Each week, we'll feature an especially interesting event in the neighborhood, based on the event submissions we get and what we hear about while we're out on the beat. If you want to be considered for next week, please submit your event here.
Attention, Ferry Plaza Farmers Market shoppers: You might see a different type of sausage and buns on display this Saturday. The seventh annual World Naked Bike Ride: San Francisco, Southern Hemisphere Edition will gather at 11am Saturday between the Ferry Building and the Starbucks on Pier 1. It's the first of four such annual events, and usually is one of the two largest.
There's a broader purpose besides letting it all hang out while you're on a ride. The Facebook page for the ride explains:
Our ride is part of a global protest taking place today in many cities throughout the US, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand and other cities in the Southern Hemisphere. Tens of thousands of naked bike riders are protesting the global dependency of our society and economies at the hands of the oil cartels.
We want to emphasize the harm this dependency causes to our environment, businesses and social lives. Nobody is unaffected. We want to endorse more bike riding, and our nudity expresses our vulnerability to these matters. It also draws attention to our cause.
The ride was originally scheduled for last Saturday, March 5th, but it was postponed due to the forecast of heavy El Niño rain and wind. While it starts on the Embarcadero, the route will meander through the city, and cyclists can join anywhere along the way. Look for naked bikers in Fisherman’s Wharf, the Marina, Lombard, North Beach, Civic Center, the Haight, the Castro and possibly Ocean Beach.
Modest? Wary of getting cited for public nudity? No worries; all are welcome. As the Facebook event page states, it's "bare as you dare," so feel free to don body paint, rubber latex, bikinis, lingerie or whatever you're comfortable riding in. The organizers say that eight World Naked Bike Rides have been held in San Francisco (another big one is held on the second Saturday in June) since the city's anti-nudity ordinance was enacted, with no citations or complaints.
If bicycling in the buff isn't your bag, here are more ideas for things to do in the coming days.
For information on more events around the city, check out hoodline.com/events.
