Music

The Glorious Fourth edition! Enjoy looking at the colored fog!

San Francisco’s Fourth of July Waterfront Celebration

When people ask “When do the fireworks start?” this is what they mean. The family-friendliest place to watch may be from the room of your apartment building, but failing that, the party at Aquatic Park has live music, food, kids’ activities, and, of course, fireworks that may or may not be visible. KISS-FM provides the simulcast soundtrack, should you care to tune in.
When: Fri., 7/4, 2-10pm (Fireworks begin at 9:30pm); All ages; Free.

Where: Fisherman’s Wharf Aquatic Park, Jefferson Street (at Hyde Street), San Francisco; 415-674-7503, fishermanswharf.org.

San Francisco Mime Troupe in Dolores Park

Even if your kids are too young to get the political references, they’ll love lying on a blanket in the park and taking in the show.

When: Fri.-Sun., 7/4-6, 1:30-3pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Dolores Park, between 18th and 20th Streets and Dolores and Church Streets, San Francisco; sfmt.org.

Pier 39 Fourth of July Waterfront Celebration

Best for kids who want something zippier than face-painting, this party’s main attraction is lengthy sets by two popular San Francisco cover bands, Big Bang Beat and Tainted Love, along with the glittery touristy allure of Pier 39’s shops and restaurants itself. Unless the fog rolls in, Pier 39 is an excellent spot to view the city fireworks show. If the fog rolls in, of course, no one’s going to see the show.

When: Fri., 7/4, 1-10pm; Age 7+; Free.

Where: Pier 39 , Embarcadero Street (at Beach Street), San Francisco, pier39.com.

July 4th Family Festival at the Cannery

A family-friendly alternative to fireworks shows that don’t even start until long past bedtime, the Cannery party features live music, face painting, and food booths.

When: Fri., 7/4; 11am-3pm; All ages; Free.

Where: The Cannery at Del Monte Square, 2801 Leavenworth Street (at Columbus Street), 415-771-3112, delmontesquare.com.

Go where you will this weekend; just don’t move your car or the pride people will steal your space.

The Art of William Steig

See the career highlights of the man responsible for Pete’s a Pizza, and the original Shrek at this fascinating exhibit of Steig’s drawings, New Yorker covers, and other doodles.

When: Ongoing daily through 9/7 (museum is closed Wednesday); Age 7+; Free with paid admission (Free-$10).

Where: Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission Street (between Third and Fourth Streets), San Francisco, 415-655-7800, thecjm.org.

38th Annual San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration

The big parade starts moving down Market Street at 10:30 a.m. Sunday; hunker down early to get a good spot and once you’ve gotten an eyeful, move on to the afterparty at the Civic Center for food, music, vendor booths, and fun. If the crowd scene gets too hectic, drop in to the Family Garden for gentle kiddie fun: face-painting, games, arts and crafts, and the like.

When: Sun., 6/29, noon-7pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Parade goes from Market and Beale Streets to Market and Eighth Streets; Civic Center party is between Market, Van Ness, Leavenworth, and Turk Streets; (Family Garden is at Larkin and Grove); 415-864-0831; sfpride.org.

Peter & the Pirate

If your child has gotten bitten by the pirate bug, bring him to the San Francisco pier to meet Peter, Captain Bootleg, and Peter’s sea lion pal, Saline D. Ion, in this original maritime musical. Kids are invited to sing and dance with the cast.

When: Ongoing Saturdays and Sundays, 6/28-8/31 with shows at 11:30am and 1pm; All ages; Free-$15.95.

Where: Pier 39, Beach Street (at The Embarcadero), San Francisco, 415-433-3939, peterandthepirate.com.

Mrs. Grossman’s Company Store Annual Warehouse Store

Few local parents realize that Mrs. Grossman — she of the long, skinny sticker sheets that are sold in just about every toy store and pharmacy in America — is practically a local, and once a year the Petaluma warehouse sells deeply discounted stickers that make the sale worth the drive. No strollers allowed during the sale so leave very small kids at home and just bring the walking sticker freaks.

When: Fri., 6/27, 9am-5:30pm; Age 3+; Free.

Where: Mrs. Grossman’s Company Store, 3810 Cypress Drive (at South McDowell Boulevard), Petaluma, 800-429-4549, mrsgrossmans.com.

Don’t forget to bring Daddy breakfast in bed, now.

Northern California Pirate Festival

Go for the arrrgh of it, and enjoy pirate demos and performers, swordfighting, olde crafts and cannons a-blasting.

When: Sat. & Sun., 6/14-15; 10am-6pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Vallejo Waterfront, 401 Mare Island Way (at Capitol St.), norcalpiratefestival.com.

Stern Grove Music Festival

Get into the swing of things at the summer outdoor music festival as R&B/soul singers Booker T. Jones and Bettye Lavette perform in verdant Stern Grove. Bring a picnic and a blanket.

When: Ongoing, Sundays starting 6/15; 2pm; Free.

Where: Stern Grove, 19th Ave. (at Sloat Blvd), 415-252-6252, sterngrove.org.

Music For Families

Give Junior a taste for classical music at this special concert geared at young ones.

When: Sat., 5/14, 2pm; Age 4+; $7.50-54.

Where: Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness St. (at Grove St.), 415-864-6000, sfsymphony.org.

Cool Daddy-O

Celebrate Father’s Day in true hipster style by learning how to customize your bike, courtesy of the Shorty Fatz lowrider bike crew.

When: Sun., 6/15, 12-5pm; Age 4+; Free with museum admission,

Where: Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St. (at 10th St.), Oakland, 510-238-2200, museumca.org.

May breakfast in bed be coming your way.

SFC Double Dutch Classes

Double dutch bus walking down the street, classes at Cellspace will help you learn to work your feet. Boys and girls aged 7-18 learn the fast-paced jump rope dance for fitness and fun. An adult class follows the kids’ class, for mamas and papas who want to stay and learn some new tricks.

When: Ongoing Sundays starting 5/11, 12-1:30pm; Age 7-18; $25 drop-in, 5 classes $95.
Where: Cellspace, 2050 Bryant (at 18th St.), San Francisco, 415-939-2225, Cellspace.org.

KFOG KaBoom!

More than 30,000 people are supposed to show up at this annual live music-and-fireworks show, which this year features the strains of Los Lobos and Collective Soul. The music and crowds are too much for very little ones, but spunky kids age 6 and up can handle it. And all ages will enjoy the fireworks that cap off the show at 9pm, synchronized to KFOG’s broadcast on 104.5 FM. If your kid’s too little to appreciate a humanity-strewn band show, drive over to the piers, put KFOG on the radio, and get ready to ooh and aah.

When: Sat., 5/10, 4pm; All ages; $15-20.
Where: Pier 30/32 - Embarcadero and Brannan (south of the Bay Bridge), San Francisco, Kfog.com.

Mothers’ Day BikeAbout

You can teach a kid to bike in the city, but where are they going to ride? All through the San Francisco Zoo, where cyclists take an early ramble through the grounds before walking patrons are let in. Maybe you’ll catch the animals yawning and stretching in the fresh morning air.

When: Sun., 5/11, 8:30-10:o0am; All ages; $25-30 for bicyclists, $7 for kids on parents’ bikes.
Where: San Francisco Zoo, Sloat Blvd. (at Great Highway), 415-753-7073, sfzoo.org.

SFC Double Dutch Classes

Double dutch bus walking down the street, classes at Cellspace will help you learn to work your feet. Boys and girls aged 7-18 learn the fast-paced jump rope dance for fitness and fun. An adult class follows the kids’ class, for mamas and papas who want to stay and learn some new tricks.

When: Ongoing Sundays starting 5/11, 12-1:30pm; Age 7-18; $25 drop-in, 5 classes $95.
Where: Cellspace, 2050 Bryant (at 18th St.), San Francisco, 415-939-2225, Cellspace.org.

Patrick Carman reading

Meet the bestselling author of the “Land of Elyon” series at the spiffy Laurel Village outpost of Books Inc. as Carman reads from River of Fire, the second book in his “Atherton” series.

When: Fri, 5/9, 6:30pm; Age 5+; Free.
Where: Books Inc., 3515 California (at Locust), San Francisco,415-221-3666, Booksinc.net.

Outdoor festivals abound, but if you’re not at the Maker Faire, you’re so square.

Maker Faire

There’s one event this weekend that should have been red-circled on your calendar for months: Make magazine’s Maker Faire. The family-friendly weekend-long San Mateo conference is intended for creative weirdo types: sculptors, knitters, robot makers, and the like. Ideally you’ll be there all weekend enjoying the exhibitions, workshops, and vendor booths, but particularly appealing to kids will be the the Life-Size Mousetrap, the Bike Rodeo and Power Tool Drag Racing, while parents should make sure to attend Saturday’s lunchtime lecture, Five Dangerous Things Your Kids Should Do. In between, make sure to get a good viewing spot for the Diet-Coke-and-Mentos Fountain (going off at 4pm daily), listen to live music, stroll around the Expo Red kids area, and bring some discarded wearables for the Swap-o-Rama-Rama (plus a bag to carry the new clothes you scoop up).

When: Sat., 5/3, 10am-10pm; Sun., 5/4, 11am-6pm; All ages; Free-$25 daily.

Where: San Mateo Event Center & Expo Address, 2495 South Delaware St. (at Concar), San Mateo, makerfaire.com.

Cinco de Mayo Celebration

Everybody’s Mexican today at the Cinco de Mayo celebration in Dolores Park. Bring a blanket, spread on some sunscreen, and watch performances from Latin music and dance troupes.

When: Sat., 5/3, 10am-4pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Dolores Park, 18th St. (at Dolores), San Francisco, 415-647-1533, sfcincodemayo.com.

“See Me” Let’s Go!

This free city-sponsored party is gentle fun for the little ones: bounce houses, face-painting, puppet shows, storytelling, live music. UCSF doctors and dentists will also be there to do on-the-spot health and developmental screenings.

When: Sat., 5/3, 11am-3pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Civic Center Plaza across from City Hall, Polk (between McAllister and Grove), San Francisco, 415-934-4849, first5sf.org.

Stay Tooned, Kids!

Offbeat animated offerings for sophisticated cinephile kids. Short films screened during this San Francisco International Film Festival event include “When I Grow Up,” illustrated conversations with children about their dreams.

When: Sun, 5/4, 10:15am; Age 7+; $10-12.50.

Where: Sundance Kabuki Cinema, 181 Post (at Fillmore), San Francisco, 925-866-9559, fest08.sffs.org.

Holy moley, it’s already the end of April. Did you plan to let your kid hang around the house all summer, starting fires and eating handfuls of Cap’n Crunch? No? Then you’re going to have to figure out what to do with the little darlings, and your best friend in this endeavor is the monthly Bay Area Parent magazine, which publishes a mammoth, essential Summer Survival Guide each springtime. Every blessed page of it is online, so you don’t have to go scouting for it at libraries or grocery stores. Just about every article is clip-and-save worthy: primers on local ballparks, beaches and pools, calendars of local outdoor concerts, spotlights on unusual summer camps. Fire up your printer, drag out your calendar, and schedule yourself an unforgettable summer.

Leaping dancers, creeping bugs, reading kids and sippy cups: get out of the house this weekend.

Bug Day

The cutest, most-child-friendly museum in the city is even better today at its annual Bug Day, with special exhibits and activities to teach kids about all that creep and crawl. Kids can participate in maggot races, touch silkworms, walking sticks and millipedes, create insect art, and play amongst the Randall’s other cool regular toys, including the model train station open only on Saturdays.

When: Sat., 4/26, 10am-2pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way (at Roosevelt), 415-554-9600, randallmuseum.org.

Dia de los Niños/Dia de los Libros

This San Francisco version of the Latin American holiday celebrating children has morphed into a storytelling festival, with on-stage reading of kids’ books, music, dance performances, and a visit from the Bookmobile.

When: Sun., 4/27, 1-4pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Dolores Park, between 18th and 20th Streets and Church and Dolores Streets, sfkids.org.

Young Choreographer’s Festival

Bring budding dancers to this National Dance Week celebration, which stages shorts works from Bay Area choreographers aged 16 to 21. Following the hour-long festival, 30 dance companies and solo artists will perform until 5pm. The Bandshell stage is open-air; dress accordingly.

When: Sat., 4/26, 12pm-5pm; All ages; Free.

Where: The Golden Gate Park Bandshell at the Music Concourse between De Young Museum and Steinhart Aquarium (at Martin Luther King Jr Way), San Francisco, 415-640-2784, mfdpsf.org.

The Sippy Cups: A Rock & Roll Circus

Kids go absolutely apesh*t for this band, a bunch of cheerful adults who do kid-friendly versions of songs parents will recognize, such as The Velvet Underground’s “Who Loves the Sun” or Kool & The Gang’s “Jungle Boogie,” accompanied by puppets, juggling, acrobatics and the like. Parents will be thrilled with the venue, sleek Bimbo’s 365 Club. Alternadad author Neal Pollack emcees the show and will sign copies of his book.

When: Sun., 4/27, 1pm & 4pm; Ages 0-8; $17.

Where: Bimbo’s 365 Club, 1025 Columbus Ave., (at Chestnut Street), San Francisco, 415-474-0365, thesippycups.com.