Theater & Dance

Good things to eat, to watch, and to read.

Giro de San Francisco

Watch the cyclists spin by from pretty Levi Strauss Plaza as competition continues for the California Cup. Kids age 14 and under can race as well, even on tricycles.

When: Mon., 9/6, All ages; see website for start times and entry fees (viewing is free).

Where: Levi Strauss Plaza, Battery & Union Streets, San Francisco; velopromo.com.

Off the Grid

The roaming conglomeration of food trucks and bands is landing in Fort Mason every Friday evening for a while; come for a picnic on the grass.

When: Fri., 9/3 (and every subsequent Friday, see website for details), 5-9pm, All ages; Free admission (food available for purchase).

Where: Fort Mason Center, Marina Boulevard (at Buchanan Street), San Francisco; offthegridsf.com.

San Francisco Zine Fest

A feast of chapbooks and zines, cartoons, and little magazines. Much of the material is aimed at adults but it’s still a thrill for literary adults and inspiration for budding lil writers.

When: Sat. & Sun., 9/4-5, 11am-6pm; Age 6+; Free.

Where: San Francisco County Fair Building, 9th Avenue and Lincoln Way (in Golden Gate Park), San Francisco; sfzinefest.com.

Dance, film, and a heaping helping of Chinatown culture.

Chinatown Street Fest

No, not the one in SF. Explore Oakland’s own historical Chinatown in this two-day revelry of lion dancing, martial arts demonstrations, and traditional music.

When: Sat. & Sun., 8/28-29, 10am-5:30pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Oakland Chinatown, 7th Street to 11th Street and Broadway to Harrison Street, oaklandchinatownstreetfest.com.

Twinkling To-Do Film Festival

The weekend-long Three-Minute Film Festival of (mostly) locally made short films puts on a program of films made by kids aged 6 to 18. The venue, historic Victoria Theatre, is a treat too.

When: Sat., 8/28, 3:30pm (screening at 4), Age 3+; $10 adults, $5 kids under 18.

Where: Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th Street (at Valencia Street), San Francisco, 415-863-7576.

ODC School’s Family Day

Samplers of some of ODCs most popular classes for kids and adults, including salsa, flamenco, and toddler movement.

Where: Sun., 8/29, 9am-3:30pm; Age 2+; Free.

Where: ODC Dance Commons, 351 Shotwell Street (at 18th Street), San Francisco; 415-863-9830; odcschool.org.

A baby food swap, the Hillwide garage gala, and other ways to while away your weekend.

Organic Homemade Baby Food Swap

Karen Solomon, author of Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It, hosts a swap-meet for parent-cooks. Anyone who brings an organic mash in 10 half-pint containers can swap with other cooks.

When: Fri., 8/13, 11am-noon; All ages; $5.

Where: 18 Reasons, 593 Guerrero Street (at 18th Street), San Francisco; info@18reasons.org.

Build and Grow Clinics

At these weekly Saturday learning sessions, kids make free wooden toys like ant farms. And you can buy light bulbs and a new faucet.

When: Each Saturday, including 8/14, 10am; Age 3+; Free.

Where: Lowe’s Home Improvement, 720 Dubuque Avenue (at E. Grand Avenue), South San Francisco; lowesbuildandgrow.com.

Nihonmachi Street Fair

Live music, cultural demonstrations, arts and crafts booths, and the incredible thunderous roar of the taiko drummers.

When: Sat.-Sun., 8/14-15; 11am-6pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Japantown, Post Street (between Laguna and Fillmore Streets), San Francisco, nihonmachistreetfair.org.

Bernal Hillwide Garage Sale

Just in time for back-to-school shopping, this giant garage sale is traditionally a great source of clothes and gear for families.

When: Sat., 8/15, 8am-4pm (but open times vary by location); All ages; Free.

Where: The streets surrounding the Bernal Heights Playground and Recreation Center, 500 Moultrie Street (at Jarboe Avenue), San Francisco; 415-695-5007.

The Bay Area is bristling with opportunities to get outdoors this weekend.

Berkeley Kite Festival

Look, up in the sky! Japanese kite battles and just about anything else you can do with some fabric and a string.

When: Sat. & Sun., 7/31 & 8/1, 10am-5pm; All ages; Free (Parking $10).

Where: Cesar Chavez Park, 11 Spinnaker Way (at Virginia Street), Berkeley; 510-235-5483; highlinekites.com.

ODC Summer Sampler

A special modern dance show for kids, with choreographers on deck to explain to young enthusiasts what they’re seeing and what it means.

When: Sat., 7/31, 4:30 p.m.; Age 6+; $20 adults, $10 kids 16 and under.

Where: ODC Dance Commons, 351 Shotwell Street (at 18th Street), San Francisco; 415-863-9834; odcdance.org.

Day Out With Thomas

A party by the tracks with live music, storytelling, costumed celebrities from the Thomas the Train Engine PBS show, and most of all, a 25-minute train ride on a real train decked out with a friendly Thomas face.

When: Weekends, 7/31-8/8; hours vary by day, see website for details; Age 2+; $18.

Where: Roaring Camp Railroad, Graham Hill Road (at Mt. Hermon Road), Felton; 1-866-468-3399; roaringcamprr.com. Tickets are $18.

Tour de Peninsula

Take a fun ride with your kids at this bicycle tour of the most beautiful parks in the South Bay.

When: Sun., 8/1, 8am-3pm (family rides through the park start at noon); Age 3+; Free-$40.

Where: Rides begin Eucalyptus Picnic Area near the Coyote Point Marina, 1701 Coyote Point Drive (near Airport Boulevard), San Mateo; 650-321-1638; supportparks.org.

Get shipwrecked, goggle at Chinese dancers, or run your tail off at the SF Marathon. It’s your weekend!

Shipwrecked

Enjoy a barbecue dinner, ghost stories, sea chanteys, and mayhem with costumed pirates at this sunset party.

When: Fri., 7/23, 5-8pm; Age 4+; $5-8.

Where: Bay Area Discovery Museum, 557 McReynolds Road (at Fort Baker), Sausalito; 415-339-3900; baykidsmuseum.org.

Shen Yun

Chinese dancers and acrobats do things with their bodies that you couldn’t know could be done.

When: Fri., 7/23, 8pm, Sat. & Sun. 2pm & 8pm; Age 4+; $30-40.

Where: War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco; 888-569-2009; sfshow.net.

S.F. Tsunami Synchronized Swimming Exhibition

Just before it heads off to the Gay Games, the eight-member synchronized swimming team shows off a few of its tricks.

When: Sat., 7/24, noon; Age 3+; $5.

Where: MLK Jr. Swimming Pool, 5701 Third Street (at Carroll Street), San Francisco; 415-621-4833.

San Francisco Marathon Munchkin Kids Run

School kids on the joy of running early with this first-ever offshoot of the grown-ups’ race. Kids can run a mile, a half mile, or do the 100-yard dash. Big kids can even do the 5K.

When: Sun., 7/25, 8:30 a.m.; Age 4+; $25.

Where: Embarcadero (at Mission Street), San Francisco; thesfmarathon.com.

It’s county fair season: get your ride face on.

San Mateo County Fair

The real old-fashioned deal, with livestock shows, live music, homespun demonstrations and of course, lots and lots of carnival rides.

When: Sat., 6/12 - Sun. 6/10; 10am-8pm; All Ages; Free-$10 per day.

Where: San Mateo Country Fairgrounds, 2495 S. Delaware Street (at El Camino Real Boulevard), San Mateo; sanmateocountyfair.com.

Giants County Fair

The Giants cede their parking vistas over to a fair with rides (Ferris wheel, bumper cars) and a midway.

When: Fri., 6/11 - Sun., 6/20; Hours vary daily, check website for details; Age 3+; Free ($5-20 fee for unlimited rides).

Where: AT&T Park, 24 Willie Mays Plaza (at King Street), San Francisco; mlb.mlb.com.

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

Super-cool small, free outdoor performances are the bill of fare at this annual summer party. Favorites include the rubbery Unique Derique and the goofy Caterpillar Puppets.

When: Ongoing, Fridays and Saturdays through 8/28; 11am & 12:15pm; Age 0-8; Free.

Where: Yerba Buena Gardens Children’s Garden (near the carousel), 760 Howard Street (between Third and Fourth streets), ybgf.org.

Italian Street Painting Festival

Artists transform San Rafael’s sidewalk into Impressionistic paintings with chalk while live music and Italian food entertains the crowds.

When: Sat. & Sun., 6/12-13, 9am-7pm; Age 3+; Free.

Where: Mission San Rafael Arcangel, 999 Fifth Avenue (at A Street), San Rafael; youthinarts.org.

See a world-class dance performance, bowl a few frames, or get to know penguins better than ever before: it’s your weekend!

San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival

Dance styles from all over the world star at this month-long festival, which is a natural for even smallish kids because the gorgeous costumes and variation in dance styles at each performances.

When: Beginning 6/5 and ongoing through 6/27, most performances are Sat. 2pm and 8pm and Sun. 2pm; Age 2+; Free-$44.

Where: Various venues in San Francisco and Oakland, but most performances take place at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon St. (at Bay St.), San Francisco, 415-392-4400, worldartswest.org.

19th Annual Kops and Kids Day at Serra Bowl

Get to know your local officers at this annual event at which kids bowl with police officers, free, for prizes galore.

When: Sat., 6/5, 10am-4pm; Age 2+; Free.

Where: Serra Bowl, 3301 Junipero Serra Boulevard (at B Street), Daly City, 650-992-3444; serrabowl.com.

Union Street Eco-Urban Festival

A giant festival of eco-friendly vendors and crafters that’s sort of like a mini Maker-Faire. Live music and food, too.

When: Sat., 6/5, 10am-6pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Union Street (and Gough Street), San Francisco; unionstreetfestival.com.

World Oceans Day

The usual wonderfulness of the aquarium is augmented with special book readings, performances, animal feedings, and care close-ups for this educational event.

When: Sat.-Sun. 6/5-6, 10am-6pm; Free with aquarium admission, $18-30.

Where: Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row (at David Avenue), Monterey; 831-648-4800; montereybayaquarium.org.

Could you see your kid on Glee or American Idol? Budding singers, dancers, and dramatists now have an outlet for their talents that’s more prestigious than their school’s auditorium: the new San Francisco Children’s Musical Theater. This top-drawer program is led by a director who’s put on hundreds of community performances in San Jose and Gilroy and is convinced that a similar untapped pool of talent can be found in San Fran’s youth.

Performers aged 5 to 21 can audition for SFCMT by singing a simple song; even Happy Birthday will do. If they’re cast, they’ll have 10 weeks of working with acting teachers, followed by a public show at the Palace of Fine Arts. Class fees are $225 per session and include a show T-shirt and cast photo. Even better for harried parents: they need not participate (no set-building!) and rehearsals are held on Saturdays only.

SFCMT auditions begin soon. For more information, visit sfcmt.com.

Just be sure you’re getting feted on Mother’s Day while you’re dragging the kids around.

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., 5/8, 10am-6pm; All ages; Free.

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

Space Day

Learn more about the cosmos at this day of special demos from high school junior docents and simulated space launches at which visitors can play a part.

When: Sat., 5/8, 11am (mission launches at 1pm & 3pm); Age 5+; $5-10.

Where: Where: Lake Chabot Space & Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd. (at Redwood Road), Oakland; 510-336-7300, chabotspace.org.

Spring Family Festival

Celebrate the family-and-child relationship at this day of special readings, songs, and gallery tours emphasizing the family experience around the world.

When: Sun., 5/9, 10:30am-4pm; Age 3+; Free with paid admission ($7-12, free for kids under 12).

Where: Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 200 Larkin Street (at Grove Street), San Francisco; 415-581-3500; asianart.org.

Family Discovery Day

Fun, free educational activities with Tree Frog Treks and Jumpstart, including reptile handling and fun science experiments like homemade rockets and giant bubbles.

When: Sat., 5/8, 10:30am-2:30pm; All Ages; Free.

Where: Parque De Ninos, Folsom Street (at 23rd Street), San Francisco; treefrogtreks.com.

If you want your kids to prance around in ballet shoes or learn hip hop dance, there are places by the dozens to suit your needs. But the fare at DanceVersity is quite a bit different: the dance school teaches Persian, Arabic, and Turkish techniques as well as dances from the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa, all of it in traditional costumes (another focus of the school’s teaching).

So that means a whole lot of scarves, jingling head-wraps, harem pants, and drums, for students aged four and up. Weekly classes are held in Marin (at Suzie’s Studio in San Rafael) and in the East Bay (Ashkenaz in Berkeley). Drop-ins are welcome for $15 a shot, or a class card costs $100 for eight classes. There are also World Dance Camp summer programs for three weeks in the summer for students aged 7-16. One of the sessions is even specially aimed at boys, a rarity in the dance world.

DanceVersity is located in San Anselmo but doesn’t have a physical address as classes are held elsewhere. Call 415-794-7463, write to hannah@danceversity.com, or visit danceversity.com.