ART AMONG THE REDWOODS -- THIS WEEKEND!

SATURDAY SEP. 4 - MONDAY SEP.6

KINGS MOUNTAIN ART FAIR

With over 130 artist booths, arts and crafts for the kids and plenty of food and drink, The Kings Mountain Art Fair is a great way to spend the Labor Day Weekend.

I used to take my kids there every year and although the traffic going up 92 was pretty bad (and I’m sure its only gotten worse) it was worth the trip because of how much fun we all would have.

Plus, it’s always about ten degrees cooler up in the Redwoods, so it’s an especially good idea with the weather as it is.

And if all that’s not enough to convince you, all the proceeds benefit the Kings Mountain Volunteer Fire Brigade and Elementary School.

Here's the website!

A Local's Guide to the Bay Area's Best End of Summer Events, Part 1

 It’s August. I don’t know how it happened, but Labor Day is coming up fast (one month!), which means this summer’s on its final stretch. If you’re anything like me, life doesn’t change much with the seasons--summer just means work with more sun shining through the windows.

But there are still a few weeks left, and tons of great events and concerts scheduled all over the Bay Area. You haven't missed the whole party!  Don’t you owe it to yourself to get out of the office and to connect with the community? Or, if you're less socially-minded, to eat some killer food? 

Here are a handful of August highlights. My apologies if these are skewed toward foodie culture--I’ll include some links at the end of the post for those of you aren’t quite as obsessed with food.

EAT Restaurant at 111 Minna Gallery: Tonight, August 4th, from 5:00-10:00.

One of my favorite things about Palo Alto is that it’s just a quick drive to San Francisco. I might try and make it up there for this one. Eat Restaurant is the city’s only pop-up restaurant (run by chef Tommy Halverson)--it switches venues all the time. Tonight Eat’s at the gorgeous Minna Gallery, and the mouth-watering menu features local, sustainable produce and cocktails developed by San Francisco’s finest mixologists.

Here’s the menu:

$5 SAILOR JERRY RUM COCKTAILS ALL NIGHT!

Creekstone Sliders (2 for $10 from 5pm-6pm): with havarti or blue - $6 each

Nachos: House fried tortilla chips, Carnitas, queso fresco, cilantro-cabbage slaw, black beans, avocado, lime, salsa - $8

"Franks And Beans": Housemade Baked Beans, Whiskey-Fennel Sausage, Bacon, Sweet Roll, Braised Greens - $9

"BBQ" Chicken and Corn: Braised then Seared and Basted Chicken Quarter, Cilantro Wrapped Corn on the Cob, Grilled, then Roasted Potatoes - $10

Red Trout: Dwelley Farms Romano Beans, Blue Lake and Yellow Wax Beans, Ancho Cress, Red Onion - $10

Melon: Compressed Water and Sharlyn Melon, Feta, Basil, Balsamic Redux, Cold Pressed Olive Oil - $9

Panzanella: Heirloom Tomatoes, Levain, Tomato-Sherry Vinaigrette, Wild Arugula, Reggiano - $9

S'mores: Housemade Chocolate Brownie, Graham Cracker Crust, Marshmallow Brulee, Chocolate Sauce - $6

The 16th Annual San Francisco Aloha Festival: August 7th-8th, 10am-5pm

This two day festival celebrates the talents and culture of San Francisco's community of Pacific Islanders. It's a free event, featuring arts and crafts, Polynesian dancing, island cuisine, workshops and educational exhibits, games for kids, and something called an 'Ohana Korner (I'm definitely going to find out what this is). There's no alcohol permitted on premises. This seems like the kind of event that's great for the whole family. 

Off the Grid: Fort Mason Center: August 6th, 5Pm-9Pm

Promo materials are billing this re-occuring event (every Friday throughout August) as a food adventure. Which sounds about right, considering this description: "Off The Grid brings a diverse group of mobile food vendors, with music, to the Marina neighborhood. Enjoy such delights as the Chairman Bao Bun Truck, Kung Fu Tacos, El Porteno Empanadas, Curry Up Now, and Chaac Mool." 

Also, it's in a parking lot. For some reason street food just tastes better when you're standing on concrete. 

FREE Friday Night Concerts at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk: Every Friday thru September 3rd,  6:30PM

The Santa Cruz Boardwalk is one of my favorite places in the Bay Area. It’s the quintessential summer scene--sandy beach, an ocean dotted with surfers, the smell of hot dogs, and that brightly lit Ferris Wheel turning in the background. The bands play right on the beach, and every concert is free. This Friday catch A Flock of Seagulls, followed in the coming weeks by Spin Doctors, Papa Doo Run Run, and Starship.

Taiwanese Dish Crawl: August 10th, 6pm (Cupertino) 

Okay, so I know I've given you three and half food events so far, but here's another local food showdown that sounds particularly noteworthy. For $30, you can join a group of adventurous eaters on a dish crawl through Cupertino. It’s your chance to try Taiwanese food, if you’re unfamiliar with the cuisine. The dish crawl official website offers a hunger-pang inducing description: Taiwanese cuisine has an extremely unique flavour. Dishes range from sticky oyster pancakes with egg and sweet chili sauce to meatballs encased in a mochi-like shell. Sometimes it's the simplicity of a well executed pork chop over rice and served with pickled veggies. If your tastebuds are up for it, you must come explore. ;) $30 for 4+ courses at a few local hidden faves.

Don’t forget to RSVP!

San Jose Super Toy, Comic, and Collectible Show: August 14^th, 11-4, Santa Clara County Fairgrounds

Get in touch with your nerdy side (or make your kids happy) at the annual toy/comic book/vintage collectible bonanza. No seriously, it’s a bonanza--with over 250 tables offering toys and collectibles that range from Transformers and Star Wars figurines to vintage lunch boxes, this event promises to be a wonderland of nostalgia. Tickets are cheap too--five bucks for adults, and kids get in half price.

AT&T San Jose Jazz Festival: August 13-15^th, 5:30-11:45

The San Jose Jazz festival is one of the most exciting and well-attended jazz festivals in the country. Last year over 100,000 people swarmed the Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown San Jose to listen to a truly international line-up of musicians. Whether you’re into funk, blues, fusion, Latin, R&B, folk--there’s a band on the schedule for you (Tower of Power is playing the first night!). Check out the official website for online discounts and more information, including past attendee memories of the festival, and the details on joining a Salsa Flash Mob… Tickets go fast!

Shakespeare Santa Cruz: shows run through August 29^th, weekend matinees at 2pm, weeknight shows at 7:30 & 8:00

A couple of years ago I saw the Shakespeare Santa Cruz production of Beckett’s End Game on the mainstage, and couldn’t have been more impressed with the quality of the performances, the gorgeous and bleak set design, and the directorial interpretation of such a difficult play. There’s world-class theater happening right in our neighborhood, and you really shouldn’t miss it--there’s something spectacular about seeing a show outdoors in the Festival Glen, as the sky darkens and the redwoods seem to creep closer to listen. Starting at $15 a pop, tickets are cheap. August offerings include The Lion in Winter (a contemporary family drama), Love’s Labor’s Lost, and the heart-searing Othello.

OTHER EVENT RESOURCES

SFGATE

YELP

PALO ALTO ONLINE

BAY AREA EVENTS

*photos courtesy of Planetware and SFGate Blog 

Save San Francisco's Magic Theatre

Saving the Magic Theatre isn't just about retaining one of San Francisco's most valuable historic landmarks and cultural institutions--it's about saving modern theater itself. For 42 years the Magic Theatre has stood for what's new, ground-breaking, and yes, magical, about the stage and its stories, about the possibility behind the curtain.

The theatre's impact isn't just on the Bay Area. It extends into the national theater community and beyond. The Magic has acted as a haven for playwrights that rose to the forefront of the artistic world: Sam Shepard, Nilo Cruz, and Paula Vogel are among the four Pulitzer prize winners whose voices came to life here. The Magic Theatre is one of the places that makes San Francisco a cultural destination rivaling cities like New York and Chicago.

Now, due to the economic turbulence wreaking havoc across the world, the Magic might be forced to cancel the rest of its current season and close its doors for good. In order to continue with their current season, stop a staff shutdown, and keep on the right side of creditors, the Magic needs to raise $350,000 by January 9th--this upcoming Friday. The Magic has always prized artistic risk over money-making, and their admirable, barrier-breaking history proves just how much that choice has influenced contemporary theater. Beyond all this, the Magic employs over 200 artists annually and changes the lives of countless audience members with every performance. If we allow the Magic to shut its doors, we're turning our back on the artists that make the Bay Area such a vibrant place. 

Financial losses have hammered the Magic, and this 43rd year might be the theatre's far too early end. The theatre has already enacted drastic budget cutbacks and begun a rigorous campaign to increase revenue despite the recession.  This season is the inaugural year with new artistic director Loretta Greco, and the first two shows under her leadership, The K of D: An Urban Legend and Evie's Waltz, won much critical praise. Loretta Greco and the rest of the staff have been working without pay since December 19th. 

The rest of the season promises to be equally stunning, featuring new works by some of the most talented and creative writers around. Without the Magic, it's hard to imagine work by luminaries like Theresa Rebeck (Mauritius, slated to run April 18-May 21) or Craig Wright (Mistakes were Made, May 23-June 21) finding a suitable space to run in the Bay Area. Especially since three major Bay Area theaters have either closed on or been on the brink of closing in the last month. Shakespeare Santa Cruz was in a similar plight back in December, but thanks to over $400,000 in pledges that theater will make it through another season. 

The season has four plays left, and without our help these plays might never see an audience in the Bay Area. In a recent San Francisco Chronicle article, Loretta Greco says, "This $350,000 appeal, the third prong, is more grassroots. We're sending it to our colleagues and friends here and around the country. We've raised about $170,000 so far, and no gift is too small. That's where we are. We've got to get back in rehearsal."

You can help. No donation is too small. To contribute to the Magic Theatre and help keep its doors open CLICK HERE. Help us save the Magic and everything it stands for! 

Bay Area Highlights, Thru Nov 23

Bay Area Highlights

The Peninsula and South Bay Edition: Check out these great events!

Music--

Palo Alto Philharmonic Chamber, 8:00PM, 11/15

Schubert's Trout Quintet. Tickets www.paphil.org

Classical Art Center Auditorium, Palo Alto

The Namedroppers starring Eddie Money plus Moreality, 8:00PM, 11/12

Fox Theatre, Redwood

Celine Dion, 7:30PM, 11/23

Pop HP Pavilion, San Jose

Brazilian Jazz Showcase With Ed Johnson & Novo Tempo, 4:00PM, 11/23

City Lights Theater, San Jose

Things To Do: 

Project Runway Finalist Daniel Vosovic, 11/7, 7:30PM

Daniel Vosovic discusses and signs Fashion Inside Out: Daniel V's Guide to How Style Happens From Inspiration to Runway and Beyond.

Kepler's, Menlo Park

The Peninsula French Fair, A Day in France, 11/8, 10:00AM--6:00PM

Original French products--start your Christmas shopping!

Hillview Community Center, Los Altos 

2008 San Mateo Harvest Festival, 11/14-11/16, 10:00AM--6:00PM

San Mateo County Event Center, San Mateo

Brought to you by Cindy Solomon, North American Title Company

Bay Area Highlights, Oct 21-Nov 5

The Peninsula and South Bay Edition

Music and Comedy:

Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band, 8:00PM-10/21

Rock/Pop Shoreline Ampitheatre, Mountain View

Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic, 8:00PM-10/23

HP Pavilion, San Jose

Craig Shoemaker, 8:00PM-10/23

Comedy Improv Comedy Club, San Jose

Palo Alto Philharmonic Orchestra, 8:00PM-10/25

Cubberley Community Center Theater, Palo Alto

Neil Young, Norah Jones, Wilco, ZZ Top, Death Cab for Cutie, Cat Power, Pegi Young, 9:00PM-10/25

Rock/Pop Shoreline Ampitheatre, Mountain View

San Jose Chamber Ochestra, 7:00PM-10/26

World premiere of Mimi Dye's One Beautiful Light. 

Le Petite Trianon Theatre, San Jose

The Assads, 6:00PM-10/28

Brothers Sergio & Odair amaze on Brazilian guitar. 

Community School of Music and Arts at Finn Center, Mountain View

English Beat, 7:00PM-11/1

Dave Wakeling tours across the States, Canada, & the UK.

Paris Piano Trio

Former Prize-winning students at Paris Conservatoire, 7:00PM-11/2

Classical Kohl Mansion, Burlingame

Phil Markowitz Trio, 4:40PM-11/12

Jazz Piano Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, Half Moon Bay

More Things To Do:

Zappe Family Circus

An Italian Theatrical Circus since 1842

10/24-10/26, 4:00PM-6:00PM

Circus Tent, Redwood City

Haunted Hostel Halloween Festival

The 6th annual Haunted Halloween Festival at the Point Montara Lighthouse is a once-a-year spooktacular for kids of all ages! 

10/25, 2:00PM--Point Mantara Lighthouse Hostel, Montara

Book Group Expo

Meet authors, eat chocolate, attend lively discussions, taste wine, have books signed, and savor fine tea.

10/25, 10:00AM--McEnery Convention Center, San Jose

Trick or Treat on Twin Pines Lane

Trick or treat room, carnival games, crafts, snacks.

10/31, 6:00PM-9:00PM, Twin Pines Community Center, Belmont

Halloween Bash!

Biggest Bash in San Jose. Listen to the sounds of Latin Affect, Jammin, Tortilla Soup, & special guest GQ

10/31, 6:30-12:00AM. Mexican Heritage Plaza, San Jose

Bay Area Highlights, Oct 6-20

Enjoy October by taking advantage of some of the great events happening this week in the Bay Area!

Music--

7:30PM, 10/7

Earth, Wind, & Fire, Rock/Pop, Mountain Winery, Saratoga

8:00PM, 10/9

David Byrne, Mountain Winery, Saratoga

9:00PM, 10/10

New Kids on the Block, Lady Gaga, Rock/Pop, HP Pavilion, San Jose

7:00PM, 10/12

Classical Pianist Garrick Ohlsson, McAfee Performing Arts and Lecture Center, Saratoga

9:00PM, 10/16

Russ Barenberg and Byron Sutton, Bluegrass/Country, Little Fox, Redwood City

8:00PM, 10/17

Jeffrey Siegal plays Grieg, This celebrated pianist returns to kick off Peninsula Symphony's 60th Season, San Mateo Performing Arts Center, San Mateo

7:00PM, 10/19

Tina Turner, HP Pavilion, San Jose

More Things To Do--

26th Annual Chocolate Fest

Twenty different vendors of chocolate wares: ice cream, gelato, brownies, cakes, cookies, truffles, and candy. 

10/11. 7:30--10:00PM. First Congregational Church of Belmont, Belmont

San Carlos Art and Wine Faire

The San Carlos Chamber of Commerce's Art and Wine Faire will celebrate its 18th year. 

10/11-10/12. 11:00AM, Downtown San Carlos

Campbell's Oktoberfest

Many cities across the U.S and world celebrate Oktoberfest. Campbell might well be mistaken for a German village during this event. 

10/18-10/19. 10:00AM-5:00PM. Downtown Campbell.

Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival

Pumpkins reign supreme on the picturesque terrain surrounding the charming coastal areas. 

10/18. 9:00AM-5:00PM. Downtown Half Moon Bay

3rd Annual Midtown Fun Festival

Games giveaways, and fun for the family.

10/18. 11:00AM-4:00PM. Midtown Shopping Center, Palo Alto

Bay Area Highlights is brought to you by Cindy Solomon at North American Title Company. 

Enjoy your week! 

Bay Area Highlights

I lifted a few of the standouts from the Sept 5th-19th edition of the Bay Area Highlights Newsletter to help you plan your upcoming weekend. The newsletter's a great resource for clueing you in on what's going on around here, especially the musicians playing in concert venues from the Mountain Winery to the Shoreline Amphitheatre. It's designed by Cyndi Solomon from the North American Title Company, and it always features exciting local events. 

Music/Comedy--

Margaret Cho 9/12

Comedy  Mountain Winery, Saratoga

Coco Montoya, Maxx Cabello Jr. 9/12

Jazz/Blues   Little Fox, Redwood City

Daniel Glover  9/13

Classical Piano  Sanchez Concert Hall, Pacifica 

Jefferson Starship with Paul Kantner, David Frieberg, Cathy Richardson, and Barry "the Fish" Melto  9/13

Rock/Pop  Little Fox, Redwood City

Squeeze  9/13

Rock/Pop  Mountain Winery, Saratoga

San Francisco Stand-up Comedy Competition  9/14

15 semi-finalists perform 6-min sets in preliminary round one Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society.  Half Moon Bay

The Neville Brothers, Funky Meters, Dr. John and the Lower 911  9/14

Jazz/Blues  Mountain Winery, Saratoga 

Counting Crows, Maroon 5, Augustana  9/17

Rock/Pop  Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View

Styx  9/19

Rock/Pop  Mountain Winery, Saratoga 

La Ventana  9/19

Latin/Salsa  Downtown Redwood City, Redwood City

Sports

Oakland Athletics

• Oakland vs. Texas, 9/11 & 12 7:05PM, 9/13 & 14 1:05PM
• Oakland vs. LA Angels, 9/16 & 17 7:05PM, 18 12:35PM
• Oakland vs. Seattle, 9/19 7:05PM

San Jose State Spartans

• 9/13 vs. San Diego State, 5:00PM