Before we get to the events calendar for what's shaping up to be a beautiful fall weekend, let's recap some of the week's notable neighborhood news.
Earlier this week, we brought you an update on crime in the neighborhood, including video of an altercation over a gun during an failed Outer Sunset home burglary. Other hot prowl burglaries (where the victim is home) have been reported, but auto theft and burglaries still top the list of local crimes.
On Wednesday, in honor of the N-Judah's 87th birthday, we took a trolley trip down memory lane. The Muni line, which debuted to much fanfare, played a big role in increasing development and improving quality of life for residents west of the then-controversial Sunset tunnel. A fact that may not surprise rush-hour commuters: a trip from Ocean Beach to Embarcadero station took 36 minutes in 1928, but today, commuters need to budget 43 minutes.
Finally, some welcome news for fitness enthusiasts: Lavation Studio, the indoor cycling and circuit training space on Stanyan Street, officially opened this week. The former Son Loy Laundry features 30 indoor bikes, 15 circuit-training stations, and lots of natural light. If you're interested, classes can be booked online; the full schedule rolls out October 26th.
There's plenty to keep you active around the neighborhood this weekend too. Here's what's on deck:
Friday, October 23rd
St. Anne of the Sunset Harvest Festival
850 Judah St., Friday 3pm-9pm, Saturday 10am-9pm, Sunday 10am-2pm
Host Description: "A Sunset tradition for 33 years, the Festival features attractions for all ages, including carnival games, contests, live entertainment. Outside we'll have food trucks, a Giant Slide, Jumpy House, Farmers Market and Pumpkin Patch. For the Foodies, we'll kick off the Festival on Friday with an Oktoberfest Dinner featuring locally-brewed Craft Beer. On Saturday we'll have a Rib Dinner and wine tasting in in there somewhere as well." For the full schedule, check out their Facebook page.
Photo: St. Anne of the Sunset
Movies at McCoppin: Malificent
McCoppin Square, Taraval St. and 23rd Ave., 7:15pm
Host Description: "Movies begin at sunset (7:15), but come early for coupons to local eateries and kid's activities. Visit with POPS (People of Sunset Parkside), our local merchants/residents association, and staff from Animal Care and Control, who will have a few furry friends for you to meet as well."
Circus Center Cabaret: Come Hither, Zombie
755 Frederick St, Friday and Saturday, 8pm
Host Description: "This month's cabaret features all the ghoulish mirth and haunting magic of the Halloween season. While you enjoy a drink from our Cabaret Bar, watch as spiderwomen, zombies, and burlesque temptresses perform dazzling circus acts in our uniquely intimate venue. The music of Cami Thompson and the Roger Glenn Trio will keep the atmosphere hot enough for all you devils and demons." General admission is $35; VIP seating, which includes a drink ticket, is $75; and a VIP table for four, which includes one drink ticket per person, is $250. The event is 21+.
Saturday, October 24th
Haight and Stanyan St, Golden Gate Park, 9am-noon
Host Description: "Join the SFRPD gardeners and the Alvord Lake Task Force to beautify the eastern entrance of Golden Gate Park. A wide range of gardening tasks are available. Light refreshments provided. Please wear closed-toe shoes, long pants and layers. The event will occur rain or shine. Please RSVP to recparkvolunteer [at] sfgov [dot] org."
City Church's Volunteer Beatles Choir
375 Laguna Honda Blvd., 9:30am-noon
Host Description: "Take a sad song and make it better! The Beatles Choir helps the residents and staff of Laguna Honda Hospital through music, joy, and laughter. Laguna Honda Hospital is a long-term, skilled nursing and rehabilitation center, committed to serving seniors and adults with disabilities living in San Francisco. Beatles Choir members of all ages are welcome to come join in song and be a part of the story of God at work with our friends at Laguna Honda Hospital." Meet in the hospital lobby in your black shirt for a pre-concert rehearsal.
Photo: City Church San Francisco
Sustainable Edibles at Garden for the Environment
7th Ave. at Lawton St., 10am-noon
Host Description: "Join us for this [free] class and you will learn simple practices to incorporate into each decision you make in your edible garden. You will learn how to grow edibles with water conservation in mind, how to eliminate toxic chemicals from your gardening, and how to build a healthy garden eco-system, so that nature takes care of your pests for you."
ArtSpan Open Studios: SF Women Artists
647 Irving St., Saturday and Sunday, 11am-6pm
Host Description: "SF Open Studios, the oldest and largest open studios program in the country, is an annual, month-long art event in October and November that showcases over 800 emerging and established San Francisco artists in their studios." The SF Women Artists' gallery will be a Sunset hub, offering music, refreshments, and a chance to meet the artists.
Sunday, October 25th
Parking lot between 8th and 9th Aves, Irving and Judah, 9am-1pm
Host Description: "The plentiful autumn harvest of fruits and vegetables is here. The farmers’ market is filled with colorful gourds to decorate your front porch, winter squash and root vegetables to simmer in hot soups, and juicy pears and apples to bake into pies and warm breads. Again, we remind you to say thanks to the farmers who continue to weather an historic drought to bring you the very best produce!" You can go a step further by taking a pledge to support small California farms, healthy communities, and water efficiency as part of the Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association's pReserve campaign.
Lindy in the Park's Free Beginner Lesson
Golden Gate Park, along JFK Dr. near the de Young Museum, noon-12:30pm
Host Description: "Lindy in the Park offers a free weekly beginning swing dance lesson, taught by Hep Jen, who is generously donating her time to the cause, and various guest instructors. The lessons are short, easy, and fun! And best of all — FREE! No partner is required, as we’ll be rotating leaders and followers throughout the lesson." The dance floor's open from 11am-2pm.
Photo: Lindy in the Park
SF Animal Care and Control Presents Pet Pride Day 2015
Sharon Meadow, Golden Gate Park, 11am-3pm
Host Description: "Join San Francisco Animal Care and Control and the city of San Francisco at Pet Pride Day 2015, a fun, festive and FREE event . This is our 22nd year celebrating the fluffiest-tail-wagging-feathered-scaled-finned citizens and the people that love them. On site adoptions, rescue partners, parade, food, kids activities, pet costumes and pet tricks... we'll have it all."
And looking ahead to next week:
Monday, October 26th
Citizen Science in the Bay Area: Rebecca Johnson at SHARP
1736 9th Ave., 7pm
Host Description: " 'Citizen scientists' are ordinary people all over the world who are helping to conduct scientific research by doing routine tasks any layperson can do, such as collecting soil samples, classifying galaxies according to their shapes, and transcribing scanned images of letters written to Albert Einstein. Dr. Rebecca Johnson, a researcher and co-coordinator of citizen science at the California Academy of Sciences, will describe how the Academy is helping to enlist Bay Area residents as citizen scientists."
Booker Prize Winner Marlon James and Marie Mockett at Green Apple Books
1231 9th Ave., 7:30pm
From Green Apple: "A Brief History of Seven Killings delves deep into [a] dangerous and unstable time in Jamaica’s history and beyond. James deftly chronicles the lives of a host of unforgettable characters – gunmen, drug dealers, one-night stands, CIA agents, even ghosts – over the course of thirty years as they roam the streets of 1970s Kingston, dominate the crack houses of 1980s New York, and ultimately reemerge into the radically altered Jamaica of the 1990s. Along the way, they learn that evil does indeed cast long shadows, that justice and retribution are inextricably linked, and that no one can truly escape his fate."
Thursday, October 29th
Through the Kitchen Window: A Pop-Up Dinner at Nopalito
1224 9th Ave., 6:30pm-9:30pm
Joji Sumi, sous chef at Nopalito and former executive chef of the east coast Mezze Restaurant Group in the Berkshires, is hosting a pop-up dinner at Nopalito's 9th Avenue location next Thursday. Snacks like chicken gyoza and duck-liver toast will precede a five course menu featuring raw fish with yuzu, duck confit with red kuri squash and greens, almond cake with persimmon, and more. Tickets for the meal go for $54; you can purchase an additional drink pairing for $27.
