Reggae at the Redwood, Battle of the Bands and More This Weekend

On Friday, catch roots reggae veteran Amha Selassie Baraka at the Redwood Café in Cotati starting 9pm.

Amha was part of the reggae group “The Itals” and has performed on many stages through out the West Coast.

The show is part of the café’s Reggae at the Redwood series, held every fourth Friday of the month. $5. 8240 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati.

On Saturday, it’s the Battle of the Bands as local musicians compete for the top prize at Sally Tomatoes. The $10 entry gets you an all you can eat buffet of salad, soup, pizza and pasta and some rockin’ good entertainment. The sweetest part? All proceeds go to Relay for Life, an organization that raises money for cancer research. 5pm. 1100 Valley House Dr.

Want to learn more about Kingian Nonviolence principles? This weekend, the Positive Peace Warrior Network and the Metta Center for Nonviolence host a two-day introductory workshop at Sonoma State University.

Participants will include incarcerated men and women, activists, former city mayors, meditation teachers, school teachers and people from every walk of life. More than 1,200 people attended last year’s event.  Sliding scale. 10am-6pm Saturday and Sunday.

On Sunday, celebrate Black History Month with a lecture and technique class by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Ana Marie Forsythe, an internationally-recognized teacher of the Horton technique, will lead a master class at 1pm at SSU’s Weill Hall. Also on Monday. Enrollment limited. To reserve a place visit: www.wejoinin.com/sheets/ktccu

Are you a local venue hosting great events open to the public? Spread the word by posting it on Rohnert Park-Cotati Patch’s Events Calendar.