Although fireworks are illegal in Oakland, the sky will surely be lit up this weekend with unpermitted mortars and rockets. There will also be sanctioned fireworks shows from Antioch to Gilroy and lots of cities in between.
But if fireworks aren’t your thing, here are other ways to celebrate the long holiday weekend, including a BBQ at the Pardee Home Museum, a tour of the Mountain View Cemetery by the folks at the Oakland Heritage Alliance and much more.
If you would like us to consider an event for this weekly list, please email me at [email protected]. You can also use the self-submission form on our events page to add events to our calendar for free.
Jason Roberts, the 2025 Pulitzer winner for biography, will be at Tally Ho! Books for a conversation about his new book Every Living Thing. The New York Times calls the book “engaging and thought-provoking…focused on the theatrical politics and often deeply troubling science that shape our definitions of life on Earth.”Thursday, July 3, 7 p.m., RSVP online, 3941 Piedmont Ave.
The Pardee Home, built in 1868, is one of the last grand Victorian homes that once lined the streets of Oakland. It was the house of California State Senator Enoch H. Pardee and later by his son, former California Governor George Pardee and his two daughters, Madeline and Helen. Now, the house, designated an Oakland Landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and named a California State Landmark in 1997, has been transformed into a museum that offers tours and tea parties. This Friday, the museum is hosting a 4th of July BBQ with live music by pianist and singer Fredrick Hodges. Tickets include food and the concert.Friday, July 4, 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., $10-$20, free for kids 5 and under, 672 11th St. (enter through gate on Castro Street)
The African American Museum and Library (AAMLO) and the main library have a concurrent exhibit featuring work by educator and artist Donald O. Greene through Sept. 20. Using African ritual masks as inspiration, the exhibit “explores Black physiognomy when rendering moments of serenity, glee, worry, and even surprise.” This weekend, AMMLO will host an artist’s reception, where attendees will have the chance to learn more about Greene’s creative process.Saturday, July 5, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., free, RSVP (510) 637-0200, 659 14th St.
The Oakland Heritage Alliance, a preservationist group that since 1981 has been fighting to “preserve Oakland’s irreplaceable cultural, natural, and architectural heritage,” just launched its yearly walking tour, starting with a walk to learn all about the Mountain View Cemetery led by author and co-publisher of the Alameda Sun, Dennis Evanosky.Sunday, July 6, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., $15-$20, meet inside the cemetery gates, near the fountain across from the office building
To help revitalize Oakland, neighbors and business owners in the area formerly known as Auto Row, on Broadway between 19th and 27th Streets, and the area adjacent to Lake Merritt, have banded together for a public-private partnership with the city called Northlake. As part of their work, the group will help organize community events, such as the weekly playing of Midday Mahjong, the Chinese tile game that originated in the 19th century.Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., free, 23rd and Webster
Joshua Howell (guitar, harmonica, vocals) percussion savant, Pete Devine (drums, washboard), and veteran upright bassist, Joe Kyle Jr. are bringing their electric blues sounds to The Sound Room.Saturday, July 5, 6:30 p.m., $30.65, 3022 Broadway
Harlem’s heartthrob is bringing his sultry sounds to Oakland in October.Saturday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m., $75-$285, 2025 Broadway