Park amenity designs

Pleasanton city officials are holding back-to-back community outreach sessions at Ken Mercer Sports Park on Saturday (Sept. 25) to gather input on conceptual designs for the proposed all-abilities playground and future skate park.

The all-abilities playground session will occur from 9 a.m. to noon in the picnic area near the playground adjacent to the softball fields.

The skate park discussion will take place from 1-4 p.m. in the grassy area near the parking lot adjacent to the skate park. City staff will have tables and signage at both spots.

To see the designs prior to the meeting, visit www.cityofpleasantonca.gov.

IndiviDúo at Firehouse

Latin pop pair IndiviDúo — Californian songwriter Tiffany Joy and Colombian musician Maqui Reyes — are set to perform on the Firehouse Arts Center stage next weekend in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

The dynamic duo are known for their distinctive original repertoire with unique versions of some of the most celebrated Latin music hits, according to Firehouse officials.

Tickets remain available for the show in downtown Pleasanton at 8 p.m. next Saturday (Oct. 2).

Visit firehousearts.org.

Danny Glover onstage

The Bankhead Theater in Livermore next week. is hosting “An Evening with Danny Glover,” the actor, producer and humanitarian best known for his role in the “Lethal Weapon” franchise and his community activism.

Presented as part of the Rae Dorough Speaker Series, the event will begin at 8 p.m. next Friday (Oct. 1) at the downtown Livermore venue. For tickets, visit livermorearts.org.

‘Promote thriving’ for adolescents

The Alan Hu Foundation, based in Pleasanton is sponsoring a webinar with Dr. Stephen Hinshaw on Monday entitled “Adolescent Mental Illness, Stigma and Families: What’s Needed to Promote Thriving.”

Hinshaw, professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UCSF, will talk about how “to define the concept of stigma as it pertains to individuals experiencing mental disorders and discuss severe mental illness in a family context,” organizers said.

“By blending science and narrative I hope to give voice to the family suffering involved when stigma reigns, and to what a future could look like when open attitudes, evidence-based treatments, and humanization can prevail,” Hinshaw said.

The presentation, which will be followed by a 15-minute Q&A session, is recommended for students in seventh grade and up, their families and the general public. The session runs from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Monday (Sept. 27). Register at alanhufoundation.org.

LV Wine Auction

The Livermore Valley Winegrowers Foundation is holding its 2021 Livermore Valley Wine Auction this Saturday (Sept. 25).

While the in-person event is sold out (an outdoor wine country garden party from 2-5 p.m.), the organization has its online silent auction open now and accepting bids through 8 p.m. Saturday.

For more information or to bid in the silent auction, visit www.lvwf.org.

Author talk

The Livermore Public Library is set to welcome Livermore author Senait Mesfin Piccigallo next Saturday (Oct. 2) at 2 p.m. to discuss her book “You’re in America — Now What? 7 Steps to Integrate with Ease and Joy.”

Written as a guide to help immigrants transition into their new country, the book reflects on Piccigallo’s experience coming to her new home by way of China and Eritrea, library officials said.

The in-person event, which will include a book-signing, will be held outdoors at the Civic Center Library, 1188 S. Livermore Ave. The program is part of the library’s Authors and Arts Series, supported by the Friends of the Livermore Public Library. Go to www.livermorelibrary.net.

Chorale auditions

The Valley Concert Chorale is hosting auditions by appointment for its 2021-22 season on Oct. 11 at First Presbyterian Church on Fifth Street in Livermore.

The chorale is seeking experienced singers with sight-reading skills who enjoy singing exciting and challenging music. The group performs three concert sets per season with a wide variety of music ranging from classical to contemporary, and folk to jazz, reps said. The season opens with holiday concerts on Dec. 11 and 12: “Of Comfort and Joy: Carols, Glorias, and Lullabies.”

The 10-minute appointment will include vocalizing, reading from one page of a motet and a clapping exercise. Singers must commit to the season with Monday evening rehearsals in Livermore.

To set an audition, call 925-866-4003 or text 925-216-7084. Participants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and wear a mask. More information at www.valleyconcertchorale.org.