Moraga’s 2009 Oktoberfest celebration is Sunday, Oct. 11, from 2:00-6:00 p.m. The festival will take place at Hacienda de las Flores, located at 2100 Donald Drive.

A large variety of food will be available for purchase, including sausages, potato salad, apple strudel and ice cream. A variety of German beer will be on tap, and wine will also be available for purchase.

German music and entertainment will be performed throughout the event. There will also be dancing lessons, sing-a-longs, and other games and activities at the festival.

Additional parking with a free shuttle ride provided will be available at the AAAAA Rent-a-Space across from Starbucks.

For more information about the event, visit http://www.oktoberfestmoraga.com.

The Orinda Idol finals took place on September 13 at the Orinda Theater in front of a packed house as local news celebrities, Diane Dwyer, Bill Martin and Leslie Brinkley, hosted the event.

The grades K-2 winner was Niamh Akazawa. Joe Metheny won the grades 3-5 category. Maritza Grillo won the middle school category and the Audience Award. The high school category was won by Erika Henningsen.

Samantha Martin and Isabel Mueller teamed up to win the group category for grades K-5, while Jacqueline Garell, Amrita Newton and Neris Newton won the high school group category.

The winners of Orinda Idol recently performed at the Lafayette Art & Wine Festival. They will also be performing at the Moraga Pear Festival and the Orinda Book Fair.

For those who participate in Lafayette’s “nightlife,” Diamond Dave is a legend. Every Wednesday through Saturday night, he performs at Petar’s Restaurant in Lafayette, starting at 9:00 p.m.

Diamond Dave Hosley can play more songs than a jukebox and is always open to playing requests. With his keyboard and microphone ready, he plays a variety of music ranging from the classics to contemporary rap music.

The atmosphere at Petar’s is always a lively one when he’s playing. Many people go to Petar’s just to see him play.

To get a preview of what Diamond Dave is about, visit his website: www.davehosley.com. Petar’s is located at 32 Lafayette Circle. Visit www.petars.com for more information.

The Orinda Library will host a “Fireside Chat” with Maestro Lawrence Kohl, Music Director and Conductor of the Pacific Chamber Symphony of San Francisco, this Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 7:00 p.m. The event is open to the public and free for all.

Kohl, an Orinda resident, will discuss his job and J.S. Bach’s four Orchestral Suites. The Pacific Chamber Symphony will be performing J.S. Bach’s four Orchestral Suites this Friday night, Sept. 25, at 8:00 p.m., at the Orinda Library.

For more information about the Pacific Chamber Symphony, visit http://www.pacificchambersymphony.org. For a list of other events at the Orinda Library, visit http://ccclib.org/locations/orinda.html.

The Lafayette Art & Wine Festival is this Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Over 200 booths will offer wine, beer, food and art. Live music will also be played throughout the festival on several different stages. Parking is free at the Lafayette BART station and shuttles will be available.

On Saturday, Orinda is hosting their Classic Car Show from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Classic cars and motorcycles will be on display. All proceeds from the event go to the Seniors Around Town transportation service.

The Holy Trinity Cultural Center is hosting a Country Western BBQ & Dance on Saturday night from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. For more information, call (925)376-6850.

The last of three trial Farmers Markets in Lafayette will take place this Thursday, Sept. 17, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., in Lafayette’s Plaza Park.

Also on Thursday, Sept. 17, POISE (Parents of Orinda Individuals in Special Education) will be having their fall “kick-off” meeting, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., at Orinda Books. Author Laura Shumaker will be on hand to read from her book, A Regular Guy, and to discuss raising her children.

On Sunday, Oct. 11, starting at 4:30 p.m., the Orinda Community Center Park will be hosting an opera concert presented by Open Opera. A variety of singers will be performing opera classics. The event is free, and those attending are encouraged to bring a picnic dinner to enjoy.

Be the Star You Are!, a local charity supporting literacy, will be sponsoring a Books and Band Bash Benefit at the Holy Trinity Cultural Center on Sept. 13 from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m.

The event will feature live music, dancing, book sales, autograph signings by authors and other demonstrations. Tickets to the event are $13 with proceeds going to the charity. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase.

The Holy Trinity Cultural Center is located at 1700 School Street in Moraga.

For more information about the Be The Star You Are! charity, visit their website at http://www.bethestaryouare.org

On Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 7:00 p.m., the Orinda Library will be hosting an event as part of their Summer Music Series. The band, The Real Placebos, will be playing “American Roots Music” by the fire as part of a free show.

As part of their show, The Real Placebos will play a wide range of music, including bluegrass, blues, swing and other traditional American music styles.

The Orinda Library will be hosting “Storytelling for Adults” on Thursday, Aug. 27, starting at 7:00 p.m. The event will combine a performance by a featured storyteller and an open mic section. During the open mic, everyone is able to step up and share a story with the group.

The Summer Concert Series at the Moraga Commons continues each Thursday night through summer. The concerts start at 6:30 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. The concerts are free and many people bring out a picnic dinner. There is also food available for purchase starting at 6:00 p.m. On Aug. 13, littledog2, a band from Moraga, will be playing. Dave Crimmen will be performing at the Aug. 20 concert.

Lafayette is hosting the “Rock the Plaza” series in Plaza Park near the Park Theater on Friday nights. The headlining bands start at 6:00 p.m., and local teen bands play before to open the night. Total Eclipse is the headlining band for the Aug. 14 show, and The Spazmatics are scheduled for the Aug. 21 show.

The Moraga Commons continues to host their summer music concerts every Thursday night from 6:30-8:30 p.m. On July 16, the Dave Russell Band will perform country music. On July 23, Culann’s Hounds will perform celtic rock music.

Orinda Theatre Square hosts their summer music series every other Thursday night with the next concert set for July 23. The Michael Robinson Band will be performing from 4:00-7:00 p.m.

The 2009 Orinda Idol finalists have two performances coming up as well. The finalists will perform at the Orinda Farmer’s Market on Saturday, July 18, from 12:15-1:00 p.m. They will also perform Tuesday, July 21, from 5:30-6:15 p.m. at the Orinda Community Center’s Concert in the Park.