Our selection of some terrific things to do in the Bay Area this week.

But be prepared … BART is closed on Saturday and Sunday. Extra buses will be running between 19th Street and Embarcadero BART stations, and the Ferry is a great option.

Anything But Ordinary

Oakland’s Ordinaire is always busy with tastings and food pop-ups. Chris Kronner did regular pop-ups here to develop the menu for the newly opened KronnerBurger.

This weekend features a pop-up dinner, “Lil’ Italy,” cooked by Jeffrey Hayden from nearby Boot & Shoe Service on Friday; a Wine Club Tasting Saturday afternoon (members taste four wines for $10!); and “Glou-Glou Fest” on Saturday night.

Bradford Taylor writes: “This is one of the more ridiculous posters I’ve ever designed. That’s because this event on Saturday is gearing up to be one of the more ridiculous events we have put on. “Glou-Glou,” as some of you may know, refers to a wine that goes down really easy—glou-glou is the sound it makes going down your throat. We’ve decided to throw a little party in honor of this frivolous side of wine. Four importers of natural wine will work behind the bar, joined by wine blogger/comedienne Marissa A. Ross, all of whom will be pouring their favorite easygoing wines. Quinn and I will be in the kitchen, cooking up some classic American food: burgers, hot dogs, nachos, etc. Should be a hell of a lot of fun. See you there.”

Ordinaire is at 3354 Grand Ave in Oakland. They rarely answer the phone, so it is best to send an email: bradford@ordinairewine.com.

Brainwash Movie Festival

With a virtual plethora of weird, unusual and just plain great short and feature movies, this year again promises to be worthy of the culmination of 21 years of fine movies for audience enjoyment and edification from Brainwash. A must-see again this year, including movies that will entice, shock the sensibilities, and touch your heart.

Friday, July 31st and Saturday, Aug. 1st at the fabulous Palace Theater, 1445 23rd Ave, Oakland.

The New York Times says the Brainwash Movie Festival “pirates a piece of that old Hollywood magic and challenges conventions on the role of public space in the process.”

View trailer here.

Experience Filipino, Japanese or Hawaiian Food, Music and More—All Free!

The Adobo Festival is Saturday and Sunday in Union City.

The Adobo Festival is an annual festivity celebrated by mainstream audiences of people from all walks of life. Adobo is the Tagalog translation of marinated pork cooked with garlic, pepper, laurel leaves and a concoction of soy sauce and vinegar. lt is a well-known dish in the Filipino community, eaten with rice. But the Festival has so much more.

The Nihonmachi Street Fair considers itself the original “melting pot” of street fairs, with many aspects of Asian-Pacific American life—and San Francisco’s cultural life—expressed through performance, tradition, art, music, food, and community outreach and service.

The Aloha Festival also happens this weekend in San Mateo.

Pacific Islanders of the San Francisco Bay Area present their talents in music and dance during this free-admission, two-day festival of arts, held during the first full weekend of every August. Entertainment highlights include Pacific Islander music as well as Polynesian dance. The festival also features arts and crafts vendors, island cuisine, educational exhibits and workshops, and an “Ohana Korner” with simple games for the kids!

 

Food, Libation and Movie Collectibles

You might find the perfect item for your wall or collection at the Vintage Paper Fair in San Francisco this weekend.

 

 

Stone Fruit and Herb Celebration

It is that time of year for peaches, plums, pluots and more.

Come by and test your stone fruit and herb knowledge, and be rewarded with tastes and little prizes. Do you know the difference between a pluot and an aprium? Do you know your stone fruit name? How about what Thai basil smells like? Want to find out?

There will be bluegrass music and face painting, and CUESA will provide games and activities for the whole family.

Go to The Yard, located at 3rd Street and Terry A Francois Boulevard, from 12 to 4 pm on Sunday. Celebrate the tastes and aromas of summer!

Click here for more info.

It’s A Wrap!

Berkeley’s Pacific Film Archive has its final weekend until next year, when they move into the new Berkeley Art Museum. In these two days, you can get a crash course in great cinema. Saturday features Chaplin’s City Lights, The Spirit of the Beehive (with a rare live appearance by director  Víctor Erice), and Vittoria de Sica’s Bicycle Thief.

On Sunday, don’t miss Chaplin’s The Kid, followed by a demonstration-workshop in the art of pantomime with Charlie Chaplin impersonator Damian Blake; Víctor Erice presenting his rarely-seen recent short films; and Yasuziro Ozu’s masterpiece Tokyo Story.

For a complete schedule, click here.