Archive for the ‘Exploring By The Bay’ Category
The Pixie Park Spring Fair takes place in Ross today. This is the 52nd annual occurrence of this popular event features music, food, games & rides for children up to age six. Admission is free. Games, rides, and food do require purchased tickets. Get there early, it looks like possible afternoon rain.
The event features children’s pony rides, a petting zoo, bouncy houses, bathtub races, a vintage train and more. Tim Cain, The Bubble Lady, The Lizard Lady and and Budderball the Clown will provide entertainment for the kids and the Wronglers will provide more adult music.
- What: 52nd Annual Pixie Park Spring Fair
- When: Today! Saturday, May 22, 9am-3pm
- Where: Marin Art and Garden Center, 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross (map)
- Parking: Parking available at College of Marin (free shuttle), Ross Common, $10 parking at the Marin Art & Garden Center
- Admission: Free admission, Games & Rides require paid tickets
- More info: Pixie Park website
Have a great weekend!
One of the reasons I love living in Marin County is the access to “the great outdoors”. I love being able to experience all that the city has to offer, yet escape to what I consider true beauty and serentity almost in my backyard. This morning I hiked one of my favorite Marin County hikes. We departed off Crown road and headed into Baltimore Canyon along the fire road and on up (and up!). Here are a few pictures and a map from my hike. They are a little fuzzy as I only had my iphone, but still well worth a look!
Mount Tamalpais
Mount Tamalpais
San Francisco Bay between King Mountain & Christmas Tree Hill
It is not often you get to peek into some of the nation’s most beautiful (and expensive!) gardens. The residents of the Town of Ross will open its arms and gardens next weekend to benefit the Ross School.
Highlights of the tour include:
- a remarkable and resplendent rose garden with over 400 rose bushes
- a European inspired villa with an unparalleled bird’s eye view of the heart of Ross
- a timeless garden that harkens back to an era of elegant garden parties
- a romantic Victorian estate that is steeped in tradition yet updated with chic and sublime garden design.
This is one of my favorite local tours. It is fun to be a voyeur for the day and look into the backyards of stunning Ross residences. The gardens are always splendid and the weather is usually typical Marin bliss. Make it a day and enjoy an alfresco lunch (available from 11am-2:30 pm, order ahead to guarantee availability and afternoon tea from 3-5pm.
An all new Marketplace will be featured this year with vendors and educators coming together to create a delightful outdoor destination. The Marketplace is open from 9am-5pm.
- What: Ross Garden Tour
- When: Saturday, May 8, 2010, 9:00-3:00 pm
- Where: Shuttle service begins at the Marin Art and Garden Center
- FAQs
- Purchase Tickets
- Benefits the Fine Arts Program at Ross School
- More Info
~Ginger
Planning ahead for next weekend? The Larkspur Library Foundation is hosting a Wine Tasting & Auction to benefit the Larkspur Library on Saturday, May 1st. The event will feature tastings of fine wines and appetizers by Stacy Scott. I have used Stacy Scott for my own events and she always does a stellar job. Some of the featured auction wines include including a magnum of 1976 Lafite Rochschild, Caymus Reserves, Duckhorn, Diamond Creek, Forman, and more. Sounds like a fun event to support a great local library!
- What: Wine Tasting & Auction Benefiting the Larkspur Library Foundation
- When: Saturday, May 5:30 to 8:30 pm
- Where: American Legion Post 313, 12 Ward Street, in Larkspur
- Admission: $50. Tickets can be purchased in advance by mailing a check (yes, I said a check!) to The Larkspur Library Foundation, P O Box 5263, Larkspur CA 94977-5263
- More Information: Larkspur Library Foundation
~Ginger
Exploring by the Bay
Next stop: Fun events with kids!
The Bay is brimming with fun events for kids this weekend. Here are just a few. Feel free to add additional events in the comments!
San Francisco
The 19th Annual Union Street Spring Celebration & Easter Parade takes place on Sunday April 4, 2010 from 10:00am – 5:00pm on Union Street between Gough & Steiner. The event is a fun and eclectic San Francisco tradition. The promo even mentioned roller blading cows!! The celebration features some of Union Street’s best restaurants serving attendees in an outdoor bistro setting along with a variety of activities including large inflatable bounces, kids’ rides and games, a climbing wall, a hands-on children’s activities area, costumed characters, a petting zoo, a pony ride and musical entertainment.Spring Eggstravaganza takes place on Sunday, April 4, 2010 from 11 am – 3 pm at Stern Grove. San Francisco throws a giant Easter celebration that’s kid-friendly but open to all ages. Egg hunts, carnival rides, arts and crafts, entertainment, food and giant inflatables will keep you busy. At Stern Grove, 19th Ave. and Sloat Blvd. $5 admission. For tickets or more information, call (415) 831-2700 during business hours.
Big Bunny’s Spring Fling at the San Francisco Zoo takes place every day from now until April 4th from 11am to 3pm. All activities are free with paid Zoo admission and include live entertainment, bunnies to see and learn about from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (weather permitting), photo opportunities with a costumed bunny, crafts, and games to play. Additionally, the Zoo will offer one FREE child’s admission with one paid adult for kids ages 4 to 14 who bring along their favorite plush bunny.
Marin
Belvedere- Join the Easter bunny at the Belvedere Community Center’s Easter Bunny Brunch on Saturday, April 3, 2010 from 10 am-noon. The event includes brunch, crafts, face painting, music and of course, an Easter egg hunt! To purchase tickets, call the recreation office at (415) 435-4355 or visit the Belvedere Community Center website.
Corte Madera- The Corte Madera Parks & Recreation will be hosting a Children’s Egg Hunt, Saturday, April 3, 2010 at the Corte Madera Town Park. The hunt starts at 10am. For more info, call (415) 927-5073.
Fairfax- Fairfax hosts it’s annual Easter Egg Hunt at Bolinas Park Saturday, April 3, 2010 from 10:00 am-12:00. Call 415-456-5652 for more information.
Mill Valley- The Strawberry Recreation District will be holding their Spring Faire on Saturday, April 3, 2010 from 11:30am to 4pm at the Strawberry Recreation Center at 118 E. Strawberry Drive. The event features activities for children ages 1 to 8 and will include carnival games, prizes and an egg hunt. $5 admission per child. Call 383-6494 for more information.
Sausalito hosts their 30th Annual Easter Parade and Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 4, 2010 from 10am -2pm at Dunphy Park located on Caledonia Street and Bridgeway. The schedule of events includes:
- 10:00am – Parade led by the Easter bunny!
- 10:15am – Egg Hunt
- 10:30am – Live Music
- 11am – Easter Bonnet Contest- bring your craziest, creative and beautiful Easter bonnets.
San Anselmo- The San Anselmo Parks and Recreation holds an egg hunt on Friday, April 2 from 7:50 pm (don’t be late) for kids ages 8 and older at Memorial Park in San Anselmo. For kids under 7, check out the Children’s Egg Hunt at 11am on Saturday, April 3, 2010 at Memorial Park in San Anselmo. Call (415) 258-4640 for more information.
Santa Cruz Area
Time for a Sunday drive? Consider heading down to Felton in the Santa Cruz Mountains for the Eggstraordinary Egg Hunt III on Sunday April 4, 2010 at 2:00pm at Roaring Camp Railroads in Felton. Kids take the steam train to Bear Mountain to hunt for thousands of chocolate candy eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny in a redwood forest and win prizes. Special Easter crafts and games for families and kids. Sounds like a blast!
Exploring by the Bay
Next stop: The Marin County Library (sort of)!
A weekend trip to the library is always a good excursion for us, but this weekend is even better if you are looking to make your book collection a little more permanent. The Marin County Library is hosting it’s 10th Annual Book Super Sale at the National Guard Armory in San Rafael this weekend. The sale features over 40,000 books with more than half that are not available in their regular bookshop and some children’s books with prices starting at $0.25. The sale is sponsored by Friends of the Marin County Free Libary
- When: Saturday & Sunday March 27 & 28th, 10am-5pm
- What: Marin County Library Book Super Sale
- Where: National Guard Amoriry
Directions to the armory: From highway 101, take North San Pedro Road exit. Turn left onto Civic Center Drive. Turn right onto Armory Drive and continue to far east end of parking lot.
- More Info: 415-892-0238 or the Marin County
The Marin County Public Library is a free library for the residents of Marin. It was founded in 1927 and has grown to eleven branches around Marin County. It is funded primarily by property taxes. The library provides great free resources like computers, free wireless, special programming for children, teens and seniors and study space for students. Nothing beats a good book, help support our libraries!
Image Courtesy of daviddaviddaviddaviddavid’s on Flickr
Exploring by the Bay
Next stop: Sam’s Cafe!
With a gorgeous spring day and 80 degree weather, this weekend seems like a great one to spend outdoors. Looking to relax and enjoy the sunshine? You don’t have to go far! Visit downtown Tiburon and the landmark Sam’s Cafe along the Tiburon waterfront. This is one of my favorite spots to relax, sip a spicy bloody mary, and take in the sparkling waters of the San Francisco Bay and fantastic views of the San Francisco skyline and Angel Island. This place gets packed on a hot day with people coming over from San Francisco on the Tiburon ferry. Arrive early in the day if you don’t want to wait. The food isn’t Marin’s finest, but the awesome location and fantastic people watching make up for it. This is really the perfect place for a lazy Marin afternoon in the sunshine.
You can check out a live view from their sunny deck on Sam’s webcam.
Exploring By the Bay
The 84th Annual Junior League of San Francisco Fashion Show takes place this weekend. Tickets are still available for this awesome event that has raised millions of dollars for Bay Area community programs like Compass Community Services, the International Rescue Committee, San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center and Support for Families of Children with Disabilities. It is the largest event of its kind in the nation. The show is professionally produced in partnership with Macy’s.
I was fortunate enough to model in the program last year and have been a volunteer on numerous occasions. What an experience it is to be behind the scenes! Hundreds of volunteers dedicate a huge amount of time to put on this truly spectacular event. It is well worth the price of admission and benefits many worthwhile community programs.
- When: Friday, March 19, 2010
Champagne Luncheon
Silent Auction Reception 10:30 AM
Luncheon and Live Auction 12:30 PM
Fashion Show 1:15 PM
Black-Tie Dinner Gala
Silent Auction Reception 6:00 PM Dinner and Live Auction 8:00 PM
Fashion Show and Dancing 9:00 PM - Where: The Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, 950 Mason Street at California
- More Info
- Purchase Tickets
- Junior League of San Francisco’s Mission Statement: The Junior League of San Francisco, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.
What can I expect? I found this video on YouTube. It is from an old show. Each year has a different theme and feel, but the video gives you a great idea of the event. Enjoy!
Looking to get a sneak a peak at some of Belvedere and Tiburon’s finest kitchen? Don’t miss the annual Belvedere-Hawthorne Nursery Schools Kitchen Tour coming up next week. The tour generally features five to six kitchens, often with gourmet treat along the way. I am very sad that I will be flying on a plane to Wichita, Kansaas, so I will miss it for the first time in years. In addition to the tour, there is always a great boutique and a lunch option at the San Francisco Yacht Club. Transportation is provided between each of the homes.
- What: Belvedere-Hawthorne Nursery Schools Kitchen Tour
- When: Tuesday, February 9 , 9:30am – 2pm
- Tour Tickets: $40 in advance, $45 at the door.
- Raffle Tickets: $5 each, 6 for $25. Luncheon: $30.
- More information: www.belvedere-hawthorne.com or (415) 721-3204.
Please go and tell me all about it!
One of my favorite annual events is back and I almost missed it! The Children’s Theatre Association of San Francisco (CTSA) brings Beauty and the Beast to life for bay area children this month and next. CTSA is a non-profit organization run entirely by volunteers who dedicate their time to bring live performances to school age children. During the month of December, CTSA performs for school children, many who would not otherwise have the opportunity to see live theater. The funds raised from the Saturday paid performances in January and February are used to offset production costs.
- What: The Tale of the Beauty and the Beast performed by the Children’s Theatre Association of San Francisco.
- When: Saturdays at 10:30 am and 1:00 pm. The final performance will be on February 13th.
- Where: California Palace of the Legion of Honor
- Tickets: Tickets are $12.00 + $1.80 processing fee for online & telephone orders. Click here for more information about buying tickets.
This has been an annual tradition that I started with my children. The actresses are adult volunteers. Don’t be surprised- the program doesn’t have children in it! The volunteers make the costumes and the set. It is definitely “home grown” in a delightful way. The performance are always very sweet and tailored specifically for elementary aged children. I hope you enjoy it!