COYOTE Calendar: December 4–December 10

Welcome to the COYOTE Calendar! It's officially holiday season, and there are loads of festivals and parades to be had. And if you're looking for holiday markets, we made you a special guide and map just for those! Find them here and shop away. For those looking for something unrelated to the festivities, this whole month is the Another Hole in the Head Film Festival, so you can get your creepies on. This weekend is a king tide, and there are a bunch of places you can go learn about it and see a Big Boy Tide. This weekend and next is East Bay Open Studios, where you can go see artists' spaces (one of my favorite events of the year). Also this weekend is the Howard Zinn Bookfair which is absolutely packed with good stuff this year. 

Here are this week's hand picked events, just for you. This week we've got Palestinian weaving, Panamanian Mother's Day, and parties galore. We'll post new events each Wednesday. Go forth and enjoy!

•  Weaving Histories: Lee ShinJa’s Art from the 1950s to the 2000s // The Korean artist Lee ShinJa is a pioneer in the fiber arts world — and if you've never seen her work, you're missing out. Her art is absolutely gorgeous. Come hear art historian Sunglim Kim talk about why Lee's work isn't just beautiful, but also fascinating when put into the context of her personal history and the history of Korean textile art. // 5pm // Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), Berkeley // FREE // more info
• Come Celebrate (With) Us: An SFF/Nomadic Literary Awards Reading // We've been excited about the opening of this new bookshop for a while now. Swing by the brand new Nomadic Bookshop to hear winners of the SFF/Nomadic Literary Awards read a bit of their work at the very first event the space is hosting. Welcome to the Bay Area, book friends! // 6pm–8pm // Nomadic Bookshop, Oakland // more info
• Reading & Year End Party // Cuddle up with a poetry reading and some snacks by baker Hetal Vasavada. // 7pm // York Street Collective, SF // more info
• Immigrant Rights Workplace Training // Are you ready to act if ICE enters your workplace? Come to this recently updated training to learn how to protect yourself and your colleagues. // 7pm–9pm // La Peña Cultural Center, Berkeley // FREE but donations welcome // more info

• Gilman Wine Block First Friday // When I lived in North Berkeley, I would always walk down to this little block party on First Fridays to get a snack and a glass of wine. Okay and a piece of pie. And probably another snack. The food is good, okay? // 3pm–8pm // Hammerling Wines, Berkeley // FREE // more info
• West Oakland Punks with Lunch Winter Care Donation Drive // Help support one of the best orgs doing the actual work in the East Bay by bringing donations for their upcoming pay-nothing winter market. If you bring donations, you get 15% off your tab. // 4pm–12pm // Eli's Mile High Club, Oakland // bring donations // more info (including a list of what they're looking for in donations)
• Alexis Madrigal: To Know A Place // Friend of the co-op Alexis Madrigal is giving a talk that we think COYOTE folks will be into, about how you actually come to know a place. "Drawing on his background as a reporter, writer, and thinker of cities, landscapes, and histories, he will explore different ways of writing about and understanding place, revealing how perspective, memory, and narrative inform the stories we tell about the world around us." // 4pm // UC Berkeley // FREE // more info
• Queer Surf Party // I love that surfing groups have to specify when they hang out out of the water by noting that this is a "dryland gather." Come meet the folks of Queer Surf, talk waves, and watch some cool surf footage. // 6pm–10pm // El Rio, SF // FREE // more info
• Wood Street Commons Holiday Party // Bring a pal, dress your best, and have a blast at this fashion show/fundraiser for Wood Street Commons. Bonus points if you bring a dish and dessert to share. // 6pm–9pm // Omni Commons, Oakland // FREE // more info
• The Last 7 Days of Obsidian Absurd // If you thought all drag was experimental, you thought wrong. This show (one night only) pushes the form to new places — combining classical concert conventions with a personal story of transition and migration. // 7pm // The Calvin Simmons Theater, Oakland // $25–75 sliding scale // more info
• Capturing Cosmic Magic through Astrophotography // Every so often I try to take a photo of the moon with my phone, and it looks like absolute ass. Maybe I need this talk! “In this presentation you will learn about the joy and magic of capturing images of cosmic objects, understand what is being captured, and details of how to go about it!” // 8pm // College of San Mateo Planetarium // FREE // more info
• Glitterbox // Kick the holiday season off with a good party, pure and simple. Disco, house, sweat, you know the drill. // 9pm–3am // Great Northern, SF // $25.55 // more info

• Shucking and Tasting Master Class at Hog Island Petaluma // Spend an hour with "award winning shucker" Dr. Gary Fleener and Hog Island Oyster Company's Director of Supply Chain, Sean Beyo, and learn everything you need to impress your friends at a future party. They'll even send you home with your own shucking knife and glove. // 11am–12pm or 1pm–2pm // Hog Island Oyster Company, Petaluma // $81.88 // more info
• How to Dye Fabric with Sea Urchins // Did you know that the sea urchin population is currently out of control? (Which is bad.) Did you also know that you can dye fabric with those purple spiky boys? Well you can, and this class will help you use the former, to help the latter. No previous experience required. Children 11+ are welcome and must be accompanied by an adult. // 12pm–4pm // Aquarium of the Bay, SF // $125 // more info
• Trans Nerd Meetup // Come hang out with fellow trans nerds at this monthly meetup. You won't find a more welcoming place in the entire Bay Area than the space that Charlie Jane Anders creates. Worried you're not trans enough? YOU ARE. Come say hi. // 12:30pm // Zeitgeist, SF // FREE // more info
•  12,000 Records in Oakland // How many records is too many records? 100? 1,000? How about 12,000? Come dig through a U-Haul's worth of records. And if you're a real sicko, bring your own and do some trades. // 1pm–5pm // Brix Factory Building, Oakland // FREE // more info
• Tatreez: Learn the Art of Palestinian Embroidery // Palestinian artist Amanne Sharif teaches this two-hour workshop where you can learn the history of Tatreez, and get the basics down so you can keep practicing your falahi stich at home. All materials will be provided. Open to anyone ages 10 or older. // 3pm–5pm // Berkeley Public Library Central Branch // FREE but registration is required // more info
• Carol of Lights Celebration // A free and fun family event with a petting zoo, bounce houses (yes, plural!), face painting and more. // 4pm–7pm // Downtown Campbell // FREE // more info
• Mad Hatter Holiday Festival and Parade // Don't tell the other holiday festivals, but this one is my favorite. I mean, so far no other parade has featured a fire breathing steampunk dragon. Plus, last year they had LaRussell as the Grand Marshall. // 4:30pm // Downtown Vallejo // FREE // more info

• Emergency Preparedness 101 // Get your disaster and emergency preparedness skills tuned up with the Center for Social and Economic Justice’s Youth Medic Program. Learn how to keep yourself, your family, and your community safe during a disaster. // 😷 COVID-SAFE, masks required and air filters on // 10am–12pm // Center for Social and Economic Justice, SF // FREE // more info
• Tree Pruning Workshop // If every year you think "this is the year I'm going to learn what the hell to do with those trees in my yard" this is for you. Come learn how to maintain whatever kinds of trees you've got so you can brag about your yard in the spring. // 11am–1pm // Fig Leaf Gardens, Oakland // $50 // more info
• Screening & Conversation: Joan Chen at the Great Star Theater // Come watch Saving Face, followed by a Q&A with the legendary Joan Chen (陈冲). Tickets help raise money for the 100-year-old historic venue that helps nurture local artists and support the community. // 2pm // Great Star Theater, SF // $35+ // more info
• Panamanian Mother’s Day with Chiricana // If celebrating American Mother's Day simply doesn't seem like enough, you're in luck. This week you can celebrate Panamanian Mother's Day too! Every ticket includes: "a welcome drink of warm chicheme, a three course dinner with Panamanian classics with contemporary spins (vegan and gluten free option available), a facilitated discussion on Panamanian culture and identity between courses, and family portrait photography." Bring your mom, wear your polleras, and have a great time. // 6pm–9pm // Oakland Test Kitchen // $85 // more info

• Catbite with Public Opinion // When they put me in charge of the COYOTE Calendar I warned that I would probably fill it with ska shows. I feel that I've been (mostly) fairly restrained, but Catbite is an all-time fav so there's no way this one was getting left off. Pick it up, y'all! // 8pm // Bottom of the Hill, SF // $18 in advance, $22 at the door // more info

• Nuclear Waste in our Midst // How about a little mid-week downer, huh? Come learn about the toxic hotspot at Hunters Point! This talk features nuclear engineering research scientist Dr. Ali Hanks, Pubic Press reporter Chris Roberts, and shipyard artist Stacey Carter. // 7:30pm // 518 Valencia, SF // FREE // more info

You can see all of COYOTE's past calendar picks here. If you have an event you'd like to see on a future COYOTE Calendar, email us at calendar@coyotemedia.org. If you attended and enjoyed any of these events, we'd love to hear about it in the comments!