Around the bay in September

Published: September, 2011

Brews for You

It’s time again for the 8th Annual San Francisco Brewers Guild Brews on the Bay! Join all eight of San Francisco’s craft breweries on Saturday, September 10 on the deck of the S.S. Jeremiah O’Brien at Pier 45 on the San Francisco Bay for five hours of great beer and live music in the world’s best spot for a beer festival. They’ll be pouring 50+ beers, all brewed in San Francisco, including special and limited releases. Come thirsty for both traditional beer styles and the new cask-conditioned-barrel-aged-sour-imperial juggernauts that help make American craft beer the most exciting in the world. Enjoy unlimited pours and live music while taking in unparalleled views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the lands beyond. The ship, one of the last remaining Liberty Ships, is a historical landmark of the World War II-era Merchant Marine, and the festival is a fundraiser for the National Liberty Ship Memorial. Several food trucks will be on-site selling innovative, sustainable food. Ticket price for this one-day-only event is $45; tickets are available by advance online sales only through www.sfbrewersguild.org.

The Polk Street Blues Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 24 and 25 on Polk Street from Broadway to California Streets in San Francisco from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The free festival will feature two main stages, a merchant marketplace, arts and crafts, gourmet food booths, a large family area, cafe seating areas, and much more. For more information, visit www.polkstreetbluesfestival.com or call (800) 310-6563.

The eleventh annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival will take place at Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 30 and October 1-2. This year’s stellar line-up includes Robert Plant and the Band of Joy, Kris Kristofferson and Merle Haggard, Emmylou Harris, David Bromberg Quartet, The Dark Star Orchestra, John Prine, Patty Griffin, Steve Earl & the Dukes (& Duchesses) featuring Allison Moorer, the Jayhawks and Ricky Skaggs. There will also be over 50 purveyors of food and drink featuring the best food the Bay Area has to offer. The event is free to the public and draws tens of thousands of people every year, so the use of public transportation is highly encouraged. For more information and a schedule of events visit www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com.

The 2011 Alameda Legacy Home Tour will take place on Sunday, September 25 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This year the tour features seven homes from central Alameda to the East End, highlighting a mix of historical periods and architectural styles. Participants will partake of exterior charms, lush garden settings, and varied interiors in this exhibit of homes built between 1854 and 1907. Come see and learn about the different approaches to contemporary living in a vintage home. The ticket price includes a keepsake Legacy Guidebook and light refreshments in the garden of one of the homes on tour. The tour is hosted by the Alameda Architectural Preservation Society (AAPS) and the Alameda Museum, both non-profit organizations dedicated to maintaining our small town ambiance and cherished older buildings. The tour is self-guided; pick up your Legacy Guidebook and visit the homes at your own pace, in any order you choose. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at a park or beach, or visit one of our many fine local restaurants. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 the day of the tour. Proceeds fund programs unique to each non-profit organization. For more information visit www.alameda-home-tour.org.

The Performance Art Institute will be hosting Keeping an Eye on Surveillance, a comprehensive look at societal surveillance in the post-9/11 world. Over 20 artists, working in media ranging from painting and photography to new media, will explore the ever-growing encroachment of surveillance enabled by technological advances such as Google Earth, Facebook, wire-tapping, and airport security technologies. The artists exhibiting in Keeping an Eye on Surveillance explore the blurring boundaries between public space and private life, the visible and invisible, and the observer and observed. The works probe concerns regarding community and individual safety and the problems surrounding public spaces that involve watching and being watched. Performance art takes center stage, as a number of new commissions will be unveiled during the run of the exhibition. The exhibit will provide an opportunity to debate the current development of surveillance technologies and engage the public in thought provoking discussions about the increase of surveillance in our society as a threat to freedom and democracy. The display runs from September 10 to October 22 with the opening reception being held on Saturday, September 10 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is Free. The Performance Art Institute is located at 575 Sutter Street in San Francisco. Call (415) 501-0575 or visit www.theperformanceartinstitute.org for more information.

Multitalented singer, songwriter, producer and musician Bruno Mars, who is known for such hits as Just the Way You Are and Grenade, will headline the 29th Annual Macy’s Passport Presents Glamorama at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco on Friday, September 30 at 8 p.m. The 25-year-old artist’s debut album entitled Doo-Wops and Hooligans earned him seven Grammy nominations at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards where he took home Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for Just the Way You Are.  Also set to perform at Macy’s Glamorama this year is electro-pop quartet Far East Movement, who shot to fame with chart-topping singles Like a G6 and Rocketeer from their debut album, entitled Free Wired. The group’s latest single, If I Was You, features rap artist Snoop Dogg. This year’s show – themed ARTRAGEOUS – brings high fashion and fierce performances together for one unforgettable night. Topping the list of featured designers: Armani Jeans, Bar III, Calvin Klein, Papi, Karl Lagerfeld for Impulse, Papi, Tommy Hilfiger, Tracy Reese and more! The evening concludes with an over-the-top ARTlandish after-party at the Asian Art Museum. The event will benefit the AIDS Emergency Fund, Project Open Hand and the Glide Foundation. For more information, visit www.macys.com/glamorama.