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Kiddie Koncierge: March Update
What is Kiddie Koncierge?
Kiddie Koncierge is the SF Bay
Area's premier resource for fun,
interesting, unique, and
creative kids activities.
We provide recommendations,
reviews, and resources on all
sorts of fun things to do in San
Francisco, Berkeley/Oakland,
San Jose, Marin, and beyond!
Kiddie Koncierge is the SF Bay
Area's premier resource for fun,
interesting, unique, and
creative kids activities.
We provide recommendations,
reviews, and resources on all
sorts of fun things to do in San
Francisco, Berkeley/Oakland,
San Jose, Marin, and beyond!
Welcome to the Kiddie Koncierge
March Update!
Cal Performances and Kiddie Koncierge are pleased to offer $10
tickets to see Dan Zanes at Zellerbach Hall on the University of
California Campus March 6th and 7th. Visit our Special Offers
Page for more details.
It's HERE! We have updated the Kiddie Koncierge Egg Hunt Guide
for 2010. Unfortunately, there has been some attrition due to
budget cuts, but there is still a lot to do! Click Here for an event
near you.
Snow Play
With all the snow that we have been getting there is a lot of fresh
and man-made snow. The resorts and snow parks are open! Just
a thought – if you are teaching kids, you do not necessarily need a
lift ticket if you do not mind walking up the hill. Check out the Snow
Play Guide for more details
Make sure to check out our Facebook page. If you like us, be our
fan! Share us! Pass us around!
SPECIAL OFFER!
Make sure to check out the Resources Pages. Here are some
highlights:
Activities at a Glance
Year Round
On-Going (Fridays)
Through March
Sundays Through March 21st and Weds-Sat March 31-April 3
Sundays
Thursday, November 19th - April 18th
Sundays through March 28th
Saturday, March 13th
Through March
Free 1st Tuesday, March 2nd
Free 1st Wednesday, March 3rd
Free 1st Thursday, March 4th
Free 2nd Sunday, March 14th
Free 3rd Wednesday, March 21st
Saturday, March 6th
Saturday and Sunday, March 6th and 7th
Sunday, March 7th
Sunday, March 7th and 21st
Saturdays and Sundays, March 13 - April 4
Saturday and Sunday, March 13th and 14th
Sunday, March 14th
Friday, March 19th
Saturday and Sunday, March 20th - 21st
Sunday, March 21st
Saturdays and Sundays, March 21st - April 11th
April 2nd - 10th
Saturday, April 3rd
Sunday, April 4th - Happy Easter!
Saturday, April 17th
Sunday, April 18th
The Detes
Year-Round
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (specific farms have different
hours) Pick-Your Own Produce, Brentwood, FREE
(picking is free, but you have to pay for the fruit)
Brentwood has a wonderful activity for the entire family. You grab a
basket and head out into the orchards to pick the freshest fruit
available. Once you have picked your fill, get it weighed and pay
the best price you'll find anywhere for the freshest fruit. Make sure
to check the list of growers for what they offer and make sure that
they have U-Pick available.
Canciamilla Ranch on 401 Eureka Ave (925) 634-5123
These guys offer terrific peaches, nectarines, and plums in a
number of different varieties. This ranch has been featured on the
news as a great place to go.
Visit http://harvest4you.com/ for a list of farms by type of produce,
a map of the area, and a farm locater. Of course, you should
probably check to make sure that the fruit is at its peak before you
head out.
5:00 p.m. - 8:45 p.m., Cultural Encounters: Friday
Nights at the de Young $10 adults, $6 kids 13-17,
FREE for kids 12 and under
Friday nights, the museum is open late and the de Young folks
spice things up with music, film, dance, and special events. You
can get dinner and cocktails at the cafe to make an evening of it.
To make this a family event, there are hands-on art making
activities for kids and adults. For details, visit the Friday Nights
Web Page
Don't forget the Saturdays at the de Young program which
combines docent tours with artist-supervised art projects on
Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. A
schedule of programs can be found at http://www.famsf.
org/deyoung/calendar/day.asp?categoryid=30 For a reward, you
can march the little artists across JFK Drive to the Koret
Playground to get some ya-yas out.
Seasonal
January – March, Ano Nuevo State Reserve Annual
Elephant Seal Mating and Birthing, $5 per vehicle,
Guided Tour Tickets are $7 per person reservations
recommended
Ano Nuevo is a special place. It is a hike both literally and
figuratively since it is tucked away on the coast between Half Moon
Bay and Santa Cruz. That being said, it is worth the drive. From
the moment you arrive, you can hear the barking of the seals in the
sea breeze. A quick hike later (you can do a self-guided hike for
free between April and November. You must be accompanied by a
guide during breeding season), you are a set of bluffs overlooking
a beach filled with barking and belching life. The adults are gone
by March leaving weaned pups who hang on the beach through
April. Information on visiting the preserve can be found at http:
//parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=523 with a link on the page to
online reservations (which are a must). It is recommended that
you read this http://parks.ca.gov/pages/523/files/ano%20nuevo%
20press%20release--2010sw.pdf before calling the reservation
line at (800) 444-4445.
Through March
Marine Mammal Migration, Mating, Birthing, and
more: Whales and Elephant Seals at the Point Reyes
National Seashore
The Point Reyes National Seashore is one of the few places on the
Pacific Coast where northern elephant seals and gray whales may
be observed and studied. What is more amazing is that Point
Reyes is about 30 minutes from Marin and an hour from SF or the
East Bay.
The elephant seals' semi-annual sojourns to the shores of Point
Reyes provide a unique opportunity to glimpse the lives and
behaviors of these elusive ocean giants. The Elephant Seal
Overlook near Chimney Rocky is a great place for viewing elephant
seals from December through March. You can see the males
doing their dominance dance and pup birthing. On weekends and
holidays, docents are available to provide guidance.
During the winter, you can also watch the migration of gray whales
as they make their way to Alaska from Baja. Peak Southern
Migration is mid-January and the peak Northern Migration is mid-
March. Late April and Early May offer you the chance to see
mothers and calves close to shore. Best place to watch is from
areas near Chimney Rock and the Lighthouse
NOTE: due to traffic concerns, the roads are closed and shuttle
buses from Drakes Beach provide transportation. For details on
the shuttles, visit http://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/shuttle.
htm
For details on watching seals, visit http://www.nps.
gov/pore/planyourvisit/wildlife_viewing_elephantseals.htm
For information on watching whales, visit http://www.nps.
gov/pore/planyourvisit/wildlife_viewing_whales.htm
The National Park Service also offers a number of ranger-lead
programs that provide the most informative ways to explore our
friends on the coast. Click here for more details http://www.nps.
gov/pore/planyourvisit/rangerprograms.htm
3Sundays Through April 3rd
Sundays, Feb 14 – March 21, 2010
Wed, March 31, 2010
Thur, April 1, 2010
Fri, April 2, 2010
Sat, April 3, 2010
no show March 7
11:00 a.m., The Bubble Man's The Greatest Bubble
Show on Earth, The Marsh San Francisco Main Stage
Theater, 1062 Valencia St (near 22nd Street), San
Francisco, $10 adults, $7 kids
This is the most amazing 45 minutes most of you have probably
ever experienced involving bubbles. MOST of you. I'm sure there
are stories, that are just not that suitable for your family activities
website. Then again, your kids aren't reading this...and I digress.
You will witness all kinds of extraordinary things such as spinning
flying saucer bubbles, square bubbles filled with fog, universe
bubbles with orbiting planets and bubble chains that look like
centipedes. There is lots of audience participation and some lucky
kids will find themselves inside bubbles, while others will get to
eat them. Warning: expect lots of excitement and laughter. For
details, tickets, and directions, visit http://www.themarsh.
org/bubble_guy_2009.html
Sundays 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., The Buddy Club, $7.00
(kids < 2 years FREE)
The Buddy Club has an ongoing series of kids’ entertainment at
three locations throughout the Bay Area: the Berkeley JCC, the
Osher Marin JCC in San Rafael, and the Randall Museum Theatre
in San Francisco. The Buddy Club shows are appropriate for all
ages and can entertain older kids and adults as well (this isn’t
necessarily baby stuff). Visit their website at www.thebuddyclub.
com (Please do NOT forget the “the” as one of our parents did.
The resulting website is NOT suitable for family viewing). The
shows are entertaining and engaging. The shows are also
suitable for birthday parties. The following are the upcoming
shows.
Marin Buddy Club Shows, Hoytt Theater at the Osher
Marin JCC, 200 North San Pedro Road, San Rafael,
March 14: Dan Chan, the Magic Man
San Francisco Buddy Club Shows, Randall Museum
Theater, 199 Museum Way@ Roosevelt Way, San
Francisco
Note: SF Buddy Club Shows are at 11:00 a.m. Randall Museum
members also enjoy a $2 discount per ticket.
March 7: Robert Strong, Comedy magician
March 21: Hilarious cowgirl tricks with Karen Quist
April 11: Prop comic and juggler, Fred Anderson
April 25: Award winning Zappo the Magician
Berkeley Buddy Club, Berkeley JCC Theater, 1414
Walnut Street (Between Walnut and Rose),
March 7: World-renowned physical comedian, The Unique
Derique.
From Now until December 1st
East Bay Regional Parks Trails Challenge
This one kinda defies classification, but it is a great family activity.
Thousands of people have participated in the Regional Parks
Trails Challenge over the past 15 years--over 6,000 last year alone!
Hike five of the 20 trails listed in the booklet by Dec. 1 and receive a
commemorative pin with the Trails Challenge logo (pins will be
mailed in the fall) plus pick up a free organic cotton T-shirt at a
Regional Parks visitor center. T-shirts will be available for pick up
in April and May only, one per person, two per household while
supplies last. If you can't pick up your shirt, pay mailing costs and
we’ll mail it to you.
The East Bay Regional Parks are encouraging participants to "go
green" this year by downloading the Trails Challenge guidebook
and printing only what you need (booklets are available; costs will
be charged to the participant). Upon registration, participants will
receive instructions on how to download the guidebook and how to
get your free organic cotton T-shirts.
Kaiser Permanente is a major sponsor of this program, enabling
EBRPD to offer materials for free to all Alameda and Contra Costa
county residents and Kaiser employees. Registration is required at
www.ebparks.org. No phone registrations.
19-18Thursday, Nov 19th - April 18th
Golden Gate Express Garden Railway, Conservatory
of Flowers, 100 John F. Kennedy Drive, Golden Gate
Park, San Francisco, Adults $5-$7, Kids 12-17, $3.00 -
$5.00, Kids 5-11 $1.50-$2.00, Kids 4 and under FREE
Can’t argue too much with the price. If you are in the area after a
visit to the California Academy of Sciences or the Koret Playground,
the Golden Gate Park's Conservatory of Flowers has a cool display
that celebrates the City of San Francisco through an impressive
layout of G-gauge model trains winding their way through a lush
landscape of dwarf plants and steam past several replicas of
some of San Francisco's most famous places including the
Conservatory of Flowers itself, the Japanese Tea Garden, the
Golden Gate Bridge, Mission Dolores, Chinatown's dragon gate,
the Transamerica Pyramid building, the Ferry Building, Coit Tower,
Ghirardelli Square and the Bently Reserve (formerly the Federal
Reserve Building). Surrounding these landmarks is a magical
landscape of miniature gardens and parks created with living
plants including dwarf conifers, tiny orchids and more. Visitors will
also enjoy appearances by costumed volunteer conductors. Fog
even rolls in twice a day and a sound track adds to the ambiance.
This year some of the landmarks will be made from recycled
activities. There will be a children's interactive train set that kids
can operate, a San Francisco history treasure hunt and much more.
For more details, visit www.conservatoryofflowers.org
28Sundays Through March 28th
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Soggy Sundays Kids' Series,
Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave at Gilman, Berkeley,
$4 kids, $6 adults
Looking for something to do on a soggy Sunday afternoon? Come
out to the Ashkenz performance space for an hour of family music.
They are offering ten Sundays of programs are geared for dancing
and family members of all ages. Genres include folk, rock, and
world music. The schedule includes:
- March, TBA
For details and directions, visit www.ashkenaz.com
6-13Saturdays, February 6th - March 13th
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Paxton Gate Curiosities for Kids
Saturday Events, 766 Valencia Street, San Francisco,
(415) 824-1872, FREE
There is a place in Paris which started out as a taxidermy shop
and has become so much more. It is a natural curiosities shop
which, in addition to taxidermy, also carries lots of nifty natural
history art work and gardening tools. If you are there, check out
Deyrolle. If Paris is not in your plans, Paxton Gate in the Mission
should be on your list. In addition to truly inspired toys and kits for
kids that revolve around a natural history theme, they have vintage
toys and all sorts of cool surprises. For several weeks, Paxton
Gate will be hosting some cool FREE events at their mission kid's
boutique. This week, Paxton Gate offers a Free Science workshop
with James M. Create slides of three different food groups and
investigate at the cellular level with aid of an optical microscope.
www.paxtongate.com/events-upcomingevents.aspx
Upcoming events include
Saturday, March 13th - Presenting Shiv Sounds with RythEm's
Stop in for a musical afternoon. We'll be singing some of the
classics.
6Saturday, March 6th
11:00 a.m. SaturYAY! Series at the Amador Theater,
Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, Adults $10-18
most shows and Children $6-14
The Amador Theater in Pleasanton has this terrific Saturday
matinee series with wonderful family-friendly entertainment. This
week, it is the Gizmo Guys, a highly entertaining pair of jugglers
whose humor and skills enrapture audiences all over. Going
forward, here is the run-down:
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. San Francisco Family Summer
Resource Fair, Concourse Exhibition Center at 8th
and Brannan Streets, FREE
San Francisco families (and others too), can come to this
showcase of a lot of the great things that kids and families can do
over the summer including activities, camps, arts, sports and jobs.
There will be kid’s activities throughout the day. For more details,
call 311 (the new SF services hotline) or go to www.dcyf.
org/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=4266
6-7Saturday-Sunday, March 6th - March 7th
Saturday, 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, 3:00 p.
m., Cal Performances Presents Dan Zanes in Concert,
Zellerbach Hall, University of California Berkeley,
Tickets $16 and $26. Children 16 and under are half
price!
Dubbed "the Crown Prince of contemporary kids music" by People
magazine, Dan Zanes is the former lead singer and songwriter for
the famed Del Fuegos. But these days, he and his band perform
lively, handmade music for enthusiastic crowds of kids and "kid
sympathizers." Filled with irresistible grooves drawn from a wealth
of musical traditions, Zanes, his Grammy-winning group, and his
surprising and eclectic special guests, create a rollicking
"Woodstock for Kids," including rousing American traditional
songs, dance classics, and smart, inventive originals.
His shows are a high-energy party, pure and simple. Kids usually
don't hang too long in their seats and head to the mosh pit to
dance along to this infectious music. The nice thing for parents is
that the music is not the usual cloying kids songs but adult
standards and folk tunes that parents can enjoy without getting
cavities!
* Tickets are half price for audience members age 16 and under
for all Performances!
Cal Performances and Kiddie Koncierge are pleased to offer a
limited number of FREE tickets to the March 6th 4:00 p.m.
performance! Visit our Special Offer page for more details on
how you can win FREE tickets to this performance and Dan Zanes'
CDs and DVDs!
Click here for more details on the performance, tickets, and
directions: http://www.calperfs.berkeley.
edu/presents/season/2009/family_fare/dz.php
12:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Black Diamond Mines Open
House, Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, 5175
Somersville Road, Antioch, $1, Parking $5
It's opening weekend at the mines. You can explore nearly 1,000
feet of the Hazel-Atlas silica sand mine at your own pace! They'll
have self-guided tours for visitors 7 and older and a special
underground room for kids.
Mendocino Whale Festival, FREE
At this time of year about 20,000 gray whales are headed North
from Mexico to their winter home in Alaska. There will be food,
family activities, Coast Guard demonstrations, whale-oriented
educational events, and, best of all, guided whale watching from
the Mendocino Headlands, the Ford House Visitor’s Center, and
the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse. It is well worth the drive. http://www.
mendowhale.com/
Please Note: Similar Festivals will be held at
Little River, March 13th and 14th
Fort Bragg March 20th and 21st
7,21Sunday, March 7th and 21st
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., You Might as Well Jump!, SF
MOMA, 151 Third Street, San Francisco, FREE for kids
12 and Under
Mod-erators lead participatory art projects and provide supplies
and support as you create your own works of art. Docents conduct
engaging, family-friendly gallery tours. Special activities include
book readings and movie screenings. Look. Think. Create. That's
Family Sunday.
This week: Art is active! Dance through space and time. Groove to
the beat. Be the star of your own kinetic art show as you investigate
the media of visual freestylers like Pipilotti Rist, Christian Marclay,
and Bruce Nauman.
If you haven’t done one of these family studios, it is a great
program: admission is FREE for kids under 12, the kids get a
well-designed and supervised activity that immerses them into the
collection, and, well, SF MOMA is a gem of a museum. The Koret
Center is on the 2nd floor. Even if there is no activity in session, it
is worth visiting with your kids. Please note: capacity is limited;
families will be served as space is available.
Family programs are designed for children ages 4 to 11.
13-4Saturday-Sunday, March 13th - April 4th
Saturdays 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. and Sundays 2:00 p.
m., Aesop's Funky Fables, New Conservatory Theatre
Center, 25 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco
A wild and wacky adaptation of the classic Greek fables. Come
meet the tortoise, the hare, the fox, the stag, and three time
travelers who learn from Aesop himself what lessons can be
learned from these charming stories written centuries ago. Great
for kids 4 and older. For tickets, visit http://www.nctcsf.
org/press_room/aesop/aesop_press.htm
14Sunday, March 14th
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Sunday Streets, Pier 39, San
Francisco, FREE
As part of Mayor Newsom's efforts to get people out of their homes
and out of their cars and into the fresh air, streets around Pier 39
on the Embarcadero from Pier 39 to China Basin and Terry
Francois Blvd. will be closed for a day of fun, entertainment, and
family activities including biking, roller skating, lots of dance, face
painting, slides, games, classes, music and more. For a map and
complete details, visit http://sundaystreetssf.com
Future dates include:
Sunday, April 11 along the Great Highway if it isn't washed away
Sunday, April 18 Bayview along 3rd Street from King and 4th to
Bayview Playground
Sunday, May 23 Bayview in conjunction with the 3rd Street Festival
Sunday, June 20 Mission, along Valencia and 24th Streets
Sunday, July 11 Mission
Sunday, August 22 Great Highway/Golden Gate Park
Sunday, September 19 Western Addition
Sunday, October 24 Civic Center/Tenderloin
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Johnny Appleseed Day,
Ardenwood Historical Farm, 34600 Ardenwood, Blvd.,
$2 adults, $1 kids
Join the good folks at Ardenwood in celebrating one of America's
favorite folk heroes. In the spirit of Johnny Appleseed, they will
begin the day by planting heirloom apple trees (11am), then you
can relax and enjoy a fun filled afternoon of cider pressing (noon),
stories (1pm) and apple tasting (2pm). This is a drop-in program;
no registration is required. For information, call (510) 544-2797.
1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Summer Camp Fair, Scottish Rite Center,
1547 Lakeside Dr., Oakland, FREE
If you haven't made summer plans yet, check out the free camp fair
sponsored by the American Association of University Women. It
covers 100 camps for preschool to high school to special needs
kids in all areas from drama and sports to robotics. For more info,
visit www.aauw-op.com Another couple of good resources are of
course, our Camps Page and the Summer Camp Website: http:
//tlent.home.igc.org/Day_Camp.html It is great, it talks about
content, age, cost, hours, and in some cases, opinions. A broader,
but not as comprehensive site provides useful links to sites
providing summer camp info for ALL parents – East Bay and
otherwise): http://tlent.home.igc.org/Summer_Camp_Home.html
19Friday, March 19th
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Napa County Day at the Farm,
Napa Valley Expo Fairgrounds, 575 Third Street, Napa,
FREE
Celebrate local agriculture and visit with livestock, Clo the Cow and
much more. Visit http://napacountyfarmbureau.
org/annualevents/dayatthefarm.html for details.
20-21Sat & Sunday, March 20th-21st
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Houdini Magic Weekend,
Playland Not At The Sea, 10979 San Pablo Ave., El
Cerrito, $15 adults, kids 3-14 $10
Playland-Not-at-the-Beach is a small storefront holding a lot of cool
Bay Area history. This hands-on "museum" (quotes added) has a
lot of the old nickelodeon attractions from the now-defunct Playland
by the Sea amusement park that used to be at the foot of the hill
below the Cliff House and the Sutro Baths and a lot more. There
are 25+ pinball machines set on Free Play, arcade games,
videogames, carnival games of skills where you can win prizes,
penny arcades full of antique amusement devices, live magic
shows, an amazing hand-carved miniature circus, side show acts,
miniature dioramas, Fascination games, and historic exhibits with
artifacts from the Sutro Baths and Whitney's Playland in San
Francisco. This weekend, magicians from around Northern
California are performing and putting on classes in the art of
illusion. This is one of their most popular events. For details and
directions, visit http://www.playland-not-at-the-beach.org/index.
htm
21-11Sat & Sun March 21st - April 11th
2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., Zanzibar Fairytale Puppet
Theater Presents Cinderella at Uptown Body and
Fender, 401 - 26th Street, Oakland, $12
Uptown Body and Fender? Seriously? Seriously. This is a
wonderful space that creates a great backdrop for this magical
presentation of the time-honored, Cinderella. Theodore Dawson
has created unbelievably beautiful puppets, scenery, and a lush
musical score that brings this story to life in a way that you have
never seen before. Doors open 45 minutes before show time, so
make sure to get there early for the best seats. Visit http:
//zanzibarpuppets.com/Spring.html for show times and details.
21Sunday, March 21st
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., Berkeley Rep Sunday Sampler
Series, Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, the Berkeley
Rep School of Theater, Nevo Education Center, 2071
Addison Street, Berkeley, FREE
Bring your family, bring a friend or treat yourself to the wide variety
of programming offered at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre,
including acting, improvisation, stage combat and clowning.
Taught by professional theatre artists, our classes offer people of
all ages and abilities an opportunity to explore the craft of theatre
and experience the joy of dynamic engagement with their own
creativity.
The Sunday Sampler is free and open to youth, teens, adults and
families.
Following a brief introduction at 1pm, participants may sample
three different classes from a menu of options at 1:20pm, 2:00pm
and 2:30pm.
The Sunday Sampler is held at the Berkeley Rep School of
Theatre, 2071 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704.
For more information about the Sunday Sampler, please e-mail
school@berkeleyrep.org or call 510 647–2972.
The next Sampler will be April 4th.
2-10April 2nd-10th
San Francisco Bay Area International Children’s Film
Festival at WonderCon, Moscone Center South and
other Bay Area Venues, Admission (children under 11
free with paid adult admission)
If your kid loves comics or if you are using your kid as an excuse to
attend, this is NorCal’s premiere comics and pop culture
convention. Yeah, the media and Simpson’s paint this crowd with
a rather pejorative brush, but it can be fun. Even if you don’t go to
the convention (why would you miss the ComicCon of the North? If
you pay for one, you get both admissions together), you should
check out the films in the film festival. They are fresh and fun
movies geared to kids.
For a full list of films and venues, visit http://www.sfchildrensfilm.
org/. For more information, visit www.comic-con.org/wc/, email
sfchildrensfilm@cox.net or call (760) 453-2922.
4Sunday, April 4th
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., Berkeley Rep Sunday Sampler
Series, Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, the Berkeley
Rep School of Theater, Nevo Education Center, 2071
Addison Street, Berkeley, FREE
Bring your family, bring a friend or treat yourself to the wide variety
of programming offered at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre,
including acting, improvisation, stage combat and clowning.
Taught by professional theatre artists, our classes offer people of
all ages and abilities an opportunity to explore the craft of theatre
and experience the joy of dynamic engagement with their own
creativity.
The Sunday Sampler is free and open to youth, teens, adults and
families.
Following a brief introduction at 1pm, participants may sample
three different classes from a menu of options at 1:20pm, 2:00pm
and 2:30pm.
The Sunday Sampler is held at the Berkeley Rep School of
Theatre, 2071 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704.
For more information about the Sunday Sampler, please e-mail
school@berkeleyrep.org or call 510 647–2972.
17Saturday, April 17th
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Bug Day at the Randall
Museum, 199 Museum Way, (off of Roosevelt above
14th and Castro) San Francisco, FREE (although a
modest donation is suggested – always a good idea to
make sure that these cool places can stay in
business!)
THIS IS A GREAT EVENT! Like the creepy crawlies? You can get
up front and personal with a wide range of these six-legged
wonders with a lot of hands-on activities but the kids can also
engage in a wide range of bug-themed projects as well. The
attractions include a silk worm petting zoo, live music, a termite
maze, maggot (yeah, big “eeeew”) races – you heard me, “maggot
races”, a whole bunch of live insects for you to see, touch, eat (wait,
not eat), and while we are on the subject, there will be an exhibit on
insects that are eaten in the regular course of the diets of different
cultures. For the brave, you will be able to sample fried crickets
(big treats all over the world) and meal worms. A fun way to spend
the day! For details and directions: http://www.randallmuseum.
org/BugDay.aspx
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Cal Day, University of California,
Berkeley Campus, Berkeley, FREE
This is a Berkeley classic and the highlight of our Spring. We
never miss it and there is always something new to experience.
Visit the Cal Day 2010 website for details (including directions,
maps, and parking info - somewhat at a premium although there is
ample downtown and off-Telegraph parking (like on Durant) at
modest prices. Try to avoid meters unless you like making the
schlepp to feed them). http://calday.berkeley.edu/ Check out the
Cal Day Program guide http://caldayur-prod.berkeley.
edu/events_by_category.cfm for a full listing of events with times
to plan your day. Or, if you just want to cut to the chase on kid-
oriented activities, check out their more targeted listings at
http://caldayur-prod.berkeley.edu/program_by_time.cfm?
view=ForKids
Some highlights:
18Sunday, April 18th
1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., Circus for Arts in the
Schools, Koffman Auditorium, 2200 Central Ave.,
Alameda, Adults $12.50 - $15, Kids 3-17 $10, Kids
under 3 (on the lap) FREE, Tickets on sale March 1st
Mark your calendars. This is a show not to be missed. It is not
Ringling Brothers or Cirque du Soleil although many of the
performers have had careers with one or the other. The 70-minute
shows feature acts of skill, daring and silliness with acrobats,
clowns, jugglers and musicians (all donating their time), including
performers of Cirque du Soleil, the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe and
Pickle Family Circus fame. All the Proceeds from the Circus will
support arts education in the Alameda Unified School District. It is
a very intimate space and the acts delight kids of all ages. We hit a
number of circuses from time to time and we put this one on our
short list. For more details, visit http://www.circusforarts.
org/circus2010/ Tickets go on sale March 1st. Tickets will be
available through the website www.circusforarts.org, by phone
through Brown Paper Tickets (800) 838-3006, and in person at 2
locations in Alameda - Toy Safari, 1410 Park Street, and Alameda
Natural Grocery, 1650 Park Street.
That's it for now!
March Update!
Cal Performances and Kiddie Koncierge are pleased to offer $10
tickets to see Dan Zanes at Zellerbach Hall on the University of
California Campus March 6th and 7th. Visit our Special Offers
Page for more details.
It's HERE! We have updated the Kiddie Koncierge Egg Hunt Guide
for 2010. Unfortunately, there has been some attrition due to
budget cuts, but there is still a lot to do! Click Here for an event
near you.
Snow Play
With all the snow that we have been getting there is a lot of fresh
and man-made snow. The resorts and snow parks are open! Just
a thought – if you are teaching kids, you do not necessarily need a
lift ticket if you do not mind walking up the hill. Check out the Snow
Play Guide for more details
Make sure to check out our Facebook page. If you like us, be our
fan! Share us! Pass us around!
SPECIAL OFFER!
- $30 off Wicked Tickets! Save some serious bucks on
tickets to this Tony Award-winning show for performances
through March 31st. Visit http://www.ticketmaster.
com/promo/ilzyqt/?dma_id=382 and enter offer code
32GOOD AAA members can also input code 1GOOD - Restaurant Recommendations Slowly but surely, we are
adding our list of family-friendly restaurant
recommendations starting with Napa/Marin and moving
south. Please send in your recommendations! - NBC Learn, the educational arm of NBC News, has teamed
up with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to produce
Science of the Olympic Winter Games, a 16-part video
series that explores the science behind individual Olympic
events, including Downhill and Aerial Skiing, Speed Skating
and Figure Skating, Curling and Hockey, and Ski Jumping,
Bobsledding and Snowboarding. http://www.nsf.
gov/news/special_reports/olympics/
Make sure to check out the Resources Pages. Here are some
highlights:
- Performing Arts Schedule UPDATED Our favorite venues
have updated their 2009-2010 schedules. Make sure to
check out the shows coming up. As usual, stay tuned as
we will be offering free tickets again to our subscribers!
Don't miss out! - CAMPS! Not just for next summer, but for the winter breaks
as well! - Museums and Other Attractions The Bay Area is rich with
treasures and cool fun things to do! Our lists are broken
down by region! - Check out the NEW Travel Koncierge Travel Ideas page for
tips on how to better enjoy your vacations with your family! - We just added the Kiddie Koncierge Santa Barbara guide
for your vacation planning enjoyment! - We have also added a Family Hiking Page for ideas on
getting those young 'uns out in the fresh air.
Activities at a Glance
Year Round
- Pick Your Own Produce, Brentwood
On-Going (Fridays)
- 5:00 p.m., Cultural Encounters: Friday Nights at the de
Young, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Through March
- Marine Mammal Migration, Point Reyes National Seashore
Sundays Through March 21st and Weds-Sat March 31-April 3
- The Bubble Man's The Greatest Bubble Show on Earth,
The Marsh San Francisco Main Stage Theater, 1062
Valencia St (near 22nd Street), San Francisco
Sundays
- The Buddy Club: San Francisco, Berkeley, and San Rafael
Thursday, November 19th - April 18th
- Golden Gate Express Garden Railway at the Conservatory
of Flowers, Conservatory of Flowers, 100 John F. Kennedy
Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Sundays through March 28th
- 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Soggy Sundays Kids' Series,
Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Center, 1317
San Pablo Ave. @ Gilman, Berkeley
Saturday, March 13th
- 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Paxton Gate Free Kids' Workshops,
766 Valencia Street (near 19th), San Francisco
- March 13th: Shiv Sounds with RythEm's
Through March
- Annual Elephant Seal Mating, Ano Nuevo State Preserve
Free 1st Tuesday, March 2nd
- Cartoon Art Museum www.cartoonart.org
- De Young www.famsf.org
- Legion of Honor www.famsf.org
- SF MOMA www.sfmoma.org
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts www.ybca.org
- Conservatory of Flowers, www.conservatoryofflowers.org
Free 1st Wednesday, March 3rd
- Exploratorium www.exploratorium.edu
- Coyote Point Museum www.coyoteptmuseum.org
- Bay Area Discovery Museum www.baykidsmuseum.org
Free 1st Thursday, March 4th
- Berkeley Art Museum www.bampfa.berkeley.edu
- Burlingame Pez Museum www.spectrumnet.com/pez/
Free 2nd Sunday, March 14th
- Oakland Museum www.museumca.org ***CLOSED
UNTIL MAY 2010*** - Tech Museum of San Jose, www.thetech.org
Free 3rd Wednesday, March 21st
- California Academy of Sciences www.calacademy.org
Saturday, March 6th
- 11:00 a.m., Satur-Yay Series Presents Beethoven's Wig
at the Amador Theatre, Amador Valley High School,
Pleasanton - 10:00 a.m., - 3:00 p.m., San Francisco Summer Resource
Fair, Concourse Exhibition Center, 8th and Brannan
Streets, San Francisco, FREE
Saturday and Sunday, March 6th and 7th
- Saturday, 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Sunday, 3:00 p.m., Cal
Performances Presents Dan Zanes in Concert!
Zellerbach Hall, University of California, Berkeley! Kids 16
and under are half price. Visit our Special Offers
Page to Enter to Win FREE tickets to see Dan! - Mendocino Whale Festival, Mendocino, FREE
Sunday, March 7th
- 5:00 p.m., Academy Awards, ABC
- 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Lindsay Wildlife Museum Free Day,
1931 First Ave., Walnut Creek, FREE www.wildlife-
museum.org/
Sunday, March 7th and 21st
- 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., You Might as Well Jump, SF MOMA,
151 Third Street, San Francisco
Saturdays and Sundays, March 13 - April 4
- Sat: 2:00 and 4:00, Sundays 2:00 p.m., Aesop's Funky
Fables, New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness
Avenue, San Francisco
Saturday and Sunday, March 13th and 14th
- Little River Whale Festival, Little River, Mendocino, FREE
Sunday, March 14th
- Daylight Savings Time Begins - Spring Forward
- 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Sunday Streets, Pier 39, San
Francisco, FREE - 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., AAUW Summer Camp and
Programs Fair, Scottish Rite Center, 1547 Lake Side Drive
(on Lake Merritt), Oakland, FREE
Friday, March 19th
- 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Napa County Day at the Farm, Napa
Valley Expo, 575 Third Street, Napa, FREE
Saturday and Sunday, March 20th - 21st
- Houdini Magic Weekend, Playland Not At the Sea, 10979
San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito - Fort Bragg Whale Festival, Fort Bragg, FREE
Sunday, March 21st
- Benefit Party for 2010 Circus in the Parks, Amnesia, San
Francisco
Saturdays and Sundays, March 21st - April 11th
- 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., Zanzibar Fairytale Puppet
Theater's Cinderella, Uptown Body and Fender, 401 - 26th
Street, Oakland
April 2nd - 10th
- Wondercon/SF International Children's Film Festival, San
Francisco
Saturday, April 3rd
- Most Egg Hunts occur the day BEFORE Easter. The 2010
Kiddie Koncierge Egg Hunt Guide is up!
Sunday, April 4th - Happy Easter!
- Berkeley Rep Sunday Sampler Series, Berkeley Rep
School of Theatre, 2071 Addison Street, Berkeley, FREE
Saturday, April 17th
- 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Bug Day at the Randall Museum,
199 Museum Way, San Francisco, FREE - 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Cal Day, University of California,
Berkeley, Berkeley, FREE
Sunday, April 18th
- 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Circus for Arts in the Schools,
Koffman Auditorium, 220 Central Ave., Alameda
The Detes
Year-Round
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (specific farms have different
hours) Pick-Your Own Produce, Brentwood, FREE
(picking is free, but you have to pay for the fruit)
Brentwood has a wonderful activity for the entire family. You grab a
basket and head out into the orchards to pick the freshest fruit
available. Once you have picked your fill, get it weighed and pay
the best price you'll find anywhere for the freshest fruit. Make sure
to check the list of growers for what they offer and make sure that
they have U-Pick available.
Canciamilla Ranch on 401 Eureka Ave (925) 634-5123
These guys offer terrific peaches, nectarines, and plums in a
number of different varieties. This ranch has been featured on the
news as a great place to go.
Visit http://harvest4you.com/ for a list of farms by type of produce,
a map of the area, and a farm locater. Of course, you should
probably check to make sure that the fruit is at its peak before you
head out.
5:00 p.m. - 8:45 p.m., Cultural Encounters: Friday
Nights at the de Young $10 adults, $6 kids 13-17,
FREE for kids 12 and under
Friday nights, the museum is open late and the de Young folks
spice things up with music, film, dance, and special events. You
can get dinner and cocktails at the cafe to make an evening of it.
To make this a family event, there are hands-on art making
activities for kids and adults. For details, visit the Friday Nights
Web Page
Don't forget the Saturdays at the de Young program which
combines docent tours with artist-supervised art projects on
Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. A
schedule of programs can be found at http://www.famsf.
org/deyoung/calendar/day.asp?categoryid=30 For a reward, you
can march the little artists across JFK Drive to the Koret
Playground to get some ya-yas out.
Seasonal
January – March, Ano Nuevo State Reserve Annual
Elephant Seal Mating and Birthing, $5 per vehicle,
Guided Tour Tickets are $7 per person reservations
recommended
Ano Nuevo is a special place. It is a hike both literally and
figuratively since it is tucked away on the coast between Half Moon
Bay and Santa Cruz. That being said, it is worth the drive. From
the moment you arrive, you can hear the barking of the seals in the
sea breeze. A quick hike later (you can do a self-guided hike for
free between April and November. You must be accompanied by a
guide during breeding season), you are a set of bluffs overlooking
a beach filled with barking and belching life. The adults are gone
by March leaving weaned pups who hang on the beach through
April. Information on visiting the preserve can be found at http:
//parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=523 with a link on the page to
online reservations (which are a must). It is recommended that
you read this http://parks.ca.gov/pages/523/files/ano%20nuevo%
20press%20release--2010sw.pdf before calling the reservation
line at (800) 444-4445.
Through March
Marine Mammal Migration, Mating, Birthing, and
more: Whales and Elephant Seals at the Point Reyes
National Seashore
The Point Reyes National Seashore is one of the few places on the
Pacific Coast where northern elephant seals and gray whales may
be observed and studied. What is more amazing is that Point
Reyes is about 30 minutes from Marin and an hour from SF or the
East Bay.
The elephant seals' semi-annual sojourns to the shores of Point
Reyes provide a unique opportunity to glimpse the lives and
behaviors of these elusive ocean giants. The Elephant Seal
Overlook near Chimney Rocky is a great place for viewing elephant
seals from December through March. You can see the males
doing their dominance dance and pup birthing. On weekends and
holidays, docents are available to provide guidance.
During the winter, you can also watch the migration of gray whales
as they make their way to Alaska from Baja. Peak Southern
Migration is mid-January and the peak Northern Migration is mid-
March. Late April and Early May offer you the chance to see
mothers and calves close to shore. Best place to watch is from
areas near Chimney Rock and the Lighthouse
NOTE: due to traffic concerns, the roads are closed and shuttle
buses from Drakes Beach provide transportation. For details on
the shuttles, visit http://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/shuttle.
htm
For details on watching seals, visit http://www.nps.
gov/pore/planyourvisit/wildlife_viewing_elephantseals.htm
For information on watching whales, visit http://www.nps.
gov/pore/planyourvisit/wildlife_viewing_whales.htm
The National Park Service also offers a number of ranger-lead
programs that provide the most informative ways to explore our
friends on the coast. Click here for more details http://www.nps.
gov/pore/planyourvisit/rangerprograms.htm
3Sundays Through April 3rd
Sundays, Feb 14 – March 21, 2010
Wed, March 31, 2010
Thur, April 1, 2010
Fri, April 2, 2010
Sat, April 3, 2010
no show March 7
11:00 a.m., The Bubble Man's The Greatest Bubble
Show on Earth, The Marsh San Francisco Main Stage
Theater, 1062 Valencia St (near 22nd Street), San
Francisco, $10 adults, $7 kids
This is the most amazing 45 minutes most of you have probably
ever experienced involving bubbles. MOST of you. I'm sure there
are stories, that are just not that suitable for your family activities
website. Then again, your kids aren't reading this...and I digress.
You will witness all kinds of extraordinary things such as spinning
flying saucer bubbles, square bubbles filled with fog, universe
bubbles with orbiting planets and bubble chains that look like
centipedes. There is lots of audience participation and some lucky
kids will find themselves inside bubbles, while others will get to
eat them. Warning: expect lots of excitement and laughter. For
details, tickets, and directions, visit http://www.themarsh.
org/bubble_guy_2009.html
Sundays 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., The Buddy Club, $7.00
(kids < 2 years FREE)
The Buddy Club has an ongoing series of kids’ entertainment at
three locations throughout the Bay Area: the Berkeley JCC, the
Osher Marin JCC in San Rafael, and the Randall Museum Theatre
in San Francisco. The Buddy Club shows are appropriate for all
ages and can entertain older kids and adults as well (this isn’t
necessarily baby stuff). Visit their website at www.thebuddyclub.
com (Please do NOT forget the “the” as one of our parents did.
The resulting website is NOT suitable for family viewing). The
shows are entertaining and engaging. The shows are also
suitable for birthday parties. The following are the upcoming
shows.
Marin Buddy Club Shows, Hoytt Theater at the Osher
Marin JCC, 200 North San Pedro Road, San Rafael,
March 14: Dan Chan, the Magic Man
San Francisco Buddy Club Shows, Randall Museum
Theater, 199 Museum Way@ Roosevelt Way, San
Francisco
Note: SF Buddy Club Shows are at 11:00 a.m. Randall Museum
members also enjoy a $2 discount per ticket.
March 7: Robert Strong, Comedy magician
March 21: Hilarious cowgirl tricks with Karen Quist
April 11: Prop comic and juggler, Fred Anderson
April 25: Award winning Zappo the Magician
Berkeley Buddy Club, Berkeley JCC Theater, 1414
Walnut Street (Between Walnut and Rose),
March 7: World-renowned physical comedian, The Unique
Derique.
From Now until December 1st
East Bay Regional Parks Trails Challenge
This one kinda defies classification, but it is a great family activity.
Thousands of people have participated in the Regional Parks
Trails Challenge over the past 15 years--over 6,000 last year alone!
Hike five of the 20 trails listed in the booklet by Dec. 1 and receive a
commemorative pin with the Trails Challenge logo (pins will be
mailed in the fall) plus pick up a free organic cotton T-shirt at a
Regional Parks visitor center. T-shirts will be available for pick up
in April and May only, one per person, two per household while
supplies last. If you can't pick up your shirt, pay mailing costs and
we’ll mail it to you.
The East Bay Regional Parks are encouraging participants to "go
green" this year by downloading the Trails Challenge guidebook
and printing only what you need (booklets are available; costs will
be charged to the participant). Upon registration, participants will
receive instructions on how to download the guidebook and how to
get your free organic cotton T-shirts.
Kaiser Permanente is a major sponsor of this program, enabling
EBRPD to offer materials for free to all Alameda and Contra Costa
county residents and Kaiser employees. Registration is required at
www.ebparks.org. No phone registrations.
19-18Thursday, Nov 19th - April 18th
Golden Gate Express Garden Railway, Conservatory
of Flowers, 100 John F. Kennedy Drive, Golden Gate
Park, San Francisco, Adults $5-$7, Kids 12-17, $3.00 -
$5.00, Kids 5-11 $1.50-$2.00, Kids 4 and under FREE
Can’t argue too much with the price. If you are in the area after a
visit to the California Academy of Sciences or the Koret Playground,
the Golden Gate Park's Conservatory of Flowers has a cool display
that celebrates the City of San Francisco through an impressive
layout of G-gauge model trains winding their way through a lush
landscape of dwarf plants and steam past several replicas of
some of San Francisco's most famous places including the
Conservatory of Flowers itself, the Japanese Tea Garden, the
Golden Gate Bridge, Mission Dolores, Chinatown's dragon gate,
the Transamerica Pyramid building, the Ferry Building, Coit Tower,
Ghirardelli Square and the Bently Reserve (formerly the Federal
Reserve Building). Surrounding these landmarks is a magical
landscape of miniature gardens and parks created with living
plants including dwarf conifers, tiny orchids and more. Visitors will
also enjoy appearances by costumed volunteer conductors. Fog
even rolls in twice a day and a sound track adds to the ambiance.
This year some of the landmarks will be made from recycled
activities. There will be a children's interactive train set that kids
can operate, a San Francisco history treasure hunt and much more.
For more details, visit www.conservatoryofflowers.org
28Sundays Through March 28th
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Soggy Sundays Kids' Series,
Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave at Gilman, Berkeley,
$4 kids, $6 adults
Looking for something to do on a soggy Sunday afternoon? Come
out to the Ashkenz performance space for an hour of family music.
They are offering ten Sundays of programs are geared for dancing
and family members of all ages. Genres include folk, rock, and
world music. The schedule includes:
- March, TBA
For details and directions, visit www.ashkenaz.com
6-13Saturdays, February 6th - March 13th
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Paxton Gate Curiosities for Kids
Saturday Events, 766 Valencia Street, San Francisco,
(415) 824-1872, FREE
There is a place in Paris which started out as a taxidermy shop
and has become so much more. It is a natural curiosities shop
which, in addition to taxidermy, also carries lots of nifty natural
history art work and gardening tools. If you are there, check out
Deyrolle. If Paris is not in your plans, Paxton Gate in the Mission
should be on your list. In addition to truly inspired toys and kits for
kids that revolve around a natural history theme, they have vintage
toys and all sorts of cool surprises. For several weeks, Paxton
Gate will be hosting some cool FREE events at their mission kid's
boutique. This week, Paxton Gate offers a Free Science workshop
with James M. Create slides of three different food groups and
investigate at the cellular level with aid of an optical microscope.
www.paxtongate.com/events-upcomingevents.aspx
Upcoming events include
Saturday, March 13th - Presenting Shiv Sounds with RythEm's
Stop in for a musical afternoon. We'll be singing some of the
classics.
6Saturday, March 6th
11:00 a.m. SaturYAY! Series at the Amador Theater,
Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton, Adults $10-18
most shows and Children $6-14
The Amador Theater in Pleasanton has this terrific Saturday
matinee series with wonderful family-friendly entertainment. This
week, it is the Gizmo Guys, a highly entertaining pair of jugglers
whose humor and skills enrapture audiences all over. Going
forward, here is the run-down:
- March 6th, 2010 - Beethoven's Wig
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. San Francisco Family Summer
Resource Fair, Concourse Exhibition Center at 8th
and Brannan Streets, FREE
San Francisco families (and others too), can come to this
showcase of a lot of the great things that kids and families can do
over the summer including activities, camps, arts, sports and jobs.
There will be kid’s activities throughout the day. For more details,
call 311 (the new SF services hotline) or go to www.dcyf.
org/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=4266
6-7Saturday-Sunday, March 6th - March 7th
Saturday, 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, 3:00 p.
m., Cal Performances Presents Dan Zanes in Concert,
Zellerbach Hall, University of California Berkeley,
Tickets $16 and $26. Children 16 and under are half
price!
Dubbed "the Crown Prince of contemporary kids music" by People
magazine, Dan Zanes is the former lead singer and songwriter for
the famed Del Fuegos. But these days, he and his band perform
lively, handmade music for enthusiastic crowds of kids and "kid
sympathizers." Filled with irresistible grooves drawn from a wealth
of musical traditions, Zanes, his Grammy-winning group, and his
surprising and eclectic special guests, create a rollicking
"Woodstock for Kids," including rousing American traditional
songs, dance classics, and smart, inventive originals.
His shows are a high-energy party, pure and simple. Kids usually
don't hang too long in their seats and head to the mosh pit to
dance along to this infectious music. The nice thing for parents is
that the music is not the usual cloying kids songs but adult
standards and folk tunes that parents can enjoy without getting
cavities!
* Tickets are half price for audience members age 16 and under
for all Performances!
Cal Performances and Kiddie Koncierge are pleased to offer a
limited number of FREE tickets to the March 6th 4:00 p.m.
performance! Visit our Special Offer page for more details on
how you can win FREE tickets to this performance and Dan Zanes'
CDs and DVDs!
Click here for more details on the performance, tickets, and
directions: http://www.calperfs.berkeley.
edu/presents/season/2009/family_fare/dz.php
12:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Black Diamond Mines Open
House, Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, 5175
Somersville Road, Antioch, $1, Parking $5
It's opening weekend at the mines. You can explore nearly 1,000
feet of the Hazel-Atlas silica sand mine at your own pace! They'll
have self-guided tours for visitors 7 and older and a special
underground room for kids.
Mendocino Whale Festival, FREE
At this time of year about 20,000 gray whales are headed North
from Mexico to their winter home in Alaska. There will be food,
family activities, Coast Guard demonstrations, whale-oriented
educational events, and, best of all, guided whale watching from
the Mendocino Headlands, the Ford House Visitor’s Center, and
the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse. It is well worth the drive. http://www.
mendowhale.com/
Please Note: Similar Festivals will be held at
Little River, March 13th and 14th
Fort Bragg March 20th and 21st
7,21Sunday, March 7th and 21st
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., You Might as Well Jump!, SF
MOMA, 151 Third Street, San Francisco, FREE for kids
12 and Under
Mod-erators lead participatory art projects and provide supplies
and support as you create your own works of art. Docents conduct
engaging, family-friendly gallery tours. Special activities include
book readings and movie screenings. Look. Think. Create. That's
Family Sunday.
This week: Art is active! Dance through space and time. Groove to
the beat. Be the star of your own kinetic art show as you investigate
the media of visual freestylers like Pipilotti Rist, Christian Marclay,
and Bruce Nauman.
If you haven’t done one of these family studios, it is a great
program: admission is FREE for kids under 12, the kids get a
well-designed and supervised activity that immerses them into the
collection, and, well, SF MOMA is a gem of a museum. The Koret
Center is on the 2nd floor. Even if there is no activity in session, it
is worth visiting with your kids. Please note: capacity is limited;
families will be served as space is available.
Family programs are designed for children ages 4 to 11.
13-4Saturday-Sunday, March 13th - April 4th
Saturdays 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. and Sundays 2:00 p.
m., Aesop's Funky Fables, New Conservatory Theatre
Center, 25 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco
A wild and wacky adaptation of the classic Greek fables. Come
meet the tortoise, the hare, the fox, the stag, and three time
travelers who learn from Aesop himself what lessons can be
learned from these charming stories written centuries ago. Great
for kids 4 and older. For tickets, visit http://www.nctcsf.
org/press_room/aesop/aesop_press.htm
14Sunday, March 14th
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Sunday Streets, Pier 39, San
Francisco, FREE
As part of Mayor Newsom's efforts to get people out of their homes
and out of their cars and into the fresh air, streets around Pier 39
on the Embarcadero from Pier 39 to China Basin and Terry
Francois Blvd. will be closed for a day of fun, entertainment, and
family activities including biking, roller skating, lots of dance, face
painting, slides, games, classes, music and more. For a map and
complete details, visit http://sundaystreetssf.com
Future dates include:
Sunday, April 11 along the Great Highway if it isn't washed away
Sunday, April 18 Bayview along 3rd Street from King and 4th to
Bayview Playground
Sunday, May 23 Bayview in conjunction with the 3rd Street Festival
Sunday, June 20 Mission, along Valencia and 24th Streets
Sunday, July 11 Mission
Sunday, August 22 Great Highway/Golden Gate Park
Sunday, September 19 Western Addition
Sunday, October 24 Civic Center/Tenderloin
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Johnny Appleseed Day,
Ardenwood Historical Farm, 34600 Ardenwood, Blvd.,
$2 adults, $1 kids
Join the good folks at Ardenwood in celebrating one of America's
favorite folk heroes. In the spirit of Johnny Appleseed, they will
begin the day by planting heirloom apple trees (11am), then you
can relax and enjoy a fun filled afternoon of cider pressing (noon),
stories (1pm) and apple tasting (2pm). This is a drop-in program;
no registration is required. For information, call (510) 544-2797.
1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Summer Camp Fair, Scottish Rite Center,
1547 Lakeside Dr., Oakland, FREE
If you haven't made summer plans yet, check out the free camp fair
sponsored by the American Association of University Women. It
covers 100 camps for preschool to high school to special needs
kids in all areas from drama and sports to robotics. For more info,
visit www.aauw-op.com Another couple of good resources are of
course, our Camps Page and the Summer Camp Website: http:
//tlent.home.igc.org/Day_Camp.html It is great, it talks about
content, age, cost, hours, and in some cases, opinions. A broader,
but not as comprehensive site provides useful links to sites
providing summer camp info for ALL parents – East Bay and
otherwise): http://tlent.home.igc.org/Summer_Camp_Home.html
19Friday, March 19th
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Napa County Day at the Farm,
Napa Valley Expo Fairgrounds, 575 Third Street, Napa,
FREE
Celebrate local agriculture and visit with livestock, Clo the Cow and
much more. Visit http://napacountyfarmbureau.
org/annualevents/dayatthefarm.html for details.
20-21Sat & Sunday, March 20th-21st
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Houdini Magic Weekend,
Playland Not At The Sea, 10979 San Pablo Ave., El
Cerrito, $15 adults, kids 3-14 $10
Playland-Not-at-the-Beach is a small storefront holding a lot of cool
Bay Area history. This hands-on "museum" (quotes added) has a
lot of the old nickelodeon attractions from the now-defunct Playland
by the Sea amusement park that used to be at the foot of the hill
below the Cliff House and the Sutro Baths and a lot more. There
are 25+ pinball machines set on Free Play, arcade games,
videogames, carnival games of skills where you can win prizes,
penny arcades full of antique amusement devices, live magic
shows, an amazing hand-carved miniature circus, side show acts,
miniature dioramas, Fascination games, and historic exhibits with
artifacts from the Sutro Baths and Whitney's Playland in San
Francisco. This weekend, magicians from around Northern
California are performing and putting on classes in the art of
illusion. This is one of their most popular events. For details and
directions, visit http://www.playland-not-at-the-beach.org/index.
htm
21-11Sat & Sun March 21st - April 11th
2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., Zanzibar Fairytale Puppet
Theater Presents Cinderella at Uptown Body and
Fender, 401 - 26th Street, Oakland, $12
Uptown Body and Fender? Seriously? Seriously. This is a
wonderful space that creates a great backdrop for this magical
presentation of the time-honored, Cinderella. Theodore Dawson
has created unbelievably beautiful puppets, scenery, and a lush
musical score that brings this story to life in a way that you have
never seen before. Doors open 45 minutes before show time, so
make sure to get there early for the best seats. Visit http:
//zanzibarpuppets.com/Spring.html for show times and details.
21Sunday, March 21st
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., Berkeley Rep Sunday Sampler
Series, Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, the Berkeley
Rep School of Theater, Nevo Education Center, 2071
Addison Street, Berkeley, FREE
Bring your family, bring a friend or treat yourself to the wide variety
of programming offered at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre,
including acting, improvisation, stage combat and clowning.
Taught by professional theatre artists, our classes offer people of
all ages and abilities an opportunity to explore the craft of theatre
and experience the joy of dynamic engagement with their own
creativity.
The Sunday Sampler is free and open to youth, teens, adults and
families.
Following a brief introduction at 1pm, participants may sample
three different classes from a menu of options at 1:20pm, 2:00pm
and 2:30pm.
The Sunday Sampler is held at the Berkeley Rep School of
Theatre, 2071 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704.
For more information about the Sunday Sampler, please e-mail
school@berkeleyrep.org or call 510 647–2972.
The next Sampler will be April 4th.
2-10April 2nd-10th
San Francisco Bay Area International Children’s Film
Festival at WonderCon, Moscone Center South and
other Bay Area Venues, Admission (children under 11
free with paid adult admission)
If your kid loves comics or if you are using your kid as an excuse to
attend, this is NorCal’s premiere comics and pop culture
convention. Yeah, the media and Simpson’s paint this crowd with
a rather pejorative brush, but it can be fun. Even if you don’t go to
the convention (why would you miss the ComicCon of the North? If
you pay for one, you get both admissions together), you should
check out the films in the film festival. They are fresh and fun
movies geared to kids.
For a full list of films and venues, visit http://www.sfchildrensfilm.
org/. For more information, visit www.comic-con.org/wc/, email
sfchildrensfilm@cox.net or call (760) 453-2922.
4Sunday, April 4th
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., Berkeley Rep Sunday Sampler
Series, Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, the Berkeley
Rep School of Theater, Nevo Education Center, 2071
Addison Street, Berkeley, FREE
Bring your family, bring a friend or treat yourself to the wide variety
of programming offered at the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre,
including acting, improvisation, stage combat and clowning.
Taught by professional theatre artists, our classes offer people of
all ages and abilities an opportunity to explore the craft of theatre
and experience the joy of dynamic engagement with their own
creativity.
The Sunday Sampler is free and open to youth, teens, adults and
families.
Following a brief introduction at 1pm, participants may sample
three different classes from a menu of options at 1:20pm, 2:00pm
and 2:30pm.
The Sunday Sampler is held at the Berkeley Rep School of
Theatre, 2071 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704.
For more information about the Sunday Sampler, please e-mail
school@berkeleyrep.org or call 510 647–2972.
17Saturday, April 17th
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Bug Day at the Randall
Museum, 199 Museum Way, (off of Roosevelt above
14th and Castro) San Francisco, FREE (although a
modest donation is suggested – always a good idea to
make sure that these cool places can stay in
business!)
THIS IS A GREAT EVENT! Like the creepy crawlies? You can get
up front and personal with a wide range of these six-legged
wonders with a lot of hands-on activities but the kids can also
engage in a wide range of bug-themed projects as well. The
attractions include a silk worm petting zoo, live music, a termite
maze, maggot (yeah, big “eeeew”) races – you heard me, “maggot
races”, a whole bunch of live insects for you to see, touch, eat (wait,
not eat), and while we are on the subject, there will be an exhibit on
insects that are eaten in the regular course of the diets of different
cultures. For the brave, you will be able to sample fried crickets
(big treats all over the world) and meal worms. A fun way to spend
the day! For details and directions: http://www.randallmuseum.
org/BugDay.aspx
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Cal Day, University of California,
Berkeley Campus, Berkeley, FREE
This is a Berkeley classic and the highlight of our Spring. We
never miss it and there is always something new to experience.
Visit the Cal Day 2010 website for details (including directions,
maps, and parking info - somewhat at a premium although there is
ample downtown and off-Telegraph parking (like on Durant) at
modest prices. Try to avoid meters unless you like making the
schlepp to feed them). http://calday.berkeley.edu/ Check out the
Cal Day Program guide http://caldayur-prod.berkeley.
edu/events_by_category.cfm for a full listing of events with times
to plan your day. Or, if you just want to cut to the chase on kid-
oriented activities, check out their more targeted listings at
http://caldayur-prod.berkeley.edu/program_by_time.cfm?
view=ForKids
Some highlights:
- The Bug Doctor at the College of Natural Resources,
Wellman Hall with lots of creepies to check out, - Climbing the Army ROTC rock wall at Memorial Glade,
- The East Bay Vivarium will be joining forces this year with
the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (Valley Life Sciences
Building) to offer all sorts of slithery creepy crawlies for your
kids to pet and beg you to buy! See their website for a full
listing of Vertebrate Zoology Cal Day events: http://mvz.
berkeley.edu/CalDay.html - The Museum of Paleontology in the Valley Life Sciences
Building will have a full day of activities http://www.ucmp.
berkeley.edu/about/calday2009.php where they will have
limited tours of the collection (get your tickets for the half-
hourly tours from 10-11:30 at the t-shirt counter) talk about
fossil prep and you can say hi to their life size T-Rex
skeleton! - The Cal Band, Mic Men , Oski, and many others will lead a
fun and spirited rally at Sproul Plaza (the South Gate at
Telegraph and Bancroft) at 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. which makes
for a lively break in the action! The Cal Band will also do
two other performances at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Our
son just loves this part of the day. Grab some lunch, watch
the Band. - Visit Oski Land at Memorial Glade East where you can
meet Oski and play some fun carnival games and - the Lawrence Hall of Science will have free planetarium
shows. 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
18Sunday, April 18th
1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., Circus for Arts in the
Schools, Koffman Auditorium, 2200 Central Ave.,
Alameda, Adults $12.50 - $15, Kids 3-17 $10, Kids
under 3 (on the lap) FREE, Tickets on sale March 1st
Mark your calendars. This is a show not to be missed. It is not
Ringling Brothers or Cirque du Soleil although many of the
performers have had careers with one or the other. The 70-minute
shows feature acts of skill, daring and silliness with acrobats,
clowns, jugglers and musicians (all donating their time), including
performers of Cirque du Soleil, the Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe and
Pickle Family Circus fame. All the Proceeds from the Circus will
support arts education in the Alameda Unified School District. It is
a very intimate space and the acts delight kids of all ages. We hit a
number of circuses from time to time and we put this one on our
short list. For more details, visit http://www.circusforarts.
org/circus2010/ Tickets go on sale March 1st. Tickets will be
available through the website www.circusforarts.org, by phone
through Brown Paper Tickets (800) 838-3006, and in person at 2
locations in Alameda - Toy Safari, 1410 Park Street, and Alameda
Natural Grocery, 1650 Park Street.
That's it for now!
Kiddie Koncierge
A seedling of ImuaPartners, LLC
Copyright 2006-2010 Kiddie Koncierge™, all rights
reserved.
A seedling of ImuaPartners, LLC
Copyright 2006-2010 Kiddie Koncierge™, all rights
reserved.
| Other Events From Past Kiddie Koncierges Bank of America FREE Museum Weekend, FREE Admission to Museums for Bank of America Cardholders (ATM, Check, Credit Card) The first weekend of every month through early 2010 is FREE admission to selected Bay Area Museums for Bank of American card holders. Bay Area Museums include:
and FREE dates, visit http://promotions. bankofamerica.com/museums/ From Now until December 1st East Bay Regional Parks Trails Challenge (Click here for details) |
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| On Going It’s the weekend and your kids are climbing the walls. At a loss for something to do? The following are events that are happening every week. Visit our Weekend Page for full details. Saturdays
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