My City By The Bay

AUTHENTICALLY LOCAL
Upcoming events in San Francisco 42nd Annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival

April 11 - 19 Japantown
In 2009, the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival will be celebrating its 42nd year as one of California’s most prominent celebrations of Asian traditions. The Street Fair will include a food bazaar, featuring traditional Japanese cuisine and cooking demonstrations, a Japanese traditional arts and crafts fair, and a children’s village.
www.nccbf.org

18th Annual Spring Celebration and Easter Parade
Sunday, April 12
It can best be described as wonderful, wacky, elegant and fabulous, with everything from roller-blading cows and creative self-propelled mini-floats to garden areas, sophisticated fashions and beautiful classic and art cars. The event also features a variety of children’s and family activities, live entertainment, and food served in an outdoor bistro setting by some of Union Street’s best restaurants. Event Location: Union Street between Gough and Fillmore
www.SRESproductions.com

Wicked
“Broadway’s biggest blockbuster (The New York Times) has returned to San Francisco! See the show that gives you the untold stories of the witches of Oz. Whether you’re a long time fan or a first-timer you will be spellbound by the magic of this incredible production!
For more information click here

American Hwangap at Magic Theatre
A bittersweet homecoming is in store for Min Suk, a Korean immigrant character in Lloyd Suh’s new play at Magic Theatre. Join the family he left behind as they get ready to celebrate his 60th birthday in American Hwangap …

The Bay Area’s Best Tamales
The Benchmark Institute’s celebrated Taste of Tamales By the Bay fundraiser returns to Fort Mason Center. Sample tasty tamales, heirloom beans and sala, listen to storytellers and lively music, and watch the fast-paced Margarita contest …

Cheers For the Beer Fest
The San Francisco International Beer Festival brings hundreds of craft brews and beer-friendly cuisine to the Festival Pavilion to raise funds for a cooperative nursery school. Learn more about this popular beer extravaganza …

Zen Values & Greens Cuisine
Greens Restaurant and the San Francisco Zen Center hold a delicious banquet and awards ceremony to honor leaders exemplifying the values of Zen Buddhism. Be inspired by the award-winners and the cuisine at this worthwhile fundraising event …

Purchase tickets online for Fort Mason Center events through their online Box Office:
www.fortmason.org/boxoffice

Get the latest updates on What’s Happening in April in Fort Mason Center’s Web calendar, including the “Taking the Sea” lecture at the Maritime Library: www.fortmason.org/calendar/2009/04/week1.shtml

Learn something new at one or more of the many Classes and Workshops held at Fort Mason Center: www.fortmason.org/classesworkshops

Heart of Chaos and South First Billiards proudly present Girl Power, an art exhibit featuring local artists Christine Benjamin, Lacey Bryant, Lara Sophia and Marylea “Murphy” Adams. Art will be on display throughout April and May 2009.
Don’t miss this exciting showcase and live performances by Bay Area talent!

Gallery Hours : 4pm-2am M-Sat & 7pm-2am Sun

The arts are a huge part of San Francisco and the Bay Area.  The entertainment industry has also taken a hit during these tough economic times.  The government’s stimulus package will give over fifty million dollars to the entertainment industry and generate over 5 million new jobs and one hundred and seventy million in entertainment activities.  This is a huge boost for the San Francisco and Bay Area economy.  You can read more at the ABC7 News website.

The Osher Marin Jewish Community Center located in San Rafael, California is “the” destination for community events and services.  I was lucky enough to attend a jazz concert at the center about a month ago.  We went to see vocalist Sony Holland and her trio perform at this beautiful venue.

Being the first time there, I had no idea what to expect.  I was simply in awe of this center.  The concert area is much larger than I thought it would be.  There are table vignettes strategically arranged so that no matter where you are seated your view of the performance is perfect.  It is large in size yet intimate in comfort level.

For me, the lighting was great.  So many times I attend concerts where the lighting is so poor you can barely see the stage.  In this venue I was able to get a couple of photos during the performance without a flash which came out fine.  Believe me, that is very important and I was pleasantly surprised.

I have followed Ms. Holland’s music for the past six years all over the Bay Area and overseas.  I have been to many premier jazz venues, hotels, cafes etc…  I have to say that the venue here at Osher Marin has the absolute best sound system I have ever heard.  The sound was crisp and right on target.  I have never heard Sony and the band sound so good.  Before the performance there was someone who happened by while the band was rehearsing behind closed doors and uttered ” Is that live? “  It was that good.  Whoever is in charge of that sound system knows their stuff.

The center itself is home to many programs, services and events.  The staircase as shown above leads to a world class fitness center and award winning swimming pool which was voted the best in Marin for the second year in a row.  There are Summer camp programs and educational services all in a family friendly atmosphere along with events to include concerts, lectures and so much more.

There are volunteers who take care of the patrons by offering snacks and beverages before each show.  Friends of the Kanbar Center for the Performing Arts hosted a champagne and petit four reception after Sony Holland’s concert.  It is this community based interaction which makes Osher Marin so special.

For more detailed information including a calendar of events please visit the Osher Marin website.

I would like to thank the Friend of the Kanbar Center for the Performing Arts who took the photos for this post including the ones displayed in the video above.  You are very much appreciated.  The video was created as a tribute to the Osher Marin JCC and to thank them for a fantastic evening.  The song “In Marin” was written by Jerry Holland with vocals by Sony Holland.

If you like live entertainment but settle for a movie or DVD more often than you’d like due to ticket prices,  you might be interested in joining Goldstar. They have fun ideas, half-price tickets, member reviews, and everything you need for great nights out.

By joining Goldstar Events for free you can tell them what type of live entertainment you like and the areas where you live, work and play, and they will deliver dozens (or even hundreds) of half-price offers to music, theater, comedy, sports and more.  All tickets are half price.  There are major concert tickets, comedy acts, performances, tours etc… There is something for everyone at Goldstar and the great part is you are saving money and you can get out on the town.  I use them whenever I can. Because they offer half price tickets, the tix sell quickly so it’s a good idea to buy in advance.

It doesn’t cost anything to sign up, and you can do it in just a few seconds. You’ll be getting out to great live entertainment and having a good time with friends and family right away.

For more detailed information sign up at the link below.

http://www.goldstar.com/?p=f786779ff27

Located along the Northern tip of San Francisco Fort Mason served as a Military Army base for over one hundred years.  It was also a coastal defence base for over 30 years.  After the military conversion it now houses officers’ quarters with many buildings open to the public.  Sitting on twelve hundred acres of land the area hosts over fifty buildings which are used for entertainment and educational purposes.  There is a youth hostel located within Fort Mason Park and is frequented by many tourists especially during the Summer.

San Francisco residents who own boats and yachts use the docks adjacent to Fort Mason for their housing.  Hundreds of years ago these docks housed merchant marine ships and served as a military port.  

As in the above photos the views from this area are gorgeous.  The Golden Gate Bridge can be seen in the far background as well as the Marin Headlands.  If you enjoy walking or biking there is a path along the Fort Mason and Marina area where you can walk or bike to the bridge along the Marina Green and Presidio area.  I’ve done it many times while walking and it’s just beautiful.  Even on a day when the bridge is shrouded in fog, you cannot beat the views.

On weekends the Marina Green is a playground for local residents and tourists alike.  There is kite flying, picnicking, frisbee tournaments and during Summer months many types of festivals and gatherings.

For obsessed shutterbugs like myself, this is a photographer’s dream scape. 

You all know by now that I am obsessed when it comes to taking photos.  I carry my camera everywhere.  I once stopped in the middle of a sidewalk at a bus stop to take photos of leaves on the street because I had an idea for a poem.  People were looking at me like I was nuts.  You never know when you will see something that sparks an idea.

In the beginning I had all of my photos with Yahoo until they decided to discontinue their service.  I didn’t like the layout on Flickr so I researched for photo hosting services and found that I really liked what PhotoWorks had to offer.

One key issue for me was being able to upload the photos and not have to keep them on my computer because I had a very small amount of room available on my hard drive.  So, I used PhotoWorks and when I need to download one of my photos back to my computer, I do it with a one click process.  It’s very handy.

I don’t just store photos in photo books or boxes.  I like to be creative with them.  My favorite way to do this is to create a photo book with PhotoWorks.   It is such an easy process that anyone can do it.   They have several styles and sizes available at various price points.  You simply use any of the photos in your PhotoWorks album and use a drag and drop system to create your book. There is an easy step by step guide to take you through the process.  You can even add text on the pages if you like.  I have made several of these for friends as gifts.  They’re great because it is something you created yourself and is elegantly displayed in a book filled with glossy pages of your own photos.

I’ve created several books of the Botanical Gardens here in San Francisco as well as Ocean Beach.  I think one of the Golden Gate Bridge is in order.

AUTHENTICALLY LOCAL:
Upcoming events in San Francisco

Wicked
“Broadway’s biggest blockbuster (The New York Times) has returned to San Francisco! See the show that gives you the untold stories of the witches of Oz. Whether you’re a long time fan or a first-timer you will be spellbound by the magic of this incredible production!
For more information click here

March 15
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
One of the longest-running parades in the U.S. features Irish dancers, floats and marching bands and attracts more than 100,000 viewers. The route goes from Second and Market streets to the Civic Center.
For information, call
415-675-9885.
sfstpatricksdayparade.com

March 16 - 21
Bouquets to Art
Lunch and tea are served during the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s annual fund-raiser. Lectures by horticulturists and displays by 100 of California’s top floral designers. M.H. de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park.
For information and tickets,
call 415-750-3504.
www.bouquetstoart.org

March18 - 22
San Francisco Garden Show North America’s fourth-largest garden show covers 6 acres/2.5 hectares with hundreds of exhibits, gardens and free educational seminars. Cow Palace, Geneva Avenue and Santos. For information, call 415-771-6909.
www.gardenshow.com

AN EVENING OF FINE WINE
McCormick and Kuleto’s is proud to present “Bounties of the Bay,” a special evening with Steven Honig of Honig Wines. On Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at 6:30pm McCormick and Kuleto’s will be hosting a very special five course dinner perfectly matched with the finest wine Honig has to offer. It’s a rare opportunity to experience this amazing food and wine pairing with one of the most respected wine makers in Napa Valley. The cost is only $85.00 per person all inclusive.

Please call 415-929-8374 for more information and to reserve your space, seating is limited!  

Photo courtesy of The Asian Art Museum San Francisco

Japanese Lacquer
March 14
2:30 pm–4:00 pm
Samsung Hall

Osaka-born artist Sugimura Akira shares the history of Japanese lacquer and techniques of his contemporary style. The artist has exhibited his works both in his home country and abroad. His recent events include a lecture/demonstration in Australia in 2006 as part of a group cultural art exchange program and an exhibit at the International Asian Art Fair in New York in 2007. Mr. Sugimura is a recipient of the Mayors Association Award at the Nara Prefecture Exhibition (1998) and the Artists Association Award at the Nara City Exhibition (1999).

Cosponsored with Satsukikai, a Japanese women’s group presenting Japanese cultural events and the Japan Society.