About 150 years ago – a blink of an eye by European history standards – San Francisco was a mere village with a population of a 1000 people. Then the Gold Rush started in 1848-49 – that’s where the SF’s football team gets its name, by the way – and the population jumped, in practically one day, to close to 30,000. Still small in comparison to New York – at the time at almost half a million – there it was – the biggest city on the west side of the Mississippi river.
As you can guess, the prospect of a quick and vast fortune at the cost of hard labor in a harsh environment, separated by the vast prairies of the continent from the established centers of civilization on the East coast, tended to attract a certain type of person. The risk-taking, nothing-to-lose gamblers and hot heads, hard-workers and free-spirits arrived in droves to seek their fortune, and, unwittingly so, set the tone of the city that to this day pervades its streets and many unique neighborhoods.
The hippies, the hipsters, the nudists, the idealists, the anarchists, the artists and the tech-gurus, the wine-lovers, the food-lovers, the sports-obssessed and the exercise-obssessed – the city, unencumbered by the puritanical roots of the East coast, to this very day, seems to embrace everyone and blush at nothing. Feverishly, sometimes obsessively, aglow with the various pursuits of its many residents…
…which leads me to the purpose of this post. Given the abundance of the unique interests of the above-mentioned groups, as well as many others, and aided by the beautiful, natural setting of the San Francisco Bay, the city serves as a host to a variety of world-level events.
Here are my favorite 5:
Bay To Breakers
There are few other events that exemplify the cooky, free-spirited attitude of the city than the yearly 7-mile ‘race’ knows as “Bay to Breakers“. The event starts at the eastern shore of the city, by the Bay Bridge, and makes its way across the center to the opposite end, the Ocean Beach. While some people decide to actually run it, the rest of the crowd is all about putting on creative costumes, consuming a few beverages (perhaps 🙂 and then, happily, exuberantly, excitedly walk, run, jump and skip across the city with 50,000+ of other, equally excited and as funnily-dressed, folks.
This is one of those events that’s worth a weekend trip to the city. Don’t forget sunscreen, hydration and keeping an open mind for when you run into, and you will, that old naked guy wearing nothing but a fanny pack.
When: May 17th, 2015
Where: San Francisco center – map
Outside Lands
I have been to a few music festivals by now, and Outside Lands still remains one of my favorites. Why? I love the location – the Golden Gate Park, by the ocean. I like the set-up – 5 music stages, separated by tree groves or nested between small hills, and tons of space to roam around and enjoy the music (and food, and beer :)) And, believe it or not, I like the chilly, foggy weather – yep, in August – which gives the whole event a mysterious, ‘alternative universe’ kind of feeling. The crowd is a little older – think young professionals, not college kids – which is another plus in my book. And the acoustics are great, so, if or when you can’t get close to the stages, usually later in the evening, the screens and speakers of the main stage work just as well.
The event is not cheap, but is totally worth it. Getting there is pretty easy from anywhere in the city – several Muni (San Francisco’s public transport system) buses and streetcars will drop you off practically at the gates. Be sure to wear layers (it gets rrrreaaally cold in the evenings; don’t let the pics of semi-dressed people fool you), and bring plenty of cash ($9 beers can add up quickly).
When: August 7-9th, 2015
Where: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
St. Patrick’s Day Parade San Francisco
While the asian and latin heritage of San Francisco is well-known and often celebrated, its Irish roots are, perhaps, somewhat less publicized. Did you know, for example, that Geary street, one of the main arteries of the city, is named after the first mayor of San Francisco, John Geary, who happened to be, you guessed it – Irish! Or that the famous Haight street – a center of the hippie movement in 1960s – was named after another Irish, H.H. Haight, a governor of California? Of course, knowing these facts is not a prerequisite to enjoying one of the most popular and fun events in the city – the St. Patrick’s Day parade. The event takes place along Market street, as most of the parades in the city do, and attracts thousands of spectators eager to cheer the green and orange colored processions of cars, people, horses and, yes, even dogs, all contributing to the easy and good-natured spirit of the event.
Speaking of spirits, no Irish celebration in San Francisco should be complete without visiting the Buena Vista cafe at the Fisherman’s Wharf, and trying out their famous invention – the Irish coffee.
When: March 17th, 2015
Where: Market Street, San Francisco – map
4. Maker Faire
Maker Faire Bay Area
Spend a couple of days in San Francisco Bay Area, and you’ll quickly realize that dreaming up, opening, and keeping afloat one’s personal, often creative, business, is a life goal or, at the very least, a passionate hobby of many a resident of the city. The spirit of creativity and innovation, mixed with a strong entrepreneurial drive is everywhere, and one of the best places to experience it is at Maker’s Faire. Organized as a blend of a festival and a county fair, the event offers countless interactive exhibits where one can learn how to make things, DIY style, play with tools, lock picking anyone? or try out new product prototypes, learning a lot of interesting facts in the process.
The event caters to both adults and children alike and takes place outside of San Francisco in San Mateo County event center, just a short Caltrain ride away form SF’s downtown.
When: May 16-17th, 2015
Where: San Mateo County Grounds
Yossi Govrin, Krista Augus, Night Watch
Once a year, art galleries of San Francisco, Oakland, New York and some other cities gather under Fort Mason’s roof to show their collections from the front lines of contemporary art at the Art Market San Francisco exhibit. Unusual media, 3D installations, and collages from recycled materials, including Ian Berry’s denim creations, and David Mach’s playing card pieces, dominated the exhibit when I visited it a year ago.
And while spending a day strolling along the ocean, playing sports on the beach, and enjoying the views of the Golden Gate bridge in the pretty neighborhood of the Marina, are alone worth a visit to this area, attending the exhibit was definitely a highlight.
The good part is that, in case anything strikes your fancy, all the pieces are for sale; although you might have to start saving now to afford the next year’s art.
When: April 29th – May 3rd, 2015
Where: Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, Marina neighborhood, San Francisco
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