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The week started off with a bang, so to speak, thanks to a rare San Francisco thunderstorm. In case you missed them, here were some other newsy highlights:
On Saturday, Grattan Elementary School celebrated the opening of their schoolyard to the public on weekends with a kick-off party and ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Supervisors Mark Farrell and London Breed. Families and children can now access the schoolyard between 9am and 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays, as part of the city's Shared Schoolyards program.
On Tuesday, we delved into the story behind the Parnassus Masonic Temple at 9th and Judah. The cornerstone of the building, now home to the I-Kuan Tao Zhong Shu Temple, was laid in 1914, and the second and third floors may have hosted the Freemasons until as recently as 1982. Before grocery stores became a neighborhood scarcity, a Safeway occupied the ground floor space, which now houses Clean-X-Press and JT Market.
We also recapped Tuesday night's packed SFPD Park Station meeting. Representatives from the city's Homeless Outreach Team, the SFPD's Haight Street Task Force and the Coalition on Homelessness discussed the SFPD's recent crackdown on quality of life issues in the Upper Haight related to homelessness. Officers detailed some of the successes and challenges of getting people into shelters and drugs and weapons off the street, while some attendees pushed back, calling their tactics heavy-handed and counterproductive.
If triskaidekaphobia doesn't keep you from venturing out, you may want to check out some of these events on Friday the 13th and beyond.
Thursday, November 12th
"Garden Railway: 1915 Pan-Pacific" Opens at the Conservatory of Flowers
100 JFK Dr., Museum Hours: Tues-Sun, 10am-4:30pm
Host Description: "In an enchanting display landscaped with hundreds of dwarf plants and several water features, model trains wend their way through the festive [Panama–Pacific International Exposition] fairgrounds, zipping past whimsical recreations of the fair's most dazzling monuments and amusements, including the Tower of Jewels, Palace of Fine Arts, and more. Interpretive signs, memorabilia and interactive activities throughout help visitors to understand the colorful history of the grand fair that signaled San Francisco's recovery from the 1906 earthquake." Admission is $8 for adults ($6 with a San Francisco ID), with discounts for youth, seniors, and college students. The exhibit runs through April 10, 2016.
Photo: Conservatory of Flowers
Friday, November 13th
Friday Nights at the de Young: Berets, Exray's and Forays
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., 5pm-8:30pm
Host Description: "Friday Nights at the de Young are after-hours art happenings that include a mix of live music, dance and theater performances, film screenings, panel discussions, lectures, artist demonstrations, hands-on art activities, and exhibition tours. Local artists conduct drop-in workshops, debut new commissions, display their art in the Kimball Education Gallery, and take part in conversations about the creative process. The café offers a delicious prix-fixe menu and specialty cocktails, and the Hamon Tower observation level is open until 8 pm." This week's happenings include hypnosis tours, still life dances, and live music by Exray's.
3 Fish Studios, 4541 Irving St., 7pm-9pm
Host Description: "Fans of San Francisco history know that the city hosted a spectacular world's fair in 1915, but less well known is the engaging tale of how San Francisco envisioned and won the Panama-Pacific International Exposition against long odds. Join architectural historian Laura Ackley for the exciting story spanning the period from 1904, when department store magnate Reuben Brooks Hale first proposed a San Francisco world's fair, through all the dramatic political ups and downs, to the final selection of the site for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. This event is limited to 30 WNP members and their guests. WNP members, please RSVP. Not a WNP member? Join today."
The Art of Rock at Green Apple Books on the Park
1231 9th Ave., 7:30pm
Host Description: "Paul Grushkin will discuss the latest edition of his legendary poster collection, The Art of Rock (Abbeville Press). Replete with firsthand history—including exclusive interviews with scores of insiders, poster artists, musicians, and promoters—this is the ultimate high for the rock music fan, required reading for the poster collector, a treasure trove for the graphic artist, and a riotous feast for anyone who digs pop culture."
Image: Image: Green Apple Books
Circus Center Cabaret: A Roll in the Hay
755 Frederick St., Friday and Saturday, 8pm
Host Description: "Our cabaret EmCee Will Trichon, accompanied by the Roger Glenn Trio, leads the way on a wild ride through a changing countryside. Partake of autumnal delights and refreshments from the cabaret bar in a chic and intimate venue where the audience is never more than 50 feet away from the performers. Celebrate the unexpected twists of the season and laugh out loud with some of the Bay Area’s best circus acts. Let our top-quality performers take your breath away this fall!" The event is 21+, and tickets are $35 for general admission, $75 for VIP seating plus a drink ticket, or $250 for a VIP table for four, including four drink tickets.
Saturday, November 14th
Garden For the Environment Class: Grow Your Own Food in November!
7th Ave. at Lawton St., 10am-noon
Host Description: "Year-round vegetable gardening makes you a part of creating a seasonal, local and clean food system. To take full advantage of the unique gardening climate in San Francisco, it’s important to know your vegetable garden’s needs each month. Join GFE and Carey Craddock as we take a closer look at what to do in your garden in November to ensure a bountiful harvest through to winter.
This month will focus on taking advantage of the rainy season by planting cold hardy crops such as garlic, peas, and edible perennials, as well as a tour of what’s growing at the GFE in November." Admission is $25, or $15 for members.
Golden Gate Park Oak Woodlands Volunteer Project
Meet at the bottom of the Conservatory of Flowers steps, 10am-12:30pm
Host Description: "Join this knowledgeable group of volunteers to restore the native oak woodlands in Golden Gate Park. For more information you are welcome to contact Robert Bakewell at 415-710-9617 or rcbakewell [at] gmail [dot] com. Please wear closed toed shoes, long pants and layers. The event will occur rain or shine, barring high winds. Light refreshments provided.
Please email recparkvolunteer [at] sfgov [dot] org or call 415-831-6333 to register so we can plan projects and tools accordingly."SF Botanical Garden's End-of-Season Plant Sale
1199 9th Ave., 10am-1pm
Host Description: "Come by for a unique opportunity to admire and acquire an outstanding selection of plants seldom found in commercial nurseries or garden centers. Enjoy a wide variety of plants at each monthly Saturday sale, in addition to featured selections, based on the season. Find the right plants for your Bay Area (or beyond!) microclimate, with many propagated from our very own collections."
Photo: San Francisco Botanical Garden
San Francisco City Guides Tour: "Inner Sunset: The Birth of a Neighborhood"
Meet at Arguello and Hugo streets, 11am
Host Description: "Discover how this charming neighborhood emerged from the windswept dunes originally deemed hopeless and uninhabitable. Explore the area, see the bustling local color, and hear fascinating history (and an occasional bit of lore)." Local historian and writer Lorri Ungaretti will lead this tour. All City Guides tour are free, though they welcome donations.
Hidden Garden Steps Monthly Clean-up/Planting
16th Ave. between Kirkham and Lawton streets, 1pm-3pm
Host Description: "The Hidden Garden Steps community continues to flourish, with new and returning volunteers helping maintain the steps and gardens on 16th Avenue between Kirkham and Lawton Streets. Work each month includes sweeping, weeding, planting, and other routine maintenance as needed."
Sunday, November 15th
Free Kitchen Swap at the Inner Sunset Farmers' Market
Parking lot between 8th and 9th Aves, Irving and Judah, 9am-1pm
Host Description: "Clean out that everything drawer and bring it to the Inner Sunset Farmers' Market to swap with your neighbors. And then pick up a wine glass or salad bowl that is looking for a new home."
San Francisco Soundwave Chorus: 60th Birthday Party Concert
St. Anne of the Sunset Church, 850 Judah St., 5:30pm-7:30pm
Host Description: "In celebration of the chorus' 60th birthday, we present 60 years of pop music, under the direction of Diane Myrick. The famous Boswick the Clown will make a special appearance at intermission. Light refreshments and birthday cake will be served." Tickets are $20, or $10 for students and seniors, and you can purchase them here.
Photo: San Francisco Sound Wave Chorus
Enjoy the weekend, Sunsetters!
