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Kiddie Koncierge: January 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
January Update!
Happy New Year! The kids are back to school and the New Year is
off to a big start. Most notably, we are proud to offer another FREE
TICKET GIVE-AWAY courtesy of our friends at Cal Performances!
Cal Performances and Kiddie Koncierge are pleased to offer a
limited number of FREE tickets to the Saturday, January 23rd 2:00
p.m. performance by the Peking Acrobats please visit our Special
Offers Page to learn how you can win tickets to this special show!
The entry deadline is Sunday, January 17th, so please enter
now! Winners will be notified by email.
During the Break, we took the kids to the slopes to take advantage
of the great snow and weather. One place we found that was worth
a visit was Donner Ski Ranch . Lift tickets were inexpensive, it is
an easy day trip from the Bay Area, and it is not that crowded.
Check out our full review on our Snow Play Page.
Don't forget, our Resources Pages have a ton of great ideas on
things to do if your child is already bored with their presents. Here
are some highlights:
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
Through February
September 8th - January 19th
Through January 18th
Thursday, November 19th - April 18th
Sunday, November 29th through January 10, 2010
December 11th – January 17th
Free 1st Tuesday, January 5th
Free 1st Wednesday, January 6th
Free 1st Thursday, January 7th
Free 2nd Sunday, January 10th
Free 3rd Sunday (For Kids), January 17th
Free 3rd Wednesday, January 20th
Saturday, January 9th
Saturdays, January 9th - February 13th
Sunday, January 10th, 2009
Friday, January 15th
Saturdays January 17-February 7th
Sunday, January 17th
Saturday, January 23rd
Saturday and Sunday, January 23rd and 24th
Saturdays and Sundays January 23rd - February 14th
Saturday and Sunday, January 30th and 31st
Sunday, January 31st
Saturday and Sunday, February 6th and 7th
Saturday, February 27th
Through March
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.
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.pdfbefore calling the reservation
line at (800) 444-4445.
Through February
Monarch Butterfly Migration, Various Locations
These delicate creatures know how to live their short lives: They
winter in Mexico with stops in Northern California and a few other
choice spots on their way home. Here are a few local spots worth
checking out between October and February. A lot of places are
home to rest stops for the Monarchs, but only a few have significant
concentrations of butterflies. With this chilly weather, you are likely
to see these little orange and black guys huddled together for
warmth. Not sure how that works given that they are cold blooded,
but I digress. For a good guide on butterflies, their life cycle, and
migratory habits, download this 12 page document: http://www.
monarchwatch.org/download/pdf/where.pdf
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. Registration begins
January 13, 2010
8-19September 8, 2009 - January 19, 2009
There's a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak,
Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission Street,
San Francisco, Admission
The wonderful Contemporary Jewish Museum is featuring an
exhibit of Sendak's works from the Rosenbach Museum in
Philadelphia, the go-to repository for Sendak's life work. Maurice
Sendak has written or illustrated more than 100 picture books over
his 60-year career. A number of those books, including Where the
Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, and Chicken Soup with Rice,
inspired generations of children and changed the landscape of
picture books. Included in the exhibition are original watercolors,
preliminary sketches, drawings, and dummy books from more
than 40 of Sendak's books, all from the Rosenbach Museum and
Library in Philadelphia, the repository for Sendak's artwork and
working materials. This major retrospective sheds light on the
many mysteries of his life and art by exploring the intensely
personal undercurrents in his work; and it does so using Sendak's
own words, insights, and remarkable stories. The exhibition
explores a number of different aspects of Sendak's books
including his child characters, monsters, literary and artistic
influences, and the settings of his stories. Visitors will delve into
the hidden nuances and personal secrets within Sendak's work
through exclusive interviews with the artist on digital touch screens
throughout the exhibition. As Sendak himself said in one such
interview, "When you hide another story in a story, that's the story I
am telling the children." These hidden stories within Sendak's
work form the core experience of There's a Mystery There.
Come for the exhibit and stay for this beautiful space. Our family
went recently and the kids loved it. They devoured the books laying
about the museum and camped out on the floor to read. The CJM
also had a cool kid's visitor's guide that made the exhibit more
imersive. For more information,
http://www.thecjm.org/index.php?
option=com_ccevents&scope=exbt&task=detail&oid=42
7-6Saturdays, November 7th through 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:
18Through January 18th
12 November 2009 – 18 January 2010, Downtown
Walnut Creek on Ice, 1365 Civic Drive in Civic Park
(at Broadway and Civic – slightly different location),
Walnut Creek, Mon – Thu 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., Fri
– Sat 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m., Sun 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.
m. $11 - $15 including skate rental
Walnut Creek’s outdoor skating rink is truly lovely. Nestled amidst
the trees (but somehow sunny when the weather calls for it), and
steps from a great playground and the downtown shopping area (if
you can handle the crowds), it is one of the nicer ones. With the
lights in the trees, it will be especially pretty at night. Nothing but
pluses here: parking in Walnut Creek is pretty easy, lessons are
available, and a shuttle serves BART. For details visit http://www.
iceskatewalnutcreek.com/
Downtown Ice, Circle of Palms (between the Fairmont,
San Jose and the San Jose Museum of Art),
Downtown San Jose, Mon – Thu 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.
m., Fri 5:00 p.m. – Midnight, Sat 12 noon – midnight,
Sun 12 noon – 10:00 p.m. $13 - $15 including skate
rental
San Jose’s Downtown Ice is Northern California’s answer to the
Rockefeller Center Ice Rink. Nestled in the heart of Downtown
surrounded by palm trees, it must be nice to skate under the stars
were you able to actually see the stars. Downtown San Jose is a
wonderful holiday destination with the Rink, the Winter Wonderland
(details coming soon) and lots of restaurants and other
attractions. For directions, hours, and other details, visit http:
//www.sjdowntown.com/DowntownIce.html
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
29November 29th through January 10, 2010
All Aboard! European Train Enthusiasts, Blackhawk
Auto Museum, 3700 Blackhawk Circle, Danville,
Admission
Sunday, the 29th opens this annual railroad extravaganza. Every
year, the European Train Enthusiasts take over a good chunk of the
Blackhawk Auto Museum to lay out an amazing display of operating
trains and some astonishingly detailed city scapes. This year they
have brought their most ambitious layout to date, featuring
hundreds of feet of model railroad track and many different, HO
scale model trains. A separate exhibit of Lionel Trains and
Victorian Era Children's blocks are on display in an upstairs
gallery. The European Train Enthusiasts make an amazing train
layout that will occupy your child for a loooonng time. The detail of
the layouts and the numerous trains make it very engaging. Trains
aside, the Blackhawk auto museum has an incredible collection of
truly breathtaking automotive design. Sure, the kids cannot touch,
but everyone can look and appreciate. Check out http://www.
blackhawkmuseum.org/exhibit_ete.html for information on the
European train exhibit and the museum in general.
11-17December 11th – Jan 17th 2010
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Friday – Sunday, Museum of
American Heritage presents Living LEGO-cy –
Legendary LEGOs and Terrific Trains, 351 Homer
Avenue, Palo Alto, FREE
Are you a gultton for punishment? Then take your LEGO-crazed
child here right before Christmas! Seriously, the Museum of
American Heritage (MOAH), The Bay Area LEGO® User Group
(BayLUG) and Bay Area LEGO Train Club (BayLTC) are again
combining forces this winter to repeat last year's spectacular
Holiday season display at MOAH. MOAH visitors can explore a
variety of LEGO creations and an operating LEGO train layout
featuring a wide variety of creations by club members. Highlighting
it all is Holidays in the Bay Area, a 12 by 25 foot train layout
incorporating multiple trains running through city (you just might
recognize a few), farm, and suburban scenes. These enthusiasts
do amazing things with those bricks! http://www.moah.org/index.
html
9-13Saturdays Jan 9th - Feb 13th
Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., Children's
Theatre Association of San Francisco Presents The
Tale of the Beauty and the Beast, The Florence Gould
Theater at the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, 34th
Avenue and Clement Street, San Francisco, $12
The Children's Theatre Association puts on great plays at the
Legion of Honor. This year's show is a musical based on the
classic tale of the arrogant Prince who is turned into a terrible
Beast by an old woman to whom he denies shelter. A poor lost
widow plucks a forbidden rose from the cursed Beast’s castle
grounds, is caught red-handed and sentenced to death!
Meet the widow’s two distasteful daughters and greedy sons-in-
law who ignore their mother's story about meeting the Beast and
being sentenced to death declaring her insane instead! But her
third daughter, Beauty offers to go to the castle and live with the
Beast if her mother is allowed to go free. You're sure to be moved
by the Beast’s eventual transformation and return to the handsome
and loving prince he once was before the nasty spell was cast.
Experience thrills and laughs when the sons-in-law sneak into the
eerie castle and encounter all sorts of weird goings-on, including a
battle with some very strange, enchanted furniture. Spend an hour
with us and you too will be enchanted--by the wonderful words and
music of the incomparable writer, Vera Morris and
composer/lyricist Bill Francoeur.. The CTASF is very family
friendly: kids on lap are free, Fine Arts members (and you know
who you are) get a $2 discount. The show is about an hour so,
while the material is geared to the elementary school child, you
should use your judgement as to whether your child is capable of
sitting quietly for that long. For details including tickets and
directions, visit their website at http://www.ctasf.org
10Sunday, January 10th
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
15Friday, January 15th
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.
6:30 p.m., Target Teen Night, Coming Home, Berkeley
Rep School of Theatre, 2071 Addison Street., $10,
RSVP by Wednesday, January 13th
This great program, while targeted (no pun intended) at a slightly
older demographic, is terrific for your teen children (cousins, etc.).
It is a great way to see a top show, meet people integral to the
production, and all for an amazing price.
* Written by Athol Fugard / Directed by Gordon Edelstein
* Time magazine calls Athol Fugard “the greatest active playwright
in the English-speaking world.” Now South Africa’s master
dramatist comes back to Berkeley Rep with a new show: Coming
Home. Ten years after running off to the city to pursue her dreams,
Veronika returns in rags. Among her meager belongings, she
carries a desperate secret—and determination to plant the seeds
of a new life for her son. In Coming Home, Fugard once again
confronts the hard truths of his homeland while celebrating the
power of hope.
Teen Night begins at 6:30pm at the Berkeley Rep School of
Theatre, 2071 Addison Street, one block from the downtown
Berkeley BART station.
The cost for the evening, which includes dinner, an interview and
discussion with a member of the creative team and a ticket to the
show is $10. This can be paid by Visa, MasterCard, American
Express, check or with cash at the door. Even if you choose to pay
with cash at the event, you must R.S.V.P. to have a ticket held in
your name.
To learn more or to R.S.V.P., call Teen Council at 510 647–2974 or
e-mail teencouncil@berkeleyrep.org.
17Sunday, January 17th
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., SFMOMA SFSF MOMA Free
Family Day: 75th Anniversary Celebration, Koret
Visitor Education Center, SF MOMA, 151 Third Street,
San Francisco, FREE
Join in the museum's 75th anniversary festivities! Connect with
San Francisco's unique history of design, poetry, film, and cafe
culture with hands-on activities, family-friendly films, a Poet Store
Cafe, live music, and more. Use our renowned Architecture and
Design collection as a muse and participate in a chair-inspired
project with the help of Bay Area furniture designers. Join the Mods,
a new club for kids. If you haven’t done one of these family studios,
it is a great program: admission is FREE for families, 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.
23Saturday, January 23rd
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. East Bay Moms Preschool and
Childhood Resource Fair Scottish Rite Center, 1547
Lakeside Drive, Oakland, $3 members, $6 non
members
For those of you who are new to this or for those of you who want to
revisit the subject, this is a good opportunity to meet with
representatives from the schools, child care programs, etc.
Details can be found at the www.eastbaymoms.com website. A
list of participating organizations can be found at http://www.
eastbaymoms.com/preschoolfair.htm
23-24Sat, Jan 23rd- Sun, Jan 24th
Cal Performances Presents the Peking Acrobats,
Zellerbach Hall, University of California Berkeley
Campus, Berkeley, $24-46 (children 16 and under 50%
off for all performances!)
Direct from the People's Republic of China, the ever-popular
Peking Acrobats travel the world as diplomats of their spirited
culture, for half a century leaving audiences spellbound by the
graceful presentation of their ancient folk art. With the addition of
dazzling special effects and live musical accompaniment from an
exotic Chinese orchestra, these awe-inspiring tumblers, cyclists,
jugglers, and clowns transform 2,000-year-old athletic disciplines
into a kaleidoscope of entertainment and wonder. "Amazing!
Zounds! The vocabulary of exclamation seeks expression as the
medium of awed and surprised reaction to the wondrous feats of
the Peking Acrobats!" (The New York Times). A serious "Don't try
this at home" sort of event. If your kids are anything like me when I
was there age, they will be awestruck and inspired by their artistry
and skills.
For details on the performance, visit http://www.calperfs.berkeley.
edu/presents/season/2009/family_fare/pa.php
Parking can be challenging, so plan accordingly. Parking details
are available at http://www.calperfs.berkeley.
edu/presents/information_desk/parking.php#alerts
Note: Kiddie Koncierge Subscribers can enter for FREE tickets to
the Saturday, 2:00 p.m. performance! Subscribe Now!
23-14Sat. & Sun. Jan 23rd - Feb 14th
Saturdays at 1:00 p.m., Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 3:30
p.m., Rumpelstiltskin, Young Performers Theater, Fort
Mason Center, Building C, San Francisco $10 adults,
$7 for children under 13
A father's boast that his daughter can spin straw into gold causes
a lot of difficulty. Of course the king of the land hears of the boast
and orders the father to bring the girl to his kingdom and prove the
statement. "What to do. What to do." the girl cries, begs and
suddenly one of fairy tales' favorite characters appears --
Rumpelstiltskin, who is only too glad to help out, but he demands
a heavy price. Not to worry, it all works out in the end, happily ever
after! A combined live actor and puppet show. This group does
very nice children's theater and is worth checking out. Tickets and
reservations at http://www.ypt.org/tickets.htm and directions can
be found at http://www.ypt.org/map.htm
30-31Sat & Sun, January 30th-31st
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Golden Gate Kennel Club All-
Breed Dog Show, Cow Palace, South San Francisco,
Adults $12, children $7, Families (2 adults + 2 kids):
$30
Looking for a dog? Just like them? Want a pure-bred, AKC-
registered dog with champion lineage? This is your show. This is
*the* go-to show if you are researching breeds and wanting to
meet breeders. In between watching the judging (a la “Best in
Show”) and agility demonstrations, the dogs and their breeders
will be in the exhibition halls so that you can see the dogs and talk
to the experts about them. There are also oodles of vendor booths
with everything imaginable for your dog. For information and
tickets go to http://www.goldengatekc.com/.
31Sunday, January 31st
12:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Berkeley Ballet Boys Open
House, Berkeley Ballet Theater, Julia Morgan Center
for the Arts, 2640 College Ave., Berkeley, FREE
You'd be surprised who ends up being great dancers. Just ask
Herschel Walker and Lynn Swann to name a few. Then, who can
forget MJ? If your child has even the remotest interest in dance or
just has a great time breaking it down to tunes in your living room,
you should check this out. The Berkeley Ballet Theater is hosting
an afternoon of dance events featuring
participants through a little over 30 minute clinic in each of four
dance styles to give the guys a flavor for dance. The best part is it
is FREE and no reservations are necessary. We know the hip-hop
teacher and, if he is any indicator, the participants are in for a great
time. For more details, visit http://www.berkeleyballet.
org/pdfs/boys_open_house.pdf
6-7Sat-Sun, February 6-7th
Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 6:
00 p.m. Chinatown Flower Fair, Washington below
Grant Street, San Francisco, FREE
The Flower Fair is a great way to begin the Chinese New Year
Celebration. The Fair begins with a Mini Parade Preview on
Saturday, February 6th at 10:30 a.m., Chinatown, San Francisco
(from California and Grant to Jackson and Grant If crowds aren’t
your thing, and you still want to ring in the year of the Tiger, come
check out this smaller version of the Chinese New Year parade
that follows 3 weeks later. This one starts at California and Grant
and follows Grant to the stage at Jackson four blocks later. Once
you finish with the parade, you can visit the Flower Fair on Grant
from Broadway to Clay; Pacific Ave. from Stockton to Kearny, and
Jackson between Stockton and Kearny where you can buy flowers,
plants, fruits and candies and enjoy activities and entertainment
from 10:00 a.m. -9:00 p.m. and also on Sunday from 9:00 a.m. – 6:
00 p.m. (no parade on Sunday) Want to enjoy the Year of the Tiger
but don't want to deal with the crowds two weeks later when the
official parade takes over downtown San Francisco? Check out
this mini-parade with dragons and puppets and spend the rest of
the day enjoying the Chinatown Flower Fair . Besides flowers,
plants, fruit, and sweets, the Fair will feature demonstrations and
entertainment including dragon dances, martial arts
demonstrations and more. For details, visit http://www.
chineseparade.com/parade_events.asp?pEvent=flower_fair
7,21Sunday, February 7th and 21st
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 pm, SFMOMA Might as Well Jump,
Koret Visitor Education Center, SF MOMA, 151 Third
Street, San Francisco, FREE
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.
If you haven’t done one of these family studios, it is a great
program: admission is FREE for kids, 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.
27Saturday, February 27th
5:15 p.m. Chinese New Year Parade, San Francisco
FREE
Gung Hee Fat Choy! Celebrate the Lunar Year 4708, the year of
the Tiger! This is the big parade. Come early and take public
transportation as the crowds can be fierce. The Route starts at
Market and snakes through Downtown ending up on Kearny
between Washington and Jackson. If the map below is not
supported by your email browser, click here http://www.
chineseparade.com/route.asp (you DO NOT need to install the
Adobe Flash Player to view the map)
For viewing, forget about Market Street, Geary Street or Union
Square, the crowds are crazy. Instead, Post Street tends to be a
little more civilized and you might even be able to pull up a curb for
a seat.
Parking is probably best at the Mission and Fifth garage as getting
to Ellis/O’Farrell, Union Square, Sutter Stockton or Portsmouth will
be all but impossible (let alone getting out).
Either before or after the parade, check out the Chinatown
Community Street Fair on Grant from Broadway to Clay on
February 27th (10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) and February 28th (9:00 a.
m. - 5:00 p.m.) - NO PARADE ON SUNDAY, the 28th; Pacific Ave.
from Stockton to Kearny, and Jackson between Stockton and
Kearny where you can experience Chinese cultural
demonstrations and performances including lion dancing, martial
arts, calligraphy, traditional dance, and puppet shows. There will
also be a children's area with a petting zoo and games.
12:00 noon - 3:00 p.m., E=girlpower2, Saturday
Science Workshop for Girls Grade 5-8, Chabot Space
and Science Center, Oakland, $20 per person, $15 for
members
This is a terrific program that inspires young girls (grade 5-8) to
develop skills and explore the wonders of science, technology,
engineering, and math. To register, call (510 336-7373
That's it for now!
January Update!
Happy New Year! The kids are back to school and the New Year is
off to a big start. Most notably, we are proud to offer another FREE
TICKET GIVE-AWAY courtesy of our friends at Cal Performances!
Cal Performances and Kiddie Koncierge are pleased to offer a
limited number of FREE tickets to the Saturday, January 23rd 2:00
p.m. performance by the Peking Acrobats please visit our Special
Offers Page to learn how you can win tickets to this special show!
The entry deadline is Sunday, January 17th, so please enter
now! Winners will be notified by email.
During the Break, we took the kids to the slopes to take advantage
of the great snow and weather. One place we found that was worth
a visit was Donner Ski Ranch . Lift tickets were inexpensive, it is
an easy day trip from the Bay Area, and it is not that crowded.
Check out our full review on our Snow Play Page.
Don't forget, our Resources Pages have a ton of great ideas on
things to do if your child is already bored with their presents. Here
are some highlights:
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
in January. Visit http://www.ticketmaster.
com/promo/ilzyqt/?dma_id=382 and enter offer code
3GOOD
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
Through February
- Monarch Butterflies at Monarch Grove, Pacific Grove
September 8th - January 19th
- There's a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak,
Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission Street, San
Francisco
Through January 18th
- Downtown Walnut Creek Ice Rink, 1365 Civic Drive at
Broadway, Walnut Creek - Downtown Ice, San Jose
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
Sunday, November 29th through January 10, 2010
- European Train Enthusiasts, Blackhawk Auto Museum,
3700 Blackhawk Circle, Danville
December 11th – January 17th
- 11:00 – 4:00 p.m., Museum of American Heritage, LEGO
Legacy, Palo Alto, FREE
Free 1st Tuesday, January 5th
- 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, January 6th
- Exploratorium www.exploratorium.edu
- Coyote Point Museum www.coyoteptmuseum.org
- Bay Area Discovery Museum www.baykidsmuseum.org
Free 1st Thursday, January 7th
- Berkeley Art Museum www.bampfa.berkeley.edu
- Burlingame Pez Museum www.spectrumnet.com/pez/
Free 2nd Sunday, January 10th
- Oakland Museum www.museumca.org ***CLOSED
UNTIL MAY 2010*** - Tech Museum of San Jose, www.thetech.org
Free 3rd Sunday (For Kids), January 17th
- SF MOMA Family Sunday, Kids get in Free, SF MOMA, 151
Third Street, San Francisco
Free 3rd Wednesday, January 20th
- California Academy of Sciences www.calacademy.org
Saturday, January 9th
- 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Amador Theater Satur-YAY! Series
This week: The Jungle Book by the State Street Ballet,
Amador Valley High School, Pleasanton
Saturdays, January 9th - February 13th
- The Children's Theatre Association of San Francisco
Presents The Beauty and the Beast at the Legion of Honor
Sunday, January 10th, 2009
- Berkeley Rep Family Series, Sunday Sampler Day,
Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, 2025 Addison St.,
Berkeley, FREE
Friday, January 15th
- Friday Nights at the deYoung Returns! San Francisco
- Target Teen Night, "Coming Home" Berkeley Rep
Saturdays January 17-February 7th
- e=girlpower2 Saturday Science Workshops for Girls,
Chabot Space and Science Center, Oakland
Sunday, January 17th
- SF MOMA 75th Anniversary Celebration and Free Family
Day, SF MOMA, 151 Third Street, San Francisco, FREE
Saturday, January 23rd
- East Bay Mom's Preschool and Children's Resource Fair,
Scottish Rite Center, Oakland
Saturday and Sunday, January 23rd and 24th
- Cal Performances presents the Peking Acrobats at
Zellerbach Hall. Kids 16 and under are half price!
Saturdays and Sundays January 23rd - February 14th
- Rumpelstiltskin at the Young Performers Theater, Fort
Mason, San Francisco
Saturday and Sunday, January 30th and 31st
- Golden Gate Kennel Club All-Breed Show, Cow Palace,
San Francisco
Sunday, January 31st
- 12:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Berkeley Ballet Boys Open House,
Berkeley Ballet Theater, Julia Morgan Center for the Arts,
2640 College Ave., Berkeley, FREE
Saturday and Sunday, February 6th and 7th
- Chinatown Flower Fair and Mini Parade, San Francisco
Saturday, February 27th
- Chinese New Year Parade, San Francisco
Through March
- Annual Elephant Seal Mating, Ano Nuevo State Preserve
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.
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.pdfbefore calling the reservation
line at (800) 444-4445.
Through February
Monarch Butterfly Migration, Various Locations
These delicate creatures know how to live their short lives: They
winter in Mexico with stops in Northern California and a few other
choice spots on their way home. Here are a few local spots worth
checking out between October and February. A lot of places are
home to rest stops for the Monarchs, but only a few have significant
concentrations of butterflies. With this chilly weather, you are likely
to see these little orange and black guys huddled together for
warmth. Not sure how that works given that they are cold blooded,
but I digress. For a good guide on butterflies, their life cycle, and
migratory habits, download this 12 page document: http://www.
monarchwatch.org/download/pdf/where.pdf
- Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz This is the only
State Monarch Preserve in California. There are all sorts of
displays at the visitors center with eggs, caterpillars, and
chrysalides. Make sure to check out the natural rock
bridges, tidal pools, and migrating whales. For more
information, visit http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=541 - Ardenwood, Fremont In addition to the historical farm,
there is a full-fledged Monarch rest stop. ebparks.
org/parks/ardenwood - Pacific Grove, Monterey Peninsula This is one of the
classic overwintering locations in the area. Visit http://www.
pgmuseum.org/ for more details (click on Monarchs) - Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, Carmel Visit http://pt-
lobos.parks.state.ca.us/Monarch.html for more details - San Leandro Golf Course, Alameda Call to find out when
you can see their eucalyptus trees draped in butterflies. For
directions, visit http://www.americangolf.com/ca/san-
leandro-monarch-bay-golf-club - Bolinas Terrace, Bolinas, Marin In the town of Bolinas, just
off of Park at the intersection of Terrace and Mann are a
good concentration of butterflies. Muir Beach also has a
smaller concentration of butterflies.
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. Registration begins
January 13, 2010
8-19September 8, 2009 - January 19, 2009
There's a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak,
Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission Street,
San Francisco, Admission
The wonderful Contemporary Jewish Museum is featuring an
exhibit of Sendak's works from the Rosenbach Museum in
Philadelphia, the go-to repository for Sendak's life work. Maurice
Sendak has written or illustrated more than 100 picture books over
his 60-year career. A number of those books, including Where the
Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, and Chicken Soup with Rice,
inspired generations of children and changed the landscape of
picture books. Included in the exhibition are original watercolors,
preliminary sketches, drawings, and dummy books from more
than 40 of Sendak's books, all from the Rosenbach Museum and
Library in Philadelphia, the repository for Sendak's artwork and
working materials. This major retrospective sheds light on the
many mysteries of his life and art by exploring the intensely
personal undercurrents in his work; and it does so using Sendak's
own words, insights, and remarkable stories. The exhibition
explores a number of different aspects of Sendak's books
including his child characters, monsters, literary and artistic
influences, and the settings of his stories. Visitors will delve into
the hidden nuances and personal secrets within Sendak's work
through exclusive interviews with the artist on digital touch screens
throughout the exhibition. As Sendak himself said in one such
interview, "When you hide another story in a story, that's the story I
am telling the children." These hidden stories within Sendak's
work form the core experience of There's a Mystery There.
Come for the exhibit and stay for this beautiful space. Our family
went recently and the kids loved it. They devoured the books laying
about the museum and camped out on the floor to read. The CJM
also had a cool kid's visitor's guide that made the exhibit more
imersive. For more information,
http://www.thecjm.org/index.php?
option=com_ccevents&scope=exbt&task=detail&oid=42
7-6Saturdays, November 7th through 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:
- January 9th, 2010 - the Jungle Book by the State Street
Ballet - February 6th, 2010 - the Sippy Cups
- March 6th, 2010 - Beethoven's Wig
18Through January 18th
12 November 2009 – 18 January 2010, Downtown
Walnut Creek on Ice, 1365 Civic Drive in Civic Park
(at Broadway and Civic – slightly different location),
Walnut Creek, Mon – Thu 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., Fri
– Sat 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m., Sun 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.
m. $11 - $15 including skate rental
Walnut Creek’s outdoor skating rink is truly lovely. Nestled amidst
the trees (but somehow sunny when the weather calls for it), and
steps from a great playground and the downtown shopping area (if
you can handle the crowds), it is one of the nicer ones. With the
lights in the trees, it will be especially pretty at night. Nothing but
pluses here: parking in Walnut Creek is pretty easy, lessons are
available, and a shuttle serves BART. For details visit http://www.
iceskatewalnutcreek.com/
Downtown Ice, Circle of Palms (between the Fairmont,
San Jose and the San Jose Museum of Art),
Downtown San Jose, Mon – Thu 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.
m., Fri 5:00 p.m. – Midnight, Sat 12 noon – midnight,
Sun 12 noon – 10:00 p.m. $13 - $15 including skate
rental
San Jose’s Downtown Ice is Northern California’s answer to the
Rockefeller Center Ice Rink. Nestled in the heart of Downtown
surrounded by palm trees, it must be nice to skate under the stars
were you able to actually see the stars. Downtown San Jose is a
wonderful holiday destination with the Rink, the Winter Wonderland
(details coming soon) and lots of restaurants and other
attractions. For directions, hours, and other details, visit http:
//www.sjdowntown.com/DowntownIce.html
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
29November 29th through January 10, 2010
All Aboard! European Train Enthusiasts, Blackhawk
Auto Museum, 3700 Blackhawk Circle, Danville,
Admission
Sunday, the 29th opens this annual railroad extravaganza. Every
year, the European Train Enthusiasts take over a good chunk of the
Blackhawk Auto Museum to lay out an amazing display of operating
trains and some astonishingly detailed city scapes. This year they
have brought their most ambitious layout to date, featuring
hundreds of feet of model railroad track and many different, HO
scale model trains. A separate exhibit of Lionel Trains and
Victorian Era Children's blocks are on display in an upstairs
gallery. The European Train Enthusiasts make an amazing train
layout that will occupy your child for a loooonng time. The detail of
the layouts and the numerous trains make it very engaging. Trains
aside, the Blackhawk auto museum has an incredible collection of
truly breathtaking automotive design. Sure, the kids cannot touch,
but everyone can look and appreciate. Check out http://www.
blackhawkmuseum.org/exhibit_ete.html for information on the
European train exhibit and the museum in general.
11-17December 11th – Jan 17th 2010
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Friday – Sunday, Museum of
American Heritage presents Living LEGO-cy –
Legendary LEGOs and Terrific Trains, 351 Homer
Avenue, Palo Alto, FREE
Are you a gultton for punishment? Then take your LEGO-crazed
child here right before Christmas! Seriously, the Museum of
American Heritage (MOAH), The Bay Area LEGO® User Group
(BayLUG) and Bay Area LEGO Train Club (BayLTC) are again
combining forces this winter to repeat last year's spectacular
Holiday season display at MOAH. MOAH visitors can explore a
variety of LEGO creations and an operating LEGO train layout
featuring a wide variety of creations by club members. Highlighting
it all is Holidays in the Bay Area, a 12 by 25 foot train layout
incorporating multiple trains running through city (you just might
recognize a few), farm, and suburban scenes. These enthusiasts
do amazing things with those bricks! http://www.moah.org/index.
html
9-13Saturdays Jan 9th - Feb 13th
Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., Children's
Theatre Association of San Francisco Presents The
Tale of the Beauty and the Beast, The Florence Gould
Theater at the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, 34th
Avenue and Clement Street, San Francisco, $12
The Children's Theatre Association puts on great plays at the
Legion of Honor. This year's show is a musical based on the
classic tale of the arrogant Prince who is turned into a terrible
Beast by an old woman to whom he denies shelter. A poor lost
widow plucks a forbidden rose from the cursed Beast’s castle
grounds, is caught red-handed and sentenced to death!
Meet the widow’s two distasteful daughters and greedy sons-in-
law who ignore their mother's story about meeting the Beast and
being sentenced to death declaring her insane instead! But her
third daughter, Beauty offers to go to the castle and live with the
Beast if her mother is allowed to go free. You're sure to be moved
by the Beast’s eventual transformation and return to the handsome
and loving prince he once was before the nasty spell was cast.
Experience thrills and laughs when the sons-in-law sneak into the
eerie castle and encounter all sorts of weird goings-on, including a
battle with some very strange, enchanted furniture. Spend an hour
with us and you too will be enchanted--by the wonderful words and
music of the incomparable writer, Vera Morris and
composer/lyricist Bill Francoeur.. The CTASF is very family
friendly: kids on lap are free, Fine Arts members (and you know
who you are) get a $2 discount. The show is about an hour so,
while the material is geared to the elementary school child, you
should use your judgement as to whether your child is capable of
sitting quietly for that long. For details including tickets and
directions, visit their website at http://www.ctasf.org
10Sunday, January 10th
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
15Friday, January 15th
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.
6:30 p.m., Target Teen Night, Coming Home, Berkeley
Rep School of Theatre, 2071 Addison Street., $10,
RSVP by Wednesday, January 13th
This great program, while targeted (no pun intended) at a slightly
older demographic, is terrific for your teen children (cousins, etc.).
It is a great way to see a top show, meet people integral to the
production, and all for an amazing price.
* Written by Athol Fugard / Directed by Gordon Edelstein
* Time magazine calls Athol Fugard “the greatest active playwright
in the English-speaking world.” Now South Africa’s master
dramatist comes back to Berkeley Rep with a new show: Coming
Home. Ten years after running off to the city to pursue her dreams,
Veronika returns in rags. Among her meager belongings, she
carries a desperate secret—and determination to plant the seeds
of a new life for her son. In Coming Home, Fugard once again
confronts the hard truths of his homeland while celebrating the
power of hope.
Teen Night begins at 6:30pm at the Berkeley Rep School of
Theatre, 2071 Addison Street, one block from the downtown
Berkeley BART station.
The cost for the evening, which includes dinner, an interview and
discussion with a member of the creative team and a ticket to the
show is $10. This can be paid by Visa, MasterCard, American
Express, check or with cash at the door. Even if you choose to pay
with cash at the event, you must R.S.V.P. to have a ticket held in
your name.
To learn more or to R.S.V.P., call Teen Council at 510 647–2974 or
e-mail teencouncil@berkeleyrep.org.
17Sunday, January 17th
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., SFMOMA SFSF MOMA Free
Family Day: 75th Anniversary Celebration, Koret
Visitor Education Center, SF MOMA, 151 Third Street,
San Francisco, FREE
Join in the museum's 75th anniversary festivities! Connect with
San Francisco's unique history of design, poetry, film, and cafe
culture with hands-on activities, family-friendly films, a Poet Store
Cafe, live music, and more. Use our renowned Architecture and
Design collection as a muse and participate in a chair-inspired
project with the help of Bay Area furniture designers. Join the Mods,
a new club for kids. If you haven’t done one of these family studios,
it is a great program: admission is FREE for families, 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.
23Saturday, January 23rd
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. East Bay Moms Preschool and
Childhood Resource Fair Scottish Rite Center, 1547
Lakeside Drive, Oakland, $3 members, $6 non
members
For those of you who are new to this or for those of you who want to
revisit the subject, this is a good opportunity to meet with
representatives from the schools, child care programs, etc.
Details can be found at the www.eastbaymoms.com website. A
list of participating organizations can be found at http://www.
eastbaymoms.com/preschoolfair.htm
23-24Sat, Jan 23rd- Sun, Jan 24th
Cal Performances Presents the Peking Acrobats,
Zellerbach Hall, University of California Berkeley
Campus, Berkeley, $24-46 (children 16 and under 50%
off for all performances!)
Direct from the People's Republic of China, the ever-popular
Peking Acrobats travel the world as diplomats of their spirited
culture, for half a century leaving audiences spellbound by the
graceful presentation of their ancient folk art. With the addition of
dazzling special effects and live musical accompaniment from an
exotic Chinese orchestra, these awe-inspiring tumblers, cyclists,
jugglers, and clowns transform 2,000-year-old athletic disciplines
into a kaleidoscope of entertainment and wonder. "Amazing!
Zounds! The vocabulary of exclamation seeks expression as the
medium of awed and surprised reaction to the wondrous feats of
the Peking Acrobats!" (The New York Times). A serious "Don't try
this at home" sort of event. If your kids are anything like me when I
was there age, they will be awestruck and inspired by their artistry
and skills.
For details on the performance, visit http://www.calperfs.berkeley.
edu/presents/season/2009/family_fare/pa.php
Parking can be challenging, so plan accordingly. Parking details
are available at http://www.calperfs.berkeley.
edu/presents/information_desk/parking.php#alerts
Note: Kiddie Koncierge Subscribers can enter for FREE tickets to
the Saturday, 2:00 p.m. performance! Subscribe Now!
23-14Sat. & Sun. Jan 23rd - Feb 14th
Saturdays at 1:00 p.m., Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 3:30
p.m., Rumpelstiltskin, Young Performers Theater, Fort
Mason Center, Building C, San Francisco $10 adults,
$7 for children under 13
A father's boast that his daughter can spin straw into gold causes
a lot of difficulty. Of course the king of the land hears of the boast
and orders the father to bring the girl to his kingdom and prove the
statement. "What to do. What to do." the girl cries, begs and
suddenly one of fairy tales' favorite characters appears --
Rumpelstiltskin, who is only too glad to help out, but he demands
a heavy price. Not to worry, it all works out in the end, happily ever
after! A combined live actor and puppet show. This group does
very nice children's theater and is worth checking out. Tickets and
reservations at http://www.ypt.org/tickets.htm and directions can
be found at http://www.ypt.org/map.htm
30-31Sat & Sun, January 30th-31st
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Golden Gate Kennel Club All-
Breed Dog Show, Cow Palace, South San Francisco,
Adults $12, children $7, Families (2 adults + 2 kids):
$30
Looking for a dog? Just like them? Want a pure-bred, AKC-
registered dog with champion lineage? This is your show. This is
*the* go-to show if you are researching breeds and wanting to
meet breeders. In between watching the judging (a la “Best in
Show”) and agility demonstrations, the dogs and their breeders
will be in the exhibition halls so that you can see the dogs and talk
to the experts about them. There are also oodles of vendor booths
with everything imaginable for your dog. For information and
tickets go to http://www.goldengatekc.com/.
31Sunday, January 31st
12:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Berkeley Ballet Boys Open
House, Berkeley Ballet Theater, Julia Morgan Center
for the Arts, 2640 College Ave., Berkeley, FREE
You'd be surprised who ends up being great dancers. Just ask
Herschel Walker and Lynn Swann to name a few. Then, who can
forget MJ? If your child has even the remotest interest in dance or
just has a great time breaking it down to tunes in your living room,
you should check this out. The Berkeley Ballet Theater is hosting
an afternoon of dance events featuring
- Daddy and Me (12:30 - 1:00 p.m.) session at noon geared
to 3 and 4 year olds - Dance Fitness (1:00 - 1:30 p.m.) geared to 5 and 6 year
olds; and our favorite: - Dance Clinics in Capoiera, Ballet, Hip Hop and Dance
Fitness from 2:30 - 5:00 p.m.) for 7 to 18 year olds
participants through a little over 30 minute clinic in each of four
dance styles to give the guys a flavor for dance. The best part is it
is FREE and no reservations are necessary. We know the hip-hop
teacher and, if he is any indicator, the participants are in for a great
time. For more details, visit http://www.berkeleyballet.
org/pdfs/boys_open_house.pdf
6-7Sat-Sun, February 6-7th
Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 6:
00 p.m. Chinatown Flower Fair, Washington below
Grant Street, San Francisco, FREE
The Flower Fair is a great way to begin the Chinese New Year
Celebration. The Fair begins with a Mini Parade Preview on
Saturday, February 6th at 10:30 a.m., Chinatown, San Francisco
(from California and Grant to Jackson and Grant If crowds aren’t
your thing, and you still want to ring in the year of the Tiger, come
check out this smaller version of the Chinese New Year parade
that follows 3 weeks later. This one starts at California and Grant
and follows Grant to the stage at Jackson four blocks later. Once
you finish with the parade, you can visit the Flower Fair on Grant
from Broadway to Clay; Pacific Ave. from Stockton to Kearny, and
Jackson between Stockton and Kearny where you can buy flowers,
plants, fruits and candies and enjoy activities and entertainment
from 10:00 a.m. -9:00 p.m. and also on Sunday from 9:00 a.m. – 6:
00 p.m. (no parade on Sunday) Want to enjoy the Year of the Tiger
but don't want to deal with the crowds two weeks later when the
official parade takes over downtown San Francisco? Check out
this mini-parade with dragons and puppets and spend the rest of
the day enjoying the Chinatown Flower Fair . Besides flowers,
plants, fruit, and sweets, the Fair will feature demonstrations and
entertainment including dragon dances, martial arts
demonstrations and more. For details, visit http://www.
chineseparade.com/parade_events.asp?pEvent=flower_fair
7,21Sunday, February 7th and 21st
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 pm, SFMOMA Might as Well Jump,
Koret Visitor Education Center, SF MOMA, 151 Third
Street, San Francisco, FREE
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.
If you haven’t done one of these family studios, it is a great
program: admission is FREE for kids, 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.
27Saturday, February 27th
5:15 p.m. Chinese New Year Parade, San Francisco
FREE
Gung Hee Fat Choy! Celebrate the Lunar Year 4708, the year of
the Tiger! This is the big parade. Come early and take public
transportation as the crowds can be fierce. The Route starts at
Market and snakes through Downtown ending up on Kearny
between Washington and Jackson. If the map below is not
supported by your email browser, click here http://www.
chineseparade.com/route.asp (you DO NOT need to install the
Adobe Flash Player to view the map)
For viewing, forget about Market Street, Geary Street or Union
Square, the crowds are crazy. Instead, Post Street tends to be a
little more civilized and you might even be able to pull up a curb for
a seat.
Parking is probably best at the Mission and Fifth garage as getting
to Ellis/O’Farrell, Union Square, Sutter Stockton or Portsmouth will
be all but impossible (let alone getting out).
Either before or after the parade, check out the Chinatown
Community Street Fair on Grant from Broadway to Clay on
February 27th (10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) and February 28th (9:00 a.
m. - 5:00 p.m.) - NO PARADE ON SUNDAY, the 28th; Pacific Ave.
from Stockton to Kearny, and Jackson between Stockton and
Kearny where you can experience Chinese cultural
demonstrations and performances including lion dancing, martial
arts, calligraphy, traditional dance, and puppet shows. There will
also be a children's area with a petting zoo and games.
12:00 noon - 3:00 p.m., E=girlpower2, Saturday
Science Workshop for Girls Grade 5-8, Chabot Space
and Science Center, Oakland, $20 per person, $15 for
members
This is a terrific program that inspires young girls (grade 5-8) to
develop skills and explore the wonders of science, technology,
engineering, and math. To register, call (510 336-7373
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:
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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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