Portola Valley Sasha Samuels has exhibited her jewelry at the Los Altos Rotary Club’s Fine Art in the Park event for several years. But this year, she’s taken on another project close to her heart: Curating an exhibition, “Children’s Voices, from War to Resilience.” It features original artwork and prints created by kids living in Ukraine, which has been under siege since 2022.

The art includes paintings and “trench art,” made from items left behind after battles like 50-caliber shell casings and ammunition boxes. It’ll be on display during the juried art event Saturday and Sunday at Lincoln Park.

A banner over Main Street in Los Altos advertises the Los Altos Rotary Club's 51st annual Fine Art in the Park, which takes place Aug. 8-9, 2026, at Lincoln Park in Los Altos. (Sal Pizarro/Bay Area News Group) 

Over lunch this week at Los Altos restaurant Barbayani, Samuel told me how she has traveled to Ukraine several times over the past few years, and made trips to Washington, D.C., with groups lobbying to aid the Ukrainian cause. That’s how she learned about Natalia and Yustyna Pavliuk, a mother and daughter who are professional artists and began holding art classes for young kids in Lviv, Ukraine, not long after the Russian invasion in 2022. Most of the proceeds from sales of the Ukrainian children’s art will go toward the Pavliuk’s program, “Art Which Saves,” and a pediatric burn unit in Poland that treats Ukrainian children.

Many of the pieces depict the horrors of war, with Ukrainian flags amid burning buildings but others show symbols of love and resilience. Carol Dabb, who has been a professional art consultant for more than 30 years and has been the show’s artist coordinator for 12 years, pointed out a common theme that runs through many of the pieces.

“I’ve noticed a lot of angels in the children’s art,” she said, noting many are watching over or protecting people. “It’s their way of coping with the trauma.”

More than 150 artists will be exhibiting their work under the redwoods at Fine Art in the Park, which will include live music on both days and food for sale from local favorites like Chef Chu’s Mr. Falafel, Tropical Hut and Fire & Slice Pizza. It is open 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day, with proceeds benefitting the artists as well as more than three dozen local and international programs supported by the Los Altos Rotary Club. Get more information at www.rotaryartshow.com.

FISHY CELEBRATION IN CUPERTINO: The Cupertino Library will officially unveil its refurbished aquarium with a reopening celebration Saturday at 10:15 a.m. The 16-foot-long, 3,240-gallon saltwater aquarium — donated by Annie and Fred Chan in memory of Fred’s father, Mr. Pak Chung Chan — has been a delight for both kids and adults alike since it originally opened in 2004.

In 2024, the Cupertino Library Foundation made it a priority to rehabilitate the aquarium, home to dozens of fish species, as its artificial reef had faded in color and otherwise deteriorated. A steering committee — Orrin Mahoney, Jim Davis, Gilbert Wong and Carrie Young — oversaw the project, which began this spring and included the removal of a half-ton of sand from the aquarium and the fabrication of a new reef by RockinReefs in Florida.

Saturday’s festivities will include crafts, story time, a scavenger hunt and the chance to see hundreds of fish in their colorful new environment for the first time in months. The library is at 10800 Torre Avenue.

JAZZY WEEKEND IN SAN JOSE: Downtown San Jose will be filled with the sounds of jazz, blues, salsa and more all weekend long. Most of that music will be played on the stages of San Jose Jazz’s Summer Fest, but the fun doesn’t end when the stages wrap up for the night thanks to the SJZ Club Crawl.

Bands will be playing at nearly a dozen venues throughout downtown all weekend, usually starting between 7 and 9 p.m. with some going until midnight or later. The lineup includes the lobby bar at the Signia by Hilton, Poor House Bistro, Mezcal, the San Jose Marriott, the AC Hotel, the Hotel De Anza’s Hedley Club and the SoFA district’s newest bar Courage, Anyone?. The Official Latin Tropical Stage After-Party, headlined by Orquesta Taino, takes over Blanco Urban Venue in San Pedro Square at 8 p.m. Friday, though keep in mind that one is 21-and-up and $25 at the door.

You can still get passes and tickets for Summer Fest, which opens at 5:45 p.m. Friday with Adi Oasis at the Jay Paul Company Main Stage at Plaza Park at and runs through Sunday night, at summerfest.sanjosejazz.org.