Events Calendar

January

•San Francisco Sports and Boat Show- Ten day expo featuring the latest in outdoor sporting and boating equipment for purchase and display. At the Cow Palace, 415-469-6065.
•Chinese New Years Celebration and Parade! In Chinatown, natch. The Chinese New Year Celebration usually starts in the last week of January and culminates with the parade in February. It's a spectacular parade featuring a 200-foot long dragon, as well as many other dragons, dancers, floats, etc., providing many photo opportunities. The parade begins at 5:30 at 2nd and Market Streets, turns right on Stockton St., right on Post, and left on Kearny where it ends on Columbus Ave. For more info, check out www.chineseparade.com . Lots of great restaurants to choose from for a bite to eat after the parade!

Chinese New Year's Parade

February

•Valentine's Day celebrations abound around the city, starting with the week before the actual holiday on February 14th. Be sure to make your dinner reservation well in advance!
•San Francisco Tribal, Folk and Textile Art Show is an exhibition of work from around the world for sale by many international dealers, featuring rugs, jewelry, masks, beadwork and more. Takes place at the Fort Mason Center Festival Pavillion. For more information call 310-455-2886 or check the local newspapers.
•Russian Festival, featuring Russian arts, crafts, foods, music and folk dancing, at 2460 Sutter Street. For more info: www.russiancentersf.com
•California International Antiquarium Book Fair for serious book collectors, at the Concourse Exhibition Center, 635 Eighth St. at Brannon. For more info: www.sanfranciscobookfair.com .
•Pacific Orchid Exposition featuring lectures, dispays and a wide selection of orchids for sale, art, etc. www.orchidsanfrancisco.com at the Festival Pavillion at Fort Mason Center.

The Brides of March

March

•St. Patrick's Day celebrations are to be found at all the city 's bars on March 17th. There's always alot happening around the Embarcadero buildings, especially in that bar on the corner across the street from Embarcadero 3. And trust me, all the Irish bars will be mobbed! One popular spot is Kate O'Briends Irish Bar & Grill at 579 Howard Street (tel: 415-882-7240). There are also alotof Irish bars along Lombard Street,
and on Geary Street. And of course there's a St. Patrick's Day Parade! Begins at 12:45 pm at 2nd and Market, ending at City Hall. Call 415-731-0924.
•There are lots of Oscar parties around to go to, from funky to high style and everything in between. A fun place to go on this night is the Parkway Theatre(510-814-2400 and www.picturepubpizza.com ) in Oakland, where you can sit on a couch or comfy chair, eat pizzas, salads or other good munchies, while you watch the show on a big movie screen. You are encouraged to dress up as there are contests for best celebrity look-alikes, best big hair, best cleavage, and other humorous categories--very fun. Best to get your ticket as soon as they go on sale, as they always sell out!

Oscar Fun at the Parkway Theater

April

•Easter Sunday at Grace Cathedral, a beautiful Gothic cathedral on Nob Hill, offers a variety of services. It's a very liberal church, and although it is Episcopalian, it is very welcoming to anyone from any faith. Once I went there on Easter, and they had a Dixie Jazz Easter service, and it was quite a sight to see the Bishop in his miter jauntily coming down the aisle to the beat of the Dixie band playing "When the Saints Come Marching In"!
•The San Francisco International Film Festival (www.sfiff.org ) takes place during this month and into May, with a huge selection of movies from around the world that you may never have the opportunity to see otherwise. There are many special events to choose from to attend, but you must get your tickets early, as they almost always sell out quickly! My favorite event was one in which Gerard Depardieu was the honoree, and he was interviewed in person on stage. Later, there was a fantasticly elegant party with a delicious buffet and free-flowing champagne at The Ritz Carleton. Alas, Gerard was too shy to join the crowd.
At another event, I was thrilled to shake hands with the elegant Jeremy Irons (did you know he is a chain-smoker?)
•Cherry Blossom Festival which happens mostly in and around the Japantown Center is a clelebration of spring and the first blossoms of cherry trees. Martial arts exhibitions, arts and crafts and food booths. Call 415-563-2313.
•California Music Awards, formerly called The Bammies, features popular and cutting edge musicians from California, and an award ceremony along the lines of The Grammies. The public is invited to vote for this year's nominees by logging on to www.californiamusicawards.com .

Splendid Carneval Costume

May
May is a happening month in San Francisco! Here are a few of the events and celebrations that take place:

•Cinco de Mayo celebrations in San Francisco at the Civic Center and in" the Mission". It's a Mexican holiday, although oddly enough, only certain parts of Mexico celebrate this holiday. I was in Cabo San Lucas on one Cinco de Mayo (translation: Fifth of May), and there was not one mention of the holiday there. Apparently, it is celebrated mostly in the Pueblo state of Mexico. Anyway, here in San Francisco, it's a very popular holiday, and a good excuse to have a margarita mostly!
• Carnivale Parade and Celebration! So much fun! It takes place in the Mission District. Get there early to claim your space to see the many dance troupes from around the world shake their booties and strut their stuff in the colorful parade. You'll see mostly Brazilian-style samba dancers in their feathery finery, but also samba dancers, Aztec dancers, and giant masked stilt-walkers and more. Around the corner from the parade between 16th and 22nd Streets, are lots of food stalls and arts and crafts for sale, which the emphasis on Latin and South America. Info: 415-826-1401.
• Bay to Breakers Race. This is a very San Franciscan footrace where groups of people jog in costume or some in nothing at all! It's a big party really, although there are some serious runners, known as "seeded" runners. Many people from around the world come to join this popular footrace. For details, go to www.baytobreakers.com .

Black & White Ball

June

•The Black and White Ball is a very elegant, extremely popular fundraiser for the San Francisco Symphony. Tickets are about $175 (or more by now). Everyone is encouraged to wear their most elegant black and white evening attire. There are numerous musical bands and food stations spread out over a few city blocks around City Hall in the Civic Center. . For details, www.bwball.com and 415-503-5509.
•Union Street Art Festival, a popular event on a very stylish street, featuring arts and crafts, gourmet food and wine and beer, music and children's activities. 415-441-7055.
•Ethnic Dance Festival is an excellent way to see folk and traditional dance troupes from all over the world over a three day period, attend one day or all three.
At the Palace of Fine Arts. www.worldartswest.org
or call 415-474-3914 for info and 4`5-392-4400 for tix.
•North Beach Festival provides plenty of street entertainment including live musicians, poetry readings, dancing, worldclass sidewalk chalk drawings, arts, crafts, food and drink. For information call 415-989-2220.
•Haight Street Fair is a free outdoor celbration of the diversity and history of The Haight with live entertainment, arts and crafts, food booths, and social service organizations. At Haight Street from Masonic up to Golden Gate Park. 415-661-8025.
•Juneteenth Film Festival celebrates and showcases the works of emerging young African-American film-makers, also featuring seminars. www.juneteenthfilmfestival.org and 415-346-0199.
•San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival www.frameline.org , 415-703-8650.
•San Francisco Gay Pride Parade, a celebration of alternative lifestyles with wildly costumed participants, including "Dykes on Bikes" and others. Starts at 10:30 am at Market and Beale Streets continue southwest on Market St. until 8th St., to the Civic Center Plaza where the main celebration is held. About $3 to enter at the entrance to the Civic Center celebration. www.sf-pride.org and 415-864-3733.
•Annual New Orleans by the Bay Food and Music Festival with big-name headliners, such as The Neville Brothers, and Bonnie Raitt, etc., includes opportunites to sample Creole, Southern and International cuisines. Two day s, from noon to 7:30 pm at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, 650-967-4040.
•Fillmore Street Jazz Festival offers free music at three stages, outdoor street cafes, and many arts and crafts booths. On Fillmore Street between Eddy and Jackson Streets, Saturday and Sunday, end of June, early July,
10 am - 6 pm. For info: 800-731-0003.

Fireworks in SF

July
•Fourth of July celebrations are happening all over the Bay. Great fireworks can be seen in San Francisco, both near Fisherman's Wharf which is packed with celebrants and The Embarcadero. There are also great firework displays at Jack London Square in Oakland, at the Berkeley Marina and in Sausalito. If you find the right spot, you can see all the firework displays around the Bay! SF Chronicle Fourth of July Waterfront Festival includes live music, entertainment and fireworks. More info:www.chronicleevents.com, 415-705-5500
•Bastille Day on July 14th is France's version of July 4th. It is wildly celebrated on Belden Place which is a quaint alley between Pine and Bush and Kearny and Montgomery. It gets jam-packed with revelers on this little alley starting around 5 pm. If you plan to eat dinner there at one of the charming cafes or restaurants, make your reservation a few weeks in advance. Some of the excellent restaurants include 44 Belden, Café 52, Plouf, Café Bastille, and Tiramisu.
•San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, the first and oldest Jewish film festival in the world, with screenings by films by Jewish filmmakers from around the world. At the Castro Theatre, San Francisco and other venues around the bay. www.sfjff.org

August

•Nihonmachi Street Fair, features dancing, music,good and other cultural aspects of Japan, Asian and Pacific Islander community non-profit organizations which participate in raising both funds and awareness. In Japantown, 415-771-9861.
•Pistahan Festival celebrates the arts, music, dance, foods and culture of the Philippines. 415-989-8088
•Oakland Chinatown StreetFest is a celebration of Chinese culture, food and arts in Oakland on Franklin and Ninth Streets. Free. 510-893-8979.

September

September and October are particularly great months to be in San Francisco! Lots of things happening and the weather couldn't be better! Enjoy!

•Renaissance Pleasure Faire takes place at the Nut Tree in Vacaville, Solano County. It is a festive event that immerses participants in 16th century England merriment including jousts with knights in armor, complete with the Queen and her court in attendance, jugglers, jester, revelers in period garb, food and drink in an outdoor setting. Admission $17.50 adults, $7.50 children. www.renfair.com/northernca/
•A La Carte A La Park, an annual festival of gourmet food, wine and beer, and live music in Golden Gate Park on Labor Day weekend.
Info:415-458-1988; Tix: 415-478-BASS
and www.eventswestca.com . A benefit for the Friends of Recreation and Parks.
•Sausilito Art Festival on Labor Day weekend in the picturesque Sausalito. Very crowded, but worth going to at least once! Lots of excellent art and artists, food, wine, live entertainment, by the Bay. Tix around $15. More info: 415-331-3757.
•Solano Avenue Stroll is the East Bay's great big street party with food, live music and dancing up and down Solano Ave. in Albany and stretching up into Berkeley. Lots to explore along the streets as well as it is lined with all kinds of interesting ethnic shops and restaurants . More info at www.solanoavenueassn.org.
•Macy's Passport Fashion Show, a fashion show extravaganza benefit for HIV/AIDS research, prevention, treatment and care. Takes place mid-September every year. It's worth going at least once. Major celebrities often presenting. At Fort Mason. For info call 800-334-6158 or www.macys.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
•San Francisco Blues Festival, the longest continuously running blues festival in the U.S. Takes place outdoors at the Great Meadow at Fort Mason by the Bay.
Many stages to check out. Saturday and Sunday. Don't forget a hat and sunscreen!
Tickets about $30. Info at 415-979-5588 and www.sfblues.com
•Folsom Street Fair, a street fair for leather enthusiasts between 7th and 12th streets.
More info at 415:861-3247 and www.folsomstreetfair.com

Mill Valley Sequoia Theatre

October

•The Mill Valley Film Festival! I really love this film festival. I really don't need much of an excuse to go to the enchantingly rustic town of Mill Valley, but I am compelled to go for this festival. Like the San Francisco International Film Festival, many newly released movies from around the world and the US which you may never see anywhere else are shown at theatres in Mill Valley, Larkspur and San Rafael. There are special events and seminars to choose from as well, usually featuring honorees from the movie industry.
Check out www.mvff.com for more info or call 925-866-9597.
•Latino Film Festival started in 1996, now features more than 60 films all featuring films by Latino artists. Special events are part of the festival as well. For more info, check out www.latinofilmfestival.org.
•Exotic Erotic Ball, the world's largest indoor masquerade ball, featuring scantily-clad and outrageous participants. A lecherous voyeur's paradise! 21 years and older. Cow Palace, 8pm-2am. For info: 415-469-6065, and www.exoticeroticball.com .
•San Francisco Jazz Festival serves up two full weeks of live music from both up-and-coming talent and legendary jazz greats, plus master classes and lectures. www.sfjazz.org and/or call 415-788-7353.
•Grand National Rodeo, Horse and Stock Show featuring traditional rodeo competitions, horse shows, with more than 2500 head of stock on display, music, dancing, a western shopping mall and vittles. It's great fun, especially if you have never been to a rodeo! At the Cow Palace, Daly City. www.grandnationalrodeo.com and/or call 415-469-6000.
•San Francisco Fall Antique Show, featuring antique dealers from all over the world exhibiting their wares in stylish, imaginative ways, at the Fort Mason Center, Festival Pavilion. Admission is $15 and includes catalog. For info: 415-546-6661.
•HALLOWEEN!!! San Francisco-style! Throngs of costumed participants and voyeurs mill about the famous Castro area primarily and now also at the Civic Center Plaza for revelry, food, drink, dancing and ogling each other on Oct. 31. For more info: 415-826-1401.

November

•Dias de los Muertos, (translates to Days of the Dead), is Mexico's version of Halloween Day, takes place in the first week of November. It's a light-hearted celebration of living amongst the spirits of the dearly departed with alters honoring the collective spirits, and other festivities. Check the local newspaper for locations of mostly family-oriented festivities found in The Mission and in parts of Oakland and San Jose.
•Thanksgiving Day menus are featured at many restaurants around the Bay Area. Check the Pink Pages of the San Francisco Chronicle. Also, if you're so inclined, you can help out those who are less fortunate, and help serve The City's homeless and needy at various charities around town, such as The Glide Memorial Church.
•Film Arts Festival, sponsored by Film Arts Foundation, features the films of Bay Area film-makers. Over 40 films will be shown over four days, Nov. 8 - 11, 2001. Film Arts Foundation services the Bay Area's film-making scene, with this festival, and seminars, classes and events throughout the year, as well as film production facilities. Worth checking out! www.filmarts.org and located at 346 9th Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco. Or call 415-552-8760.

December

•Parade of Yachts, all lit up and some with dancing santas go sailing by Jack London Square, Oakland, which is great to see at least once! There are other fun things to do at Jack London Square around this time so check out www.jacklondonsquare.com for details.

•The Nutcracker performed by The San Francisco Ballet at the War Memorial Opera House from Dec. 11 - 30. It's a MUST SEE at least once! For more info check out www.sfballet.org

•A Christmas Carol performed at American Conservatory Theatre, a classic Christmas story! For more info: www.act-sfbay.org

•California Revels presents a wonderful nostalgic show every year featuring a musical and theatrical celebration of the winter solstice featuring dance and costumes of various cultures from around the world, focussing on one culture each year. This year Celtic traditions will be featured. Past years have featured the yuletide traditions of Italy, Victorian England, and Scandinavia. Every show is absolutely magical, and a great experience for everyone of all ages and religious backgrounds. Highly recommended! For more info, call the box office at 510-893-9853 or visit their website at www.calrevels.org.

•The lighting of Christmas trees around the City: in Union Square, Ghirardelli Square, Union Street, Pier 39 and more! Check The Pink Pages in the Chronicle for details.

•The Great Dickens Christmas Fair featuring a Victorian London in San Francisco at the Cow Palace. Lots of things to see and do: food and drink in pubs and restaurants, theatre, quaint shops, and entertainers. 415-897-4555 and www.dickensfair.com

• Victorian Christmas at the Dunsmuir House in the Oakland Hills

•New Year's Eve on the Embarcadero, fantastic fireworks and lots of big parties to choose from!

Would you like me to add an event? wendy@best-of-sanfrancisco.com
or post it here:

hom e

Got questions? Ask wendy@sanfranciscoandbeyond.com!



San Francisco is probably at it's most charming from May through to October, when the weather is generally sunny and there are lots of fun events to attend. From November through to April, there tends to be more rain and it's cooler, but there are still many entertaining diversions. A good source for very current and sometimes small scale events, ranging from garage sales to local musical events is www.craigslist.org and of course there's The Pink Pages in the Sunday newspapers, the San Francisco Chronicle (call 1-800-CHRONICLE to subscribe if you want to.) The Pink Pages has all the current movies and times, musical events, small local events to the big headliners at arenas, museums, lectures, zoos, etc. Here is a general at a glance overview of events for your convenience throughout the year, and details about exact dates, times and locations can be accessed through the links or by calling the phone numbers listed. (Hint: This is a good page to bookmark!) *January* •San Francisco Sports and Boat Show- Ten day expo featuring the latest in outdoor sporting and boating equipment for purchase and display. At the Cow Palace, 415-469-6065. •Chinese New Years Celebration and Parade! In Chinatown, natch. The Chinese New Year Celebration usually starts in the last week of January and culminates with the parade in February. It's a spectacular parade featuring a 200-foot long dragon, as well as many other dragons, dancers, floats, etc., providing many photo opportunities. The parade begins at 5:30 at 2nd and Market Streets, turns right on Stockton St., right on Post, and left on Kearny where it ends on Columbus Ave. For more info, check out www.chineseparade.com . Lots of great restaurants to choose from for a bite to eat after the parade! Chinese New Year's Parade February •Valentine's Day celebrations abound around the city, starting with the week before the actual holiday on February 14th. Be sure to make your dinner reservation well in advance! •San Francisco Tribal, Folk and Textile Art Show is an exhibition of work from around the world for sale by many international dealers, featuring rugs, jewelry, masks, beadwork and more. Takes place at the Fort Mason Center Festival Pavillion. For more information call 310-455-2886 or check the local newspapers. •Russian Festival, featuring Russian arts, crafts, foods, music and folk dancing, at 2460 Sutter Street. For more info: www.russiancentersf.com •California International Antiquarium Book Fair for serious book collectors, at the Concourse Exhibition Center, 635 Eighth St. at Brannon. For more info: www.sanfranciscobookfair.com . •Pacific Orchid Exposition featuring lectures, dispays and a wide selection of orchids for sale, art, etc. www.orchidsanfrancisco.com at the Festival Pavillion at Fort Mason Center. The Brides of March March •St. Patrick's Day celebrations are to be found at all the city 's bars on March 17th. There's always alot happening around the Embarcadero buildings, especially in that bar on the corner across the street from Embarcadero 3. And trust me, all the Irish bars will be mobbed! One popular spot is Kate O'Briends Irish Bar & Grill at 579 Howard Street (tel: 415-882-7240). There are also alotof Irish bars along Lombard Street, and on Geary Street. And of course there's a St. Patrick's Day Parade! Begins at 12:45 pm at 2nd and Market, ending at City Hall. Call 415-731-0924. •There are lots of Oscar parties around to go to, from funky to high style and everything in between. A fun place to go on this night is the Parkway Theatre(510-814-2400 and www.picturepubpizza.com ) in Oakland, where you can sit on a couch or comfy chair, eat pizzas, salads or other good munchies, while you watch the show on a big movie screen. You are encouraged to dress up as there are contests for best celebrity look-alikes, best big hair, best cleavage, and other humorous categories--very fun. Best to get your ticket as soon as they go on sale, as they always sell out! Oscar Fun at the Parkway Theater April •Easter Sunday at Grace Cathedral, a beautiful Gothic cathedral on Nob Hill, offers a variety of services. It's a very liberal church, and although it is Episcopalian, it is very welcoming to anyone from any faith. Once I went there on Easter, and they had a Dixie Jazz Easter service, and it was quite a sight to see the Bishop in his miter jauntily coming down the aisle to the beat of the Dixie band playing "When the Saints Come Marching In"! •The San Francisco International Film Festival (www.sfiff.org ) takes place during this month and into May, with a huge selection of movies from around the world that you may never have the opportunity to see otherwise. There are many special events to choose from to attend, but you must get your tickets early, as they almost always sell out quickly! My favorite event was one in which Gerard Depardieu was the honoree, and he was interviewed in person on stage. Later, there was a fantasticly elegant party with a delicious buffet and free-flowing champagne at The Ritz Carleton. Alas, Gerard was too shy to join the crowd. At another event, I was thrilled to shake hands with the elegant Jeremy Irons (did you know he is a chain-smoker?) •Cherry Blossom Festival which happens mostly in and around the Japantown Center is a clelebration of spring and the first blossoms of cherry trees. Martial arts exhibitions, arts and crafts and food booths. Call 415-563-2313. •California Music Awards, formerly called The Bammies, features popular and cutting edge musicians from California, and an award ceremony along the lines of The Grammies. The public is invited to vote for this year's nominees by logging on to www.californiamusicawards.com . Splendid Carneval Costume *May* May is a happening month in San Francisco! Here are a few of the events and celebrations that take place: •Cinco de Mayo celebrations in San Francisco at the Civic Center and in" the Mission". It's a Mexican holiday, although oddly enough, only certain parts of Mexico celebrate this holiday. I was in Cabo San Lucas on one Cinco de Mayo (translation: Fifth of May), and there was not one mention of the holiday there. Apparently, it is celebrated mostly in the Pueblo state of Mexico. Anyway, here in San Francisco, it's a very popular holiday, and a good excuse to have a margarita mostly! • Carnivale Parade and Celebration! So much fun! It takes place in the Mission District. Get there early to claim your space to see the many dance troupes from around the world shake their booties and strut their stuff in the colorful parade. You'll see mostly Brazilian-style samba dancers in their feathery finery, but also samba dancers, Aztec dancers, and giant masked stilt-walkers and more. Around the corner from the parade between 16th and 22nd Streets, are lots of food stalls and arts and crafts for sale, which the emphasis on Latin and South America. Info: 415-826-1401. • Bay to Breakers Race. This is a very San Franciscan footrace where groups of people jog in costume or some in nothing at all! It's a big party really, although there are some serious runners, known as "seeded" runners. Many people from around the world come to join this popular footrace. For details, go to www.baytobreakers.com . Black & White Ball June •The Black and White Ball is a very elegant, extremely popular fundraiser for the San Francisco Symphony. Tickets are about $175 (or more by now). Everyone is encouraged to wear their most elegant black and white evening attire. There are numerous musical bands and food stations spread out over a few city blocks around City Hall in the Civic Center. . For details, www.bwball.com and 415-503-5509. •Union Street Art Festival, a popular event on a very stylish street, featuring arts and crafts, gourmet food and wine and beer, music and children's activities. 415-441-7055. •Ethnic Dance Festival is an excellent way to see folk and traditional dance troupes from all over the world over a three day period, attend one day or all three. At the Palace of Fine Arts. www.worldartswest.org or call 415-474-3914 for info and 4`5-392-4400 for tix. •North Beach Festival provides plenty of street entertainment including live musicians, poetry readings, dancing, worldclass sidewalk chalk drawings, arts, crafts, food and drink. For information call 415-989-2220. •Haight Street Fair is a free outdoor celbration of the diversity and history of The Haight with live entertainment, arts and crafts, food booths, and social service organizations. At Haight Street from Masonic up to Golden Gate Park. 415-661-8025. •Juneteenth Film Festival celebrates and showcases the works of emerging young African-American film-makers, also featuring seminars. www.juneteenthfilmfestival.org and 415-346-0199. •San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival www.frameline.org , 415-703-8650. •San Francisco Gay Pride Parade, a celebration of alternative lifestyles with wildly costumed participants, including "Dykes on Bikes" and others. Starts at 10:30 am at Market and Beale Streets continue southwest on Market St. until 8th St., to the Civic Center Plaza where the main celebration is held. About $3 to enter at the entrance to the Civic Center celebration. www.sf-pride.org and 415-864-3733. •Annual New Orleans by the Bay Food and Music Festival with big-name headliners, such as The Neville Brothers, and Bonnie Raitt, etc., includes opportunites to sample Creole, Southern and International cuisines. Two day s, from noon to 7:30 pm at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, 650-967-4040. •Fillmore Street Jazz Festival offers free music at three stages, outdoor street cafes, and many arts and crafts booths. On Fillmore Street between Eddy and Jackson Streets, Saturday and Sunday, end of June, early July, 10 am - 6 pm. For info: 800-731-0003. Fireworks in SF *July* •Fourth of July celebrations are happening all over the Bay. Great fireworks can be seen in San Francisco, both near Fisherman's Wharf which is packed with celebrants and The Embarcadero. There are also great firework displays at Jack London Square in Oakland, at the Berkeley Marina and in Sausalito. If you find the right spot, you can see all the firework displays around the Bay! SF Chronicle Fourth of July Waterfront Festival includes live music, entertainment and fireworks. More info:www.chronicleevents.com, 415-705-5500 •Bastille Day on July 14th is France's version of July 4th. It is wildly celebrated on Belden Place which is a quaint alley between Pine and Bush and Kearny and Montgomery. It gets jam-packed with revelers on this little alley starting around 5 pm. If you plan to eat dinner there at one of the charming cafes or restaurants, make your reservation a few weeks in advance. Some of the excellent restaurants include 44 Belden, Café 52, Plouf, Café Bastille, and Tiramisu. •San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, the first and oldest Jewish film festival in the world, with screenings by films by Jewish filmmakers from around the world. At the Castro Theatre, San Francisco and other venues around the bay. www.sfjff.org August •Nihonmachi Street Fair, features dancing, music,good and other cultural aspects of Japan, Asian and Pacific Islander community non-profit organizations which participate in raising both funds and awareness. In Japantown, 415-771-9861. •Pistahan Festival celebrates the arts, music, dance, foods and culture of the Philippines. 415-989-8088 •Oakland Chinatown StreetFest is a celebration of Chinese culture, food and arts in Oakland on Franklin and Ninth Streets. Free. 510-893-8979. September September and October are particularly great months to be in San Francisco! Lots of things happening and the weather couldn't be better! Enjoy! •Renaissance Pleasure Faire takes place at the Nut Tree in Vacaville, Solano County. It is a festive event that immerses participants in 16th century England merriment including jousts with knights in armor, complete with the Queen and her court in attendance, jugglers, jester, revelers in period garb, food and drink in an outdoor setting. Admission $17.50 adults, $7.50 children. www.renfair.com/northernca/ •A La Carte A La Park, an annual festival of gourmet food, wine and beer, and live music in Golden Gate Park on Labor Day weekend. Info:415-458-1988; Tix: 415-478-BASS and www.eventswestca.com . A benefit for the Friends of Recreation and Parks. •Sausilito Art Festival on Labor Day weekend in the picturesque Sausalito. Very crowded, but worth going to at least once! Lots of excellent art and artists, food, wine, live entertainment, by the Bay. Tix around $15. More info: 415-331-3757. •Solano Avenue Stroll is the East Bay's great big street party with food, live music and dancing up and down Solano Ave. in Albany and stretching up into Berkeley. Lots to explore along the streets as well as it is lined with all kinds of interesting ethnic shops and restaurants . More info at www.solanoavenueassn.org. •Macy's Passport Fashion Show, a fashion show extravaganza benefit for HIV/AIDS research, prevention, treatment and care. Takes place mid-September every year. It's worth going at least once. Major celebrities often presenting. At Fort Mason. For info call 800-334-6158 or www.macys.com or www.ticketmaster.com. •San Francisco Blues Festival, the longest continuously running blues festival in the U.S. Takes place outdoors at the Great Meadow at Fort Mason by the Bay. Many stages to check out. Saturday and Sunday. Don't forget a hat and sunscreen! Tickets about $30. Info at 415-979-5588 and www.sfblues.com •Folsom Street Fair, a street fair for leather enthusiasts between 7th and 12th streets. More info at 415:861-3247 and www.folsomstreetfair.com Mill Valley Sequoia Theatre October •The Mill Valley Film Festival! I really love this film festival. I really don't need much of an excuse to go to the enchantingly rustic town of Mill Valley, but I am compelled to go for this festival. Like the San Francisco International Film Festival, many newly released movies from around the world and the US which you may never see anywhere else are shown at theatres in Mill Valley, Larkspur and San Rafael. There are special events and seminars to choose from as well, usually featuring honorees from the movie industry. Check out www.mvff.com for more info or call 925-866-9597. •Latino Film Festival started in 1996, now features more than 60 films all featuring films by Latino artists. Special events are part of the festival as well. For more info, check out www.latinofilmfestival.org. •Exotic Erotic Ball, the world's largest indoor masquerade ball, featuring scantily-clad and outrageous participants. A lecherous voyeur's paradise! 21 years and older. Cow Palace, 8pm-2am. For info: 415-469-6065, and www.exoticeroticball.com . •San Francisco Jazz Festival serves up two full weeks of live music from both up-and-coming talent and legendary jazz greats, plus master classes and lectures. www.sfjazz.org and/or call 415-788-7353. •Grand National Rodeo, Horse and Stock Show featuring traditional rodeo competitions, horse shows, with more than 2500 head of stock on display, music, dancing, a western shopping mall and vittles. It's great fun, especially if you have never been to a rodeo! At the Cow Palace, Daly City. www.grandnationalrodeo.com and/or call 415-469-6000. •San Francisco Fall Antique Show, featuring antique dealers from all over the world exhibiting their wares in stylish, imaginative ways, at the Fort Mason Center, Festival Pavilion. Admission is $15 and includes catalog. For info: 415-546-6661. •HALLOWEEN!!! San Francisco-style! Throngs of costumed participants and voyeurs mill about the famous Castro area primarily and now also at the Civic Center Plaza for revelry, food, drink, dancing and ogling each other on Oct. 31. For more info: 415-826-1401. November •Dias de los Muertos, (translates to Days of the Dead), is Mexico's version of Halloween Day, takes place in the first week of November. It's a light-hearted celebration of living amongst the spirits of the dearly departed with alters honoring the collective spirits, and other festivities. Check the local newspaper for locations of mostly family-oriented festivities found in The Mission and in parts of Oakland and San Jose. •Thanksgiving Day menus are featured at many restaurants around the Bay Area. Check the Pink Pages of the San Francisco Chronicle. Also, if you're so inclined, you can help out those who are less fortunate, and help serve The City's homeless and needy at various charities around town, such as The Glide Memorial Church. •Film Arts Festival, sponsored by Film Arts Foundation, features the films of Bay Area film-makers. Over 40 films will be shown over four days, Nov. 8 - 11, 2001. Film Arts Foundation services the Bay Area's film-making scene, with this festival, and seminars, classes and events throughout the year, as well as film production facilities. Worth checking out! www.filmarts.org and located at 346 9th Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco. Or call 415-552-8760. December •Parade of Yachts, all lit up and some with dancing santas go sailing by Jack London Square, Oakland, which is great to see at least once! There are other fun things to do at Jack London Square around this time so check out www.jacklondonsquare.com for details. •The Nutcracker performed by The San Francisco Ballet at the War Memorial Opera House from Dec. 11 - 30. It's a MUST SEE at least once! For more info check out www.sfballet.org •A Christmas Carol performed at American Conservatory Theatre, a classic Christmas story! For more info: www.act-sfbay.org •California Revels presents a wonderful nostalgic show every year featuring a musical and theatrical celebration of the winter solstice featuring dance and costumes of various cultures from around the world, focussing on one culture each year. This year Celtic traditions will be featured. Past years have featured the yuletide traditions of Italy, Victorian England, and Scandinavia. Every show is absolutely magical, and a great experience for everyone of all ages and religious backgrounds. Highly recommended! For more info, call the box office at 510-893-9853 or visit their website at www.calrevels.org. •The lighting of Christmas trees around the City: in Union Square, Ghirardelli Square, Union Street, Pier 39 and more! Check The Pink Pages in the Chronicle for details. •The Great Dickens Christmas Fair featuring a Victorian London in San Francisco at the Cow Palace. Lots of things to see and do: food and drink in pubs and restaurants, theatre, quaint shops, and entertainers. 415-897-4555 and www.dickensfair.com • Victorian Christmas at the Dunsmuir House in the Oakland Hills •New Year's Eve on the Embarcadero, fantastic fireworks and lots of big parties to choose from! Would you like me to add an event? wendy@best-of-sanfrancisco.com or post it here: hom e Got questions? Ask wendy@sanfranciscoandbeyond.com!