You’ve driven by it a million times and probably haven’t given it a second thought, or even taken the time to look closely at it. The new Western Neighborhoods Project intern, Lindsay, takes us on a one minute tour of this interesting piece of Richmond District transit history.

Watch more WNP History Minute videos here

Speaking of Western Neighborhoods Project, they’re having a BBQ and picnic at Pine Lake Park (near Stern Grove) this Sunday from 11am until 6pm. If you’re into the history of the west side of San Francisco, or just want to meet other local history buffs, stop by. It’s potluck so bring something to contribute if you’re planning to nosh. Full details here

Sarah B.

Will you only eat something that never had parents? Are you thinking about saying bye-bye-bye to meat? Curious about the vegetarian lifestyle? Then you won’t want to miss the 11th annual World Veg Festival being held at the SF County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park this Saturday and Sunday.

The festival, organized by the San Francisco Vegetarian Society, features informative lectures by the movers and shakers of the vegetarian world, creative vegetarian cooking demos, international cuisine to sample or buy, vegan friendly merchandise, Children’s Corner play area, Organic Athletes, Vegan Speed Dating, Raging Grannies and a variety of world entertainment. See the full festival schedule

They even got a proclamation from the SF Board of Supervisors last year courtesy of our own District 1 Supe Eric Mar. Check it out below.

The festival runs Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Come before 10:30am on either day and admission is free; it’s also free for students, seniors and kids all day long. For others, they suggest a donation of $7 at the door.

On both nights at 6:45pm, they also offer a vegan dinner (cooked or raw) for $25 per person.

Got a great vegetarian recipe or tip you want to share? Leave a comment to let us know.

Sarah B.

This Saturday, local non-profit Leap will host their 27th annual Sandcastle Contest on Ocean Beach.

It is Northern California’s largest sandcastle building event, and the competition is fierce between teams of architects, engineers, contractors, designers and local elementary school students.

This year’s theme is Sand Francisco, so expect to see some impressively sandy versions of the city’s great landmarks.

Last year, the Rooftop Elementary / Swinerton Builders team took top honors. Check out their awesome Wild Thing below. See more pics from 2009

Proceeds from the Sandcastle contest, raised from sponsors and team fundraising, will go back into Leap’s programs, which serve over 6,500 children in the Bay Area by bringing visual and performing artists and architects into the classroom.

The contest takes place this Saturday from 10am to 4pm on Ocean Beach, near the intersection of Balboa and the Great Highway.

Good luck to all the teams! Last year was EXTREMELY windy so let’s hope Mother Nature cuts these kids a break.

Sarah B.

The 2009 best of show sculpture from Rooftop Elementary School and Swinerton Builders: Wild Thing

A shot of the Wild Thing’s grinning face

Surf’s up! You might think this surf pipe driveway painting was out by Ocean Beach, but you’d be wrong. Know where it is in the Richmond? Leave a comment to let us know. Photo by probable koz.

If you live in the zip code 94115, 94118, 94121, or 94129, you can get in free to the California Academy of Sciences this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Several times a year, the Academy offers free admission to local residents. All you need is proof of residency, and a little patience (the lines are known to be very long on free days).

If you don’t have a driver’s license or state ID, you can also bring another photo ID along with a envelope, postcard, or magazine label with name and date, or a photo ID and a utility bill or bank statement (more info)

Each adult can bring up to 6 children in with them for free. Not sure which day to go or what you want to see? One of these special programs might help you decide:

Live penguin feeding – every day at 10:30am and 3:30pm
Family Nature Crafts – every Saturday from 11am – 12:30pm | Ages 4-8
Live snake demonstration – every Saturday at 1:30pm
Animal Tales in the Explorer’s Cove – Saturday at 11am | Ages 2-5
Swamp Talk – every Saturday or Sunday at 2pm
P is for Penguin: every Saturday and Sunday at 12:30pm
Sharks and Rays – every Saturday and Sunday, 11:15am

For descriptions of the above events, visit the calacademy.org events page.

If you can’t make it in free this weekend, the Academy also offers free admission to anyone on every third Wednesday of the month. That leaves October 20, November 17, and December 15 in 2010.

The California Academy of Sciences is located in Golden Gate Park’s Music Concourse and is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30am until 5pm, and Sundays from 11am until 5pm.

Sarah B.

New dance classes are starting at the Richmond District Recreation Center for kids age 3 to 13 years, put on by the Cultural Arts Division of the SF Recreation and Parks Department.

Each class includes 9 sessions for $72, and takes place at the Richmond Rec Center on 18th Avenue between California and Clement.

Registration opens this Saturday, October 2 at 10am on the SF Rec & Park website at http://sfreconline.org, in person at McLaren Lodge in Golden Gate Park (501 Stanyan Street, 10am-3pm), or at the Richmond Recreation Center (251 18th Avenue, 10am until 3pm). Scholarships are available.

3-4 yr olds: Busy Bees – Creative Movement
Fridays 3:30pm-4:15pm | Oct. 15 – Dec.17 OR
Saturdays 11am-12pm | Oct. 16 – Dec.18

This dance class is designed to develop children’s motor skills, body awareness, verbal / social abilities, and basic understanding of rhythm and dance. Students are taught movements such as turning, hopping, rolling, galloping, and skipping. Additionally, students will begin learning basic ballet, modern, jazz, and Afro-Haitian dance movements and placement. This class is designed to develop the student’s strength and flexibility overall as well as dance skills.

5-8 yrs old: Monkey Motion – Dance Basics 1
Fridays 4:30-5:30 | Oct. 15 – Dec.17 OR
Saturdays 12pm-1pm | Oct. 16 – Dec. 18

In this class children will be taught beginning ballet, jazz, modern, and Afro-Haitian movement. The emphasis of this class is learning the Dunham Technique – a modern / jazz style of dance that is a blend of African and Caribbean movement. This class is perfect for first time students that are new to dance, as well as students that are more experienced dancers.

9-13 yr. olds: Graceful Gazelles – Dance Basics 2
Saturdays 1pm-2pm | Oct 16. – Dec. 18
This is an Intermediate/ Advanced version of Monkey Motion, described above.

This weekend, the park hosts what is arguably it’s most popular free concert of the season, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. 6 stages and dozens of bands will rock the park from Friday morning until Sunday evening. Best of all, the festival is free.

Bust out those jam pants because the festival kicks off Friday morning with MC Hammer at 11:30am on the Star Stage. Can’t touch this! Friday night comes to a close with T Bone Burnett on the Rooster Stage at 5:45pm.

Both Saturday and Sunday are jam packed with acts including legendary folksinger Joan Baez (Sat., 2pm), Fountains of Wayne (Sat. 1:35pm), Emmylou Harris (Sun, 5:45pm), Indigo Girls (Sun, 1pm), movie song maestro Randy Newman (Sun, 2:05pm), and Patti Smith (Sun, 4:10pm). See the full festival schedule

The festival runs Friday (2pm – 7pm), Saturday (11am – 7pm), and Sunday (11am – 7pm) at Speedway, Lindley & Marx meadows in Golden Gate Park (festival map). The festival will also feature over 50 food vendors so get ready to eat while you boogie. No alcohol will be sold at the festival but you can bring it per park rules. Coolers, blankets, cameras and short-back chairs are also allowed. Pooches are ok too.

There will also be bike parking available on site with 3 monitored self bike parking areas near each meadow (bring your own lock) and valet bike parking available on Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 am – 7:30pm.

If you must drive to the festival, both Argonne (17th & Cabrillo) and Lafayette (36th and Anza) Elementary schools are having parking fundraisers. Park in the school lots from 9am until 8pm for $25 (tax deductible!). Thanks to reader Cath for the tip.

Want to see the festival lineup in action? Check out this great Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2010 playlist someone put together on YouTube that features many of the bands that will be out in the park.

Enjoy the shows!

Sarah B.

The crowd at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2009. Photo by Inkyhack

Steve Martin performs at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2009. Photo by UnkiStuart

SFWeekly’s The Snitch has the low down on some un-family friendliness that went down in Golden Gate Park this weekend.

If you read the blog last week, you’ll know I mentioned the SF Bike Coalition’s annual Tour de Fat Festival, which celebrates all things bicycle with kid-friendly events including a bike parade, stage shows, games and more. It took place in Golden Gate Park on Saturday.

Why is it called Tour de Fat? Because it’s sponsored by Fat Tire Beer and at the event, they run a couple of beer booths, selling their brew for $5.

According to The Snitch, the Richmond District po-po and Golden Gate Park rangers said that qualified the event as a “beer garden” and as a result, all kids had to be in strollers or in their parents’ arms. The article has pics showing cops sternly talking to parents and park rangers barring kids from entering certain areas.

The half-dozen strong cadre of park rangers at Saturday’s event was supplemented by four cops, at least one of whom was seen patrolling the Tour de Fat grounds shooing away parents with kids from watching the event’s on-stage bananana juggling exhibition, playing ring toss, or observing a bicycle rodeo in defiance of police edict.

So I guess a kid has to be tied down seated in a stroller so they don’t wander off and start imbibing? Or so other drunken revelers can’t hurt them (never mind their drinking parents). Next year will they have to hand out those child leashes at the event?

One attendee, who’s been taking their young kids to the Tour de Fat festival for the last couple of years, called the change in policy “stupid”. Well, that about sums it up, don’t you think?

Sarah B.