PIEDMONT

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 24 in Piedmont Park, the 25th annual Piedmont Harvest Festival will continue the community’s longstanding traditions with jazz music, food trucks lined up along the Village Market Farmer’s Market and the ever-popular Piedmont Edibles contest.

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The edibles contest has been a part of the festival since its launch in 1998, when showing off the culinary talents of residents — who use only fruits and vegetables grown in Piedmont — became an instant festival highlight and matter of civic pride. In addition to the contest and live music performed by local musicians, there are community group-sponsored tables, an art show and a Scarecrow Alley Silent Auction with benefits going to event host Piedmont Education Foundation.

A special celebration of the Piedmont Garden Club’s 100th anniversary will present “The Essential Oak,” an exhibit that the club’s Conservation Exhibit Committee created for the “Uncorked” flower show, along with a short documentary in the Piedmont Community Hall during the event.

Anyone interested in event volunteer opportunities can email Eva Phalen, the Piedmont Recreation Department’s supervisor, at [email protected]. For more festival information, visit bit.ly/485haDB online.

Register for a range of classes at Piedmont Adult School

With classes and programs available to anyone age 18 or older, the Piedmont Adult School offers instruction in gardening, wreath-making, poetry, cooking, art, language, music, exercise, business, computer and smartphone use and more.

Free, government-funded programs include the institution’s high school diploma program, career technical education and classes in English as a second language. Fee-based classes run the gamut, from mastering basic kitchen knife skills to bagpipe instruction, travel planning, strength training, a fried rice workshop and more.

Classes are held at Piedmont High School, and many are held in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate working adults, parents with school-age children or adult students enrolled in college or other education programs. Visit the school’s website at adulted.piedmont.k12.ca.us to register or learn more.

Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Davis to perform Saturday

Two-time Grammy-nominated and internationally renowned vocalist Jamie Davis has performed in top jazz clubs worldwide and in the United States at Dizzy’s, The Blue Note, Yoshi’s and others. At the Monterey and San Jose jazz festivals and similar events, the popular singer praised for his soulful baritone voice is a favorite performer.

Davis will perform in a one-night show from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Piedmont Center for the Arts with a knockout group of musicians, including Basie Orchestra pianist Glen Pearson, bassist Ron Belcher, drummer Leon Joyce Jr. and saxophone player Michael O’Neill.

Davis commands a broad repertoire, and the program will feature ballads, jazz standards, blues and more. Seating is limited, so advance purchase of tickets online at bit.ly/44C03GN is highly recommended.

City’s 11th annual artisanal beer festival happening Oct. 6

Scheduled for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6, the 11th Annual Artisanal Piedmont Beer Festival may seem far away, but when perfecting a home-brewed artisan beer competitor there is no such thing as “too early.”

Tested and refined, granted serious or humorous names, the beer produced in local craft brewers’ garages and backyards for the festival will support the Piedmont Center for the Arts (PCA) through event ticket fees that include a PCA beer glass and Oktoberfest meal with food generously donated by Piedmont Grocery owner Dave Larson.

Award prizes given by this year’s panel of judges — Larson; the Rev. Scott Kail, Piedmont Community Church’s student pastor; Chelle Putzer. Piedmont’s recreation director; and Piedmont police Chief Jeremy Bowers — will go to winning entries in the categories of Best Pale Ale, Best Lager, Best Porter and Best in Show.

Be assured that contenders will include not just casual, one-and-done beer makers but brew masters with longtime expertise and devotion to the art. Get hopping, and bring your very best in early October to the PCA’s front lawn at the corner of Magnolia and Bonita Avenue. For tickets or more details, visit tinyurl.com/PCA-Beer-Festival online.

ORINDA

25th Sogetsu Ikebana Flower Show happening Oct. 14-15

For gardeners, florists and anyone interested in flowers or Japanese flower design, the Soho Study Group’s 25-Year Anniversary Sogetsu Ikebana Flower Show, being presented free of admission from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 14-15 at the Orinda Community Center, will offer more than 90 floral exhibits created by accomplished designers.

In addition to the show’s table top, hanging and outdoor pieces, an education room makes available Sogetsu Ikebana textbooks and demonstrations presented by experts in the art of flower design. Themed “Expression Unbound,” admission is free and hosted by the Soho Study Group.

The organization was established in 1997 and now includes roughly 170 members who practice and present the ancient art form known as ikebana and follow the teachings of founder Sensei Soho Sakai and her students. Reservations for the demonstrations are encouraged. More details are available online at sogetsu-sohostudygroup.com/new-page.

— Lou Fancher, correspondent

OAKLAND

Holy Names U seeks to fund former students’ scholarships

Holy Names University has petitioned a state court to let it fund scholarships for 350 of its students who have transferred to other institutions in California after the Oakland hills college closed earlier this year.

If approved, the petition would provide these students, most of them from Oakland and surrounding communities, with continued financial resources to help them continue their studies to become educators in the public school system and other fields. The students are those who previously received or are eligible to receive Logan Scholarships, which are funded by the Logan Fund, the largest single component of HNU’s $55 million endowment.

The petition seeks to allow the award by HNU of new scholarships to eligible former HNU students, as well as provide funds to current Logan Scholarship recipients to help make up the difference between their existing grants and the cost of attending their transfer schools. This petition is the first step in a process that would help HNU ensure that its endowment continues to support qualified students in Oakland and other local communities.

HNU officials are investigating alternatives that, if approved by the state court, would enable use of the endowment for the awarding of annual scholarships to more students from those communities on an ongoing basis.

“While we regret that we had to close our doors, Holy Names University remains committed to our students and to the coming generations of deserving students from Oakland and its surrounding communities,” said Steven Borg, who chairs HNU’s board of trustees. “We have asked the court to approve our ability to continue providing financial assistance to our former students from the Logan Fund.”

The California Attorney General’s office has reviewed the petition and issued a formal letter of non-opposition. The petition now requires the state court’s final approval.

— Singer Associates Public Relations

Oaktoberfest Sept. 30, Oct. 1; advance orders now available

Turning 16 this year, Oaktoberfest, Oakland’s two-day, family-friendly festival, will celebrate craft beer, music, art and Oakland in a big way! Spanning a full weekend of fun Sept. 30-Oct. 1, Oaktoberfest will offer an impressive main stage lineup with four additional stages of music and dance performances, roaming entertainment, hundreds of vendors, including an outdoor artisan vendor marketplace, a mouthwatering collection of food vendors, plus local kitchens offering traditional German-inspired cuisine.

For those 21 or older, the Bill Brand Memorial Biergarten will boasts more than 200 local craft brews from more than 50 breweries, making our event a destination for beer enthusiasts. Oaktoberfest will bring world-class beer to the Bavarian Beer Hall, serving steins of traditional German flavors and regional brew pub favorites along with table seating and traditional German dishes.

The event is free to attend, but the drinks and dining experience are not. For discounts, attendees can advance-order packages available now at oaktoberfest.org, where more festival information is also available.

— Jody Colley, Dimond Improvement Association

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