Sun • Bay to Breakers
Sun May 19 |
7 am to 4 pm | One of the world’s largest and oldest footraces takes tens of thousands of participants from The Embarcadero to Ocean Beach. The 7.46 mile race features world-class athletes, costumed runners and ‘fun-loving’ folks out for a great San Francisco day.
At 5:13 am on April 18, 1906, a devastating earthquake destined to become one of history’s most notorious natural disasters rocked San Francisco. The subsequent fire and destruction were unimaginable, and many feared the City would never fully recover. But San Franciscans, displaying their typical fortitude, immediately began rebuilding the city and orchestrating events to lift civic morale. One of those events, the Cross City Race - better known today as the Bay to Breakers - was first held on January 1, 1912. It was intended as a precursor to the world-class athletic events being planned for the 1915 Pan Pacific International Exposition. There were 218 registrants, 186 starters, and 121 names on the finisher’s list. Robert Jackson “Bobby” Vlught, a St. Mary’s College student, was the first runner to cross the finish line, with a time of 44:10.
Since then, Bay to Breakers has prevailed as a testament to San Francisco’s uniqueness and audacity— a glorious celebration of the human spirit.
The Panhandle, a favorite gathering place for gawkers and revelers who gather to celebrate Bay-to-Breakers, San Francisco’s wackiest, tackiest and just plain fabulous event, is always full of surprises.
Girl with a Pearl Earring:
Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis
Herbst Galleries | Jan. 26, - June 23
The de Young will is the first venue in the American tour of paintings from the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, The Hague. This jewel box of a museum, housing one of the world’s most prestigious collections of Dutch Golden Age paintings, has not lent a large body of works from its holdings in nearly 30 years. An extensive two-year renovation makes this extraordinary opportunity possible.
The exhibition features 35 paintings representing the range of subject matter and technique characteristic of 17th-century painting in the Dutch Republic. Among the works traveling to the United States is the Mauritshius’ celebrated masterpiece Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer and the enchanting The Goldfinch by Carel Fabritius. The painting Vase of Flowers by the gifted Rachel Ruysch, one of the few female painters of the Dutch Golden Age, has been restored especially for the American tour.
de Young Museum | (415) 750-3600 |
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr | SF
May Calendar
Every • Sunday Farmers Market
Farmers Market |Every Sun | 9 am–1pm | Stonestown: at Stonestown Galleria (19th Avenue @ Winston)
Every • Tuesday night at Que Syrah
Happy Hour Every Tues | 4–8 pm | Que Syrah. Take $1 off each glass, 10% off of each bottle of wine consumed at the store.
Every • Thu & Fri night at Que Syrah
Tapas Every Thur & Fri | 5:30-9 pm
Family Winery Tasting Sat Jun 9 | 5pm
Iberian Wine Tasting Sat Jun 30 | 5pm
230 West Portal Avenue 731.7000
Every • Thursday–Nightlife
6 pm–10 pm | Every Thur night, the Academy of Sciences is transformed into a lively venue filled with music, provocative science, mingling, and cocktails. GG Park/Tickets $12 ($10 members). calacademy.org/nightlife.
EVERY • Friday Night Jazz
Fri | 7–11 pm | Cliff House, Balcony Lounge – 1 Seal Rock. Performances: www.cliffhouse.com/home/jazz.html
EVERY • Friday Night at the Deyoung
5–8:45 pm | Live music, poetry, films, dance, tours, and lectures. Cafe: special dinner, no-host bar. Art-making for children and adults. de Young Museum, GG Park. www.deyoung.famsf.org/deyoung/calendar/category/89
Tue • Free Day Conservatory of Flowers
9 am–4:30 pm | First Tuesday of each month is free at the Conservatory of Flowers, Special Exhibit fees, if any still apply. JFK Dr. GGate Park.
Tue • People of Parkside/Sunset
Thu May 2 | 7 pm | Formerly Taraval Parkside Merchants Assn. Taraval Station, 2345 24th Ave. 1st Thu each month.
Sat-Sun • PACIFICA CASTLE TOURS
May 4–5 | The Pacifica Historical Society conducts public tours of this 1908 historic building only two weekends a year. Proceeds go toward the restoration of the Ocean Shore RR Car and the Little Brown Church. $25. Info: 650.359.5462 or pacificahistory.org.
Sat • Cinco de Mayo Festival
Sat May 4 | 10 am – 6pm | Entertainment lineup: sfcincodemayo.com. Dolores Park, Dolores St. and 18th St.
Mon • Chinese Community Mtg
Mon May 6 | 7–8 pm | Supe Katy Tang and Captain Curtis Lam host a Chinese-speaking police and community meeting conducted in Cantonese with Mandarin translation. Taraval Police Station, 2345 24th Ave. Info: Carol.Mo@sfgov.org, or 554-7460
Sat • SF Budget TownHall Meeting
Sat May 11 | 10 am | Budget Town Hall Series 2013 Mayor Lee, Supes Katy Tang (D 4) & Norman Yee (D 7) at Hoover Middle School, 2290 14th Ave. Engage in budget discussions with City officials. Speak directly to City officials and share what matters most to you.
Tue • Greater West Portal-GWPNA
Tue May 14 | 7:30 pm | West Portal Clubhouse, 139 Lenox Way. 2nd Tues each month. www.gwpna.org
Wed • BERNAL HEIGHTS & THE MISSION
Wed May 15 | 7 pm| Bernal Heights branch library 500 Cortland Avenue Glenn Lym will speak on the geography of those areas. Free. Info: www.bernalhistoryproject.org
Sun • Author Claire Messud
Sun May 19 | 7 PM | Bestselling author of The Emporer’s Dream. In The Woman Upstairs a schoolteacher dreams of being an artist, settling for life as a third-grade teacher, “whose trash is always tidy, who smiles brightly in the stairwell.” Enter the exotic Shahid family — Nora sees them as saviors — who ultimately become her betrayers. BookShop West Portal, 80 West Portal. Info 564-8080.
Mon • Sunset-Parkside Meeting
Mon May 20 | 6 pm | SPEAK aims to educate residents on public safety, zoning, planning etc. 3201 Ulloa St. (Grace Lutheran) 3rd Mon each month. speaksanfrancisco@yahoo.com
Tue • Community Safety Meeting
Tue May 21 | 7 pm | Taraval District Police Station. 3rd Tue of the month. Meet with Captain Curtis Lum. 2345 - 24th Ave 759-3100.
Sat • Free Health Screenings
Sat May 18 | 10 am– 3 pm | American Society of Hypertension offers free Blood Pressure, Glucose and Cholesterol Screenings Yerba Buena Lane and Market St., behind the SF Marriott Marquis, 55 Fourth St.
Sun • Bay to Breakers
Sun May 19 | 7 am to 4 pm | The 7.46 mile race features world-class athletes, costumed runners and ‘fun-loving’ folks out for a great San Francisco day.
Mon • WOTP Central Council
Mon May 20 | 7:30 pm | West of Twin Peaks Central Council (usually) meets on 4th Monday each month for those interested in local issues. Miraloma Park Clubhouse, 350 O’Shaughnessy.
Thu • Demystifying Dementia
Thu May 23 | 6 – 7:30 pm | Parents Caring for a loved one with dementia? Special guest Elizabeth A. Landsverk, M.D. will shed light on your most pressing concerns. Please bring your questions. Refreshments. AlmaVia, One Thomas More Way. Info: 337-1339-tcastle@eldercarealliance.org Free
Sat • SHARP
Mon May 27 | 7 pm | Sunset Heights Assoc. of Responsible People. Last Mon each month - sharpsf.com for details. 1736 9th Ave. @Moraga.
Tue • AMERICAN JERUSALEM
Tue May 28 | 7 pm | Jews and the Making of San Francisco with filmaker Marc Shaffer. Because of the Gold Rush, Jews were far more assimilated into and impacted a major city than any other in America. For the first time, Jews—the ultimate outsiders—became insiders. SF History Assn., St. Philip’s Catholic Church 24th & Diamond. $5 non-members.
Thu • OMI Neighbors in Action
Thu May 30 | 7 pm | Developer & Architect for 268-270 Capitol St. Meets last Thu each month. This meeting is at Temple UMC 65 Beverly/Sheilds Street.
Wed • Author Chimamanda Ngozi
Wed Jun 5 | 7 pm | Meet Nigeria born Ngozi, who’s Americanah follows the lives of Nigeria’s postwar genertion through corruption and poverty under a military dictatorship. BookShop West Portal, 80 West Portal. Info 564-8080.
Have a local event? Contact:
editor@westsideobserver.com
