Santa Rosa
Fridays at the Hood
The Fridays at the Hood Summer Concert Series returns to the lawn of historic Hood Mansion on July 18, launching six weeks of live music under the stars. Opening night features the Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra with powerhouse vocalist Willy Jordan, performing on the Levi Lloyd Stage—named for the late Santa Rosa blues icon. The family-friendly series blends music, food, dancing and community in an outdoor setting. Proceeds support the Peace & Justice Center of Sonoma County. 6-9pm, Friday, July 18, at Hood Mansion, 389 Casa Mañana Rd., Santa Rosa. Tickets $15-$25; kids 12 and under free. More at fridaysatthehood.com.
Petaluma
‘Blue’ To-Do
Opening July 17, My World in Blue is a juried group exhibition at the Petaluma Arts Center that explores the symbolic and emotional depth of the color blue. Through painting, photography, collage and mixed media, artists take on themes ranging from serenity to vastness to melancholy. Digital artist Jeffrey Ventrella contributes “Cosmic Atom” (as seen above), a 30″x30″ metal print created with generative algorithms that echo both micro and macro worlds—a convergence of art, code and imagination. 5:30-7:30pm, Thursday, July 17 (opening reception); on view through Aug. 23, at Petaluma Arts Center, 230 Lakeville St. More at petalumaartscenter.org.
San Rafael
Child’s Eye View
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, opening July 18 at the Smith Rafael Film Center, follows eight-year-old Bobo as she navigates a divided world on the eve of Zimbabwe’s 1980 independence. Based on Alexandra Fuller’s memoir, the film captures the emotional complexity of growing up amid war, with a child’s perspective illuminating both love and loss. A Sony Pictures Classics release, the film runs 98 minutes, is rated R, and is presented in English and Shona with English subtitles. Opens Friday, July 18, at Smith Rafael Film Center, 1118 Fourth St., San Rafael. Tickets and showtimes at rafaelfilm.cafilm.org.
San Geronimo
Last Great Dream
As part of the Valley Arts and Lecture Series, the San Geronimo Valley Community Center hosts author and cultural historian Dennis McNally for a discussion of his latest book, The Last Great Dream: How Bohemians Became Hippies and Created the Sixties. McNally—well known as the Grateful Dead’s longtime publicist—traces the roots of the counterculture from the salons of North Beach to the communes of Haight-Ashbury. He’ll be in conversation with poet and author Albert Flynn DeSilver. Books will be available onsite via Point Reyes Books. 6:30pm, Wednesday, July 30, at San Geronimo Valley Community Center, 6350 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. More at sgvcc.org.
