Top Tickets: March 18-24

Diablo's picks for the can't miss events of the coming week: Taste of the East Bay, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Scrapbook Expo, Hot Country Nights, On Golden Pond, and an important discussion on the impact of middle school sports.

After hitting some of this week’s eclectic events (from Shakespeare to kids sports to country music), you can chronicle the journey with tools and techniques from Pleasanton’s Scrapbook Expo.  Pretty handy, huh?  Don’t miss these great events…

March 18: The Real Impact of Sports in Middle School
On the heels of Diablo’s report on the rise in kids sports injuries comes a timely parent education meeting. Robin Bousquet from Children’s Hospital Oakland and Erika Carlson of Excellence in Sports Performance in Walnut Creek will discuss the physical and emotional impact of middle school sports. Stanley Middle School, 3455 School St., Lafayette, 7–9 p.m., free, (925) 280-3980, Ext. 8001, acalanes.k12.ca.us/adulted.

March 20: Taste of the East Bay
Sample food from top East Bay chefs and restaurants, bid on silent auctions, and dance the night away—all to support a good cause. The benefit for Thunder Road, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center’s substance abuse treatment center, will include good eats from Bakesale Betty, Havana, Knoxx, 1515, and Yankee Pier, among others. Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley, 6–9 p.m., $65, (510) 204-1667, www.altabatessummit.org.

March 20–21: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Diablo Ballet pairs Shakespeare with toe shoes in the full-length performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  The classic tale of fairies and mistaken identity was choreographed by Julia Adams, a former principal dancer for the San Francisco Ballet. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek, $22–$48, (925) 943-7469, tickets: lesherartscenter.org, more info: diabloballet.org.

March 20–21: Scrapbook Expo
It’s like heaven for scrapbookers this weekend at the Alameda County Fairgrounds.  The Scrapbook Expo returns with tools and products for sale, workshops, and two day-long crop parties. Attendees should bring scissors, adhesive, and blank pages for the “make-and-takes” offered at exhibitor booths. Alameda County Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton, $8, (925) 426-7559, alamedacountyfair.com.

March 21: Hot Country Nights
Country music lovers will converge on Oakland when the Oracle Arena hosts recording artists Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Keith Anderson, Luke Bryan, and The Lost Trailers.  It’s guaranteed to be a foot-stomping good time. Oracle Arena, 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland, 5 p.m., $45, (510) 625-8497, coliseum.com.

March 23–April 19: On Golden Pond
Willows Theatre presents Ernest Thompson’s play about an elderly couple vacationing at their lake house who receive an unexpected visit from their estranged daughter, her fiancé, and his teenage son.  A touching and amusing story develops about love and family. Willows Theatre, 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord, $17–$40, (925) 798-1300, willowstheatre.com.

For even more events happening this week, browse the complete listings on Diablo’s Community Calendar.
 

Posted at 11:23 AM in Best Of Editor Picks | Permalink