Berlin style ping pong comes to Oakland bars
About thirty heads turned quickly from left to right, focused on a bright orange ball, as the giant group of players faced off, each with a paddle in one hand and a beer in the...
Tag Archives: Culture
Oakland Museum of California to open gallery showcasing Oakland’s natural environment
The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) will be opening a new gallery focusing on California Natural Sciences on May 31. A recent behind the scenes sneak peek of the wing—which is still under construction—showed that...
Oakland Int’l Film Festival kicks off at Grand Lake Theater
This weekend the 11th edition of the Oakland International Film Festival (OIFF) will take place in screening venues in throughout the city. Over 55 films from both local and international filmmakers will be screened through...
Women and hip-hop: A discussion in downtown Oakland
On Friday, the Betti Ono art gallery in downtown Oakland hosted a panel discussion about women and Hip-Hop. The “My Art, My Culture: Women, media, and Hip-Hop” three-part discussion was the product of the combined...
In Oakland, panelists discuss challenges for Muslim women in America
Several speakers discussed the significance of the September 11 attacks on the way Muslims are perceived in America. “Before 9/11 we were an invisible minority, quite a silent group,” said Sundas. “9/11 created much fear...
Children celebrate Black History Month at Ile Omode Elementary
Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and a number of famous African Americans ancestors made an appearance at an elementary school in East Oakland on the final day of Black History Month. Ancestor Day 2013 at Ile...
Salsa in the Park brings memories of Havana to Oakland
From Cuban exiles to Bay Area salsa fanatics clad in nostalgic Cuban revolutionary gear and chomping the occasional cigar, Oakland’s Splash Pad Park was a crucible of various cultures Sunday as San Francisco-based Cuban salsa...
Scraper bikes out in East Oakland for Halloween
On Monday evening, the Oakland Scraper Bike Team rolled through East Oakland for their 5th Annual Scraper Bike Halloween Ride. A scraper bike is a custom designed bike that includes flashy wheels, a spray-painted frame...
Oakland’s Islamic Cultural Center hosts interfaith art exhibit
At the end of her tenure as an artist in residence at the San Francisco Dump, Sharon Siskin discovered a pile of old, Arabic language textbooks used to teach Muslim children the fundamental lessons of...
Oakland restaurants kick off Restaurant Week with good eats and great deals
Thirty-five Oakland restaurants are participating this week in Oakland's first Restaurant Week, a project of Visit Oakland, the city's official marketing organization. Lauren Callahan reports.
Artist community hosts open house party
Mike Taft isn’t an artist in the traditional sense. But when his entire live-work apartment complex was having an open house art party on Friday—one that he founded and organized—he was of course going to...
After the fire, Oakland’s love of tiki burns on
Until it burned to the ground, Tiki Tom’s waterfront restaurant and bar, with its giant inflatable rooftop frog and bright yellow exterior, was a difficult place to miss.
“Emporium” event showcases locally made Halloween costumes, risque performers
“Back in the day, your mom made your Halloween costume,” says Samantha Stevens, a filmmaker and event planner, and the creator of Thursday night's D.I.Y. Emporium: A Benefit for Rock Paper Scissors. “That was so...
Lavish creations honor cycle of life and death at Fruitvale’s Dia de Los Muertos
On Sunday, hundreds of Oaklanders stepped out into the rain to pay homage to those who’ve passed on. The 14th annual Fruitvale Dia de Los Muertos Festival, put on by Oakland’s Unity Council, was a...
Graffiti artists do battle at DeFremery Park
Twenty four of the most talented graffiti artists from California, Chicago, Hawaii and New York battled in West Oakland last Saturday.
Choir competes for gospel gold
Eight choirs. One night. Fifteen thousand fans. Watch the singers of Oakland's Genesis Worship Center as they take the stage in the "Best Choir in America" competition.
