Sunshine!!! Anyone who’s lived in the Bay Area for more than a millisecond knows this is short-lived, so enjoy it while you can. Here are our critics’ top five picks for what’s going down this weekend:
Laurel Street Fair
It’s common for street fairs to follow the same format of food and drink purveyors, arts and crafts vendors, and family-friendly street performers replicated in indistinguishable iterations at festivals across the US. Still, some fairs succeed in standing apart — and the Laurel Street Fair (MacArthur Blvd. and 35th Ave., Oakland) is a good example. The thirteenth annual fest spans three blocks, featuring everything from a fashion show and flash mob to a classic car show and music performances by The Marcos Silva Quintet and other local acts. It also coincides with the final event in the illustrious Oakland-based soul singer Valerie Troutt’s Laurel Pop-Up Series (3832 MacArthur Blvd.), which includes an impromptu choir, dance lessons, and art-making from noon to 5 p.m. On Saturday, Aug. 11. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., free. LaurelDistrictAssociation.org — Cassie McFadden
Zinfandel Grille-O-Rama
Sample and compare thirty different Zinfandels while savoring smoky fare prepared by chefs from Bocanova, Sonoma Smokehouse, and Picán at the second annual Grille-O-Rama on Saturday, Aug. 11, at Rock Wall Wine Company (2301 Monarch St., Suite 300, Building 24, Alameda). Organized by nonprofit Zinfandel Advocates & Producers, the event features wines from El Dorado County, Nevada County, Sonoma County, and six other California growing regions. Winning wines and chefs will be selected by a panel of expert judges. 2 p.m., $50. 530-274-4900 or RockWallWines.com — Anneli Rufus
