Culture Crush, Week of Feb. 8
Novato
Trash to Treasures
There’s the saying—“one man’s trash is another man’s supplementary income.” For those who wish to get in on the free market economy, there’s the upcoming Spring “Trash to Treasures” Flea Market in Novato. Though the market itself doesn’t occur until March 18, applications to sell secondhand items via a booth rental at Novato’s Margaret Todd Senior Center have commenced on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications can be downloaded at bit.ly/trash-treasures and returned to the center at 1560 Hill Rd. This indoor community market averages more than 200 shoppers and is held rain or shine. For more information, including event details, call 415-899-8290 or visit novatofun.org.
Santa Rosa
Smart Cycling Classes
With National Bike Month looming just over the horizon this May, local wheels are already turning when it comes to bicycle safety. The Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition (SCBC) offers an informative, safety-oriented Smart Cycling class from 9am to 1pm, Saturday, Feb. 11 at its parking lot, located at 750 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. From lane positioning to gear ratios, traffic laws and riding etiquette, nationally certified instructors will provide two hours of class instruction and two hours of on-bike instruction, including skill drills and an instructional bike ride to identify and avoid potential hazards. A bike in good mechanical condition and a properly fitted helmet are required to participate. For more information or to sign up, visit bikesonoma.org/our-work/traffic-skills-101.
Healdsburg
Lion in the Living Room
Bushtracks Expeditions CEO David Tett relays the story of the “five brothers”—lions that fight to survive in the harsh desert landscape of the Namib—in his talk, “The Lions of The Namib and Gorillas of Central Africa: The Power of Sustainable Travel.” Also covered are the remote rainforests in the Congo and Central Africa, home to lowland gorillas, chimps and pink forest elephants, as well as safari camps and robust micro-economies that contribute to protecting millions of acres of wildlands and support traditional communities. The “living room” style presentation begins at 5:30pm, Wednesday, Feb. 15 in the Fireplace Lounge of CraftWork, 445 Center St., Healdsburg. Wine and eats will be provided by Journeyman Wines and Journeyman Meat Company, respectively. Tickets are $40 ($15 for CraftWork members) and are available online at craftworkhbg.com/crafted-conversations.
Petaluma
Art & Tech
The Petaluma Arts Center’s Idea Lounge is ”a series of unexpected conversational pairings” in which one speaker hails from the arts and the other does not. The events last one hour, with each speaker presenting for 20 minutes and then the audience ferreting out the connective threads between two seemingly disparate topics. The series returns this month with Danielle Stroble, founder of Keller Street CoWork, whose talk, “Human Centered: Community, Culture & Coworking,” is paired with artist Gary McKinnon’s talk, “Art and Technology: Tools of the Trade.” The chat begins at 7pm, Wednesday, Feb. 22 and is hosted by Barber Lee Spirits, 120 Washington St., Petaluma. Tickets are $15 ($12 for arts center members) and are available at bit.ly/idea-lounge.
— Daedalus Howell, editor
