Congrats, Orinda! - You Don't Look a Day Over... Twenty!

What better way to celebrate your 25 years as a city than with birthday cake, a parade, a movie, some pomp and circumstance - and a little poetry?

Orinda city officials have opted to do all that over the next few months as they celebrate their Silver Anniversary and invite Orindans to take part in the fun.  Festivities kick off June 29 with a concert and some birthday cake in Orinda Community Park.  The Blues and Rock band Crises will provide the background music and the City will provide the celebratory cupcakes.  The celebration starts at 6:30 p.m.

On Thursday, July 1, the Lamorinda Film & Entertainment Foundation will present a one-time showing of Back to the Future - where else but at the Orinda Theater?  Tickets are $6 each and show time is at 7 p.m.

Then it's time to sport a little red, white, and blue as most of the city turns out for the annual Fourth of July parade, presented by the Orinda Association and involving just about every civic group in town - er, city.  The parade begins at 11 a.m. The Lamorinda Democratic Club says they will be marching in Democratic regalia, and will be staging at 9:45 a.m. in the Orinda BART parking lot, east side of Camino Pablo, at 9:45 a.m.

After that you'll have to wait until October 21 for a time capsule ceremony and reception for residents and their City Council at City Hall, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

But the kids can start now on a citywide poetry contest which asks the kids to explain - poetically - "What does Orinda mean to me?"

Categories:

• Kindergarten – 2nd grade
• 3rd grade – 5th grade
• 6th grade – 8th grade
• 9th grade – 12th grade
• Adult (ages 18 and over)

The contest is currently underway and the deadline for submission is Sept. 24.  Send your poetry - no longer than one page double-spaced - to Orinda City Clerk Michele Olsen, 22 Orinda Way, Orinda, CA  94563 or by email to molsen@cityoforinda.org.