Past Events

April 12, 2008: Native/Spanish Contact Commemorative Event
The Vinapa Foundation co-sponsored the March and April Second Saturday events. The March event focused on Californio life and included music and dancing by the Calicanto Singers. Peralta staff led fun, hands-on rancho activities. The public learned how to rope cattle, make candles, create adobe bricks, grind corn, and make tortillas.

The April event, Music and Crafts, the Ohlone Way. focused on the Native perspective on the issue of first contact with Spanish explorers. Marvin Marine and the Maidu-Miwok Dance Group performed traditional Native dances. Dino Labiste, a naturalist at Coyote Hills Regional Park who presents workshops on Native American culture throughout California, explored the world of the first people of the Bay Area through hands-on arts and crafts activities. Ohlone elder Ruth Orta (pictured right) discussed her path to rediscover the nearly forgotten stories and practices of her ancestors, and shared the little known history of the original people who lived in Oakland. Park visitors explored themes around the healing power of historical awareness and the natural world upon which all our cultures rely. The event included a special tour of the Ohlone Native Plant Garden.

COMMUNITY RECIPE BOOK EXHIBIT debuts - NOVEMBER 10, 2007
Grow, Cook and Celebrate! A Community Recipe Book, is a unique exhibit telling the story of Laotian Mien elders and Fruitvale youth finding common ground as they participated in the park’s Landscape of Stories programs. The exhibit documents their interactions using stunning photos, delicious recipes and moving life stories. After many years of work and collaboration, the Community Recipe Book exhibit was unveiled for the first time during the November Family Fun Day. Youth and adults from the neighborhood who participated in the book and contributed stories and recipes gave cooking demonstrations and shared their culinary expertise with park visitors. A group of young Mien women performed traditional Mien dances, and attendees feasted on delicious dishes, including Richard Adams' Franks and Links, Reginald Adams' Favorite Cake, and Finh Luang's Mustard Greens. The event ended with a youth Dance-Off competition won by Marcus Jones and Richard Adams who each received gift certificates to Foot Locker. See the Press Release to learn about how this moving exhibit came to be.

STORYCORPS GRIOT - August and September, 2007
Over 20 pairs of individuals arrived at the Park to participate in StoryCorps Griot, an initiative sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to collect interviews from at least 1,750 African-Americans from around the country for the Library of Congress and possible broadcast on National Public Radio. StoryCorps Griot chose Peralta Hacienda Historical Park as one of the places in Oakland to record these stories. Check back in a few months for excerpts and photos from these interviews.

CREEK TO BAY DAY - September 15, 2007
Fifty people helped clean up the Peralta Creek on Creek to Bay Day, Oakland's annual volunteer creek cleanup and beautification event. Volunteers removed trash and invasive species from the Park's creek area, nearly filling a 20 yard dumpster with waste. Park neighbor Francisco Ferrer was awarded a Peralta mug for winning the Park's "Most Interesting Piece of Trash" contest in the adults category. His children, Clara and Clemente, won in the youth category.

district 5 community picnic - September 8, 2007
Oakland City Council President Ignacio de la Fuente threw a fabulous community picnic for District 5 that brought 800 Fruitvale and Oakland neighbors to the park. Event attendees enjoyed delicious free food, danced to a Latin funk band, and learned about the history of the park during docent-led tours. Children jumped in the bouncy house, went on a scavenger hunt, and challenged each other to checkers, chess, water balloon toss, and hoops. A fun time was had by all! Thanks to sponsors PG&E, Saag's Sausages, Dreyer's Ice Cream, and Friends of Peralta Hacienda Historical Park. Thanks also to Oakland Parks and Recreation and the Public Works Agency. And of course, thank you to Ignacio for a great party!
Check out photos of the picnic here!

Grand Opening

Native American/Spanish Contact Commemorative Event

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• Opening Reception for Community Recipe Book  - 9/28/07
• Native Spanish Contact  - 3/31/07
• Grand Opening - 10/15/06

In the news

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