.m. Register here.
BREATHE IN AND OUT We can only get through this pandemic if we find clarity and calm. In this workshop, you’ll learn the Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique, which focuses on using the breath to reduce stress and calm down. In the 75-minute session, you’ll meet face to face, virtually, with certified breathing and meditation trainers who will interact with you as they guide you through the session. You’ll find ways to manage your mind in times of global distress, gain tools to help alleviate your depression and anxiety and experience a feeling of well-being. Keep calm and carry on. Tuesday, July 28, 6:30-7:45 pm. Free.
