Top Tickets: September 30- October 6

Diablo’s can’t-miss events of the coming week: Michael Pollan in Berkeley, Oktober CreekFest, Danville’s Art in the Park, Livermore’s Cornfield Maze, and the return of RENT.

It’s an eclectic but fun week, with a foodie lecture, beer and art festivals, the area’s biggest corn maze, and the return of one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals. Here are your Top Tickets…

September 30: Michael Pollan
Award-winning writer and UC Berkeley journalism professor Michael Pollan has set the agenda for food conversation in America today, with books like The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food. He chats about his philosophy—“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”—in Cal Performances’ Strickly Speaking Series. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley, 8 p.m., $16–$30, (510) 642-9988, calperformances.org.

October 2–3: Oktober CreekFest and Brew Ha Ha
We’re far from Germany, but you can still get into the partying spirit in downtown Walnut Creek, with 11 types of Oktoberfest beer, live music and comedy, sauerkraut and bratwurst, and carnival games for kids. Locust Street, between Cypress Street and Mount Diablo Boulevard, Walnut Creek, Friday: 5–10 p.m., Saturday: 1–5 p.m., free admission, beer and wine tickets $5–$20, (925) 933-6778, walnutcreekdowntown.com.

October 3–4: Art in the Park
Browse the work of more than 60 local artists at Danville’s annual Art in the Park. Portions of sales from the one-of-a-kind paintings, ceramics, photography, and jewelry will benefit elementary and middle school art programs in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. Town Green, 420 Front St., Danville, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., free, ci.danville.ca.us.

October 3–31: Cornfield Maze
Find your way through six acres of corn, expertly designed to reveal a fall-themed image from above (last year’s was a scarecrow). Featured on the David Letterman Show, the maze is especially fun at night, when teenagers and adults can explore spooky-style with flashlights. Outside, a pumpkin patch, straw bale maze, and pony rides delight the youngest kiddos. G&M Farms, 487 East Airway, Livermore, $7–$10, (925) 447-3276, gmfarms.com.

October 6–18: RENT
Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award–winning rock musical RENT returns to San Francisco for a limited time, featuring two stars of the original 1996 Broadway production and 2005 film adaptation, Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp. Curran Theatre, 445 Geary St., San Francisco, $30–$99, (415) 512-7770, shnsf.com.

For even more events happening this week, browse the complete listings on Diablo’s Community Calendar. Follow Diablo on Twitter or Facebook (links below), and you'll be notified as soon as Top Tickets posts each Wednesday afternoon.

Posted at 02:23 PM in Best Of Editor Picks | Permalink