Art Exhibits on Market Street

Market Street has been under a year long renovation to bring something new to San Francisco’s main throughway.  This weekend 52 new creative and unique public art installations will be installed around the city and on market street.  These installations will then be voted on by popular opinion to see which 10-12 become long term installations. We have featured a few in the blog below.

Life through a toddler's eyes.

This art installation is perfect for the adult that just needs a break to relax and feel like a kid again. The installation strives to help adults channel their inner child, and then use that to bring out their compassion and creativity.  Everything will be oversized just like it was when you were a child.  

A Pop Up Library

The San Francisco Public Library is behind this installation.  This gateway will be built out of 

San Francisco Resident’s favorite books.  As you walk through, you will be facing toward the library.  This walk through will also feature an audio book from the library’s collection. Finally, there will be a did you know section that visitors can take to learn more about the library. 

A two-story pile of life-size Jenga blocks.

Do you remember the game Jenga?  Did you ever think you would see a life-size version of the game?  These interlocking and stackable wooden blocks will encourage people to watch and interact with the exhibit and the people around them.   During specific times, the exhibit will be  unlocked and visitors can move the blocks around. 

Collaborative music driven by facial expressions.

Have you ever wanted to design your own music?  This next exhibit will give you that opportunity.  Four iPads will each be responsible for one instrument. The system will recognize seven facial expressions that you can use to shape the music and the piece that you are making.  This unique experience will let you design music with three other strangers or friends. 

These are just four of the many exhibits that you can experience this weekend in San Francisco.  To find out more information about this weekend’s art make sure to check out Huffington Post. 

Ride Your Bike In San Francisco

San Francisco is a great place for the resident that wants to bike or walk.  Did you know that we have some of the most beautiful  bike trails in the country?  This weekend take a ride with friends and family to enjoy your holiday weekend! You can learn more at Sfgate. 

For the spring and early summer, I made a list of the 100 best bike trails in the Bay Area and near Monterey Bay. Of those, I picked my favorite all-round rides for intermediate cyclists, mostly mountain biking. The climbs aren't like Mount Diablo, but the payoffs are special. Here they are:
San Francisco

To Sausalito: This is the most popular ride in California, where you cruise across the Golden Gate Bridge and return by ferry boat to Pier 41, with rental bikes available. The trip starts along the bay on the Golden Gate Promenade, from Marina Green to the Presidio, and then up through the tunnel to the bike lane on the west side of the Golden Gate Bridge. The views are spectacular along the 

Marin Headlands and out to sea. Then glide down to Fort Baker and complete the trip to Sausalito for lunch. Roughly 8 miles, one-way. Info and rentals: Blazing Saddles, (415) 202-8888;www.blazingsaddles.com.
South Peninsula

Bay Ridge Trail, Crystal Springs: You need trail reservations, but you and your riding pals can have paradise to yourselves. This is an 11-mile one-way ride with a shuttle on the Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail. The route spans from Quarry Gate north to the gate at Sneath Lake in San Bruno. In the process, you pass through forest, view points to the east of Crystal Springs, then on past 5 Points to a remote sub-ridge; to the west is the seldom-seen east flank of Montara Mountain, to the east are weeping views of the South Bay. Info: Reserve at www.sfwater.org - click on "Community" and "Explore," then "Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail."


Crystal Springs Trail, San Bruno to Woodside: This gets packed with bikes every weekend, and weekday evenings are popular, too. It's gorgeous and feels secluded much of the way - a long, sustained, easy ride with lake views. Start at the northern trailhead and ride the San Andreas Trail, Sawyer Camp Trail to Crystal Springs, and Cañada Road (closed to motor vehicles on Bicycle Sundays); 13 miles one-way, 15-mph speed limit. You can connect to Woodside for lunch. Info: San Mateo County Parks, (650) 363-4020; http://parks.smcgov.org.

Haul Road, Portola Redwoods State Park: A personal favorite. A 10-mile round trip from Portola Redwoods State Park gently down to Memorial County Park. The Haul Road is a smooth dirt road that is routed through redwoods near the headwaters of Pescadero Creek. A great family ride in wildlands. Info: Portola Redwoods State Park, (650) 948-9098,www.parks.ca.gov.
Marin County

Tamarancho Loop: Camp Tamarancho is the No. 1 mountain bike park in California, where you pay $5 for a month for unlimited riding with like-kinds on single-track trails. The 9-mile Tamarancho Loop, single-track on the east side of White Hill, is the centerpiece. The long-range plan is to complete the Tamarancho Flow Trail and other single-track routes. Owned and operated by the Marin Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Info:www.boyscouts-marin.org - click on "Tamarancho Biking."


Perimeter Road, Angel Island: The 5.5-mile ride on Perimeter Road around Angel Island is probably the best ride for all ages in California. The views are spectacular at a series of lookouts across the bay to its landmarks, with easy side trips available to Camp Reynolds, Perles Beach, Battery Ledyard, East Garrison, Quarry Beach, North Garrison, and theImmigration Station. Bike rentals available. Info: Angel Island cafe (bike rentals), (415) 435-3392, www.angelisland.com; Angel Island State Park, (415) 435-5390; www.angelisland.org orwww.parks.ca.gov.

Tennessee Valley, Marin Headlands: This is also a great family ride, nearly flat most of the way, 8.5-mile round trip. You ride through a valley west, and then park, lock and walk a short distance to a gorgeous secluded beach at Tennessee Cove, named after a shipwreck. Info: Marin Headlands, (415) 331-1540, www.nps.gov/goga - click on "Plan Your Visit."
South coast

Coastal Trail, Half Moon Bay: The best way to do this trip is to start at Half Moon Bay State Beach (or nearby atthe Bike Works for a rental). Then ride north on the Coastal Trail all the way to Pillar Point Harbor (with one section incomplete at Surfer's Beach) for lunch. You'll pass bluff tops, a series of beach access points, and get big views of the Montara Mountain ridge on one side, the ocean to the other. Info/rentals: The Bike Works, (650) 726-6708, www.bikeworkshmb.com.


Rancho del Oso, Big Basin Redwoods: My favorite bike-and-hike anywhere is the ride on the dirt road from Rancho del Oso into the interior of Big Basin Redwoods. It starts out flat, but then rises up and down three hills. You then park, lock up at a rack, and hike 1 to 3 miles to see Berry Creek Falls, and then up the canyon to Silver Falls and the Golden Cascade. A 13-mile round trip ride, plus hike. Info: Rancho del Oso Nature Center, (831) 427-2288, http://ranchodeloso.org.

Wilder Loop, Wilder Ranch State Park: Wilder Ranch is the best state park around for mountain biking. From the ranch (dismount and walk), ride under Highway 1, turn left on the Wilder Ridge Loop. You then climb up a series of small hills and then terraces to catch your breath. Climb at least 500 feet (look for the spur on your left) for a lookout point of Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay, or make the 9-mile loop. Info: Wilder Ranch State Park, (831) 423-9703; www.parks.ca.gov
East Bay hills

Nimitz Way, Tilden Regional Park: From Inspiration Point, the trail is crowded for the first mile, then becomes more your own (still paved) for 4 miles to a turnoff on the left (becomes dirt) and a gate. Ride through the gate and continue to the foot of one of the hills. Lay down your bike and then walk up to a summit for a world-class 360 of the bay, foothills and distant peaks. 10-mile round trip. Info: Tilden Regional Park, (888) 327-2757, option 3, Ext. 4562; www.ebparks.org.

Chabot shoreline, Lake Chabot: This is a family ride, great for youngsters or those getting in shape. From the marina, ride out to the left along Lake Chabot on the Shore Trail. It's a service road with mild undulations en route to the dam - easy and short, with pretty lake views. If you want more, at the marina, continue on the East Shore Trail. It extends to pretty Honker Bay. Info: Lake Chabot Regional Park, (888) 327-2757, option 3, Ext. 4536; www.ebparks.org.

Alameda Creek Regional Trail: From Niles Canyon to Coyote Hills Regional Park, you'll find a paved trail on the southern side of the Alameda Creek that extends 12 miles (one way). You ride past Shinn Pond and Quarry Lakes en route to Coyote Hills, wetlands, marsh and the South Bay. Info: Alameda Creek Regional Trail, (510) 544-3137; East Bay Regional Park District, (888) 327-2757, option 3, Ext. 4501; www.ebparks.org.

Fried Chicken In The Bay

Everyone loves a good piece of fried chicken. Did you know that San Francisco has some amazing fried chicken all within a short drive. Keep reading our blog to pick out which restaurant you will try this weekend.   SFist has your list of the ten best fried chicken places in the Bay Area.





Brown Sugar Kitchen
People don't only go to Brown Sugar Kitchen for their chicken and waffles, but almost. Formally, French-trained chef Tanya Holland opened her West Oakland spot to immediate lines in 2005, and the chicken, and the waffles, truly are perfect. Holland has said she wants to "do for Southern cuisine what Mario Batali did for Italian food — elevate it from mom-and-pop meals with more refined sauces and fresh seasonal ingredients." And word about Holland's chicken has spread far and wide (Oprah included), and you can learn all the secrets to her batter right here, or you can save yourself some spatter and just head over there to try it from her kitchen. — Jay Barmann
2534 Mandela Parkway, Oakland

Hard Knox Cafe
The chicken at these quirky comfort food outposts, cooked until its exterior is a dark golden brown, will make you believe in fryer vat miracles. That is, if you weren't a believer already. Note that there's a spicy option for those who crave a little kick. Corn bread comes out first, and everything is super laid back and casual. Don't expect the fastest service, but in return, you're welcome to linger. —Caleb Pershan
2526 3rd Street between 22nd and 23rd Streets and 2448 Clement Street between 25th and 26th Avenues

Little Skillet
An offshoot of restaurant Farmer Brown, Little Skillet is literally a window along a wall where die-hard fans order fried chicken and waffles, and then devour their purchase in an alley. Sound perfect? It is. Those just in it for the perfectly fried chicken can order a meal sans waffles. Sides include biscuits, mac and cheese, and the highly recommended cheddar grits. Don't lie. You know you want to eat chicken and grits in an alley surrounded by your fellow SoMa skillet fans. — Beth Spotswood
360 Ritch Street near Townsend


Ad Hoc
Many folks will tell you that a craving for Ad Hoc's buttermilk fried chicken is one of the main reasons they bought chef Thomas Keller's cookbook Ad Hoc at Home. Brined in lemons, honey, and other spices for nearly a day, Ad Hoc's chicken gets a buttermilk bath and a spicy coat of seasoning before its dip in the frier. The result is an amazingly crisp crust covering intensely flavorful, juicy meat. It's the stuff chickeny dreams are made of. One warning before you hop in the car and head to Yountville to taste for yourself: as Ad Hoc only serves a four-course family-style menu that changes on a daily basis, you can't get their chicken every day. However, their boxed lunch to-go service Addendum (in the backyard) offers the chicken Thursdays through Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Plan accordingly. -- Eve Batey
6476 Washington Street in Yountville


Wayfare Tavern
Tyler Florence's take on "restaurant-style" fried chicken is nothing to scoff at. Brined and thinly battered with well seasoned buttermilk batter, and garnished with roasted garlic, salt, fried herbs, and lemon, it's decidedly one of our fancier examples, and pricier at $25 a plate. But it's damn good. "Ridiculously good," as Food & Wine has called it. South Carolina-born Florence has kept the fried chicken front and center on the menu of his tony FiDi haunt since it opened in 2010, and it remains, easily, some of the juiciest, and most flavorful in town. — Jay Barmann
558 Sacramento Street near Montgomery

San Tung
Inner Sunset Chinese joint San Tung is known for two things: long waits, and their dry-fried chicken wings. And, yes, the two are connected, as people come from all over for the chicken that we've written about so many timesover the years that it might be dubbed the Gavin Newsom of food. (And like our former mayor, the service at San Tung can be..erratic, though their dining room is far grittier than Gavin could ever hope to be.) Named by esteemed food pub Food & Wine as some of the best in the US, San Tung's dry fried wings (they have a wet fried option too, but it's not that great) combines garlic, ginger, and roasted red peppers in the batter for a concoction that even the restaurant admits "doesn't sound like typical Chinese fare" but is instead a "mix (of) American comfort with Chinese cooking expertise." Who cares, it just tastes fantastic. And if the line at San Tung's too long, you can go get a drink or check the wait at San Tung 2, which is right next door and serves the same food as the original. -- Eve Batey
1031 Irving Street (#1) and 1033 Irving Street (#2), both between 11th and 12th Avenues




Boxing Room
Chef Justin Simoneaux, a New Orleans native, has one magical, secret weapon to serve alongside his darkly fried, crunchy and delicious fried chicken: bacon giblet gravy. The combination with his always moist and picture-perfect fried chicken, is the stuff Big Easy dreams are made of. Bonus: This man knows how to make a proper hushpuppy. Double bonus: The place finally, recently added a full liquor license, so this NoLa-centric spot can do NoLa proud with cocktails. -- Jay Barmann
399 Grove Street at Gough
Front Porch
We've all agreed that food tastes better when it is pulled from a bucket — popcorn, shrimp, popcorn shrimp, and of course, fried chicken. One of the few spots one can procure chicken in a bucket without having it handed through a car window is at the Mission's Front Porch. The Front Porch is home to some seriously juicy cornmeal-encrusted friend chicken, piled high and deep in a cardboard bucket and dramatically presented tableside. Wimps can order a meager 4-piece plate, but few things say long-term love and overall health like a shared 10-piece extravaganza of fried legs and breasts.— Beth Spotswood
65 29th Street between Mission and San Jose


Miss Ollie's
Sarah Kirnon, who came to the Bay from London in 1999 and worked initially at Front Porch, opened her casual Caribbean-California restaurant to happy customers and positive press in 2013. The place is an homage to her grandmother, Miss Ollie, and the fried chicken is the odds-on highlight. Of course it's crispy on the outside, but it's also got a secret: skin stuffed with vinegar and herbs. Traditional — and also highly affordable — other dishes include phoularie, fritters made from split pea flour and turmeric and a pickle plate to complement whatever else you've ordered. —Caleb Pershan
901 Washington Street Oakland between 9th and 10th Streets


Pollo Campero
Guatemala-based, Central American chicken chain Pollo Campero opened their first Northern California location in the Mission just over two years ago, and if you haven't been, you need to go. You will not find a lot of English speakers in the dining room, but what you will find is some delicious, well seasoned, fast-food chicken that certainly rivals KFC, if maybe not Popeye's. Also, this is the cheapest fried chicken on this list, and it is damn good — with optional sides like yuca fries, rice and beans, and sweet fried plantains with sour cream. — Jay Barmann
2740 Mission Street between 23rd and 24th Streets


Brenda's French Soul Food/Brenda's Meat & Three
Brenda's recent expansion to Divisadero with Brenda's Meat & Three solidified a reputation for strong Southern cooking. There, buttermilk fried chicken is as it sounds: nearly creamy and wholly delicious. Over at the original outpost, Brenda's French Soul Food, they call it the B.F.C or Best Fried Chicken, advertising a secret recipe. Louisiana native Brenda Buenviaje nods to New Orleans at every turn, and her cooking is a down-home delight. —Caleb Pershan
652 Polk Street between Eddy and Turk Streets and 919 Divisadero Street between McAllister Street and Golden Gate Avenue.


Eureka Restaurant and Lounge
This Castro dinner spot does not do everything spectacularly, but I will say the fried chicken is consistently some of the best in town. Longtime chef Gaines Dobbins trained with Paul Prudhomme and Nancy Oakes (at Boulevard) before helping to open Chenery Park and then Eureka, its sister restaurant which has outlived its sibling. The fried chicken is the hands-down best bet on the Southern-inflected menu (though Dobbins' gumbo is nothing to scoff at either) and it comes served with mashed potatoes, collard greens, black-eyed peas, and black-pepper gravy. In two words: old school. — Jay Barmann
4063 18th Street, near Castro



1300 on Fillmore
The well-designed elegance of this high-end soul food supper-club allows one to feel wildly sophisticated ordering a plate of $24, cooked to order fried chicken. Deboned and deep-fried in a skillet, this chicken dish is served with mashed potatoes, gravy, and (wait for it) a house-made chive biscuit. If the Neiman Marcus rotunda deigned to serve fried chicken, they would serve this version. — Beth Spotswood
1300 Fillmore Street at Eddy




Town Hall Town Hall's fried chicken is so famous, a giant food porn photo of their chicken cooking a skillet graces their homepage. This is what they want everyone to think of when they think of Town Hall: fried chicken. That kind of confidence in a menu item only comes with years of commitment to the product and thousands of glowing reviews. Town Hall serves other delicious menu items in their classic lunch-and-dinner restaurant, but you should come for the fried chicken. It is, after all, their website wallpaper. — Beth Spotswood 342 Howard Street at Fremont

Frisco Fried
Chicken and waffles — a remarkable combination if there ever was one — are the staple of Frisco Fried, the Bayview eatery from Marcel Banks and his uncle Gregory Banks, There, every crispy piece is made to order, which means things usually take 15-20 minutes. But recall that good things come to those who wait. The "fried with pride" joint opened in 2010 to sling it's signature "S.F. style Soul Food," and however good those waffles are, they're really just a nice bed for the perfectly-battered bird. The black and orange interior shows great SF patriotism, but that's not the main event, either. You know why you're here!—Caleb Pershan
5176 3rd Street between Shafter and Thomas Avenues

Take Your Dog For A Walk In San Francisco

Spring is here in San Francisco. It is time to get out of your apartment and explore the outdoors. However, there are many ways to explore the beautiful San Francisco. There are many options in the community to get out and get active. However, San Francisco has some of the best parks available for you and a furry friend. Take a peak at the best dog parks in San Francisco in the blog below. You can learn more at Sfist.

Bernal Heights Park
Bernal's large, lovely hill is an equally wonderful dog walking or dog watching outpost, with trails, a main road, and stellar views. The sightseeing is good all the way to the top, which has even more trails and from where you can take in the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges in one panorama. The park is a favorite destination for Bernal locals and San Franciscans farther afield, but it can sometimes get chilly at the top. But that's not that bad because it increases your likelihood of seeing phenomenal dog sweaters. —Caleb Pershan

Crissy Field
This is how I do Crissy Field: I park at the parking lot closest to the Marina Gate, and let the dogs out to run off-leash on the beach. When they seem a little less nutso, everyone gets leashed and we walk along the runway (it's a former airfield) all the way down to the Warming Hut. The humans get a cup of coffee and a treat and hang out at the picnic tables for a bit. Then we walk back up the runway, eventually making our way back to the car. All the while, there's the water to one side, the Presidio to the other, plenty of places to run and play, and a lot of scantily clad, athletic people to admire. —Eve Batey

Duboce Park
Dog owners across the city drool over the park-adjacent residences surrounding the always dog-filled Duboce Park. The off-leash area is expansive, sloping a full city block all the way down to Steiner Street, and though this is not the perfect place to take dogs who are fond of running off in the direction of cars — the Duboce and Steiner Street sides of the park are not fenced off in any way — it is the perfect place for all well behaved pooches who enjoy playing fetch and bounding about with other dogs. And there will pretty much always be others there doing the same, at all hours. Of special note: Duboce is home to the annual DogFest, which happens in April. —Jay Barmann


Fort Funston
Definitely the best dog beach in town is in the southwest corner of the city, almost in Daly City, in Fort Funston National Park. You have to do some climbing down a fairly steep path and then back up it when you're done, but this is an ideal spot to exhaust the most energetic of pups — especially those who aren't afraid of water. Of course you'll want to be careful on days with rough surf if your dog is too fearless, but this long, dog-filled expanse, bordered on one side by dunes, cliffs, and ice plants, is basically dog heaven. —Jay Barmann


Golden Gate Park
While your on-leash dog's welcome in many areas (except places like the bison paddock and Big Rec, that huge field at Lincoln and 7th Avenue) of Golden Gate Park, there are only four areas where it's not against the rules to take them off leash: a dog run bordered by Lincoln Way, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and 5th and 7th Avenues in the southeast, Stanyan between Hayes and Fulton on the northeast, MLK Jr and Middle Drives between 34th and 38th Avenues in the southwest, and a small dog training area at 38th Avenue and Fulton. All three of these spots are just the right mix of untamed nature (Wild bushes! Squirrels!) and nicely maintained park (Sprinklers! Trashcans!). Stay away from the coyotes, and you'll all have a great time. — Eve Batey


Huntington Park
In the Disney movie of SF dogdom, Nob Hill's Huntington Park would be where all the snooty poodles and can't-be-bothered lhasa apsos would strut about looking down their noses at the rambunctious beagle hero of the film. This half brick-surfaced, half grassy park with a famous fountain in the center of it sits in the shadow of Grace Cathedral, the Huntington Hotel, and the Mark Hopkins, and is the daily destination of many well heeled toy breeds from nearby luxury apartments, as well as some other riff-raff from downhill in the TenderNob and Russian Hill. It's technically an on-leash park, and there is a playground right next to it, so for off-leash play this is strictly limited to the really well behaved, and tends to mostly be for small dogs. —Jay Barmann


Lafayette Park
The Friends of Lafayette Park neighborhood group proudly describes this park as "a haven for dogs and people who love them at almost any time of day or night." What they don't mention is how this is also a great place to scope out some of the fanciest real estate in town: Larry Ellison, director Chris Columbus, and a lot of people you mainly see in the society pages live or lived in homes that border this Pac Haights park. Speaking of fancy, a lot of the dogs and their guardians that hang out here are, too, so be prepared for the occasional celeb (and their dog) sighting. Be cool! — Eve Batey


McLaren Park
The sprawling, serene southern San Francisco park is canine heaven with plenty of space and even a doggie pond. Bordering neighborhoods like the Excelsior, Visitacion Valley, and the Outer Mission. There's a large off-leash area, plenty of rolling hills, open fields and trails. What more could your dog's heart desire? —Caleb Pershan


Mountain Lake Park
This Inner-Richmond 14-acre getaway at the edge of the Presidio is great for stretching your, and your dogs, legs. There's a wood-chip carpeted dog specific area, which is where local dog walkers usually bring their herds on weekday afternoons. You'll also find plenty of trails surrounding the eponymous lake and mountain, a big grassy hill (with a concrete slide) and a duck filled lake. —Caleb Pershan


Ocean Beach
Of course you know that Ocean Beach is gorgeous! And of course you know that it's a haven for dogs, because there are a zillion things to smell, birds to chase, water to play in, and other dogs to interact with. All I have to do is start driving on Lincoln towards OB and my dog will go bonkers at the prospect of a beach walk, it's such a fan fave. The rules are that dogs must be on-leash between from Sloat Blvd. and Stairwell 21 (which is, roughly, about mid-Beach Chalet) except from May 15 to July 1. (Do people always follow this rule? Nope! But we're not here to get you in trouble.) North of Stairwell 21, it's an off-leash free-for-all, with pooches running wild as can be. — Eve Batey




Pine Lake Park
Commonly known as "Stern Grove Dog Park," Pine Lake Park's to the Grove's immediate west, with an entrance hidden just off Crestlake Drive. Past the parking lot, there's a huge off-leash play area constantly populated by pups and their guardians, as well as benches to sit and chat while everyone's dogs play. Or you can get your dog back on leash (per the rules) and walk the perimeter of lovely Pine Lake. The best part, though, is that this park's in a valley, so if your dog tries to escape chances are that you (with your longer legs) can catch him or her on the steep uphill. — Eve Batey

St. Patrick's Day in San Fran

Are you celebrating St. Patrick's Day this weekend?  Make sure to check out the West Coast's largest Irish event.  This event features Irish history, culture, and great events.  It has even attracted close to 100,000 people every year.  The event is on Saturday morning.  You can learn more at sf fun and cheap.

The West Coast’s largest Irish event celebrating Irish history and culture, the 164th Annual San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival, attracts some 100,000 revelers every year and is one of the city’s most popular events.


164th San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival
Saturday, March 14, 2015
- Parade: Starts at 11:30 am
- Festival: 10 am to 5 pm
Parade begins on the corner of Market and 2nd Street and runs to Civic Center
Festival is in Civic Center Plaza
FREE

The parade will start at the corner of Market and Second Streets where over 100 colorful floats, Irish dance troupes and marching bands will wind their way to Civic Center Plaza.

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebrates and showcases the Irish community, Irish culture and character in all its forms. Featured groups from throughout the Bay Area’s Irish community including schools, youth organizations, labor unions, cultural groups, as well as the San Francisco Police and Fire, will proudly march up Market Street.

The popular festival is back in 2015 and will take place from 10 am to 5 pm in Civic Center Plaza.

The colorful festivities surrounding the parade will showcase Irish Culture through live performance and entertainment, arts and crafts exhibitors, food and beverage concessions, children’s rides and inflatables, cultural displays, a petting zoo and pony ride and a number of non-profits booths representing the Irish community.

Creative SF Date Nights

Are you ready for a Netflix movie night this weekend?  You can always change up your date nights.  San Francisco has some amazing locations for a perfect fun date.  You can keep reading and check out  thrillist. for more creative ideas.


Virtual golf

Eagle Club Indoor Golf
A virtual, indoor driving range means you can enjoy the best aspects of golf -- hitting balls and "helping" her improve her swing -- without having to endure any of the negatives (stuffy dress codes, early tee-times, committing to 19 holes with a person you met on Tinder).
Pro tip: Upgrade your standard happy-hour date by suggesting an after-work tee-time (it’s located on 2nd and Howard, near all your standard happy hour bars, anyway).

Roller disco

Church of 8 Wheels
Ice skating is lame (and cold), but roller-skating? See, that right there is retro and cool, and still provides plenty of opportunities for rom-com-like falls that inevitably lead to touching. Also: DJs spinning old-school funk and disco while you skate around a converted historic church is awesome in and of itself.
Pro tip: Bring a flask -- there’s no bar on the premises
Archery

Golden Gate Park
Tucked away just North of the golf course is Golden Gate Park’s archery field, surrounded by woods that look like Robin Hood’s Sherwood Forest (the cartoon one with the foxes, not the Costner one). You rent your equipment at the nearby San Francisco Archery Shop, where the expert archers on staff give you a quick tutorial. Then walk down to the field where nine target bales await you and your best Katniss Everdeen impression.
Pro tip: Bring wine or beer (probably just for post-shooting), plus picnic provisions.
Hiking

Lands End
You know what’s expensive? Dating. You know what’s free? Hiking. And thanks to panoramas around every corner, San Francisco turns what’s basically just walking into an exercise in romance. SF offers several awesome urban date hikes, but a walk that ends at Sutro Baths is especially dreamy. Making out... in a cave... while waves crash near by -- it’s like Danielle Steel created SF’s coastline herself. Wait... did she?
Boat ride

Stow Lake
Take a page out of a Nicholas Sparks novel with a picturesque paddle on Golden Gate Park’s Stow Lake. Sure, the waterfall on the center island, sweeping city views, ducks, and storybook wooden bridges could tip this date into cheesy territory, but that’s nothing a few tall boys in paper bags can’t temper. Plus, is it really the worst thing in the world if you start to remind her of Ryan Gosling?
Pro tip: Rent the pedal boats instead of the rowboats so your hands are free for sipping beer. Oh, and bring snacks to share with the ducklings.
Bowling

Mission Bowl
Classic courtship gets the trendy, hipster treatment at Mission Bowl. It’s basically a typical Mission bar -- complete with decent food, craft cocktails, and people in flannel -- only there are bowling lanes, too.
Pro tip: Come during the week when the wait list for the two first-come, first-served lanes is generally shorter. And enjoy drinks or food on the patio while you wait.
Mortified Storytelling

DNA Lounge and The Uptown
Dating can be awkward and embarrassing, but for once the angst will not be your own when you witness Mortified’s hilarious exploration of most embarrassing moments. There’s just something about sharing in other other's misfortune that really helps people bond. Newsweek, The Onion's A.V. Club, This American Life, and more rave about the raw storytelling, so even if the relationship doesn’t last, this "cultural phenomenon" is worth seeing. Catch it in SF on October 10th, or in Oakland on the 11th. If you're gonna go to Oakland, make sure you read this first.
Sidewalk Food Tours

Various Locations
For around the same cost as a dinner for two at any moderately priced restaurant in the city, you’re treated to a much more interactive experience with this food tour of San Francisco’s most delicious neighborhoods. Choose from Italian goodies in North Beach, Latin flavors in the Mission, or Chinese delicacies in Chinatown (coming soon) and taste popular dishes from five of the most iconic restaurants and holes-in-the-wall the neighborhood has to offer.
Giant trampolines

House of Air
A massive trampoline park in a historic airplane hangar. Do we really need to explain further why this is awesome?
Pro tip: After you’re done jumping around like kids, plan on sharing a bottle of wine on Crissy Field across the street like the adults (with the healthy, active love lives) that you are.

Food and Happy Hours in SF

Cheers to the weekend! If you're more than ready to kick off the weekend, why not begin with one of our city's many happy hours? Even if you have a go-to place after work, try something new! Where will we see you this weekend?  SFist recommends these happy hours, which also include food:

ICHI Sushi + Ni Bar
It's been almost exactly a year since this subtle sushi operation moved to its larger Mission Street location, but don't worry, it's remained a Bernal happy hour favorite. From 5:30 to 7 p.m. pop in for $1 oysters, half off appetizers, $4 Fort Point beers, and cold sake and white wine for $6. That all goes down in the Ni Bar subsection, so sidle up to that back bar. — Caleb Pershan
3282 Mission Street at 29th Street

Pesce
In Italy, they've got this awesome thing called aperitivo hour, where you get FREE FOOD with your drinks. How civilized is that? You can take advantage of this brilliant concept at Pesce in the Castro, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. every night of the week. There are drink specials, of course, but also free cicheti (snacks, to you) including bruschetta with smoked salmon, goat cheese-stuffed peppers, and meatballs in marinara. Also, on Tuesdays, they do $1 oysters and $5 martinis. — Lauren Sloss
2223 Market Street near Sanchez

Bar Agricole
Tuesday to Saturday from 5 to 6 p.m., and all day Sunday, Bar Agricole offers up $2.50 oysters as well as some delicious $2.50 sausages with house-made mustard and sauerkraut. Also, there's $6 glass of Riesling and $3 beers to wash that down, as well as their sophisticated cocktail list, at full price, should you want to head that direction. — Jay Barmann
355 11th Street at Harrison

Park Chalet
On a sunny afternoon there's no more suitable post than at Park Chalet, where you'll find $3.50 pints house-brewed beers every Wednesday to Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Taco Tuesdays ($2.40 each) also feature two-for-one margaritas, free live music and a happy hour that runs until midnight.
— Caleb Pershan
1000 Great Highway between Upper Great Highway and Lincoln Way

Gaspar Brasserie
One of the newer happy hour deals around town is at this stylish French spot. Monday to Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. they're offering $1 oysters and deviled eggs, as well as $3 pomme frites, $5 glasses of wine, and a couple of $6 cocktails, including one called the Ma Cherie (vodka, lemon, honey-ginger, hibiscus tea).
185 Sutter Street at Kearny

El Techo de Lolinda
This rooftop spot in the Mission has some tasty bites, and their happy hour runs from 4 to 6 p.m. on weeknights. On offer: $5 guacamole, beef empanadas, fried green plantains (with black beans and queso fresco), and fried chicken thighs with habanero salsa. Also, $7 margaritas and $18 sangria pitchers. — Lauren Sloss
2518 Mission Street at 22nd

UVA Enoteca
UVA is on our list for the second year in a row for good reason, as it's still one of the best deals around. From 5 to 6:30 Monday to Thursday, and 3 to 6:30 Saturday and Sunday, cans of beer (but they pour it into a glass, so you still feel all grown up) are $2, petite carafes of wine are $5, and there's a limited (and cheap!) selection of pizza, pasta and nibbly things to soak it all up. Get their early—UVA's prime seats at their lovely marble bar fill up fast. — Eve Batey
568 Haight at Steiner

Boxing Room
Blessed with a new full liquor license to complement their solid beer offerings from the local to the New Orleanian (Abita, anybody?), the Absinthe Group's Boxing Room also cuts you a break with half off oysters from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cajun boiled peanuts and $4 Turbodog beers or $5 Cava should go with that nicely. — Caleb Pershan
399 Grove Street at Gough Street

Bar Crudo
Crudo's oyster, chowder, and fish taco happy hour always makes our lists, and it's still one of the best deals in town for a cheap date or after-work treat. Happy hour is 5 to 6:30 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday, and weekend evenings tend to have folks outside waiting for the doors to open right at 5. In addition to $1 oysters, there are $1 jalapeño marinated mussels, 2-for-$10 local rock cod tacos, and a few other seafoody delicacies. Wash it all down with a $3 pint of beer or $5 glass of wine See the full happy hour menu here. — Jay Barmann
655 Divisadero Street at Grove

Mission Rock Resort
On sunny days, especially, you want to be sitting out on a deck, sipping cold beer and slurping oysters, and this is the place for that. At happy hour (3 to 7 p.m.), Mission Rock Resort has four hours worth of 99-cent oysters, as well as $5 draft beers, and $6 cocktails and wine. You won't find a more sun-drenched and relaxing spot, assuming you score one of the tables on the deck, and it makes for a perfect pit stop before a Giants game. - Jay Barmann
817 Terry A Francois Blvd (between Mariposa and 16th Street)

Two Sisters Bar & Books
It's pretty tiny, and quite popular, so swinging in on the early side for happy hour is probably one of your best bets for getting a seat at this Hayes Valley spot, or even ample standing room. Tuesday to Friday they do it from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and the deal is $3 draft beers, and $5 cocktails, which means their delicious concoctions are half price. And that deal runs all afternoon, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., on weekends.
579 Hayes Street at Laguna

Hi Tops
This popular Castro sports bar has, $3 well drinks like the rest of the neighborhood before 8 p.m. But, there's the added bonus of 25-cent Buffalo wings on Mondays, which tend to draw serious crowds of sports fans who are also spicy wing fans, given that you can order yourself a dozen for three bucks, and then get drunk, all for less than $15. — Jay Barmann
2247 Market Street, between Noe and Sanchez