Sonoma Weekend Planner: Sept.16-18

Friday and Saturday:

The Black Cat Cabaret, taking place under the “Big Top” circus tent in downtown Sonoma, this year’s event features world renowned singer and actress, Thelma Houston. This Cabaret showcases amazing aerial performances, acrobatics, music and other creative entertainment is a benefit for . This fast-paced, all-engaging show is something the audience participates in and experiences instead of only watching from the sidelines.

If you go: Tickets are $75-$250 and all performance seating is first come,first served. Seats are extremely limited and you can click here for tickets. The Gala’s gates open at 6 p.m.with a reception from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and curtain is at 8 p.m. at the Field of Dreams, 151 1st Street West (Fazio field under the big, white tent). Tickets for Saturday’s are $50 and begins at 1 p.m. at the Field of Dreams. Tickets can be bought by clicking here.

Saturday:

In conjunction with the opening of the newest exhibit, Sonida Pirata: What You Need You Have to Borrow, Josh Kun, Director of the Popular Music Project of the Norman Lear Center at USC, and the "Sonido Pirata DJs": Julio Morales and DJ Lengua will present a live, improvised musical lecture. This lecture is about mobile sound system DJs, or Sonideros who are shaping what Kun calls an aesthetics of allá‚ a way of using recorded sound and audio technology to engage with borderland and migration politics. In Spanish, allá is neither the here (aquí) nor there (allí) that we see. Allá is an "over there" that is not necessarily visible, a space we know is there but is not yet occupied or realized.

If you go: Admission is $15 for Museum members, $20 for the general public and can be bought by clicking here. The event begins at 2 p.m. at the , 551 Broadway in Sonoma.

Saturday:

This artist reception presents original paintings of both plein air and studio works by fifteen nationally renowned plein air artists. Their inspiration will be the autumn colors of Sonoma landscapes during the harvest season.Artists will paint original paintings in oil, pastel or watercolor on location.

If you go: This free reception is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the , 447 1st St W, in Sonoma. The show continues until October 17. For more information call 707-996-2667.

Saturday:

Come out to White Barn Studio in Sonoma for the opening reception and studio tour for "GRATITUDE", a new body of work based on the Values Project.  Paintings, drawings, prints and photographs will be on display amidst a stunning farm setting.

After completing The Values Project, a thought-provoking public art installation in Napa, artist Peter Hassen was left with the question, “What do I take away from this project?”  The ephemeral installation consisted of stenciled value words such as “Honesty” “Courage” “Compassion” and “Integrity” painted in 60 public parking lots. Before the wheels and weather had a chance to alter the installation, Hassen used a technique called light painting to photograph the parking spaces at night with the words glowing with iridescent paint. He has also been painting in his studio using abstractions of the words and lines to create new work that has value on its own.

If you go: The opening reception is from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m at the White Barn Studio, 900 Petaluma Avenue in Sonoma.

Saturday:

Join friends and get your dance on!  Everyone's welcome and no experience or partner is needed.  Heartstrings will be providing the tunes so put on your dancin' shoes and come on over.

If you go: $5 donation, free for 21 and under.  The dancing is from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at , 18627 Highway 12, (opposite ) in Sonoma.

Do you have a weekend event we didn't list? Go ahead and add it in the comments to let everyone know other cool stuff going on in the community. Is your event not in our calendar? You can add your own events quick, easy and for free just by clicking here.