Sebastopol
First Friday Art Walk
Take a walk in Sebastopol this Friday and witness the talent showcased at First Fridays at Chimera Arts! Chimera—pronounced “Kai-mer-ah”—Art Space is a nonprofit shop designed to unite and empower the Sebastopol and Santa Rosa-area creative community, providing shared tools, knowledge, workspace, inspiration and opportunity for all. Chimera features a 5,000+sqft shop, studio and co-working space for West County artists, makers, hackers, inventors, creatives, hobbyists and tinkerers. Head down during the art walk for live music, food, beverages, activities, live demonstrations and a chance to get involved with the community. Most activity will be outdoors, but indoor demonstrations require a mask to be worn. Come meet the creatives of Sonoma County, learn a new skill and dance to some local music! Chimera Arts is located in downtown Sebastopol at the old Ford Garage building, 6791 Sebastopol Ave. Event is Friday, May 6, 5-10pm. FREE. www.chimeraarts.org
Occidental
Community Choir
Celebrate the grace and warmth of spring with the dulcet tones of Occidental Community Choir (OCC), performing their 2022 spring concerts. Born around a bonfire in Occidental in the winter of 1978, OCC has emerged from the recent darkness to present a concert series, entitled Common Ground. Under the direction of Gage Purdy, OCC will offer a blend of original compositions, contemporary works and classical songs from outside composers, plus some poetry and theatrics designed to highlight themes that unite and inspire. Do not miss their rendition of Smash Mouth’s “All Star” as an English madrigal! All concerts will be held at Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Ct., Occidental. Accessible to persons with disabilities and following current Sonoma County public health guidelines. Friday, May 6, 7pm is Community First Night, $10. Also Saturday, May 7, 7pm; Sunday, May 8, 3pm; Saturday, May 14, 7pm; and Sunday May 15, 3pm. Tickets are $25; kids 12 and under FREE. www.occidentalchoir.org/concerts
Sonoma
Garden Walk + Talk
Get some much-needed vitamin D this weekend, and an education to boot, in either a morning or an afternoon session of Sustainable Gardening Walk and Talk. Stroll the grounds of Sonoma Garden Park with Garden Allies author, biologist and former director of education for Santa Barbara Botanical Garden Frédérique Lavoipierre, alongside Saxon Holt, an award-winning photographer and author of Gardening in Summer-Dry Climates. These two experts will make presentations brought to life with macro photography of insects, personal collections, examples in the garden and illustrations. This is an opportunity to learn how to live in harmony with garden creatures and landscape in a water-conscious way. Dress in layered clothing appropriate for spring temperatures and the weather predicted for the date, and wear shoes for garden terrain. Bring a notebook to take notes. Sonoma Garden Walk and Talk is held at Sonoma Garden Park, 19996 7th St. E, Sonoma. May 7, 10-11:30am and 12-1:30pm. 25 signups per session. Reservations are required, and no walk-ins will be accepted. www.sonomaecologycenter.org
Petaluma
Movie Night
Bring the cinematic journey into the week with The Petaluma Cinema Series—a film education program that unites SRJC film students, the campus community and Sonoma County residents to engage in dialogue around classic, foreign and independent films. This abbreviated spring season will feature industry guests, interdisciplinary experts, and post-screening discussions and Q&As. Wednesday night, celebrate Star Wars Day with the sequel to the Star Wars film that started it all—The Empire Strikes Back. The film received four Oscar nominations, with wins for sound design and visual effects. The 6pm pre-show will feature an onstage interview with Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Phil Tippett, a key member of the creative team on the original Star Wars trilogy. This screening is held in the Carole L. Ellis Auditorium, 680 Sonoma Mountain Parkway, Petaluma. Pre-show, 6pm; film screening, 7pm; post-screening discussion until 10pm. Admission: $6, general; $5, students and seniors; FREE for PFA members. www.petalumafilmalliance.org
—Jane Vick
