Garden State

LeeAnne Carson

Published:

Stop reading. That’s right, put down this magazine and head outside. The sun is high, flowers are in bloom, and Spring wants you to come out and play. Perhaps the two of you can make plans to meet at one of these garden tours.

May 1: Secret Gardens of the East Bay
Tucked into neighborhoods in Berkeley, Oakland, and Alameda, these 10 gardens include a Hawaiian paradise and faux Mayan ruins. Proceeds benefit Oakland’s Park Day School. $45 tour, $15 lunch. (510) 653-0317, Ext. 103; www.secretgardentour.org.

May 6–7: Clayton Gardens Tour
Tour five quaint gardens to benefit the Clayton Historical Society. $25 tour, $15 lunch. (925) 672-2117; www.claytonhs.com.

May 6: Art in the Garden
Visual and performing artists appear in five private gardens in Blackhawk. A buffet luncheon and boutique will be hosted in the Lakeside Club House. Proceeds benefit the Diablo Regional Arts Association. $40 tour, $35 lunch. (925) 932-1731; www.draa.org.

May 7: Through the Garden Gate
Take a peek at six Lamorinda gardens while supporting Bay Area Crisis Nursery. The tour is hosted by the Moraga Junior Women’s Club. $25 tour, $10 lunch. (925) 631-7867; www.throughthegardengate.org.

May 7: The Art of the Garden
Featuring Walnut Creek’s Ruth Bancroft Garden and seven other East Bay Edens, this tour includes lectures, boutique shopping, and a barbecue lunch. Proceeds benefit Athenian School. $35. (925) 362-7275; www.athenian.org

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Faces

California Trail Opening

The Oakland Zoo celebrated the grand opening of its 56-acre California Trail expansion with cake, refreshments, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Guests were treated to a first look at the new permanent exhibition, which re-creates habitats for eight native California species, including the jaguar, grizzly bear, and gray wolf. Twenty-five years in the making, the California Trail aims to highlight the Golden State’s natural history while also promoting wildlife conservation.

Nourish Gala

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano hosted its biggest bash of the year at Round Hill Country Club in Alamo, where more than 200 guests gathered for cocktails and a silent auction before enjoying a three-course dinner with wine. The annual fundraiser supported the Community Produce Program, which provides about 250,000 pounds of produce each month to people in need.

Walk in the Wild

The 26th annual fundraiser for the Oakland Zoo drew 1,200 animal lovers, who explored the grounds while savoring delicious cuisine and drinks from more than 100 Bay Area restaurants, wineries, and breweries.

Oakland Ballet Gala

Oakland Ballet Company’s Spring Gala fundraiser took place at the elegant Bellevue Club overlooking Lake Merritt.

The View From the Kitchen

During this special event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, New York Times food writer Kim Severson spoke with a trio of acclaimed female Bay Area chefs.

Notes and Words

Best-selling authors, acclaimed musicians, and talented local youths wowed 1,600 guests at this ninth annual bash, which garnered nearly $2 million for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. Held at the Fox Theater, the fundraiser featured readings and performances by rocker Dave Grohl, writers George Saunders and Kelly Corrigan, and other special guests.

Power of Kindness

Alamo-based nonprofit Party In-Kindness (PIK) hosted its yearly fundraising event at 1515 Restaurant and Lounge in Walnut Creek, where attendees noshed on appetizers, listened to DJ beats, played games, and sipped cocktails and wine. A portion of the proceeds benefited Rooms of Hope, which creates dream spaces for children with life-threatening illnesses. Since its inception in 2014, PIK has raised $100,000 for numerous East Bay organizations.

Growl, Meow, and Wine

More than 230 animal lovers gathered in Oakland to attend this annual benefit for the East Bay SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). Guests enjoyed delectable food, wine, craft beer, and live and silent auctions at the event—which supports the organization’s services and programs, such as veterinary and wellness clinics, pet adoptions, dog-training classes, and educational camps for kids.

Ovation Gala

The Tony Award–winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre celebrated its 50th anniversary with a four-course dinner, a live auction, and an array of performances during Ovation: 50 Years and Glowing, at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco. Approximately 400 fine-arts supporters attended the festive soiree and raised more than $800,000 for the theater’s upcoming productions and educational programs.

A Curry Girl Launch Party

Neiman Marcus hosted athlete and style maven Sydel Curry—sister of Warriors point guard Stephen Curry—to celebrate the launch of her blog, A Curry Girl. The intimate gathering at the upscale Walnut Creek store featured a fashion show, mouthwatering bites, craft cocktails, and music by DJ Criddy.

Film Premiere With Joey Travolta

To salute Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, producer Joey Travolta and the Futures Explored Film Workshop honored filmmakers with developmental disabilities during a special movie premiere in March. Held at Livermore’s Bankhead Theater, the event screened four original shorts created by Film Workshop students and gave out prizes to guests.

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