October in San Francisco just might be more action-packed than any other month. Summer’s throngs of tourists have gone, along with summer’s chilly fog. Time to enjoy a moveable feast of music, literature, tall ships, parades, aerial stunts, films, brides, chickens (?), and–as always–plenty of fine food and wine.
Kicking off the fall festivities was the 15th annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. For a whole glorious weekend, free live music and happy listeners filled Golden Gate Park. Thanks to the Festival’s late founder and benefactor, banjo-playing investment banker Warren Hellman (and his generous family), almost 100 bands from bluegrass to soul to post-punk brought back the spirit of the 60s on a record six stages.
No tobacco smoking was allowed, but the traditional aroma of weed and wine, sun-drenched grass and eucalyptus trees, pizza and samosas wafted over techies, hoboes, long-skirted women, bandana-decked dogs, and naked toddlers. If you missed the Festival, you missed that iconic American ambience. You can still hear some of the music, though, which was live-streamed by Moonalice / Doobie Decimal System and is now in the archive.
Next: Fleet Week, now through Sunday, October 11. Click here for details about the Parade of Ships and fabulous Air Show, starting at 11 AM daily from Friday through Sunday. And don’t miss the spectacular Italian Heritage Parade, which will fill North Beach from 12:30 till midafternoon on Sunday as it trundles from Fisherman’s Wharf to Washington Square Park.
Also starting this week is San Francisco’s annual Litquake. For most of October, this feast of readings, lunches, panel discussions, parties, and the legendary Lit Crawl will shake, rattle, & roll through bars, libraries, theaters, bookstores, hotels, and every other venue you can think of.
From Boom-Books author Charisse Howard:
Can’t wait for that parade! Meanwhile, looking in the window of a bridal shop always tickles my romance-writer’s heart. Half of me is a 17-year old dreaming of the pinnacle of joy that is every girl’s wedding. The other half is pressing her nose against the glass like a hungry 10-year-old outside a bakery.
From Boom-Books author CJ Verburg:
If your budget doesn’t extend to $75 for lunch with author Paul Theroux, and your eardrums can’t handle the Blue Angels roaring over San Francisco Bay, here’s a unique alternative. As white and fluffy as a bride, or a wedding cake in a bakery window, is this cute little rooster. He’s waiting at 13-15 Columbus Ave. (a block from the Transamerica Pyramid) for some kind rescuer to give him a new home. Haven’t you secretly been yearning for an unusual new pet? and/or alarm clock? Stop by and adopt this fine feathered fellow for free, or phone 408-990-5981. Complete with leash.
