Molly Blue Dawn's List of Events for July 2012 and beyond - Mark Your Calendars!

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Molly Blue Dawn's List of Events for July 2012 and beyond - Mark Your Calendars!

Mark your calendars for:
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TheurgiCon
Saturday, July 7, 9:00AM-6:00PM
Bay Area Thelemic Temple, 130 East 12th Street, Oakland
$30 before July 1, $35 at the door, includes meals
for more information, contact Glenn Turner at glenn@theurgicon.com
http://theurgicon.com

“Meals included Breakfast muffins, Lunch and Dinner, then evening discussions.

Program

9:15AM: Animating the Sacred Image in the Ancient Classical World
with Richard Reidy

10:45AM: The Sun in Theurgic Practice
with Brandy Williams

12:15PM:  Ascension
with Tony Mierzwicki

2:20PM: The Engine of Theurgy
with Sam Webster

We will close the event with our panel answering the penetrating and insightful questions from our attendees.  Then we will adjourn for dinner and continued discussion and visiting.”
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The Fellowship of the Spiral Path invites CAYA members to attend
Spiral’s Midsummer Celebration
Sunday, July 1, 1:00PM
Madrone Picnic Area, Roberts Regional Park, 10570 Skyline Boulevard, Oakland
for more information, please contact Lupa at  lupamoon@earthlink.net
http://www.thespiralpath.org
http://www.ebparks.org/parks/roberts

The Fellowship of the Spiral Path is having a Board Meeting which will be followed by a barbeque, pot luck, ritual and celebration of Spiral’s anniversary.  The social part of the day will start at about 1:00PM, and CAYA is invited to join the celebration!
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Bay Area Country Dance Society Family Week
Sunday, July 1- Saturday, July 7
Foothill Horizons Outdoor School, 21925 Lyons Bald Mountain Road, Sonora
see website for detailed schedule and registration information
activities for ages from preschool through adult
http://www.bacds.org/wordpress
http://www.bacds.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/BACDSFWk2012_8.5x11.pdf
http://www.stancoe.org/SCOE/tlr/outdoorEd/site_rental.html

“Join us for six days full of dancing, music, crafts, swimming, games, storytelling, and too much fun…

Family Dance Camp is about the time-honored tradition of movement and music, and the camp will be filled with fun folk-dancing for the whole family. There will be something for all ages, including English Country dance, square dances, contra dances, sword dancing, step dancing, couples dances, and daily community dances that bring the entire camp together.

The music at camp is the best! The extremely talented musical staff will make your toes tap for dancing and your ears happy from listening. The staff will provide music for all kinds of dancing, will lead workshops for new and experienced musicians alike, and will lead the camp in joyous song. Instruction will be offered for many instruments, including fiddle, guitar, piano, and mandolin.

Enjoy the eternal art of storytelling. Our professional storyteller will enchant children and adults alike with storytelling sessions every day and a bedtime story as well. After the evening story the children will be serenaded off to bed with our traditional pied-piper parade.

Family Dance Camp craft classes offer adults and children a chance to make things with their hands. Our talented and knowledgeable artists will help all ages take pride in what they create.”

Thanks to Vicki Solomon for letting me know about this event!
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Time Travel Weekends
in Historic Old Sacramento
Saturday-Sunday, July 7-8, and every weekend through August 26
Historic Old Sacramento, 101 I Street, Sacramento
http://www.historicoldsac.org/programs/programs-street-theatre.asp

“Get ready to step back in time when the past mingles with the present once again in Old Sacramento! Visitors to Old Sacramento will enjoy lively and interactive street theatre as part of the hugely popular Time Travel Weekends that debuted last year to much applause. The streets of Old Sacramento will come alive with talented performers who put on spontaneous and elaborate skits and performances. Plus, visitors won’t want to miss the highly entertaining Old West stage shows happening daily including the much acclaimed Golden Melodeon Review in the Eagle Theatre.

As you stroll through Old Sacramento on weekends July through August, you might just chance upon historic re-enactments complete with wagons, wild characters with heroes and villains, children’s pioneer craft activities, historic gambling, bowling, juggling, singing, dancing and other forms of musical mastery, military encampments, mining camps, parades, historic events, medicine shows, Civil War cannon firings, and much, much more!”

A lot of the performers in this program are Renaissance Faire and/or Dickens Fair folk!

Director Robert Young, who may look familiar to you if you’ve ever met Mr. Dickens himself, or attended a Mysterium Om ritual at PantheaCon, says:
“THE CURTAIN'S GOING UP - on a new season of Time Travel Weekends in Sacramento City.  The very first melodrama to open the Eagle Theatre in 1849, 'The Bandit Chief', will be reborn on that stage every afternoon. An entertaining show of variety acts will also take stage - jugglers, Shakespearean actors, medicine show, can can, music hall and much more - concluding in the stirring pageant 'Triumph of Eureka'.  Mr. Mark Twain himself will hold forth with his droll humor and entertaining tales. The streets will be bustling with wagons, carriages, parades, music and lively characters.  Will you be there?”
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Flashlight Tours of the Winchester Mystery House
Friday, July 13, first tour at 6:30PM, last tour at 9:50PM
tours last 65 minutes
Winchester Mystery House, 525 South Winchester Boulevard, San Jose, 408-247-2101
$45 - purchase tickets in advance from the website
http://winchestermysteryhouse.com/specialevents.cfm

“Since her death, millions of people have visited her home and many report the sightings of ghosts. Was the house built solely as a monument to the dead or do the phantoms Sarah communed with in life, or perhaps Sarah herself, still lurk nightly in the maze-like corridors of the Winchester Mystery House?
The tradition of Sarah Winchester’s bizarre legacy continues...

Flashlight Tours
Special 65 minute Flashlight Tours of the Winchester Mansion are given every Friday the 13th and at Halloween. You'll tour the rambling, mysterious mansion at night with only the moonlight, a souvenir flashlight, and your imagination to provide illumination through the bewildering maze of rooms and stairways. But watch your back, Sarah could be waiting around any turn. This is one open house you’ll never forget.

Due to the popularity of the Flashlight Tours, we highly recommend you purchase your tickets ahead of time. This event WILL sell out and when it does, tickets will not be available at Box Office on the night of the event.”
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Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery Darkside Tours
Friday, July 13, 7:30PM, 8:00PM, 8:30PM, 9:00PM, 9:30PM
tours start at Franklin Gate, 1600 Franklin Avenue, Santa Rosa
$25
For additional information, please call 707-543-3292
Space is limited, please pre-register - see website below:
http://www.srcity.org/ruralcemetery

“Experience the dark side of Santa Rosa's history. Hear and see true tales of murder, suicide and other ghastly tragedies of past Santa Rosa residents.

Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery was established as the result of an accident. In November of 1854 a young father, who had arrived from Missouri only a matter of weeks before, drowned in a pond near the center of town. He was buried on land that was part of a Mexican grant given to one of the earliest settlers of Santa Rosa, Doña Maria Ignacia Lopez de Carrillo. Soon other families needed burial places, and the area became an unofficial cemetery. In 1867 the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery Association was formed and burial plots in the 17-acre site were formally offered for sale.

Sales of plots continued through 1930, through records of these transactions have been lost. During this period of 70-plus years, parts of the land were sold off, and three separate but adjacent cemeteries were established: the Stanley, Moke, and Fulkerson Cemeteries. Today the four cemeteries combined are owned by the City of Santa Rosa and known collectively as Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery. The only burials permitted today are those of descendants of families who held deeds to cemetery plots. The total number of burials is over 5200.

Neglect and vandalism took their toll on the cemetery through years of unclear ownership and sporadic maintenance. A Restoration Committee organized by dedicated volunteers in 1994 and operating under the aegis of the City of Recreation and Parks Department has made great strides in repairing damage, clearing overgrowth, and planning for permanent maintenance. In 1997, the City of Santa Rosa awarded Historical Landmark status to the Rural Cemetery.

Docent-led tours during the summer months acquaint visitors with the history of the town and the many town pioneers who are buried here. Lamplight Tours, conducted in September as fund-raising events, present dramatic vignettes from the lives of the famous and not-so-famous people buried in the Rural Cemetery.”
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Fabulosa Fest
Friday-Sunday, July 20-22
Walker Creek Ranch Retreat and Conference Center, 1700 Marshall Petaluma Road, Petaluma
Registration due by July 15 - see website for registration details
http://fabulosafest.com

“Fabulosa 2012 is July 20-22 at Walker Creek Ranch - an amazing women-centered camping, music, fundraiser, swimming, community building experience on a ranch!

Fabulosa Fest is a non-profit fundraiser on a beautiful 1700 acre ranch, just 45 miles North of San Francisco.  Attendees have the time of their lives swimming, canoeing, hiking, attending yoga and other classes and workshops, shopping in the craft market, jamming around the campfire and dancing in the barn.  Health practitioners offer massage, acupuncture, and chiropractic services.

Fabulosa Fest is an inclusive retreat for women, their families and friends of all ages and genders. Our collective distributes all proceeds to LGBTQ charities that serve youth in Northern California.

Options for lodging include camping, bunkhouses, and private rooms in a range of prices. Meals are provided by the Walker Creek kitchen, stocked by the Walker Creek organic garden, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.  Single Day Passes are also available - they include entrance to the main stage performances, the film fest, classes, health and healing fair and use of the property for the day (swimming, canoeing, hiking) but do not include entrance to the the campfire jam or the Boogie Barn dance party.  Meals are optional with day passes but it becomes cheaper to buy a weekend pass if you plan to purchase meals.

Join us for an unforgettable time!”
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Rivertown Revival
Saturday, July 21, 11:30AM-7:00PM
Steamer Landing Park, 6 Copeland Street, Petaluma
Free
http://rivertownrevival.com

“Like you, we love Sonoma County and all of the bounty that it has to offer. For this reason, and many more, we’ve celebrating the 3rd year of this local, arts-based, community festival that highlights the Petaluma River and all of the amazing artists who call our county home.   The event includes an art boat race and parade, floating art barges and an all-day festival, which includes local music, art, food and drink and over 40 fabulous local vendors. The Rivertown Revival is sure to be 2012′s most unique and creative summer festival!”
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Renegade Craft Fair
Saturday-Sunday, July 21-22, 11:00AM-7:00PM
Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, 99 Marina Boulevard, San Francisco
Free
http://www.renegadecraft.com/sanfrancisco-info

“We’ll be kicking off the West Coast leg of our Summer RCF tour with the 5th Annual Renegade Craft Fair San Francisco on July 21-22, 2012! We’ll return to the beautiful Fort Mason Center from 1:00AM-7:00PM each day, where you’ll find 250+ of today’s very best indie crafters, fun and creative hands-on workshops, music, food, booze + plenty more. Get ready, San Francisco, it’s gonna be a great time!

At the Renegade Craft Fair you can expect to find only the best indie-craft and DIY artisans! Featuring both local and national talent, shoppers can anticipate a vast array of independently designed jewelry, clothing, paper goods, home and garden goods, posters, artwork, plush objects, bath and body products, and so much more!!”
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ConjureCon
Friday-Sunday, July 27-29
The Serpent's Kiss, 2015 N Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz
see website for detailed schedule and registration information
http://www.conjurecon.com

“The first ever ConjureCon will be held at Serpent's Kiss in Santa Cruz, California on July 27-29, 2012!

Building on the successes of the Folk Magic Festival in New Orleans in 2010 and 2011, your favorite conjurers are coming to Santa Cruz.

Organized by Susan Diamond, Orion Foxwood, Sindy Todo and Starr Casas, featuring special guest Cat Yronwode!”
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Women's Visionary Congress
Friday-Monday, July 27-29
EarthRise Retreat Center, Institute of Noetic Sciences, 101 San Antonio Road, Petaluma
see website for detailed schedule and registration information
http://www.visionarycongress.org
http://www.noetic.org/earthrise

"The Women's Visionary Congress (WVC) is an annual gathering of visionary women healers, scholars, activists and artists who study consciousness and altered states. The WVC supports the transfer of knowledge among women who apply the insights of their research and spiritual path. We gather on beautiful land in Northern California to renew our community of adventurers and visionaries.

The WVC welcomes interested women and men to join us as we create a temporary community, dance, eat delicious food and engage in a series of conversations with wise women. The Women's Visionary Congress is a benefit for the V Fund which makes grants to visionary women."
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Faerie Barter Market and Harvest Ritual
presented by Wytchwood
Saturday, July 28, 11:00AM-7:30PM
40 Thieves Picnic Area, DeLaveaga Park, 850 Branciforte Drive, Santa Cruz
Admission is free - donations for costs accepted
https://sites.google.com/site/faeriebartermarket
http://www.wytchwood.com
http://sacredgrovesantacruz.com

“Faerie Barter Market and Harvest Ritual
Open to the Pagan public

Free parking!

Please come wearing your most wylde, fun outfits!
Masks, ears, wings, tails and ribbons especially encouraged!!!
Play Area for parent-attended small kiddies

Hosted by
FireDrake Grove, Greenheart Grove, Sacred Grove and many other folk

Event Schedule

Faerie Barter Market 11:00AM-6:00PM

Bring your ‘stuff’ to barter for other people’s ‘stuff’!  Market is located at the upper picnic area next  to the parking lot of 40 Thieves Picnic Area

Barter Booth offerings include: handicrafts, fun clothing, mask-making, face painting, Gypsy Tarot readings, 10 minute chair massage, healing practices, ritual items, mathoms and other small items

Barter Booths are for bartering - no money is allowed to change hands.
Shoppe vendors will take donations for non-barter items.

Performances during market
Sharon Knight, Jafar Thorne, Dancing, Live Music, Irish Singing, Minstrels and more!

FireDrake Grove and Greenheart Grove present:
Harvest Ritual and Lughnasadh Games
6:30-7:30PM

A Pagan ritual to celebrate 1st Harvest
Bring Harvest food to share during the ritual in the Market center of  40 Thieves Picnic Area”
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Gaia Festival
Friday-Sunday, August 3-5
Black Oak Ranch, 50350 Highway 101, Laytonville
See website for detailed schedule and registration information
http://www.thegaiafestival.com

“The Gaia Festival is a three-day music and sustainable-living fair, featuring world-class artists of many genres, with a positive message for our time.

More than a music festival, the Gaia Festival is serving a growing community of people who are coming together to create sustainable and resilient lifestyles, in our neighborhoods and around the world. It is a celebration of our interconnection to each other and to Mother Earth.

The Gaia Festival is an interactive forum for people and organizations to share ideas, information and inspiration. Through workshops and presentations we will host discussions on topics such as: permaculture, renewable energy, green building, communal living, environmental stewardship, human rights, healing arts, indigenous cultures, shamanism and spirituality.

Celebrating the bounty of Northern California, the Gaia Festival will offer great food and crafts, provided by local non-profits and artisans, featuring local, organic and sustainable products.
Five stages, four directions, three days, too much fun, one love.”
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San Jose Renaissance Faire
Saturday-Sunday, August 4-5, 10:00AM-6:00PM
Guadalupe River Park, 494 West Santa Clara Street, San Jose
Adults $17, ages 13-17, seniors and military $12, ages 6-12 $7, under 6 free
Parking $5.00 at HP Pavilion
http://www.sanjosefaire.com
http://www.renaissanceproductions.com

“If you love Renaissance Faires, this full scale, interactive experience is not to be missed. San Jose Renaissance Faire offers you a chance to visit the days of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I!

See about 800 costumed performers bring Shakespeare’s England to life with parades, pageants, and fun townsfolke, offering continuous entertainment of spectacular variety spread throughout the village. You’ll enjoy musicians, jugglers, and the ribaldry of actors drawing you even deeper into the Renaissance.

Around 100 artisans display beautifully crafted masterpieces in the village, plenty of variety for even the most discerning shopper.  

See brave and bold knights competing for the favor of the Her Majesty’s Court and for their lady’s affection during any one of two full-contact jousts held in the Queen’s Tiltyard each day!

Whether you thirst or  hunger for a Turkey leg or a chocolate dipped strawberries on a stick, an amazing gourmet foods and a dozen delicious drinks will satisfy your  taste buds to give them a try.

Support the Community!  Bring a can of food and get $2.00 off adult admission!”
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WomenSpirit Elderflower Festival
Thursday-Sunday, August 9-12
Mendocino Woodlands, 39350 Little Lake Road, Mendocino
see website for registration details
http://www.elderflower.org
http://www.mendocinowoodlands.org

“The theme for 2012 is Sharing the Spirit

Elderflower Womenspirit is a women’s spirituality festival that takes place every August, in the Mendocino Woodlands of Northern California.  Since 1988, women have gathered together to create this festival, to create a time and space for healing and growth, as well as a growing community of empowered women.

Elderflower Womenspirit gives you four days of rest and relaxation, camping in cabins or tents by a creek in a beautiful redwood forest.  Enjoy gourmet catered meals, with vegetarian options.  Camp amenities include hot showers!

Elderflower Womenspirit is a grassroots volunteer event.  There are no paid staff, presenters or entertainers.  It is a participatory spiritual experience; the rituals, workshops, entertainment and other activities are created by the women who attend.  Every woman is encouraged to bring her own unique talents and contribute to the diversity of the festival by leading and participating in workshops, rituals and other activities.

Elderflower Womenspirit is a non-denominational gathering, women of any spiritual path are welcome to participate.  We honor the Divine Feminine, however She chooses to manifest in our lives.  Our rituals celebrate the Goddess and the sacredness of nature.

Elderflower Womenspirit workshops have included a wide range of topics:  Drumming, songs and chants, movement and dance, crafts, writing, divination, ritual, herbal magic and medicine, tarot, psychic skills, astrology, Reiki, herbal medicine, bodywork, yoga, meditation, Goddess lore, various spiritual traditions, crystals, sexuality and gender issues, political topics.

Elderflower Womenspirit activities include hiking, sports, massage, an open air market, our Friday Night Performing Arts Show, 12 Step Meetings, Silent Auction and our Treasure Table.”
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Bay Area Tarot Symposium
Saturday-Sunday, August 25-26
Golden Gateway Holiday Inn, 1500 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco
see website for detailed schedule and registration information
http://www.dodivination.com
http://www.facebook.com/SFBATS

“The first, the original, the only... There is NOTHING like a BATS!

Two days of Tarot-drenched fun and frolic including workshops, presentations, readings in the Pagan Science Reading Room, fabulous schmoozery, and the legendary Tarot Bazaar, featuring Tarot Garden (your source for all things Tarot) and the Millard Fillmore Memorial Spiritualist Temple Garage Sale (the retail arm of the DoD)
Plus! the Raffle of Fabulous Prizes <tm>!

The BATS in the Belfry Magickal, Mystical Mixer on Saturday night will feature the Michael Kenny jazz combo and special guest performers.

SF BATS is held at San Francisco's Golden Gateway Holiday Inn.  The location sets you in the middle of the City by the Bay with every imaginable delight to eat, drink and experience right outside the door, including cable cars!”
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Northern California Women's Herbal Symposium
Session 2: Friday - Monday, August 31-September 3
Black Oak Ranch, 50350 Highway 101, Laytonville
see website for detailed schedule and registration details
http://www.womensherbalsymposium.org/pages/symposium.html

“PlantWomen gather! The Tribe comes together!

Now, two times a year, women from many backgrounds of life gather together in great celebration for four full days of inspiring Herbal and Sustainability classes, gourmet vegetarian meals, talented campfire capers, amazing handcrafted marketplace items, Rites-of-Passage Ceremonies, powerful campfire drumming and dancing, refreshing swimming hole dips, and conversations with remarkable and inspiring women!

We meet together under the ancient oaks, douglas firs, and bay trees of Northern California. Our main gathering area is encircled by sixteen tipis with a large firepit in the center. All classes are held sitting on the ground under these majestic trees, or under shade tarps that we have set-up. At night we camp together, either in the tipis or in tents that we each bring.

During the days we are a gathering of women and children studying, teaching, learning, networking, and talking about plants, healing, and healthy lifestyles. When the sun goes down we become a playful and celebratory group, chatting, chanting, singing, showing off our talents, drumming and dancing into the night around the campfire.

We are a group of 350-400 women and children and we gather to learn from each other, to nurture and nourish each other, to take a break from our daily lives, to regenerate, refresh, dance, frolic, talk plants, and most of all, to have a REALLY GOOD THYME together!

Each session is a separate event. Do join us for one or both sessions!”
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Gold Rush Days
Friday-Monday, August 31-September 3, 10:00AM-5:00PM
Historic Old Sacramento, 101 I Street, Sacramento
Free
http://www.sacramentogoldrushdays.com

“Hitch up the team to your buckboard and come on down! Bring the young'uns and the in-laws, the neighbors and the new folk just off the stage from Back East.  Heck, bring your sweetheart along for a thrill… During Labor Day Weekend in Old Sacramento you’ll find yourself transported back to the days of Gold and Glory, when California was a brand-new state with brand-new ideas. Join in the truly old-time fun in the world of Yesterday!

More than 200 tons of dirt will pave the streets of Old Sacramento as this annual festival "turns back the clock," transforming Sacramento's historic district into a scene straight out of the 1850s. Hundreds of costumed performers take on the roles of celebrities, personalities and just plain folks, bringing history to life while bluegrass pickers and old-timey Musicians perform on several stages, evoking the vivid tunes of the times.

Featuring Dancers, Street Dramas, Wagon Rides, Gold Panning, Period Artifacts, Storytelling, Craft Making, Embarcadero Tent City, Period Musicians, Horse-Drawn Carriages and much more!”
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Capitola Begonia Festival
Friday-Monday, August 31-September 3
the beautiful seaside Village of Capitola, near Santa Cruz
http://www.begoniafestival.com

"The homespun Capitola Begonia Festival has its roots in the moist, cool coastal climate of Santa Cruz County, California, which is eminently hospitable to the tuberous begonia. Major begonia growers were located in Capitola and Santa Cruz in the mid-20th Century, and a festival in late summer--when the begonias are in spectacular bloom--was a natural way to extend the late-summer coastal tourist season.

The 'Pacific Begonia', as it is known, was hybridized in Capitola. At the turn of the Century, the Brown family immigrated to Capitola. They tried for years to develop some sort of sustainable agriculture to assure their survival in this sparsely populated, primarily tourist area called 'Camp Capitol'. Obtaining Begonia bulbs from Germany, who bragged of 'the best flowers', and Begonia tubers from Belgium, who claimed 'the strongest tubers', the Browns cross-bred the 2 varieties, and developed the Pacific Begonia. From the 1930's to the 1970's, approx 90% of the worlds Begonias came from the Brown Bulb Ranch in Capitola.

Peggy Matthews was a local resident who taught swimming. She staged the Capitola Water Follies every fall, to showcase her swimmers. Peggy couldn't help but notice all the Begonia flowers going to waste on the Brown Bulb Ranch (where the Capitola Mall is today). Of course, she was not aware that the growers had no interest whatsoever in the flowers; they were propagating bulbs. The death of the flowers signified that it was time to dig up the bulbs and send them to market. Begonias are not a 'cut flower'.

So, in 1951, Peggy was given permission to pick as many flowers as she wanted. That year the Capitola Water Follies featured paddleboards decorated with Begonias, and that is basically how the Begonia Festival got its start. The next year was the first year of actual 'floats', and even though the real "Capitola Begonia Festival' was not official until 1954, we have always used 1952 as the starting date. Today, the Begonia fields are in Marina, which is Monterey County, and the Golden State Bulb Growers Association maintains a very large area of many types of bulbs. There are 43 acres dedicated to Begonias, over 3 million blooms, come late summer. A spectacular sight!!!"
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Scottish Highland Games
Saturday-Sunday, September 1-2
Pleasanton Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Avenue, Pleasanton
see website for schedule and ticket details
http://www.caledonian.org/games.html

Taber tossing!  Bagpipes!  Whiskey!  Kilts!
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King's Mountain Art Fair
Saturday-Monday, September 1-3, 10:00AM-5:00PM
Kings Mountain Community Center, 13889 Skyline Boulevard, Woodside (on the Peninsula)
http://www.kingsmountainartfair.org

"The Kings Mountain Art Fair is an annual event, held every Labor Day weekend. The Art Fair benefits the Kings Mountain Volunteer Fire Brigade and other community activities, including the Kings Mountain Elementary School, and is staffed completely by volunteers from the local community.

Known for its stunning location among the redwoods and for its unique and varied artists (selected by jury), the Kings Mountain Art Fair celebrates over 40 years of art and ambiance. Come visit!

Fair admission and parking are free."
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Oakland Pride
Sunday, September 2, 11:00AM-7:00PM
19th Street and Franklin Street, Oakland
see website for detailed map and schedule
$10 General Admission, $5 Seniors over 65/Youth under 12
http://www.oaklandpride.org

“Oakland Pride exploded onto the pride scene in 2010 with a first year event so large and fabulous that it has been branded Northern California’s second largest pride. 2012 marks the 3rd year of Oakland’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride celebration and we have gone the extra mile to ensure there is something for everyone. In additional to four stages featuring a diverse lineup of over 75 wonderful artists, Oakland Pride will host pavilions for seniors, HIV/AIDS Health, and the Asian Pacific Islander (API) Community. Our Family Coalition, Children’s Fairyland and The Oakland Public Library have teamed up to host a fun-filled Family Garden with live entertainment and interactive activities for children of all ages. With all of this plus almost 200 vendors and exhibitors providing a wide variety of food, merchandise, and information. Oakland Pride is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Come celebrate a proud day on the sunny side of the Bay!!”
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Goddess Festival
Friday-Sunday, September 7-9
Redwood Forest in Santa Cruz area
see website for detailed registration information
http://goddess-festival.com

“Goddess Festival 2012 - Women and Trees

Please join us for Z Budapest’s women-only Goddess Festival 2012!Women are gathering again in the Redwood Forest of the Northern California Santa Cruz Mountains, September 7th-9th.
Entertainment will include a wide array of Goddess music and musical performances. We will have rituals lead by Z Budapest happening every day.

We have two days of powerfully sacred workshops lead by some of the most spiritually focused women of our times. We have ordination rituals. Initiation rituals. Musical Goddess sing-a-longs! Drum-a-longs! And a swimming pool for the heat of the day! Endless forests to explore as you commune with the ancient Redwoods! All of Nature is just a step outside your cabin door… and wonderful Sisters to share the whole experience with.

All meals are prepared for us. There is no work duty. No food to cook. No dishes to do. The Camp’s staff does it all for us.

This year’s presenters include:
Susun Weed
Diana Paxson
Max Dashu
M. Flora Peterson

You can attend the workshops, listen to music, you can shop with the vendors, you can walk amongst the redwoods or you can rest. What you do when is up to you.
At night we light a huge bonfire in the center of our sacred ritual space deep in the heart of the redwood forest and then, we gather round. We sing. We dance. We worship the Goddess. We recognize the goddess in each other. We celebrate life!”
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Second Annual Conference on Earth-Based, Nature-Centered, Polytheistic and Indigenous Faiths
2012 Theme: Gender and Earth-Based Spiritualities
Presented by the Pagan Alliance
Saturday, September 8, 9:00AM-5:00PM (Special Mixer with the Presenters 6-8)
First Unitarian Universalist Church and Center, 1187 Franklin Street, San Francisco
see website below for ticket information
http://genderandpaganismconference.eventbrite.com/
http://thepaganalliance.org
http://circleofdionysos.org
http://www.solarcrosstemple.org

“The Pagan Alliance’s second annual on Earth-Based, Nature-Centered, Polytheistic and Indigenous Faiths, co-sponsored by Circle of Dionysos, and Solar Cross Temple, in 2012 will examine the interrelationship of Earth-based spirituality and gender. Presentations, workshops and panels will address the Construct of Dualism, Transgender Issues, Men's Mysteries, Queer Mysteries, Womyn's Mysteries, Gender and Indigenous Beliefs, Gender in the Spiral of Life, Genderqueer Thealogy, Gender and Minority Faith Parenting.

The conference will include presenters who grapple with issues relating to gender in their academic scholarship, as well as those who are leaders within their spiritual communities.

We will also be including more breakout sessions where folks can discuss issues and actions to address them.

Speakers will include:
joi wolfwomyn of the Holy Order of the Epicene http://epiceneorder.org/site/en/
Lady Yeshe Rabbit of CAYA Coven http://www.cayacoven.org
T. Thorne Coyle http://www.thorncoyle.com
Derik Cowan and Dr. Hayden Reynolds of the Circle of Dionysos http://circleofdionysos.org

Work-Trade Available.
for more info please email:
JoHanna White, Pagan Alliance President at  johanna@thepaganalliance.org”
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Lamplight Tours of Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery
Friday-Saturday, September 14-15,
7:30PM, 7:50PM, 8:10PM, 8:30PM, 8:50PM, 9:10PM, 9:30PM, 9:50PM
Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery, 1600 Franklin Avenue, Santa Rosa
$30
For additional information, please call 707-543-3292
Space is limited, please pre-register - see website below:
http://www.srcity.org/ruralcemetery

“Walk at night through Santa Rosa’s oldest cemetery to see and hear all new dramatic portrayals of some of our city’s early settlers. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a flashlight.

Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery was established as the result of an accident. In November of 1854 a young father, who had arrived from Missouri only a matter of weeks before, drowned in a pond near the center of town. He was buried on land that was part of a Mexican grant given to one of the earliest settlers of Santa Rosa, Dona Maria Ignacia Lopez de Carrillo. Soon other families needed burial places, and the area became an unofficial cemetery. In 1867 the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery Association was formed and burial plots in the 17-acre site were formally offered for sale.

Sales of plots continued through 1930, through records of these transactions have been lost. During this period of 70-plus years, parts of the land were sold off, and three separate but adjacent cemeteries were established: the Stanley, Moke, and Fulkerson Cemeteries. Today the four cemeteries combined are owned by the City of Santa Rosa and known collectively as Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery. The only burials permitted today are those of descendants of families who held deeds to cemetery plots. The total number of burials is over 5200.

Neglect and vandalism took their toll on the cemetery through years of unclear ownership and sporadic maintenance. A Restoration Committee organized by dedicated volunteers in 1994 and operating under the aegis of the City of Recreation and Parks Department has made great strides in repairing damage, clearing overgrowth, and planning for permanent maintenance. In 1997, the City of Santa Rosa awarded Historical Landmark status to the Rural Cemetery.

Docent-led tours during the summer months acquaint visitors with the history of the town and the many town pioneers who are buried here. Lamplight Tours, conducted in September as fund-raising events, present dramatic vignettes from the lives of the famous and not-so-famous people buried in the Rural Cemetery.”
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CANCELLED - Ardenwood Shakespeare Festival and Renaissance Faire
The Ardenwood Faire for 2012 has been cancelled.
Check the website for updates on plans for 2013.
http://www.ardenwoodfaire.com
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Katmandu Fall Festival
Saturday-Sunday, September 15-16, 11:00AM-5:00PM
Veterans Memorial Hall, 126 First Street West, Sonoma
$10 suggested donation
http://www.childrensmedaid.org/katmandu-festival

“The Katmandu Festival is a celebration of the diverse cultures of Nepal, Tibet and India featuring Himalayan cuisine, music and lively dance performances. Festival-goers shop in a colorful marketplace with jewelry, clothing, art, antiques and crafts for sale; enjoy mouth-watering momos and other traditional fresh-cooked foods; and relax with yoga classes and healing arts demonstrations. A photo gallery displays the unique places and faces of Nepal, home to Mount Everest.

A silent auction and hourly raffles will be held for fine dining, weekend getaways and other prizes from some of the Sonoma Wine Country’s best venues. All proceeds from the event benefit Children’s Medical Aid Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing corrective surgery for Nepalese children with birth defects, and building medical clinics to serve impoverished families in rural areas of Nepal.

For more information about the Festival, including exhibitor and volunteer info, please contact Children’s Medical Aid Foundation at (707) 938-1807.”
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Casa de Fruta Renaissance Faire
Saturdays-Sundays, September 15-October 14, 10:00AM-6:00PM
10021 Pacheco Pass Hwy 152, Gate 6, Hollister (south of Gilroy)
$25 Adults, Children under 12 Free!  Parking $5
Discounted tickets available through the website
http://www.norcalrenfaire.org

This is the big one!  Check the website for details about theme weekends and Saturday evening concerts so you can choose which day to go!
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Nature and Soul Retreat for Autumn Equinox
with Jan Edl Stein, MFT
Friday, September 21, 9:30AM-4:00PM
Green Gulch Farm and Zen Center, 1601 Shoreline Highway, Muir Beach, 415-383-3134
$118 early registration up to two weeks before the event, $140 within two weeks of the event
http://www.holosinstitute.net/nature-soul-day-retreat.htm
http://www.holosinstitute.net/people/Jan.htm
http://www.sfzc.org/ggf

“Nature and Soul: A day of retreat where nature mirrors our inner landscape

This seasonally offered retreat is a day of renewal and rediscovery, as we open ourselves to the land around us in addition to the landscapes within us.  This is a deeply experiential daylong retreat for restoration of health, psyche and spirit, offering a renewal of the soul's intention and a re-connection with the elements of nature that support us.  We will slow down and take in the beauty that surrounds us and let nature reflect the shapes and patterns that are held in the psyche.

The day is a combination of indoor experiences that involves guided meditation and inner journey process and outdoor, land-based contemplative practices. The experience as a whole is an embodied example of eco-therapy.  Each retreat day reflects themes of the season in the meditations, journeys and our approach to the elements we discover in nature.
No previous experience is necessary.

The retreat takes place in the beautiful setting of Green Gulch Farm and Zen Center, with its splendid coastal range flora, meandering gardens, Japanese architecture, and easy walk to the beach.  An organic, vegetarian lunch (included in registration fee)  is offered to the group in the dining hall.  Retreat fees include lunch and refreshments.

Details on how to prepare for the day an a confirmation of registration will be sent one week before the event.

Retreat leader, Jan Edl Stein MFT, is the director of Holos Institute and a licensed psychotherapist with many years of experience in guiding people into deep explorations in their own psyche as they open to deeper levels of perception in the natural world.

Autumn Equinox: Harvesting creations and turning inward. This will be a day to reflect upon all you have created in your inner and outer worlds and a preparation for releasing.”
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Sacramento Pagan Pride Harvest Festival
Saturday-Sunday, September 22-23
Fair Oaks VFW Hall, 8990 Kruithof Way, Fair Oaks
Free
http://www.sacpaganpride.org

“Pagan Pride Day and Harvest Festival is place where magic is afoot, and fairies dance. It is where you can learn the ways of old or learn just enjoy life.

Pagan Pride Day and Harvest Festival goal is to educate the masses, those who are looking for fellowship, and bring the community together. And of course, this is all done with fun and mayhem.”
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Birthing Your Soul’s Calling
A Three-Day Initiatory Journey Into A Greater Than Imagined Life
with Devaa Haley Mitchell and Elayne Kalila Doughty
Friday-Monday, September 28-October 1
EarthRise Retreat Center at IONS, 101 San Antonio Road, Petaluma
see website for registration information
women only
http://soulfulwomen.com/Retreats

“You’re a soulful woman. You’re self-aware, motivated, talented, and you’ve been successful in many undertakings and important projects. And yet…

You sense even greater possibilities for your life. You yearn to move beyond a vanilla life that is working ‘fine’ to a life that is filled with passion and greater meaning. You want to touch people and be the brightest light you can be. And you’re willing to die to an old way of being so that something new and much more soul aligned can be born.

But you’re hesitant, maybe even afraid, to venture into this unknown territory. You don’t know how to move beyond your comfort zone - especially since you haven’t been taught how to navigate the terrain, and you haven’t been given a map for where you’re going.
We truly understand. We were once there ourselves.

Together we will stretch our collective mind out of its slumbering predictability and help you invite in miracles for your personal story - and for our planet as a whole.

As our world is also preparing for a major shift, we see a deep need for what we call ‘planetary soulful midwives’ who can skillfully help hospice out a dying world and usher in the new. These midwives are needed for the larger collective birth process that’s underway. But they are also needed to help each of us to find our own unique piece in this bigger puzzle.

These soul midwives are among us. In fact, we (Devaa and Elayne) know that playing this role is part of our sacred function in this lifetime. You may be a soul midwife yourself.

And as midwives, we are here to show you a way through and provide you with a safe container in which to birth the bigger story of your life-and your soul’s true calling.

We are calling you to imagine beyond the confines of what you think is possible and stand in the truth of YOUR MAGNIFICENCE. Join us, and we will lift you into your greater than imagined life!”
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Earth Medicine Alliance Annual Conference

Celebrating Ancestral Wisdom

Saturday-Sunday, October 20-21

First Unitarian Universalist Center, 1187 Franklin Street, San Francisco

see Brown Paper Tickets link for registration details
http://www.earthmedicine.org/2012-conference
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/234237

“Our 2012 conference will be the weekend of Oct 20-21st in San Francisco.  We'll follow basically the same format as the previous two years.  We are open to suggestions for presenters who have a solid background in ritual work with the ancestors and who are comfortable working in an interfaith/multi-cultural setting.  We're looking forward to a great third annual conference and hope you can join us!”
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Folsom Renaissance Faire
Saturday-Sunday, October 20-21, Saturday 10:00AM-6:00PM, Sunday 10:00AM-5:00PM
Folsom City Lions Park, 50 Natoma Street, Folsom
$14.00 adults, $9.00 students, seniors (55+) and children 6-12, under six free
http://www.folsomfaire.com
http://www.renaissanceproductions.com

“Experience the Magic and The Merriment of The Renaissance in Folsom!

The rising young star of London's theater scene, Will Shakespeare, faces a scourge like no other: a paralyzing bout of writers block while the great Elizabethan age of entertainment unfolds around him. Will is without inspiration on material. What Will needs is a muse and in an extraordinary town whilst on progress with Her Most Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, he finds himself surrounded by numerous quirky characters who draw him into an amazing, dramatic adventure of action and love. Their stories make their way into his plays and into our hearts. The theme of the Faire is Shakespeare's Muse.

Over October 20-21, the Folsom City Lions Park will be transformed to a delightful Elizabethan town filled with myriad characters and vignettes resembling those of Shakespeare's plays we so dearly love. In addition, over 900 costumed entertainers and over 100 shopkeepers and artisans will add to the ambiance of the Faire.The Festival will be the ultimate Renaissance bash, a lively Dionysian party, where the guests enjoy turkey legs, exotic food, and drink as they banter with the myriad performers filling the streets. The event sports one-of-a-kind shows, music, and comedy.

The Joust!
The Weekends highlight will be a full contact joust. Men and horse collide and do battle right before your eyes.Say hello to Imperial Knights!

Proceeds of the Faire, and from some of the booths, goes to benefit:

The Folsom CAVE Teen Centers
Located at each of the middle schools in Folsom, they provide over 700 students a week with a supervised drop-in after school program that is free to the participants.

The Friends of the Folsom Public Library
A nonprofit, volunteer organization that supports the Folsom Library and literacy programs for adults and children in the Folsom area.

The Folsom Rotary Club.

Support the Community!  Bring a can of food and get $2.00 off adult admission.”
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Sacred Forest Spiritual Retreat
with Mbali Creazzo and Mahealani Uchiyama
Saturday-Sunday, October 27-28
Humanist Hall, 390 27th Street, Oakland
for registration details, contact Iya Mahea at 510-827-3997
or iyamahea@thesacredforest.org
http://thesacredforest.org/events

“Mbali Creazzo - voice for the ancestors,  Medicine Woman, Ceremonial and Ritual leader joins with Mahealani Uchiyama - priestess of Ifa, dancer and musician, in a unique and exciting collaboration that will draw from the healing wisdom of Africa, with dance, ritual drumming and song, and ceremony as we answer the earth’s call for us to reawaken ancient aspects of ourselves….

This date and location are confirmed. Please save and be on the look out for more details.”
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San Francisco Green Festival
Saturday-Sunday, November 10-11
SF Concourse Exhibition Center, 635 8th Street, San Francisco
http://www.greenfestivals.org/coming-soon#sanfrancisco

“This is the first and original ‘Party with a Purpose’; don't miss the celebration, education and rejuvenation, all yours for the taking at San Francisco Green Festival 2012. As a city winning awards for inspiring green living and alternative power programs, it's no surprise that San Francisco is the home of the original Green Festival. Celebrated in San Francisco since 2002, it is the largest Green Festival of the five cities. The San Francisco Green Festival captures the mood and festivities as a ‘Party with a Purpose.’ Expect both inspiring and pragmatic programming reflecting the Bay Area’s diversity of interests with over 125 informative workshops, sessions, demonstrations and talks. Great live music, all-weekend film installation, a fun and engaging Green Kids' Zone, mouthwatering vegan, raw and vegetarian food vendors, top local organic beer makers and wine vintners and the best responsible shopping found anywhere.”
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Nature and Soul Retreat for Winter Solstice
with Jan Edl Stein, MFT
Friday, December 21, 9:30AM-4:00PM
Green Gulch Farm and Zen Center, 1601 Shoreline Highway, Muir Beach, 415-383-3134
$118 early registration up to two weeks before the event, $140 within two weeks of the event
http://www.holosinstitute.net/nature-soul-day-retreat.htm
http://www.holosinstitute.net/people/Jan.htm
http://www.sfzc.org/ggf

“Nature and Soul: A day of retreat where nature mirrors our inner landscape

This seasonally offered retreat is a day of renewal and rediscovery, as we open ourselves to the land around us in addition to the landscapes within us.  This is a deeply experiential daylong retreat for restoration of health, psyche and spirit, offering a renewal of the soul's intention and a re-connection with the elements of nature that support us.  We will slow down and take in the beauty that surrounds us and let nature reflect the shapes and patterns that are held in the psyche.

The day is a combination of indoor experiences that involves guided meditation and inner journey process and outdoor, land-based contemplative practices. The experience as a whole is an embodied example of eco-therapy.  Each retreat day reflects themes of the season in the meditations, journeys and our approach to the elements we discover in nature.
No previous experience is necessary.

The retreat takes place in the beautiful setting of Green Gulch Farm and Zen Center, with its splendid coastal range flora, meandering gardens, Japanese architecture, and easy walk to the beach.  An organic, vegetarian lunch (included in registration fee)  is offered to the group in the dining hall.  Retreat fees include lunch and refreshments.

Details on how to prepare for the day an a confirmation of registration will be sent one week before the event.

Retreat leader, Jan Edl Stein MFT, is the director of Holos Institute and a licensed psychotherapist with many years of experience in guiding people into deep explorations in their own psyche as they open to deeper levels of perception in the natural world.

Winter Solstice: Honoring the still point within and finding ease with darkness. In this darkest day of the year, we will seek out a place of wisdom that resides in stillness and shadow.”
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