SF Symphony Salutes 4th Of July at Shoreline
July 4 at 8 p.m; Doors open at 5:00 p.m. with activities for families

Celebrate the Fourth of July with a festive outdoor performance perfect for summer! Led by conductor Edwin Outwater at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, the San Francisco Symphony will fill the night air with the exhilarating music of Star Wars and chart-topping pop performed by renowned Broadway vocalist Capathia Jenkins and American Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis, performing hits such as “Fly me to the Moon,” “Rocket Man,” and “I Feel the Earth Move.”

The program will also include a salute to the United States Armed Forces and selections by composers John Philip Sousa, Richard Strauss, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, and John Williams. With the theme “To the Moon and Back,” the event will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. The spectacular musical night will culminate in a grand finale of amazing fireworks. Happy 4th of July!

Tickets and Information
Prices range from $25 to $75
415-864-6000
sfsymphony.org
Shoreline Amphitheater
1 Amphitheater Parkway in Mountain View

Photo courtesy of SF Symphony

“Gadgets Galore” Exhibit in Los Altos
Now through September 15, 2019

History comes alive as the “Gadgets Galore! Transforming the American Household” exhibit highlights how gadgets from alarm clocks to coffeemakers, cellphones, and cameras originated and came to play such an important role in our day to day life. We rely on gadgets to wake us up in the morning, make our meals, communicate with each other, and more. This exhibit looks at how we came to have so many gadgets in our lives! (If you ask me – too many!!) Steam, electricity, and inventions allowed items to be produced faster and in larger quantities.

But it wasn’t always the case. Just like people, gadgets have ancestors. What came before the cell phone? Enjoy this exhibit and many other fabulous and fascinating exhibits on display at Los Altos History Museum. “Silicon Valley Eats: A taste for Innovation” explores the passion for food and schedules cooking classes. “It’s around the table and in the preparation of food that we learn about ourselves and about the world around us” – Alice Waters.

Tickets and Information
Admission is free
650-948-9427
losaltoshistory.org
Los Altos History Museum
51, South Antonio Road in Los Altos

Photo courtesy of LAHM.org

Bastille Day Celebration, California Style
July 14, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Celebrating all things French in honor of France’s Bastille Day is what’s on the lavish menu of Jordan Winery, the ivy-covered French Chateau located in Healdsburg. Enjoy copious glasses of Jordan Cuvée Champagne and blinis topped with Jordan Chef’s Reserve Caviar by Tsar Nicoulai, before moving to the buffet station filled with smoked salmon, eggs Benedict and other classic and surprise delicacies. You’ll dine al fresco on the winery terrace as your hosts pour tastes of Jordan Chardonnay, Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, and the newly-released 2013 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon magnum. Coffee and desserts to follow. No infants, pets, or guests under 21!
Happy Bastille Day!

Tickets and Information
Price: $200 per person
800-654-1213
jordanwinery.com
Jordan Winery
1474 Alexander Valley Road in Healdsburg

Photo courtesy of Jordan Winery

Author Esther Wojcicki: “How To Raise Successful People”
July 10 at 6:30 p.m.
Astronomer Andrew Fraknoi: “50 Years Since Our First Step”
July 17 at 6:30 p.m.

The Commonwealth Club, the nation’s premier public affairs forum, hosts speeches, debates, and discussions on topics of regional, national, and international interest. Two amazing appearances definitely not to be missed: Esther Wojcicki, educator and author of “How to Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons for Radical Results,” in conversation with Roy Eisenhardt, lecturer, UC Berkeley Law School. Wojcicki will discuss the importance of mentoring and trust which can be applied to multiple realms of life from the corporate hiring process, to young parents raising children, to teachers trying to be the best advocates for their students they can be.

Andrew Fraknoi, Chair Emeritus, Astronomy Department at Foothill College and former Executive Director of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific will look at the past, present, and future of the moon, including its violent origins, the mystery of the frozen water we have found at its poles and its long-term future as it moves farther and farther away from us. He will discuss how the achievements of the Apollo program fit into the bigger picture of our involvement with only our natural satellite.

Tickets and Information
415-597-6700
commonwealthclub.org
Commonwealth Club of California
110 The Embarcadero in San Francisco

Photo of Esther Wojcicki courtesy of The Commonwealth Club

Lina Broydo immigrated from Russia, then the Soviet Union, to Israel where she was educated and got married. After working at the University in Birmingham, England, she and her husband immigrated to the United States. She lives in Los Altos Hills, CA and writes about travel, art, style, entertainment, and sports. She hardly cooks or bakes, with no borsch or piroshky on her home cooking menu. Therefore, she makes reservations and enjoys dining out, mostly sushi.