Even if it does turn foggy like the weather people say, there’s still plenty to keep you warm this weekend.
Slow Food Nation
The gargantuan three-day sustainable-food event is a sure bet for parents and kids, with many ways it can be enjoyed. You can take the casual route and just bring your children to wander around the food booths and activities at the Civic Center Plaza, or enjoy the live bands (Gnarls Barkley, the New Pornographers) at the Slow Food Rocks event. If you have an older teens (aged 15 and older), you may instead be interested in steering them towards the Youth Food Movement, several days of workshops, sleepovers, and meet-and-greets designed to get young people thinking about healthy living. Finally, you could leave younger kids at home and attend events geared towards parents, such as Saturday’s 2pm panel discussion with Alice Waters, “Edible Education,” a call to action for parents discouraged by the national school lunch program.
When: Thu.-Mon., 8/28-9/1; programs are at various times; All ages; Free-$60 (most events are free but some events, such as Slow Food Rocks, require tickets).
Where: Various locations in San Francisco and the Bay Area, including the Civic Center Plaza, Polk Street between McAllister and Grove Streets, and the Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue (at McAllister Street); 917-539-3924; slowfoodnation.org.
Hop Dogs Dance Party
Get your kid moving to the music at this monthly (last Saturday of each month) dance party featuring DJs, kid-friendly snacks, a quiet lounge area for the overstimulated, and dance instructors ready to teach a dizzying variety of dance styles to students both young and old. Show your kid you’re not too old to do the Cabbage Patch, the rhumba, or the Funky Chicken.
When: Sat., 8/30, 5-7:30pm (lessons are from 5:15-5:45pm); All ages (no adults admitted without children); $6-10 per person (sliding scale) and parking is $1.50 at lot on 17th Street.
Where: ODC Commons, 351 Shotwell Street (between 17th and 18th Streets), San Francisco; 415-863-6606;
hopdogsdance.com.
Sunday Streets
Gavin Newsom’s sweet new Sunday Streets program diverts traffic from big swathes of Chinatown/the waterfront and Bayview Hunter’s Point and replaces the cars with stations manned by local fitness organizations that encourage and equip the strolling masses to try out roller skating, bike riding, yoga, dancing, tai chi and more. Participants can stick to the programs at a certain community center, or walk the route between centers and sample activities along the way.
When: Sun. 8/31 (also Sun. 9/14); 9am-1pm; All ages; Free.
Where: Various locations in San Francisco, visit website for a map of participating community centers and street station locations; sundaystreetssf.com.