Here’s what you’re doing this weekend, friends:
Sistahs Steppin’ in Pride
After two different lesbian nightclubs went belly up, there was a joke making the rounds in Oakland: You can build it, but maybe they won’t come. But they do show out for Sistahs Steppin,’ an annual festival which will celebrate its tenth — and final — edition this week. Moore launched the it as an offshoot of the dyke march at San Francisco Pride, after noticing that many participants had actually commuted from the East Bay; the first iteration took place in 2002, beginning at Lake Merritt and snaking along the sidewalks of Grand Avenue, to wind up at Snow Park, where the marchers banged their drums, blessed their ancestors, and enjoyed a celebratory fair with live entertainment and artisan vendor booths. It was a rousing success. And since then, Sistahs Steppin’ grown tremendously: With the help of Oakland police, Moore and company blocked off one lane of traffic on Lakeshore and Grand avenues, so the sistahs could march right alongside traffic. She said that at its height, the event had several hundred participants. Last year it also included a bicycle contingent, and speeches by mayoral candidates. But putting on a festival of this scale requires a lot of work and a lot of logistical know-how, so this year, organizer Peggy Moore is pulling out, and the event as a whole will be ending, too. Catch the final Sistahs Steppin’ at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27. Participants will meet at the pillars by Lake Merritt. Free. SistahsSteppin.org. — Rachel Swan
An excellent reason to roll on shabbos. Credits: The Simple Livings
The Dude abides! Berkeley’s Center Street Summer Cinema wraps up its August outdoor movie series on Saturday, Aug. 25, with a screening of the Coen brothers’ cult comedy The Big Lebowski. Adoring fans can adorn costumes of their favorite characters from the film for a chance to win a bottle of Kahlúa, a crucial ingredient in the White Russian (the Dude’s drink of choice). Other pre-movie festivities include entertainment by the Fire Arts Collective and al fresco offerings from fifteen local restaurants starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Bank of America parking lot (2219 Center St., Berkeley). Movie at 7:30 p.m., free; $5 per chair, or bring your own. 510-548-5335 or DowntownBerkeley.org. — Cassie Harwood
