Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) kicks off its spring season with RESPECT: Hip-Hop Style & Wisdom, celebrating its distinct impact on California culture through art, photography, and artifacts.  More than just a music genre, Hip-Hop has evolved into a platform for self-expression, activism, identity, and youth development. Through August 12, Oakland, museumca.org.  

Smuin's Dance Series 02 presents a crowd-pleasing triple bill, headlined by choreographer Val Caniparoli's world premiere "If I Were A Sushi Roll." Also on the program "Oasis" an original score by "House of Cards" composer Jeff Beal, and "Falling Up" an elegant dance set to the piano solos of Brahms. May 11-12, WC, lesherartscenter.org.

Diablo Ballet’s 24th season concludes on high note with Celebrated Masters, a highly anticipated triple bill featuring the premier of choreographer Robert Dekkers’ The Red Shoes, Stolen Moments, and Four Norwegian Moods. May 4-5, Del Valle Theatre, WC, diabloballet.org.

Lafayette’s favorite dinner party, Taste of Lafayette, takes foodies on a downtown tour of 25+ restaurants with sips and savors along the way. Get your tickets early, this event always sells out. May 15, Lafayette, lafayettechamber.org.

Darker Shades of Red revisits the Cold War era and the power of its propaganda campaign through a collection of 55 posters that convey the economic, social, and political ideology of the Soviet Union. Through May 20, St. Mary’s College Museum of Art, Moraga, stmarys-ca.edu/museum. 

Alameda’s rich history comes to life on an entertaining stroll around Crab Cove Estuary and Crowne Memorial State Beach when Island City Waterways, a free event, celebrates the sea through music, dance, theater, and storytelling. May 19 & 20, Alameda, islandcitywaterways.org.

Learn about issues facing CC County at the Diablo Valley Mayor’s Summit. City leaders from Lafayette, Concord, Martinez, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek join Assembly member Tim Grayson and Supervisor Karen Mitchoff in a panel discussion. May 9, Contra Costa Country Club, pleasanthillchamber.com.

Bedford Gallery’s latest exhibit, Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of Paulson Fontaine Press, features works by African American artists who have shaped the contemporary Bay Area art conversation in prints, paintings, quilts, and sculptures. April 15- June 24, WC, bedfordgallery.org.

Combining 130 years of National Geographic’s stunning visual storytelling with original music from award-winning composers, Symphony for Our World premieres on Earth Day in San Francisco. This powerful musical tribute to Planet Earth pairs artistry with science on a breathtaking musical journey around the world. April 22, San Francisco, natgeo-symphony.com. 

Are Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos the Henry Ford and Andrew Carnegie of our era? Cult of the Machine: Precisionism and American Art probes the connection between the Bay Area’s present and the Machine Age past. This large-scale exhibition features works by Charles Sheeler and Georgia O’Keeffe, industrial objects, and a vintage Cord Phaeton automobile. Through August 12, de Young Museum, SF, famsf.org.

At Walnut Creek Library Foundation’s Wonderland Author’s Gala, guests savor fine cuisine and mingle with a host of celebrated authors, plus Alice and the Cheshire cat, while raising significant funds for the library. April 28, WC, wclibrary.org.

International Compost Awareness Week (May 6-12) raises awareness around the benefits of using compost to improve soil, grow healthy plants, reduce use of fertilizers and pesticides, improve water quality and protect the environment. Learn composting basics with Master Gardeners. May 9, 10am-1pm, corner of Shadelands & N. Wiget, WC, recyclesmart.org/ICAW2018.

At this premier book festival, nearly 500 authors and exhibitors—from the Bay Area, nation, and world—join tens of thousands of book enthusiasts at the fourth annual Bay Area Book Festival. Keynotes include Robert Reich, Alice Waters, David Eggers, Catherine Coulter, and T. J. Stiles. April 28-29, Berkeley, baybookfest.org. 

San Francisco’s weekly community gathering, Presidio Picnic, brings the city together every Sunday afternoon on a seven-acre lawn for Off the Grid food trucks, music, lawn games, yoga, and more. Free and open to the public, the event takes place on the Presidio’s beautiful Main Parade Ground. Sundays, March 18-October 21, offthegrid.com.