70mm IMAX, Indie Music & Literary Arts

Science Center Books 70mm Dune Run as Autumn Music and Books Debut

The Virginia Air & Space Science Center schedules a four-week 70mm IMAX run of Dune: Part 3 while weighing a $1M upgrade, Leyna Sky sets her November 20 debut single, Thomas Lloyd Qualls releases ThePaintedOxen, and five fall films open.

By Concord Chronicle · Syndicated from Walnut Creek Times
Syndicated reporting from Walnut Creek Times · Walnut Creek Times
Published November 8, 2026 at 8:56 AM PST · 3 min read

Large-format 70mm celluloid projection, independent electronic songwriting, and literary fiction anchor the mid-November cultural calendar. · Walnut Creek Times / Editorial Visual Desk

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Museum-grade 70mm film exhibition, independent electronic music production, literary fiction, and weekend cinema openings converged across arts coverage on November 7, 2026.

Virginia Air & Space Science Center Schedules 4-Week 70mm IMAX Run of Dune: Part 3 While Weighing $1M Upgrade

In downtown Hampton, the Virginia Air & Space Science Center announced a 4-week theatrical run of Dune: Part 3 on 70mm IMAX film beginning December 18, 2026, with advance screenings scheduled for December 1. Admission is priced at $22 for adults, $21 for military personnel and seniors, and $18 for children.

Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director Robert Griesmer noted that the museum is one of a select group of institutions still equipped to project 70mm celluloid IMAX prints. However, because the center's current IMAX agreement expires in 2028 and studios are increasingly shifting toward digital laser distribution, transitioning the theater to next-generation IMAX laser projection would require a nearly $1 million capital upgrade.

Solo Artist Leyna Sky Sets November 20 Release for Debut Single It Is Me Ahead of January 2027 EP

In independent music, Edmonton solo artist Leyna Sky announced that her debut single It Is Me will release on November 20, 2026, serving as the lead track for a self-titled EP arriving on January 17, 2027. Written and produced by Leyna Sky, mastered by Spasso Entertainment, and distributed through DistroKid, the single blends tropical house and future bass with piano and acoustic guitar. Before recording solo material, Leyna Sky hosted more than 300 music nightlife events across Edmonton, beginning in February 2010 with a show at St. Albert Community Hall that drew 1,200 attendees to a room rated for 342 people.

Painted Oxen Press Releases Novel ThePaintedOxen by Author Thomas Lloyd Qualls

In literary publishing, Reno, Nevada-based Painted Oxen Press announced the publication of ThePaintedOxen, a new novel by award-winning author Thomas Lloyd Qualls. Set on an island off the coast of Greece, the novel follows a painter named Gabriel and an enigmatic visitor named Magdalena, and has been released simultaneously in hardcover, paperback, and eBook editions.

Walnut Creek and East Bay Weekend Screening Lineup Highlights 5 New Releases

Locally, Walnut Creek and East Bay moviegoers have 5 wide and specialty releases arriving in theaters this weekend, led by Martin McDonagh's 1973-set political drama Wild Horse Nine starring John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell, Peter Farrelly's I Play Rocky starring Anthony Ippolito, Siân Heder's 1977 Section 504 civil-rights drama Being Heumann starring Ruth Madeley and Mark Ruffalo, Jordan Firstman's Club Kid, and Warner Bros. Pictures' animated The Cat in the Hat voiced by Bill Hader and America Ferrera.

70mm IMAX, Indie Music & Literary Arts

Museum Cinema, Music & Publishing Calendar (Nov 2026 – Jan 2027)

Large-format museum cinema, independent electronic music, literary publishing, and weekend theatrical releases anchored arts and cultural reporting on November 7, 2026. In Hampton, the Virginia Air & Space Science Center announced a 4-week 70mm IMAX run of Dune: Part 3 starting December 18, 2026 (with advance screenings on December 1 and tickets priced at $22 for adults, $21 for military and seniors, and $18 for children) as CEO Robert Griesmer weighs a nearly $1 million laser upgrade before the

70mm IMAX Dune: Part 3 Run: 4-week run starting December 18 ($22 adult, $21 senior/military, $18 child)
Theater Upgrade Estimate: Nearly $1 million before current IMAX contract ends in 2028
Leyna Sky Release Schedule: Single It Is Me on November 20, 2026; EP on January 17, 2027 (300+ past events)
Weekend Theatrical Slate: 5 releases including 1973-set Wild Horse Nine and 1977 Section 504 drama

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Oakland Hosts 4th Annual Diwali Festival as Antioch Plans Toy Drive — East Bay Cultural & Holiday Gatherings

Neighborhood festivals and seasonal family assistance anchored East Bay community calendars across Alameda and Contra Costa counties on November 7, 2026. In Oakland, hundreds of residents gathered at Block15 near Jack London Square for the fourth annual free Diwali celebration organized by District 4 Councilmember Janani Ramachandran, the first South Asian woman elected to the Oakland City Council. Meanwhile, in East Contra Costa County, Reach Church at 11 Texas Street in Antioch opened community registration—available via QR code or by texting GIVEAWAY to (925) 261-7870—for its Holiday Food & Toy Giveaway on Sunday, November 22, 2026, following morning services at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

2 min read

Civic life

Great America Sets 2027 Closing Date as Union Square Gets Real Tree — Bay Area Landmarks, Parks & Playoffs

Three regional milestones across San Francisco, Santa Clara, and San Jose reshaping the Bay Area civic calendar were announced on November 7, 2026. In Santa Clara, California’s Great America—which opened in 1976 and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2026 after its property was sold to Prologis in 2022 under a six-year lease through June 2028—confirmed that it will reopen in March 2027 for a farewell season before closing permanently on Labor Day, September 6, 2027. In downtown San Francisco, crews are spending the next 3 weeks installing and decorating a real Christmas tree in Union Square for the first time in more than 20 years ahead of a Black Friday lighting ceremony. Meanwhile, the San Jose Earthquakes—valued at $600 million by Forbes and led by head coach Bruce Arena under a contract extension through 2029—ended a 14-year home postseason drought dating back to 2012 and will host the fifth-seeded Houston Dynamo as the fourth seed at PayPal Park starting November 20.

3 min read

Civic life

Bay Area Passes $1B Transit Tax at 61% as SF Elects Wiener, Keeps Park — Bay Area Transit Tax & SF Vote

Voters across 5 Bay Area counties approved a regional public transit sales tax measure by a 61% to 39% margin, raising an estimated $1 billion annually for SF Muni, AC Transit, Caltrain, and BART by increasing the sales tax 0.5% in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties and 1% in San Francisco. BART General Manager Bob Powers said about 60% of revenue goes to transit operators, 30% to 35% returns to the 5 counties, and 5% funds regional programs, providing BART roughly $300 million per year as the system reports 95% on-time performance. Meanwhile, a 7-map precinct analysis of San Francisco’s November 2026 election showed state Senator Scott Wiener defeating Supervisor Connie Chan with 55% of the vote, 65% of voters rejecting Proposition G to keep Sunset Dunes Park (including 58% No in the 7 adjacent precincts, up from 40% support in 2024), 55% supporting Proposition 40’s billionaire health care tax, 80% opposing Proposition 39 voter ID rules, and up to 90% in some precincts backing Proposition H’s Muni parcel tax alongside Mayor Daniel Lurie’s Charter Propositions D, E, and F. Across the city, civic celebrations spanned a Fireworks AI waterfront display, Election Night gatherings for Wiener and City College Trustees Elijah Ball, Erwin Tam, and Monroe Lace, Proposition B leading by 5,500 votes, the WNBA champion Golden State Valkyries’ Embarcadero parade, and the 19th season opening of the Union Square ice rink.

Science Center Books 70mm Dune Run as Autumn Music and Books Debut

Virginia Air & Space Science Center Schedules 4-Week 70mm IMAX Run of Dune: Part 3 While Weighing $1M Upgrade

Solo Artist Leyna Sky Sets November 20 Release for Debut Single It Is Me Ahead of January 2027 EP

Painted Oxen Press Releases Novel ThePaintedOxen by Author Thomas Lloyd Qualls

Walnut Creek and East Bay Weekend Screening Lineup Highlights 5 New Releases

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