OAKLAND
The Oakland Greek Festival, sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension, will return for its 54th year on the weekend of Friday through Sunday, May 15-17. Along with the breathtaking panoramic views from the Oakland hills, festival-goers can anticipate their delectable favorite foods such as gyros, souvlakia, lamb sandwiches, spanakopita, loukoumades, baklava and much more.
The cathedral’s award-winning Greek folk dance troupes, historical festival photo displays, tours, lectures, cooking demonstrations, Ascension Liturgical Choir concerts as well as live Greek music and dancing will also be featured throughout the weekend. A unique array of wares and take-home pastries are also available for purchase.
Tickets are $5 at the door or available in advance online. Admission is free for children 12 and younger. Plenty of free parking will be available at the cathedral and surrounding lots as well as on-site premium parking for $30 a day. Festivities will kick off at 4 p.m. May 15 and run through 9 p.m. May 17. Visit oaklandgreekfestival.com for tickets or more details online.
— Oakland Greek Festival
Great Good Place for Books closing after over two decades
A Great Good Place for Books, a bookstore in the Oakland hills’ Montclair Village, will close soon after 22 years, owner Kathleen Caldwell recently announced.
“I have loved being a part of your community, watching your children grow up, being their safe place, turning you onto that book I just couldn’t put down and introducing you to the authors who have set your imaginations on fire,” Caldwell wrote in a public statement. “Sadly, it’s time for me to step away. Through many tears, difficult conversations and sleepless nights I have decided to close A Great Good Place for Books.
“I do not yet have a schedule for the closing, but I will update you when I know. I don’t know what my next chapter looks like, but I hope many of you will still be a part of it. Thank you for an amazing ride; who knew GGP was everything I never knew I wanted?”
— A Great Good Place for Books
Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir to host choral festival
This summer, the Bay Area will resonate with extraordinary music as the Golden Gate International Choral Festival welcomes more than 450 choristers, adjudicators and chaperones from around the globe for a week of breathtaking performances, cultural exchange and artistic excellence.
Taking place July 13-18 and hosted by the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir (PEBCC), the festival stands as one of the world’s most celebrated gatherings of young singers. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Eric Tuan, internationally recognized as one of the world’s premier youth choir conductors, the festival promises performances of rare beauty, cultural significance, and emotional power.
“The Golden Gate Festival is a place where young people from around the world build bridges between cultures,” says Tuan. “Even in a deeply divided world, the festival offers us the chance to connect through the universal language of music, bringing our unique cultures and voices together to create international harmony.”
This year, visiting choirs will travel from the Philippines, Georgia, Austria, Catalonia, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Czechia and across the United States, creating a vibrant and diverse cultural exchange that defines the festival experience and fosters lasting global friendships. For online details, visit piedmontchoirs.org/2026-golden-gate-festival.
— PEBCC
PIEDMONT
City names three new ‘Heritage Trees’ in its public spaces
Three new trees in Piedmont’s parks and public spaces have joined the ranks of “Piedmont Heritage Trees.” Selected by the city’s Park Commission from a pool of community nominations, the newly designated Heritage Trees were announced April 23 at the city’s annual Arbor and Earth Day Celebration at Piedmont Community Hall.
The city’s Heritage Tree program is meant to raise awareness of and appreciation for Piedmont’s diverse urban forest. Trees selected for recognition this year were Coast Live Oak in Upper Dracena Park, nominated by Jack and Sharona Fischrup; Gingko street trees on King, nominated by Cindy Rafton; and Redwood in lower Dracena Park, nominated by Richard Przybyla.
Five community members or groups submitted nominations for this year’s Heritage Tree program, and the city extends sincere thanks to everyone who participated. Each year, the Park Commission names up to five trees “Piedmont Heritage Trees.” For information online, visit piedmont.ca.gov/news/3_new_piedmont_heritage_trees_april_2026.
— city of Piedmont
To submit an item for the Montclarion and Piedmonter’s “In brief” section, which is now usually published in print on each month’s second Friday, please email it, at least three days before print publication, to njackson@bayareanewsgroup.com. Each item should be 90 to 180 words and include a short headline along with the name of the group or individual to credit for it.
