Theater & Dance

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.

Cinemark’s Summer Movie Clubhouse, ten weeks of bargain-basement-cheap film showings for kids, is probably an easier sell in cities where it’s actually hot in the summer. No one weathering a San Fran summer is dying to spend a couple of hours in an air-conditioned theater…although at least it’ll keep you off those windy playgrounds.

The weekly special engagements are $1 a throw or $5 for a card good for all showings, and take place at several Bay Area theaters, including San Francisco’s CineArts @ Empire in the West Portal. All of the screenings are revivals, a treat in a summer when the new kids’ movies all look like crap. The first movie is Annie. Just try to leave without getting It’s The Hard-Knock Life stuck in your head.

When: Tue., 6/17, 10am; All Ages; Free.

Where: CineArts @ Empire, 85 West Portal Ave. (at Vincente), San Francisco, 1-800-FANDANG, theater number 963, cinemark.com.

We have festival fever, film in the park, and cannons set on “fire.”
San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival

A dizzying range of dance styles take a bow during this month-long fiesta. Korean shaman rituals? Mexican marimba? Indian Kathak dance? All here. Special family events occur each Friday afternoon in various venues in S.F. and Oakland, beginning this Friday with a demonstration of Shodiona, a Tajik “dance of happiness” at 3pm in the Children’s Center at the Main Library.

When: Beginning 6/7 and ongoing through 6/29, most performances are Sat. 2pm and 8pm and Sun. 2pm; All ages; Free-$44. Family events occur Fridays; see website for more information.

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.

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

The exhaustive five-month (May-October) arts party is already in swing, offering a huge variety of free music, theater, dance, educational and children’s programs. Of particular interest to parents in June: the Caterpillar Puppets this Friday 6/6 and Saturday 6/28 at 11am and 12:15pm; brilliant physical comedian/musician The Unique Derique Friday and Saturday, 6/13-14, 11am and 12:15pm; and the California Sing-Along, folksy songs about California’s history, on Friday 6/20.

When: Ongoing through 10/26; most performances occur Thu.-Sun.; Times vary; All ages; Free.

Where: Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission St. (between 3rd and 4th Streets), San Francisco, 415-543-1718; ybgf.org.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon at Washington Square Park

Bring your martial-arts lovers to this free showing of Ang Lee’s groundbreaking fairytale. Spread a blanket (no chairs are allowed), bring a picnic, but leave the littlest ones at home: Commonsense Media recommends this film for kids aged 12 and up due to violence.

When: Sat., 6/7, 8pm; Age 12+; Free.

Where: Washington Square Park, Columbus St. (at Union St.), San Francisco, 415-465-FILM, sfneighborhoodtheater.org.

Civil War Days on Angel Island

Just the ferry ride over to Angel Island (and the view of San Francisco’s skyline!) will blow your mind. Then watch history come to life as Camp Reynolds, a former Civil War recruiting post for Union soldiers, plays host to musket drills, marches, and historians who will explain the details of making rope, signaling with flags, baking Civil War-style, and other wartime skills.

When: Sat., 6/7, 11am-3:30pm; Age 4+; Free (Optional tram ride to Camp Reynolds is $5).

Where: Camp Reynolds at Angel Island; accessible by the Tiburon, San Francisco, and Alameda/Oakland Ferries; see angelisland.org for transit information; 415-435-5390; angelisland.org.

School’s almost over, and if you don’t want your kid cluttering up the couch all day you’d better schedule him up. A fertile source of activities: the vast slate of classes and day camps offered by the San Francisco Recreation and Parks system. There are so many selections that you’ll probably find classes you’ve paid hundreds of dollars for offered free, or for a nominal fee.

Now, you can sign up for classes using SF Rec’s online portal, but the catch is that first you must have a “family account,” an enormous pain to get since you generally must take a raft of paperwork, in person, to McClaren Lodge in Golden Gate Park during business hours (read: the hours you work somewhere else). But for the next two weeks during open registration, you can instead visit SF Rec’s satellite offices (here are a list of those; call the location to confirm hours). You still must bring the same pile of paperwork, but at least now you don’t have to drive across town if you live far from GGP.

Once you have the account, signing up for classes is a cinch– and since getting the account is so difficult, most classes are wide open. Is your child interested in swimming? Ceramics? Yoga? Baking? Well, she might be, after this summer.

Get your art on with a culture-vulture weekend, or brave BART for a Berkeley fest.

Lines Ballet Family Day

In celebration of Long River High Sky, the dance collaboration between Lines Ballet and Chinese Shaolin Monks, this free outdoor festival plays host to ballet lessons, kung fu demos, and arts/crafts activities. Snacks and drinks are also provided free.

When: Sat., 5/31, 2pm (a matinee performance of the show follows at 3pm); Age 8+; Free (Ballet performance is $15-65).

Where: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St. (at Fourth St.), San Francisco, 415-978-2787, linesballet.org.

Wild in the City

Nature isn’t just found in the wilderness–and this new Randall Museum exhibit explores the wild animals who make their homes right here in San Francisco. Kids will find out how to identify animal tracks, how animals hunt, and where to look for natural ecosystems.

When: Ongoing, opening Sat., 5/31 and continuing through 11/1; 10am-5pm; All ages; Free.

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

Chocolate & Chalk Art Festival

Instill in your child the joy of (legally) defacing city surfaces with this powdery romp over the sidewalks of Berkeley. Participants are assigned a square of sidewalk; onlookers chow down on chocolate samples or check out the arts and crafts booths. The best drawing wins $250; runners-up get $50 gift certificates from the Elephant Pharmacy. Bring your own chalk or buy it at the festival.

When: Sat, 5/31, 10am-6pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto (North Shattuck Ave. around Rose St.), Berkeley, 510-548-5335, northshattuck.org.

Animal Extravaganza

The seriously knowledgeable (and approachably fun) naturalists of Tree Frog Treks haul out their reptile and amphibian friends for kids to marvel over and touch. Activities teach kids about biology and nature.

When: Fri., 5/30, 4pm; Age 5+; Free.

Where: Glen Park Branch Library, 2825 Diamond St. (at Bosworth St.), San Francisco, sfpl.org.

Dancing, camping, making art or watching it: it’s a busy weekend out there.

Wild Nights Family Overnight

Take a tour through the zoo at night, when nocturnal animals are awake and prowling. Attendees will meet with a zookeeper, go on a guided ramble through the park, and then camp indoors (in a heated building, thank God. It’s foggy out there). In the morning, warm drinks and a continental breakfast is available before early-morning tours of the zoo. Those who prefer to sleep in their own beds can take the evening tour and then bug out, for a reduced fee.

When: Sat., 5/24, 6pm-10am (5/25); All ages; $65-85 (pre-registration required).

Where: San Francisco Zoo, Great Highway (between Sloat and Skyline), San Francisco, 415-753-8124 sfzoo.org.

Break Out Dance Project

The Center’s noted KidSpace classes make a return with this free six-week series of dance classes for kids aged 5-6. Kids will dance to world music and incorporate movements from a variety of cultures; the class ends with a performance.

When: Saturdays, 5/24-6/29 (no class May 31), 10-11am; Age 5-6; Free.

Where: The Center, 1800 Market St. (at Octavia), San Francisco, 415-865-5553, sfcenter.org.

Photo Workshop

Learn how to coax natural expressions and poses from your infants or young ones in this free photo class for parents. Our tip: set your camera on the fast-capture “sports” setting to freeze that perpetual motion. Free snacks and beverages are provides, and kids are welcome to attend with parents.

When: Fri., 5/23, 11am; All ages; Free.

Where: Fima Photography, 1414 Castro (at 25th St.), San Francisco, 415-641-1010, fimaphotography.com.

And If We Shadows

Performers as young as 14 enliven the thrilling urban-themed “hip hop circus,” which features breakdancers, aerialists, contortionists and other folks who can do crazy things with their bodies. This is the show’s final weekend.

When: Fri.-Sun., 5/23-25, 8pm (Fri.), 3pm and 8pm (Sat.) and 3pm (Sun.), Age 4+; $12.50-$25.

Where: Brava Theater Center, 2780 24th St. (at Portrero St.), San Francisco, 415-665-2276, citycircus.org.

Red Poppy Art House Family Art

Wander past the Outer Mission classroom and studio any Saturday afternoon to find that the art has taken over the sidewalk, and passers-by are free to take part in projects utilizing glitter, glue, paper, paint, clay and all other manner of supplies.

When: Saturdays, 1-4pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Red Poppy Art House Family Art 2698 Folsom St. (at 22nd St.), San Francisco, 415-826-2402, redpoppyarthouse.org.

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.

The weather is beautiful. Don’t even bother reading this email because where you should be is the park.

See 

Project Bandaloop: Interiors

The aerial dance troupe’s website says Interiors “reframes movement, relationships and values in the context of the interior of a house.” Whatever. All the kids will care about is that the dancers are flying through the air and all over the room.

When: Fri., Sat., 8pm; Sun 2pm & 7pm; Age 5+; $15-28.

Where: Cowell Theater at Fort Mason, Marina Blvd. (at Buchanan), San Francisco, 415-345-7575, www.fortmason.org.

Go

PartyKidz

Music to set the tots’ toes tapping, kiddie snacks, a dance floor, and a whole lot of parents elated they can drink at a kids’ party.

When: Sat. 4/19, 1-5pm; All ages; Free-$10.

Where: Club NV, 525 Howard St., San Francisco, 888-638-9983, www.partykidzllc.com.

Go

Physics of Toys: Our All-Time Favorites

Visiting the often murderously crowded Exploratorium is worth it today, with demonstrations and hands-on projects parsing scientific principles behind playthings like kaleidoscopes, slime, and magnets. Kids will make a project to take home.

When: Sat., 4/19, 11am; Ages 10+; Free with admission.

Where: Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts, 3601 Lyon St., 415-563-7337, www.exploratorium.edu.

Do

Earth Stroll

Celebrate Earth Day with live animals, toddler activities, and an educational walk around Crissy Field.

When: Sat., 4/19, 11am-3pm; All ages; Free.

Where: Crissy Field Center, 608 Mason St., San Francisco, 415-561-5418, www.presidio.gov.

Do

Earth Day Celebration on Stinson Beach

Artists and passers-by create sculptures using beach flotsam. Do I smell sand globes?

When: Sat., 4/19; 11am-3pm; All ages; Free.

Where: South end of Stinson Beach, www.naturesculpture.com.