My best friend is in San Francisco this week for a series of business meetings. When she called last night to discuss who got booted from “Dancing with the Stars” I questioned why she was wasting her time watching TV inside her hotel room. She’s in one of the world’s most beautiful and exciting cities why would she choose to spend her time watching Tom Bergeron chide Drew Lachey when she could be shopping and dining at world-class venues?
Her answer: She wanted to see if Wayne Newton would be dancing another week and if Jane Seymour was coming back to dance at all.
In any event, my friend agreed the city is buzzing with excitement. Thousands of tourists have descended on San Francisco to participate in some spectacular activities taking place over the next few days. If you live in and around the San Francisco area or are planning to spend the upcoming weekend there here are some noteworthy events you might consider attending:
Fleet Week
Beginning Friday, October 6th one of the city’s most highly anticipated annual events gets underway. Fleet Week 2007 kicks off with the parade of Navy ships that sail under the Golden Gate Bridge. The flotilla begins at noon on Friday and is followed by an air show featuring the Blue Angels aerobatic flight team. Other highlights include a waterfront music festival, fireworks, and ship tours.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
The popular musical event officially begins tomorrow with performances from a megawatt line-up of country, bluegrass, and crossover stars, including John Prine, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, and Los Lobos along with a host of local up-and-comers. If you attend, be prepared to rub elbows with massive crowds. The free weekend festival draws tens of thousands of fans to Golden Gate Park. This year the seventh annual festival will feature Jeff Tweedy, along with traditional bluegrass acts Del McCoury and the Pine Leaf Boys. In all, more than 60 bands are scheduled to perform.
Castro Street Fair
If you are looking for some eclectic family fun head over to the Castro Street Fair. Bring the kids for a day of PG-rated activities from crafts, food, and shopping. The neighborhood celebration showcases dozens of community and social service organizations, and includes a whole lot of dancing. The fair takes place on Sunday, October 7th around Castro St. between Market and 19th streets.
Open Studios
If you can’t make it to San Francisco this weekend don’t worry, “Open Studios” runs from October 6th through November 4th. The free month-long annual event features more than 800 local artists who open their studios to the public. The event officially kicks off with a “Meet the Artists” reception where participating artists show off samples of their work. Different neighborhoods are highlighted each weekend; maps with studio locations are available at SomArts Gallery.
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