1 | ‘Open Mic’ night returns to downtown Richmond, July 16
Poet and cultural curator Reggie Edmonds-Vasquez, whose work explores Black, queer and gender-diverse identities, headlines the latest Open Mic on the Corridor gathering in downtown Richmond tonight. Richmond poet laureate Stephen Sharpe hosts the evening, which also features food.
Open Mic on the Corridor, Thur., July 16, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., CoBiz Richmond, 1503 Macdonald Ave. Free
2 | Games, pony rides part of the fun at Pogo Park summer carnival, July 17
Pogo Park is pulling out all the stops for its 4th Annual Summer Carnival on Friday, with a dunk tank, mechanical bull, train ride, carnival games, pony rides, photo booth and snacks. Entry is free, but riders need tickets for rides and activities. Presale wristbands are still available today.
4th Annual Summer Carnival, Fri., July 17, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Pogo Park, Elm Playlot, 720 Elm Ave. Free entry. Presale ride wristbands $10, available at the Pogo Park/Elm playlot
3 | Free open house on historic SS Red Oak Victory ship, July 19
The SS Red Oak Victory ship opens for a free public tour on Sunday as part of the Port Chicago Weekend: SS Red Oak Victory Experience. The open house brings live big band music from the Albany Jazz Band, a display of 1940s cars, a 1940s Greyhound bus from the Pacific Bus Museum, and food from the Tacos Picantes food truck. The event also screens “Mutiny,” a film telling the story of 50 African-American servicemen court-martialed for refusing to resume loading explosives under racially segregated conditions at the Port Chicago facility near Concord — a protest that followed the July 1944 explosion at the base that killed 320 men. The Port Chicago Alliance is co-organizing the open house.
SS Red Oak Victory Experience open house, Sun., July 19, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., SS Red Oak Victory, 1337 Canal Blvd. Free
4 | Landscape dreamscape exhibit opening in Point Richmond, July 19
The Point Richmond Gallery is hosting an opening reception for its latest exhibit on Sunday. The landscape dreamscape exhibition showcases the collaborative works of artists Doug Wittnebel and Mary O’Connor, on display through Aug. 15.
Opening reception for landscape dreamscape, Sun., July 19, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Point Richmond Gallery, 145 W. Richmond Ave. Free
5 | ‘Chorus Line’ opens at El Cerrito High theater, July 24
The Broadway sensation “A Chorus Line,” presented by the Berkeley-based Korsa Musical Theater, is kicking up its heels at El Cerrito High School’s theater. The production runs July 23 through Aug. 2, with four evening performances and two matinees featuring Bay Area actors ages 14 to 20, student directors and a 17-piece live orchestra.
“A Chorus Line” premiere, Fri., July 24, 8 p.m., El Cerrito High School Performing Arts Theater, 540 Ashbury Ave. Tickets $20 to $45
6 | Uniquely named collection of small wood structures on display at NIAD through Aug. 15
The NIAD Art Center is showcasing a collection of 14 wooden structures by artist James Heartsill, who has worked at the center since 1989. The “(pow!) Bwógh! Bwick! (sticky sound) BBBBB! (Horse lips)” exhibit, on display through Aug. 15, ranges from dust-strewn Gold Rush-era single-room dwellings to a stacked modern metropolis skyline.
Wooden construction exhibit, through Aug. 15, NIAD Art Center, 551 23rd St. Free
For more things to do, see our guide to summer fun in Richmond, our list of music and entertainment venues, and our roundup of ongoing things to do (many of which are free). And add your events to our free community calendar.
