Whenever I travel, I find myself squeezing a local bookstore visit into my itinerary. I went to Powell’s Books in Portland the first time I visited the city as a teen and have gone back on every return trip since, reveling in the endless maze of books. I’ve visited bookstores in old homes, bookstores the size of large walk-in closets and the westernmost bookstore in the country, Talk Story Bookstore in Kauai. I like getting to know cities by living like a local fleetingly, which means doing what I’d do back home — perusing the shelves of the local bookstore.
Luckily, we don’t need to travel far to find cool independent bookstores in the Bay Area, and the Peninsula is no exception. Saturday marks the annual Independent Bookstore Day to recognize and support these businesses, and several local bookstores are hosting author talks, book signings, deals and more events. Consult our guide to the festivities before you hit the books.
See you in the cookbook aisle,
Julia Brown
Six Fifty Editor
editor@thesixfifty.com
Saturday plans? Booked. Here’s where you can celebrate Independent Bookstore Day on the Peninsula
Independent Bookstore Day is a national one-day celebration of indie bookstores with author storytimes and talks, signings, discounts, merch and giveaways. Here’s how Peninsula booksellers are celebrating the event this Saturday, April 27.
Pizzeria Delfina owners Craig and Annie Stoll discuss their restaurant journeys and where the business plans to go from here
Craig and Annie Stoll decided to open a restaurant together on their second date. One year later in 1998, Delfina in San Francisco opened for business, serving up California-Italian fare. Then in 2005, the couple – with Craig in the kitchen and Annie in the front-of-the-house – opened their first Pizzeria Delfina on California Street in San Francisco.
‘Day Jobs’ looks at how making a living can inspire making art
Wide-ranging Cantor Arts Center show examines the impact of day jobs on artists’ creative output.
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Health Matters | May 18
Stanford Medicine experts share the latest advances in medicine, health, and wellness. > LEARN MORE
Nobody was able to identify where last week’s photo was taken (it’s a mural on Grand Avenue in South San Francisco!).
The first person to reply to this email with the correct place where the below photo was taken will win swag from The Six Fifty and a shoutout in our next newsletter!
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Beauty Blooms at Filoli
Come to the Garden and see what spring is all about at Filoli! Purple and white wisteria cascade around the historic House, and the Garden is filled with the sweet scents of cherry blossoms and lilacs. Weekend sellouts are expected. Reserve your tickets now at filoli.org/visit.
Analog Dog and Subtle Orange: April 26 The Guild Theatre’s Local Sound Series hosts concerts by emerging artists based in the Bay Area.
TEDx Baylands Park Youth: April 27 Healing is the theme for this TEDx event, with speakers including a Stanford neurosurgeon, a marathon runner, an animal-rights advocate and more.
Blues and Brews: April 27 Pacifica hosts a blues festival, with all beer-sale proceeds going to support a nonprofit.
Silicon Valley Whisk(e)y Festival: April 28 Domenico Winery presents a festival of whiskies and cocktails from local and international brands.
Wonderful Joe: May 1-4 Canadian puppeteer Ronnie Burkett returns to Stanford for a show exploring the feelings of isolation and loneliness, following the journey of the titular Wonder Joe and his dog.
Sing Your Song: May 2 Catch a screening of “Sing Your Song,” a documentary about the late great singer and activist Harry Belafonte at Palo Alto’s Rinconada Library.
Star Wars Drone Show: May 4 The Port of Redwood City hosts a lighted drone show with a “Star Wars” theme, plus food trucks, beverages from Devil’s Canyon Brewing, a lightsaber giveaway and other themed activities.
Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange Sale: May 4 Oodles of bicycle parts and accessories will be on sale – and in some cases even free – at SVBE’s big parking lot sale.
Silicon Valley Open Studios: May 4-19 Local artists in a variety of media open their doors to the public during this annual event, with the first weekend in May featuring artists on the Coastside and northern Peninsula, the second featuring Midpeninsula artists, and the third featuring artists based in the South Bay.
Sunset Tai Chi: May 6 VC Tang of Stir Fry Stories leads tai chai at Orange Memorial Park in South San Francisco. Free and open to the public (high schoolers to seniors).
Plan Ahead
Alex Cuba: May 10 Canadian-Cuban musician Alex Cuba comes to Stanford to perform his mix of Afro-Cuban jazz, funk and pop.
A Celebration of Birds: May 11 Hidden Villa hosts a class all about local nesting birds, which will include observation of live nesting sites.
Caltrain 160th Anniversary Celebration: May 11 Tour Caltrain’s new electric trains in San Carlos and snag commemorative items celebrating Caltrain’s 160 years of passenger rail. There will also be food trucks, games, a photo booth and an art demo.
The Roots: May 11 Acclaimed and long-running band The Roots comes to The Mountain Winery in Saratoga.
Something Rotten: Through May 12: Hillbarn Theatre presents the musical comedy “Something Rotten,” full of Shakespeare gags, Broadway references and toe-tapping tunes.
Redwood City Wine Walk: May 15 Visit downtown Redwood City establishments on a wine walk, with proceeds supporting the Redwood City Education Foundation.
Ozomatli: May 18 Long-running band Ozomatli brings its high-energy and rock-fusion sounds to Menlo Park.
Kevin Kwan: May 22 Kevin Kwan, bestselling author of the “Crazy Rich Asians” trilogy, presents his new book, “Lies and Weddings.”
Joan Baez: May 31 Renowned artist and local (and international) legend Joan Baez shares from her autobiographical poetry collection “When You See My Mother, Ask Her to Dance” in a discussion with Angie Coiro.
PV Palooza: June 1 Portola Valley’s third annual all-day music festival on multiple stages also includes art exhibits and activities for kids.
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Stanford Jazz Festival tickets on sale now
Join us for the best jazz in the world June 20 – August 3 at the Stanford Jazz Festival! Vocals, swing, Latin, Brazilian, bebop, and more! Get tickets now. >LEARN MORE
The world’s best ice skates are made in…San Carlos? Behind the scenes at Harlick Skates.
Why the 88-year-old family business draws the likes of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Kristi Yamaguchi to the Peninsula.
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