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Kiddie Koncierge: October 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
October Update!
Halloween is just a few weeks away and the ghouls and ghosts
are way busy. Check out our Halloween Page for the best of the
region's seasonal activities. . This season is also notable for lots
of Autumn/Fall/Harvest Festivals with lots of pumpkins (decorated
and otherwise), Indian corn, apples, and other fall-themed stuff.
They are a lot of fun. One of our favorites is the Tolay Fall Festival
in Sonoma. We went last year and had a great time. Go early to
beat the crowds.
Special Offer to Kiddie Koncierge Subscribers!
San Francisco Performances and Kiddie Koncierge are pleased
to offer Kiddie Koncierge Subscribers a limited number of FREE
tickets to see a wonderful family matinee Saturday, October 10th
with two amazing guitarists, the Katona Twins and one of
America's finest up and coming baritones, Christopheren
Nomura! Visit our Special Offers Page by 10/1/09 to Enter!
Nutcracker Tickets on Sale! Yeah, it is hard to believe that it
is Nutcracker time again. Buy before September 30th to guarantee
your tickets. For companies and schedules, visit our Nutcracker
Page.
There are a lot of great things to do to unwind on the weekends.
Check out the County Fair Page for the last fairs of the season. If
your kids like animals, this is a great way to get up front and
personal with the domesticated ones.
Make sure to check out our Facebook page. If you like us, be our
fan! Share us! Pass us around!
Make sure to check out the Resources Pages. Here are some
highlights:
Activities at a Glance
Sundays Through October 25th
Through November 1st
Year Round
Through Thanksgiving
September 8th - January 19th
Free 1st Thursday, October 1st
Friday - Sunday, October 2nd - 4th
Saturday, October 3rd
Free 1st Sunday, October 4th
Sunday, October 4th
Free 1st Tuesday, October 6th
Free 1st Wednesday, October 7th
Thursday - Sunday, October 8-11th and October 15-18th
Saturday, October 10th
Free 2nd Sunday, October 11th
Thursday, October 8th - Sunday, October 11th
Saturday and Sunday, October 10th and 11th
Sunday, October 11th
Thursday, October 15th
Friday, October 16th
Saturday, October 17th
Wednesday, October 21st
October 15th-25th
Saturday, October 17th
Sunday, October 18th
Free 3rd Wednesday, October 21st
October 24th - October 31st
Saturday, October 24th
Sunday, October 25th
Saturday, October 31st Halloween!
Saturday, November 14
Sunday, November 15
Sunday, November 22nd
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.
25Sundays, Through October 25th
Sundays Through October 25th, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Sunny
Sundays Kids' Series, Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave at Gilman,
Berkeley, $4 kids, $6 adults
Looking for something to do on a foggy Sunday afternoon? Come
out to the Ashkenz performance space for an hour of family music.
The programs are geared for dancing and family members of all
ages. Genres include folk, rock, and world music. The schedule
includes:
- October 4, October Pretzel
- October 11, Asheba
- October 18, Me 3
- October 25, Halloween Cabaret Carnival
For details and directions, visit www.ashkenaz.com
1Saturdays and Sundays through November 1st
Kids Ride Free on Weekends, Capitol Corridor, up to 2
Kids 2-15 FREE with a paying adult ($6-$35 each way)
Every weekend through November 1st, you can take one of the less
stressful and more comfortable ways to Sacramento with two of
your kids and their bikes for FREE. Well, the kids ride free, you, the
accompanying adult pay. That's not a bad deal. One cool trip that
we have done is to take the train from Oakland to Sacramento. Old
Town Sacramento is a 100 yard walk from the Station. With the
best railway museum in the country (the California State Railroad
Museum), a number of great restaurants along the river, some fun
bike riding, and the many attractions of Old Town, it is not a bad
way to spend the day and you can ALL sleep on the way home! For
more details and tickets, visit http://kidsridefree.org/index.php
2Through October 2nd
Evenings 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Live Music in
Redwood City, Multiple Locations, Redwood City,
FREE
There is live music all over the place in Redwood City:
Every Monday evening at 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Main Street and
Broadway through August 10th
Every Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. during the
summer at Stafford Park through August 12),
Every Thursday Night at 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., at Marlin Park
(corner of Neptune and Cringle) through August 6th
Every Friday night at 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Courthouse Square in
Downtown Redwood City (through October 2).
For a schedule, check out http://www.redwoodcity.
org/events/music.htm
26Through Thanksgiving
Until 8:45 p.m. Friday Nights at the deYoung, deYoung
Musuem, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, $10
adults, $6 kids 13-17, kids under 12 FREE
Every Friday in July, the museum stays open until 8:45 p.m. with
music, food, crafts activities for kids and their parents, dance and
more. For more details, visit http://www.famsf.
org/deyoung/calendar/day.asp?categoryid=32
8-19September 8, 2009 - January 19, 2009
There's a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak,
Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission Street,
San Francisco, Admission
On the eve of the release of Spike Jonze's interpretation of Maurice
Sendak's classic, Where the Wild Things Are, 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. Maybe check
out the Yerba Buena Garden's Festival in October during the Target
Family Day.
http://www.thecjm.org/index.php?
option=com_ccevents&scope=exbt&task=detail&oid=42
2-4October 2nd-4th
Sonoma County Harvest Fair, Sonoma County
Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa,
Adults $6, Kids 7-12 $2, Kids 6 and under FREE
This is it! The last of the fairs of the season! We went last year
and had a blast! Lots of farm animals to see and pet, sheep dog
trials, draft horse hay rides, tons of kids entertainment, rides, fried
things, music, demonstrations, and exhibits, and (we swear) pig
beauty pageants. This is a great fair. Your child will run out of
energy before you run out of things to do. Click here for more
details and directions http://www.sonomacountyfair.
com/hf_home.php
3Saturday, October 3rd
10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Autumn Celebration at Filoli,
Filoli Gardens, Woodside. Adults $25, Kids 5-17 $5,
Kids 4 and under FREE,
Let’s be honest, we love Filoli. It is just so darned....nice. Gardens
and home aside, this is...well, there is nothing else besides the
gardens and the house until now. The great people at Filoli are
putting on a wonderful day full of fun for the kids with orchard tours,
pumpkin decorating, scarecrows, pumpkins, puppets and clowns,
and a Family Funland — kids can make Halloween crafts and
families can participate in an obstacle course. Tickets go fast, so
make sure that you get them early. Visit http://www.filoli.
org/special-events-and-exhibits/autumn-festival.html for details
and ticket information. Seriously, Filoli is a special place and is
worth a visit no matter what time of year. For directions, visit http:
//www.filoli.org/plan-your-visit/directions.html
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Leap Sand Castle Contest,
Ocean Beach just South of the Cliff House at Balboa
Ave., San Francisco, FREE
Teams of architects, designers, engineers, and elementary school
kids will compete to construct the most creative and innovative
sand creations. This event is the culmination of days of
preparation where students worked on models, themes, and
concepts all leading up to this competition. For details on the
event, visit http://leap4kids.org/collection/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=182&Itemid=283
4Sunday, October 4th
10:00 a.m. - -6:00 p.m., 6th Annual North Berkeley
"Spice of Life Festival", Shattuck Avenue (Virginia to
Rose), Berkeley, FREE
It is hard to realize that Berkeley is known for things other than tree
sitters, football, and liberal politics. But, yes, Berkeley is also
known as the fertile ground from which a whole new school of
cooking arose. The Spice of Life Festival is a celebration of this
passion for food. Besides food, there will be live music on three
stages — Jazz, Bluegrass, Oldies, and World Music, dance
performances, book-signings, and bodywork, acupressure and
yoga demonstrations. "Kidtopia” offers puppet shows, pony rides,
farm animals and kids crafts activities. www.spiceoflifefestival.
com
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Connolly Ranch Harvest
Festival, 3141 Browns Valley Road, Napa, FREE
This Saturday, this cool 12-acre farm in the heart of Napa will be
open to the public. Families can visit their farm animals (goats,
sheep, miniature donkeys, horses, and cows, geese, ducks, Olivia
the pig (presumably full-sized), worms, face painting, free
pumpkins and veges, tours of the ranch and enjoy food, drink,
activities, and live music. Call (707) 224.1894 for details or click
here for directions (way down at the bottom) http://www.
connollyranch.org/.
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Day, SFMOMA: The Family
Studio: Crafty, Crawly Creatures, SF MOMA, 151 Third
Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, FREE
If you haven't been to one of these family events, it is well worth it.
Not only do you have a chance to engage in a great art activity in the
awesome Koret Center on the 2nd floor (even if you don't come on
the Family Studio days, you should stop by the Educational Center
as there is always something for the kids to do and explore), you
also get to explore the wonderful Museum of Modern Art for FREE.
This week, what would you do if you encountered a six-foot-tall
spider? What about five giant spiders? Take a closer look at the
work of Louise Bourgeois and create your own nest of crawly
creatures at this Family Studio. At 2:00 p.m., find out what a day in
the life of a spider is like, with a reading of Diary of a Spider, written
by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Harry Bliss.
Museum and program admission are free for families with children
on family program days. Please note: The Family Studio capacity is
limited. Families will be served as space is available.
10:00 a.m., Valley Nature Ride, Sunol Equestrian
Rental, Sunol Regional Wilderness, 1895 Geary Road,
Sunol $25-$29 plus parking
For kids 6 and older. Now that there are no pony rides in Tilden,
having these types of trail rides is a rare and wonderful
experience. Enjoy an introduction to the rich cultural and natural
history of the Sunol Regional Wilderness and get an introduction to
horsemanship as well. With autumn here, it should be a lovely
way to spend the day! Registration is required (888) EBPARKS
((888) 327-2757, option 2, 3) or online at http://www.classweb.
ebparks.org/eConnect5.2/Activities/ActivitiesDetails.asp?
ProcessWait=N&aid=4327&From=fas
Event repeats Sunday, October 25th
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Yountville Days Parade and
Festival, Yountville Town Park, FREE
Starting with movie night on Friday in Yountville Park, continuing
through Saturday's Chili Cook-off and finishing the weekend with
the Yountville Days Parade and Festival with music, food, and fun
for the whole family. The parade starts at the Veteran's Home and
continues through the town or Yountville along Washington Street.
8-11,15-18
Thursday - Sunday, October 8th-11th and October 15th-18th
Thursday and Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tolay Lake Fall Festival, Tolay Lake Regional Park,
Sonoma, FREE with $6 parking fee (or FREE with
Parks Pass)
This is one of our favorite Fall festivals - fun, non commercial, lots
of cool stuff to explore, and a hay ride up to their pumpkin patch
(OK, so maybe the patch itself is a mown field with pumpkins
strewn around, but the ride is breathtaking and fun).
For many years, families used to come to the Cardoza Ranch at
this time of year to buy pumpkins. When they sold their enormous
ranch to the county, they decided to retain the tradition (thank
goodness). Better yet, Sonoma County has expanded on the
tradition and has created a wonderful event with a Native American
village with tule boat making demonstrations, a “Nighttime
Creatures”; barn, dioramas of local animals, and of course all the
things you come to expect at a fall festival: straw mazes, pumpkins
for sale, hands-on kids activities, hay rides, animals, games, For
details and a downloadable map, visit http://www.sonoma-county.
org/Parks/pk_tolay_fallfestival.htm
8-11October 8th-11th
Thursday and Friday, 7:30 p.m.,
Saturday, 3:00 and 8:00 p.m.,
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.,
Zoppe Italian Family Circus, Veteran's Home Picnic
Grounds, Yountville, adults, $25, kids $20
Hosted by the Napa Valley Opera at the lovely Veteran's Home
Picnic Grounds in Yountville. Housed in an intimate 500-seat tent,
this single ring circus captures the old world Italian circus
tradition. The emphasis is on clowns, acrobats, aerialists,
audience participation, and trick horse riding. It is like Cirque du
Soleil minus the Vegas production values plus a great deal of
charm and the feeling that you are part of the show. We love these
shows. For details, visit http://www.napavalleyoperahouse.
org/index.php/shows/320 To find out more on the Zoppe Family
Circus, visit their website at http://zoppe.net/ (You CAN turn off that
music)
8-13Friday - Sunday, Oct 8th – Oct 13th
US Navy Photo
11:30 onwards, Fleet Week, San Francisco, FREE,
The first week of October is Fleet Week in the Bay Area (this month,
it is a little later). There are a ton of open houses and naval
activities related to the event. But the big draw is always the
airshow – the only city by the way in the country where the Blue
Angels fly over the city itself. The air show is generally
characterized by huge crowds and nasty parking and traffic. There
*IS* a way around this: Friday afternoon, October 8th before the
Fleet Week weekend from 1-4 p.m., the Blue Angels have a
practice run where they run through the ENTIRE show (the Blues
do their thing at 3:00 but you should be there early). I usually watch
from the beach/breakwater just East of the Saint Francis Yacht
Club. There are lawns to sit on and some porta potties for relief.
You can also park very close by without too much trouble. On
Saturday the festivities will kick off with the Parade of Ships under
the Golden Gate Bridge. Crowds are typically large and parking is
challenging.
Details are available at http://www.military.com/fleetweek
10Saturday, October 10th
11:00 a.m., San Francisco Performances Presents a
Family Matinee Featuring Guitarists, the Katona Twins
and Baritone, Christopheren Nomura, Herbst Theatre,
401 Van Ness at McAllister in the Veterans Building,
Tickets $8-15
San Francisco Performances regularly comes out with wonderful
family entertainment in programs suited to young listeners. This
hour-long program features two Hungarian-born guitar virtuosos
who are also guitar Artists-in-Residence with San Francisco
Performances and renowned Bartione, Christopheren Nomura in
what promises to be a terrific experience. For more details on the
performers, visit our Special Offers page. While you are there,
register to win a pair of FREE tickets to see this show courtesy of
San Francisco Performances and Kiddie Koncierge! For tickets,
directions, and details, visit http://www.cityboxoffice.
com/orderticketsarea.asp?p=4493&a=4045&backurl=%
2Fdefault.asp%3FSearchMonth%3D%26monthsubmit%3D%
26SearchText%3DKATONA%26Go.x%3D%26Go.y%3D%26pg%
3D1%23abc
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Ready to Learn Fair, Manzanita
Community School, 2409 E. 27th St., Oakland, FREE
Bring your children to meet Clifford 'The Big Red Dog', receive free
books, get their faces painted, and play outdoor games at the
fourth annual Ready to Learn Fun Fair. The event is free for
families and children of all ages The goal of the event is to
promote education at an early age and encourages healthy
lifestyles. Parents will have the opportunity to learn about
educational programs, support services, child care, nutrition,
sports activities, and much more. http://events.kqed.
org/events/index.php?
com=detail&eID=7259&year=2009&month=10
8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., Annual Tarantula Search, Del
Valle Campground, Del Valle Road (off Mines Road),
Livermore, FREE
Meet at the campground amphitheater to debunk spider myths,
Meet Harry the Tarantula up-close. Participants will search through
the campground for spiders, holes, molts, and more. For kids 5
and older. Visit http://www.ebparks.org/parks/del_valle for
directions
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, Albany Fire Department
Pancake Breakfast and Open House, 1051 Monroe (in
the U.C. Village on block west of San Pablo and one
block South of Buchanan), Albany, $5 adults, $3 kids
six and under
To put the focus on Fire Prevention Week, Albany Fire Department
will hold their annual pancake breakfast with great food whipped
up by the fire fighters, safety demonstrations, lots of fire apparatus
(i.e, firetrucks), Sparky the Fire Dog and more.
10-11Saturday & Sunday, Oct 10th & 11th
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., San Carlos Street Art & Wine
Faire, San Carlos Avenue (between EL Camino and
Walnut) and goes on Laurel Street from San Carlos
Avenue to Arroyo, San Carlos, FREE
Arts, crafts, 20 international food booths, fine wines and
microbrews. Family Fun Zone and kid's activities. Live
entertainment on three stages.
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Harvest Festival, Ardenwood
Historic Farm, 34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont,
Adults $8, kids 4-17 $5, kids 3 and under FREE
It's harvest time on the farm! Harvest the Indian corn and popcorn
and help fill the corncribs. Take home a share of their colorful corn
for your holiday table. Please bring your own bags to take home
your harvest. Enjoy magic shows, cider pressing, old-time music
and crafts. Visit the blacksmith, ride the horse-drawn train and tour
the beautiful Patterson House. For information, call (888) 327-
2757, option 3, ext. 4504. For information on Ardenwood, visit http:
//www.ebparks.org/parks/ardenwood
11Sunday, October 11th
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Little Farm Goat Hike, Tilden
Nature Area, Canon Drive, Berkeley, FREE
What could be more fun than going on a little walk from the Little
Farm to the lovely Jewel Lake and back accompanied by a herd of
friendly goats? Kids (and their parents, please) can learn all sorts
of cool things about these cool animals. Fun fact, did you know
that goats do not have upper teeth? For your little goat feeders this
is good news because it means that they don’t bite in the usual
sense of the word. A lot more cool than a petting zoo. Our son
absolutely loved the event as he is a big goat fan. For
directions, visit http://www.ebparks.org/parks/vc/tna
15Thursday, October 15th
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., East Bay Independent Schools K-
8 School Fair, Double Tree Hotel, 200 Marina Blvd.,
Berkeley (at the base of University Avenue on the
West side of the 80), Berkeley, FREE
The East Bay Independent Schools Association is an alliance of
over 40 independent K-8 schools in the East Bay. Every year,
EBISA sponsors a series of information fairs for parents to gather
information about their schools and speak with representatives
from the schools in an informal environment. For any parent who is
considering the private school option, this is a MUST event.
NOTE: unlike previous years, there will ONLY be one event for the
Berkeley/Oakland area. For information, visit http://www.ebisaca.
org/
There will also be a High School Fair on Wednesday, October
14th at Seven Hills School in Walnut Creek and another on
Tuesday, October 20th at the Scottish Rite Center in Oakland.
16Friday, October 16th
6:30p.m. Berkeley Repertory Theatre Presents a Teen
Council Teen Night: Tiny Kushner, Berkeley
Repertory Theater, 2071 Addison Street, Berkeley,
$10
For Kids grades 9-12, the Target Teen Night at the Berkeley Rep is
a wonderful treasure for High School Kids with any sort of interest
in theater –either as an audience member or as a participant.
Teen Night gives Bay Area teens the opportunity to attend the first
preview of a Berkeley Rep play for an extremely discounted price,
with dinner and a behind-the-scenes workshop before the show.
This month’s event is the world premiere of Tony Award winning
playwright, Tony Kushner's new series of short scripts by the
singular Tony Kushner. The legendary playwright returns to
Berkeley Rep to team up with Artistic Director Tony Taccone, who
also staged Angels in America, Brundibar, Homebody/Kabul and
Slavs! Travel to the moon—and to the afterlife—with Laura Bush,
Nixon’s analyst, the queen of Albania and a host of real-life tax
evaders, all adrift in an increasingly fragile world. Kushner brings
his brilliance and humor to bear in a sparkling string of one-act
plays—and his gilded language is guided, as always, by an
unwavering moral compass.
RSVPs Required teencouncil@berkeleyrep.org More info on this
event and other Teen Council events can be found here: http:
//www.berkeleyrep.org/school/teencouncil_teennight.asp or call
510.647.2974
17Saturday, October 17th
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Pixar Panel Discussion, Charles
M. Schulz Museum, 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa,
Free with Admission
Pixar’s top designers, including Bob Peterson (writer/director),
Ricky Nierva (production designer), and Jason Deamer (art
director), will answer questions and talk about creating 3-D
computer characters for the big screen. For details, visit www.
schulzmuseum.org
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Enchanted Village Faire, Stone
Bridge School, 1870 Salvador Ave at Highway 29,
Napa, $2
Stone Bridge School’s annual Enchanted Village Faire (October
17, 2009) is part Renaissance fair, part school fundraiser and is
open to the whole community. After fairgoers enter through the
castle gates they can attempt to wake a sleeping giant or undergo
a knight’s quest, just two of the many booths created and run by
Stone Bridge parents and children.
In addition to imaginative booths, there are outside vendors, a
Village Shoppe selling handmade goods; plenty of healthy food;
and good music. Even wizards have been known to wander about,
granting wishes. For details, visit http://www.
enchantedvillagefaire.com/
11:00 a.m., St. Helena Hometown Harvest Festival,
Oak Avenue, St. Helena, FREE
We just love St. Helena. Add to that the fall colors and the
festiveness of the harvest time and you have the ingredients for a
lovely day. Come celebrate the end of the harvest season in the
Napa Valley and experience the beautiful fall foliage. The festival
starts with the legendary pet parade through downtown and also
includes food and craft booths, wine pouring stations, live music,
wine auction and more. There is also a kids area with games,
crafts, and other activities. For details, visit http://www.ci.st-helena.
ca.us/section.cfm?id=260
15-25October 15th-25th
12 p.m., 4 p.m., and 8 p.m., Zoppe Italian Family
Circus, 1044 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, adults,
$15-20, kids $10-15
Housed in an intimate 500-seat tent, this single ring circus
captures the old world Italian circus tradition. The emphasis is on
clowns, acrobats, aerialists, audience participation, and trick horse
riding. It is like Cirque du Soleil minus the Vegas production
values plus a great deal of charm and the feeling that you are part
of the show. We love these shows. For details, visit http://www.
redwoodcity.org/events/zoppe.html. To find out more on the
Zoppe Family Circus, visit their website at http://zoppe.net/ (You
CAN turn off that music)
17Saturday, October 17th
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Cowboy Culture Extravaganza,
Sunol Regional Wilderness, 1895 Geary Road outside
Sunol. FREE admission (dogs $2); parking is free.
This celebration of the heritage and culture of the American
cowboy, will feature cowboy music and poetry, hayrides, roping,
pioneer crafts, slideshows, food, pioneer cooking demonstrations
and arts and crafts include quilting demonstrations and fun
projects for the kids. Sunol Regional Wilderness has a rich
heritage in ranching. Staff will be on hand at the festival to provide
information on ranching and horsemanship. Call (888) 327-2757,
option 3, ext. 4559.
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Vasco Caves Hike, Vasco Caves
(Meet the Shuttles at 19450 March Creek Road
(Round Valley Regional Preserve), Brentwood, $30
residents/$34 non-residents
Check out Vasco's spectacular rock outcrops, vernal pools, home
to endangered amphibians and fairy shrimp. This is a habitat for
eagles and various raptors hunting prey in restored grasslands.
Archaeological sites include Indian rock Art, part of a complex
reaching back 10,000 years. This Preserve is accessible through
guided tours ONLY. Shuttles stage from Round Valley Regional
Preserve in Brentwood. Registraion is required (888) EBPARKS
((888) 327-2757) Option 2, 3. Fee: $30 ($34 non-residents)
Event repeats Saturday, October 31st.
18Sunday, October 18th
12:00 p.m. and 2:15 p.m., Target Family Day, SF
MOMA, Contemporary Jewish Museum, the Museum of
the African Diaspora, Zeum, and the Yerba Buena
Gardens, In and around 3rd and Mission, San
Francisco, FREE
Target Family Day is downtown San Francisco’s biggest daylong
family block party with free admission to four leading museums,
special art activities for kids and free performances on three
stages.
Participating organizations include the San Francisco Museum of
Modern Art, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, the Museum of the
African Diaspora, Zeum: San Francisco’s Children’s Museum and
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival.
Some highlights: Yerba Buena Gardens Festival activities that day
include three stages of interactive fun! including (on the
Esplanade) Circus Bella, the Unique (and great!) Derique, the
Prescott Family Circus, (in the Children's Garden) Chelle! &
Friends, the Venezuelan Music Project, and the Pi Clowns in
Jessie Square. .
21Wednesday, October 21st
5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Preschool Preview Night San
Francisco County Fair Building, 9th and Lincoln
entrance to Golden Gate Park, $5 for adults, Kids
FREE
Got a child approaching pre-school age? Expecting to someday
have kids approach preschool age? You can never start too soon.
Representatives from over 80 San Francisco preschools and other
child-related vendors and service organizations will gather to give
you their pitches at this handy event. Get answers to your
questions about the preschool process and then relax!
Complimentary food, beverages and snacks will be served. The
Tree Frog Treks people will be there with some creepy friends to
introduce you to. For more information or to sign up, email
ParentsPlaceSF@jfcs.org, call 415.359.2454, or register at www.
ParentsPlaceOnline.org.
24-25Sat & Sun, October 24th-25th
Halloween Festivities and Harvest Fairs
This is the beginning of the Halloween season. We have a full list
of pumpkin farms, haunts, and other fall festivities on our 2009
Halloween Page. Check them out!
24Saturday, October 24th
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Connolly Ranch Harvest
Festival, 3141 Browns Valley Road, Napa, FREE
This Saturday, this cool 12-acre farm in the heart of Napa will be
open to the public. Families can visit their farm animals (goats,
sheep, miniature donkeys, horses, and cows, geese, ducks, Olivia
the pig (presumably full-sized), worms, face painting, free
pumpkins and veges, tours of the ranch and enjoy food, drink,
activities, and live music. Call (707) 224.1894 for details or click
here for directions (way down at the bottom) http://www.
connollyranch.org/.
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Halloween Hootenany, Stanyan
and Waller Streets, San Francisco, FREE
The 4th annual "Children's Halloween Hootenany" is a free event
designed to provide the children of the Haight-Ashbury and
surrounding neighborhoods with a safe and fun place to celebrate
the spirit of Halloween. This year's theme is "Medieval Times."
Tree Frog Treks will have a booth so please stop by and say "hi!"
25Sunday, October 25th
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Crowden School Community
Music Day, Crowden School 1475 Rose St
(@Sacramento), Berkeley, FREE
The Crowden School is a fantastic middle school in Berkeley that
augments academics with a distinguished music program.
Community Music Day is their outreach event with such fun
activities to bring music to the community as an instrument petting
zoo where participants can explore all sorts of musical
instruments, instrument making workshops, demonstrations, and
a SF Performance Chamber Orchestra performances throughout
the day. For more information, visit http://www.crowden.
org/Community/music_day.htm
10:00 a.m., Valley Nature Ride, Sunol Equestrian
Rental, Sunol Regional Wilderness, 1895 Geary Road,
Sunol $25-$29 plus parking
For kids 6 and older. With no pony rides in Tilden, these rides in
the park are a rare and delightful treat. Enjoy an introduction to the
rich cultural and natural history of the Sunol Regional Wilderness
and get an introduction to horsemanship as well. With autumn
here, it should be a lovely way to spend the day! Registration is
required (888) EBPARKS ((888) 327-2757, option 2, 3) or online at
http://www.classweb.ebparks.org/eConnect5.
2/Activities/ActivitiesDetails.asp?
ProcessWait=N&aid=4327&From=fas
Event Repeats Sunday, November 15
31Saturday, October 31st - HALLOWEEN!
Halloween Festivities and Harvest Fairs
This is the beginning of the Halloween season. We have a full list
of pumpkin farms, haunts, and other fall festivities on our 2009
Halloween Page. Check them out!
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Vasco Caves Hike, Vasco Caves
(Meet the Shuttles at Brushy Peak Regional Preserve
at the North End of Laughlin Road, Livermore, $30
residents/$34 non-residents
Check out Vasco's spectacular rock outcrops, vernal pools, home
to endangered amphibians and fairy shrimp. This is a habitat for
eagles and various raptors hunting prey in restored grasslands.
Archaeological sites include Indian rock Art, part of a complex
reaching back 10,000 years. This Preserve is accessible through
guided tours ONLY. Shuttle stage from Brushy Peak Regional
Preserve in Livermore. Registraion is required (888) EBPARKS
((888) 327-2757) Option 2, 3.
14Saturday, November 14th
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Character Panel Discussion,
Charles M. Schulz Museum, 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa
Rosa, Free with Admission
Pixar’s Pete Docter, director of Up and Monsters, Inc. will join
Patrick McDonnell, creator of Mutts, and Dave Goelz who voiced
Gonzo and other characters on The Muppet Show to discuss how
cartoonists create characters for comic strips, television, and
animated movies. This is a rare opportunity to meet with some of
the greatest creative minds in the business in a terrific place. For
details and directions, visit http://www.schulzmuseum.org/
15Sunday, November 15th
10:00 a.m., Valley Nature Ride, Sunol Equestrian
Rental, Sunol Regional Wilderness, 1895 Geary Road,
Sunol $25-$29 plus parking
For kids 6 and older. With no pony rides in Tilden, these rides in
the park are a rare and delightful treat. Enjoy an introduction to the
rich cultural and natural history of the Sunol Regional Wilderness
and get an introduction to horsemanship as well. With autumn
here, it should be a lovely way to spend the day! Registration is
required (888) EBPARKS ((888) 327-2757, option 2, 3) or online at
http://www.classweb.ebparks.org/eConnect5.
2/Activities/ActivitiesDetails.asp?
ProcessWait=N&aid=4327&From=fas
That's it for now!
October Update!
Halloween is just a few weeks away and the ghouls and ghosts
are way busy. Check out our Halloween Page for the best of the
region's seasonal activities. . This season is also notable for lots
of Autumn/Fall/Harvest Festivals with lots of pumpkins (decorated
and otherwise), Indian corn, apples, and other fall-themed stuff.
They are a lot of fun. One of our favorites is the Tolay Fall Festival
in Sonoma. We went last year and had a great time. Go early to
beat the crowds.
Special Offer to Kiddie Koncierge Subscribers!
San Francisco Performances and Kiddie Koncierge are pleased
to offer Kiddie Koncierge Subscribers a limited number of FREE
tickets to see a wonderful family matinee Saturday, October 10th
with two amazing guitarists, the Katona Twins and one of
America's finest up and coming baritones, Christopheren
Nomura! Visit our Special Offers Page by 10/1/09 to Enter!
Nutcracker Tickets on Sale! Yeah, it is hard to believe that it
is Nutcracker time again. Buy before September 30th to guarantee
your tickets. For companies and schedules, visit our Nutcracker
Page.
There are a lot of great things to do to unwind on the weekends.
Check out the County Fair Page for the last fairs of the season. If
your kids like animals, this is a great way to get up front and
personal with the domesticated ones.
Make sure to check out our Facebook page. If you like us, be our
fan! Share us! Pass us around!
Make sure to check out the Resources Pages. Here are some
highlights:
- Free Music and Theater Guide NEW - It is summer and
cities all over the Bay Area have free concerts and theater.
These are great ways to enjoy the warm summer nights. - 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! - 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
Sundays Through October 25th
- 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Sunny Sundays Kids' Series,
Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave at Gilman, Berkeley, $4
kids, $6 adults
Through November 1st
- Kids Ride Free on the Capitol Corridor Train, San Jose to
Auburn and Stops in Between, FREE
Year Round
- Pick Your Own Produce, Brentwood
Through Thanksgiving
- Until 8:45, Friday Nights at the deYoung, deYoung
Museum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
September 8th - January 19th
- There's a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak,
Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission Street, San
Francisco
Free 1st Thursday, October 1st
- Berkeley Art Museum www.bampfa.berkeley.edu
- Burlingame Pez Museum www.spectrumnet.com/pez/
Friday - Sunday, October 2nd - 4th
- Sonoma County Harvest Fair, Sonoma County
Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa - Yountville Days Parade and Festival
Saturday, October 3rd
- 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Filoli Autumn Festival, Filoli
Gardens, Woodside, Admission - 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Leap Sandcastle Contest, Ocean
Beach South of the Cliff House, at Balboa, San Francisco,
FREE
Free 1st Sunday, October 4th
- Asian Art Museum www.asianart.org
- Coyote Point Museum www.coyoteptmuseum.org
Sunday, October 4th
- 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. SF MOMA Family Studio: Crafty,
Crawly Creatures, SF MOMA, 151 Third St, San Francisco,
FREE - 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Spice of Life Festival, Shattuck Ave
(Between Rose and Virginia), Berkeley, FREE - 10:00 a.m., Valley Nature Ride, Sunol Equestrian Rental,
Sunol Regional Wilderness, 1895 Geary Road, Sunol ,
$25-$29.
Free 1st Tuesday, October 6th
- 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, October 7th
- Exploratorium www.exploratorium.edu
- Coyote Point Museum www.coyoteptmuseum.org
- Bay Area Discovery Museum www.baykidsmuseum.org
Thursday - Sunday, October 8-11th and October 15-18th
- Tolay Lake Fall Festival, Tolay Lake Regional Park,
Sonoma, FREE with $6 parking fee
Saturday, October 10th
- 11:00 a.m., San Francisco Performances Family Matinee:
The Katona Twins and Chirstopheren Nomura, Herbst
Theatre, San Francisco. Special Kiddie Koncierge
Subscriber Offer on our Special Offers Page - 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Ready to Learn Fair, Manzanita
Community School, 2409 E. 27th St., Oakland, FREE - 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., Annual Tarantula Search, Del Valle
Campground, near Livermore, FREE - 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, Albany Fire Department Pancake
Breakfast and Open House, 1051 Monroe in the UC
Village, Albany, $5 adults, $3 kids 6 and under
Free 2nd Sunday, October 11th
- Tech Museum of San Jose, www.thetech.org
Thursday, October 8th - Sunday, October 11th
- Fleet Week, The Presidio to Pier 39, San Francisco, FREE
Saturday and Sunday, October 10th and 11th
- 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., San Carlos Street Art & Wine
Faire, San Carlos Avenue (between EL Camino and
Walnut) and goes on Laurel Street from San Carlos
Avenue to Arroyo, San Carlos, FREE - 10:00 a.m., Harvest Festival, Ardenwood Historical Farm,
34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont, Admission
Sunday, October 11th
- 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Little Farm Goat Hike, Little Farm,
Tilden Park, Berkeley, FREE
Thursday, October 15th
- 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., East Bay Independent Schools K-8
School Fair, Double Tree Hotel, 200 Marina Blvd.,
Berkeley, FREE
Friday, October 16th
- Target Teen Night, Tiny Kushner, Berkeley Repertory
Theatre, 2025 Addison Street, Berkeley, Reservations
Required
Saturday, October 17th
- 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m, Pixar Panel Discussion, Charles M.
Schulz Museum, 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa,
Admission - 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Enchanted Village Faire, Stone
Bridge School, 1870 Salvador Ave. (at Highway 29), Napa,
$2
Wednesday, October 21st
- 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Preschool Preview Night, San
Francisco County Fair Building, 9th and Lincoln, San
Francisco
October 15th-25th
- 12:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m., Zoppe Family Circus,
1044 Middlefield Road, Redwood City
Saturday, October 17th
- 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Cowboy Cultural Extravaganza,
Sunol Regional Wilderness, 1895 Geary Road, Sunol,
Admission - 11:00 a.m., St. Helena Hometown Harvest Festival, Oak
Ave., St. Helena, FREE
Sunday, October 18th
- 12:00 p.m. and 2:15 p.m., Target Family Day, SF MOMA,
Contemporary Jewish Museum, the Museum of the
African Diaspora, Zeum, and the Yerba Buena Gardens, In
and around 3rd and Mission, San Francisco, FREE
Free 3rd Wednesday, October 21st
- California Academy of Sciences www.calacademy.org
October 24th - October 31st
- Halloween and Harvest Activities. Click Here for More
Saturday, October 24th
- 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Connolly Ranch Harvest Festival,
3141 Browns Valley Road, Napa, FREE - 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Halloween Hootenany, Stanyan and
Waller Street, San Francisco, FREE
Sunday, October 25th
- 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Crowden School Community Music
Day, Crowden School, 1475 Rose Street at Sacramento,
Berkeley, FREE - 10:00 a.m., Valley Nature Ride, Sunol Equestrian Rental,
Sunol Regional Wilderness, 1895 Geary Road, Sunol
$25-$29.
Saturday, October 31st Halloween!
- Halloween Celebrations (Click Here for More)
- 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Vasco Caves Hike, Brentwood, $30
Saturday, November 14
- 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Character Panel Discussion,
Charles M. Schulz Museum, 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa
Rosa, Admission
Sunday, November 15
- 10:00 a.m., Valley Nature Ride, Sunol Equestrian Rental,
Sunol Regional Wilderness, 1895 Geary Road, Sunol
$25-$29.
Sunday, November 22nd
- Free Day - Sparky's Birthday! Charles M. Schulz Museum,
2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa, FREE
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.
25Sundays, Through October 25th
Sundays Through October 25th, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Sunny
Sundays Kids' Series, Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave at Gilman,
Berkeley, $4 kids, $6 adults
Looking for something to do on a foggy Sunday afternoon? Come
out to the Ashkenz performance space for an hour of family music.
The programs are geared for dancing and family members of all
ages. Genres include folk, rock, and world music. The schedule
includes:
- October 4, October Pretzel
- October 11, Asheba
- October 18, Me 3
- October 25, Halloween Cabaret Carnival
For details and directions, visit www.ashkenaz.com
1Saturdays and Sundays through November 1st
Kids Ride Free on Weekends, Capitol Corridor, up to 2
Kids 2-15 FREE with a paying adult ($6-$35 each way)
Every weekend through November 1st, you can take one of the less
stressful and more comfortable ways to Sacramento with two of
your kids and their bikes for FREE. Well, the kids ride free, you, the
accompanying adult pay. That's not a bad deal. One cool trip that
we have done is to take the train from Oakland to Sacramento. Old
Town Sacramento is a 100 yard walk from the Station. With the
best railway museum in the country (the California State Railroad
Museum), a number of great restaurants along the river, some fun
bike riding, and the many attractions of Old Town, it is not a bad
way to spend the day and you can ALL sleep on the way home! For
more details and tickets, visit http://kidsridefree.org/index.php
2Through October 2nd
Evenings 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Live Music in
Redwood City, Multiple Locations, Redwood City,
FREE
There is live music all over the place in Redwood City:
Every Monday evening at 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Main Street and
Broadway through August 10th
Every Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. during the
summer at Stafford Park through August 12),
Every Thursday Night at 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., at Marlin Park
(corner of Neptune and Cringle) through August 6th
Every Friday night at 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Courthouse Square in
Downtown Redwood City (through October 2).
For a schedule, check out http://www.redwoodcity.
org/events/music.htm
26Through Thanksgiving
Until 8:45 p.m. Friday Nights at the deYoung, deYoung
Musuem, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, $10
adults, $6 kids 13-17, kids under 12 FREE
Every Friday in July, the museum stays open until 8:45 p.m. with
music, food, crafts activities for kids and their parents, dance and
more. For more details, visit http://www.famsf.
org/deyoung/calendar/day.asp?categoryid=32
8-19September 8, 2009 - January 19, 2009
There's a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak,
Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission Street,
San Francisco, Admission
On the eve of the release of Spike Jonze's interpretation of Maurice
Sendak's classic, Where the Wild Things Are, 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. Maybe check
out the Yerba Buena Garden's Festival in October during the Target
Family Day.
http://www.thecjm.org/index.php?
option=com_ccevents&scope=exbt&task=detail&oid=42
2-4October 2nd-4th
Sonoma County Harvest Fair, Sonoma County
Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa,
Adults $6, Kids 7-12 $2, Kids 6 and under FREE
This is it! The last of the fairs of the season! We went last year
and had a blast! Lots of farm animals to see and pet, sheep dog
trials, draft horse hay rides, tons of kids entertainment, rides, fried
things, music, demonstrations, and exhibits, and (we swear) pig
beauty pageants. This is a great fair. Your child will run out of
energy before you run out of things to do. Click here for more
details and directions http://www.sonomacountyfair.
com/hf_home.php
3Saturday, October 3rd
10:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Autumn Celebration at Filoli,
Filoli Gardens, Woodside. Adults $25, Kids 5-17 $5,
Kids 4 and under FREE,
Let’s be honest, we love Filoli. It is just so darned....nice. Gardens
and home aside, this is...well, there is nothing else besides the
gardens and the house until now. The great people at Filoli are
putting on a wonderful day full of fun for the kids with orchard tours,
pumpkin decorating, scarecrows, pumpkins, puppets and clowns,
and a Family Funland — kids can make Halloween crafts and
families can participate in an obstacle course. Tickets go fast, so
make sure that you get them early. Visit http://www.filoli.
org/special-events-and-exhibits/autumn-festival.html for details
and ticket information. Seriously, Filoli is a special place and is
worth a visit no matter what time of year. For directions, visit http:
//www.filoli.org/plan-your-visit/directions.html
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Leap Sand Castle Contest,
Ocean Beach just South of the Cliff House at Balboa
Ave., San Francisco, FREE
Teams of architects, designers, engineers, and elementary school
kids will compete to construct the most creative and innovative
sand creations. This event is the culmination of days of
preparation where students worked on models, themes, and
concepts all leading up to this competition. For details on the
event, visit http://leap4kids.org/collection/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=182&Itemid=283
4Sunday, October 4th
10:00 a.m. - -6:00 p.m., 6th Annual North Berkeley
"Spice of Life Festival", Shattuck Avenue (Virginia to
Rose), Berkeley, FREE
It is hard to realize that Berkeley is known for things other than tree
sitters, football, and liberal politics. But, yes, Berkeley is also
known as the fertile ground from which a whole new school of
cooking arose. The Spice of Life Festival is a celebration of this
passion for food. Besides food, there will be live music on three
stages — Jazz, Bluegrass, Oldies, and World Music, dance
performances, book-signings, and bodywork, acupressure and
yoga demonstrations. "Kidtopia” offers puppet shows, pony rides,
farm animals and kids crafts activities. www.spiceoflifefestival.
com
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Connolly Ranch Harvest
Festival, 3141 Browns Valley Road, Napa, FREE
This Saturday, this cool 12-acre farm in the heart of Napa will be
open to the public. Families can visit their farm animals (goats,
sheep, miniature donkeys, horses, and cows, geese, ducks, Olivia
the pig (presumably full-sized), worms, face painting, free
pumpkins and veges, tours of the ranch and enjoy food, drink,
activities, and live music. Call (707) 224.1894 for details or click
here for directions (way down at the bottom) http://www.
connollyranch.org/.
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Day, SFMOMA: The Family
Studio: Crafty, Crawly Creatures, SF MOMA, 151 Third
Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, FREE
If you haven't been to one of these family events, it is well worth it.
Not only do you have a chance to engage in a great art activity in the
awesome Koret Center on the 2nd floor (even if you don't come on
the Family Studio days, you should stop by the Educational Center
as there is always something for the kids to do and explore), you
also get to explore the wonderful Museum of Modern Art for FREE.
This week, what would you do if you encountered a six-foot-tall
spider? What about five giant spiders? Take a closer look at the
work of Louise Bourgeois and create your own nest of crawly
creatures at this Family Studio. At 2:00 p.m., find out what a day in
the life of a spider is like, with a reading of Diary of a Spider, written
by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Harry Bliss.
Museum and program admission are free for families with children
on family program days. Please note: The Family Studio capacity is
limited. Families will be served as space is available.
10:00 a.m., Valley Nature Ride, Sunol Equestrian
Rental, Sunol Regional Wilderness, 1895 Geary Road,
Sunol $25-$29 plus parking
For kids 6 and older. Now that there are no pony rides in Tilden,
having these types of trail rides is a rare and wonderful
experience. Enjoy an introduction to the rich cultural and natural
history of the Sunol Regional Wilderness and get an introduction to
horsemanship as well. With autumn here, it should be a lovely
way to spend the day! Registration is required (888) EBPARKS
((888) 327-2757, option 2, 3) or online at http://www.classweb.
ebparks.org/eConnect5.2/Activities/ActivitiesDetails.asp?
ProcessWait=N&aid=4327&From=fas
Event repeats Sunday, October 25th
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Yountville Days Parade and
Festival, Yountville Town Park, FREE
Starting with movie night on Friday in Yountville Park, continuing
through Saturday's Chili Cook-off and finishing the weekend with
the Yountville Days Parade and Festival with music, food, and fun
for the whole family. The parade starts at the Veteran's Home and
continues through the town or Yountville along Washington Street.
8-11,15-18
Thursday - Sunday, October 8th-11th and October 15th-18th
Thursday and Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tolay Lake Fall Festival, Tolay Lake Regional Park,
Sonoma, FREE with $6 parking fee (or FREE with
Parks Pass)
This is one of our favorite Fall festivals - fun, non commercial, lots
of cool stuff to explore, and a hay ride up to their pumpkin patch
(OK, so maybe the patch itself is a mown field with pumpkins
strewn around, but the ride is breathtaking and fun).
For many years, families used to come to the Cardoza Ranch at
this time of year to buy pumpkins. When they sold their enormous
ranch to the county, they decided to retain the tradition (thank
goodness). Better yet, Sonoma County has expanded on the
tradition and has created a wonderful event with a Native American
village with tule boat making demonstrations, a “Nighttime
Creatures”; barn, dioramas of local animals, and of course all the
things you come to expect at a fall festival: straw mazes, pumpkins
for sale, hands-on kids activities, hay rides, animals, games, For
details and a downloadable map, visit http://www.sonoma-county.
org/Parks/pk_tolay_fallfestival.htm
8-11October 8th-11th
Thursday and Friday, 7:30 p.m.,
Saturday, 3:00 and 8:00 p.m.,
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.,
Zoppe Italian Family Circus, Veteran's Home Picnic
Grounds, Yountville, adults, $25, kids $20
Hosted by the Napa Valley Opera at the lovely Veteran's Home
Picnic Grounds in Yountville. Housed in an intimate 500-seat tent,
this single ring circus captures the old world Italian circus
tradition. The emphasis is on clowns, acrobats, aerialists,
audience participation, and trick horse riding. It is like Cirque du
Soleil minus the Vegas production values plus a great deal of
charm and the feeling that you are part of the show. We love these
shows. For details, visit http://www.napavalleyoperahouse.
org/index.php/shows/320 To find out more on the Zoppe Family
Circus, visit their website at http://zoppe.net/ (You CAN turn off that
music)
8-13Friday - Sunday, Oct 8th – Oct 13th
US Navy Photo
11:30 onwards, Fleet Week, San Francisco, FREE,
The first week of October is Fleet Week in the Bay Area (this month,
it is a little later). There are a ton of open houses and naval
activities related to the event. But the big draw is always the
airshow – the only city by the way in the country where the Blue
Angels fly over the city itself. The air show is generally
characterized by huge crowds and nasty parking and traffic. There
*IS* a way around this: Friday afternoon, October 8th before the
Fleet Week weekend from 1-4 p.m., the Blue Angels have a
practice run where they run through the ENTIRE show (the Blues
do their thing at 3:00 but you should be there early). I usually watch
from the beach/breakwater just East of the Saint Francis Yacht
Club. There are lawns to sit on and some porta potties for relief.
You can also park very close by without too much trouble. On
Saturday the festivities will kick off with the Parade of Ships under
the Golden Gate Bridge. Crowds are typically large and parking is
challenging.
Details are available at http://www.military.com/fleetweek
10Saturday, October 10th
11:00 a.m., San Francisco Performances Presents a
Family Matinee Featuring Guitarists, the Katona Twins
and Baritone, Christopheren Nomura, Herbst Theatre,
401 Van Ness at McAllister in the Veterans Building,
Tickets $8-15
San Francisco Performances regularly comes out with wonderful
family entertainment in programs suited to young listeners. This
hour-long program features two Hungarian-born guitar virtuosos
who are also guitar Artists-in-Residence with San Francisco
Performances and renowned Bartione, Christopheren Nomura in
what promises to be a terrific experience. For more details on the
performers, visit our Special Offers page. While you are there,
register to win a pair of FREE tickets to see this show courtesy of
San Francisco Performances and Kiddie Koncierge! For tickets,
directions, and details, visit http://www.cityboxoffice.
com/orderticketsarea.asp?p=4493&a=4045&backurl=%
2Fdefault.asp%3FSearchMonth%3D%26monthsubmit%3D%
26SearchText%3DKATONA%26Go.x%3D%26Go.y%3D%26pg%
3D1%23abc
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Ready to Learn Fair, Manzanita
Community School, 2409 E. 27th St., Oakland, FREE
Bring your children to meet Clifford 'The Big Red Dog', receive free
books, get their faces painted, and play outdoor games at the
fourth annual Ready to Learn Fun Fair. The event is free for
families and children of all ages The goal of the event is to
promote education at an early age and encourages healthy
lifestyles. Parents will have the opportunity to learn about
educational programs, support services, child care, nutrition,
sports activities, and much more. http://events.kqed.
org/events/index.php?
com=detail&eID=7259&year=2009&month=10
8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., Annual Tarantula Search, Del
Valle Campground, Del Valle Road (off Mines Road),
Livermore, FREE
Meet at the campground amphitheater to debunk spider myths,
Meet Harry the Tarantula up-close. Participants will search through
the campground for spiders, holes, molts, and more. For kids 5
and older. Visit http://www.ebparks.org/parks/del_valle for
directions
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, Albany Fire Department
Pancake Breakfast and Open House, 1051 Monroe (in
the U.C. Village on block west of San Pablo and one
block South of Buchanan), Albany, $5 adults, $3 kids
six and under
To put the focus on Fire Prevention Week, Albany Fire Department
will hold their annual pancake breakfast with great food whipped
up by the fire fighters, safety demonstrations, lots of fire apparatus
(i.e, firetrucks), Sparky the Fire Dog and more.
10-11Saturday & Sunday, Oct 10th & 11th
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., San Carlos Street Art & Wine
Faire, San Carlos Avenue (between EL Camino and
Walnut) and goes on Laurel Street from San Carlos
Avenue to Arroyo, San Carlos, FREE
Arts, crafts, 20 international food booths, fine wines and
microbrews. Family Fun Zone and kid's activities. Live
entertainment on three stages.
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Harvest Festival, Ardenwood
Historic Farm, 34600 Ardenwood Blvd., Fremont,
Adults $8, kids 4-17 $5, kids 3 and under FREE
It's harvest time on the farm! Harvest the Indian corn and popcorn
and help fill the corncribs. Take home a share of their colorful corn
for your holiday table. Please bring your own bags to take home
your harvest. Enjoy magic shows, cider pressing, old-time music
and crafts. Visit the blacksmith, ride the horse-drawn train and tour
the beautiful Patterson House. For information, call (888) 327-
2757, option 3, ext. 4504. For information on Ardenwood, visit http:
//www.ebparks.org/parks/ardenwood
11Sunday, October 11th
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Little Farm Goat Hike, Tilden
Nature Area, Canon Drive, Berkeley, FREE
What could be more fun than going on a little walk from the Little
Farm to the lovely Jewel Lake and back accompanied by a herd of
friendly goats? Kids (and their parents, please) can learn all sorts
of cool things about these cool animals. Fun fact, did you know
that goats do not have upper teeth? For your little goat feeders this
is good news because it means that they don’t bite in the usual
sense of the word. A lot more cool than a petting zoo. Our son
absolutely loved the event as he is a big goat fan. For
directions, visit http://www.ebparks.org/parks/vc/tna
15Thursday, October 15th
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., East Bay Independent Schools K-
8 School Fair, Double Tree Hotel, 200 Marina Blvd.,
Berkeley (at the base of University Avenue on the
West side of the 80), Berkeley, FREE
The East Bay Independent Schools Association is an alliance of
over 40 independent K-8 schools in the East Bay. Every year,
EBISA sponsors a series of information fairs for parents to gather
information about their schools and speak with representatives
from the schools in an informal environment. For any parent who is
considering the private school option, this is a MUST event.
NOTE: unlike previous years, there will ONLY be one event for the
Berkeley/Oakland area. For information, visit http://www.ebisaca.
org/
There will also be a High School Fair on Wednesday, October
14th at Seven Hills School in Walnut Creek and another on
Tuesday, October 20th at the Scottish Rite Center in Oakland.
16Friday, October 16th
6:30p.m. Berkeley Repertory Theatre Presents a Teen
Council Teen Night: Tiny Kushner, Berkeley
Repertory Theater, 2071 Addison Street, Berkeley,
$10
For Kids grades 9-12, the Target Teen Night at the Berkeley Rep is
a wonderful treasure for High School Kids with any sort of interest
in theater –either as an audience member or as a participant.
Teen Night gives Bay Area teens the opportunity to attend the first
preview of a Berkeley Rep play for an extremely discounted price,
with dinner and a behind-the-scenes workshop before the show.
This month’s event is the world premiere of Tony Award winning
playwright, Tony Kushner's new series of short scripts by the
singular Tony Kushner. The legendary playwright returns to
Berkeley Rep to team up with Artistic Director Tony Taccone, who
also staged Angels in America, Brundibar, Homebody/Kabul and
Slavs! Travel to the moon—and to the afterlife—with Laura Bush,
Nixon’s analyst, the queen of Albania and a host of real-life tax
evaders, all adrift in an increasingly fragile world. Kushner brings
his brilliance and humor to bear in a sparkling string of one-act
plays—and his gilded language is guided, as always, by an
unwavering moral compass.
RSVPs Required teencouncil@berkeleyrep.org More info on this
event and other Teen Council events can be found here: http:
//www.berkeleyrep.org/school/teencouncil_teennight.asp or call
510.647.2974
17Saturday, October 17th
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Pixar Panel Discussion, Charles
M. Schulz Museum, 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa,
Free with Admission
Pixar’s top designers, including Bob Peterson (writer/director),
Ricky Nierva (production designer), and Jason Deamer (art
director), will answer questions and talk about creating 3-D
computer characters for the big screen. For details, visit www.
schulzmuseum.org
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Enchanted Village Faire, Stone
Bridge School, 1870 Salvador Ave at Highway 29,
Napa, $2
Stone Bridge School’s annual Enchanted Village Faire (October
17, 2009) is part Renaissance fair, part school fundraiser and is
open to the whole community. After fairgoers enter through the
castle gates they can attempt to wake a sleeping giant or undergo
a knight’s quest, just two of the many booths created and run by
Stone Bridge parents and children.
In addition to imaginative booths, there are outside vendors, a
Village Shoppe selling handmade goods; plenty of healthy food;
and good music. Even wizards have been known to wander about,
granting wishes. For details, visit http://www.
enchantedvillagefaire.com/
11:00 a.m., St. Helena Hometown Harvest Festival,
Oak Avenue, St. Helena, FREE
We just love St. Helena. Add to that the fall colors and the
festiveness of the harvest time and you have the ingredients for a
lovely day. Come celebrate the end of the harvest season in the
Napa Valley and experience the beautiful fall foliage. The festival
starts with the legendary pet parade through downtown and also
includes food and craft booths, wine pouring stations, live music,
wine auction and more. There is also a kids area with games,
crafts, and other activities. For details, visit http://www.ci.st-helena.
ca.us/section.cfm?id=260
15-25October 15th-25th
12 p.m., 4 p.m., and 8 p.m., Zoppe Italian Family
Circus, 1044 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, adults,
$15-20, kids $10-15
Housed in an intimate 500-seat tent, this single ring circus
captures the old world Italian circus tradition. The emphasis is on
clowns, acrobats, aerialists, audience participation, and trick horse
riding. It is like Cirque du Soleil minus the Vegas production
values plus a great deal of charm and the feeling that you are part
of the show. We love these shows. For details, visit http://www.
redwoodcity.org/events/zoppe.html. To find out more on the
Zoppe Family Circus, visit their website at http://zoppe.net/ (You
CAN turn off that music)
17Saturday, October 17th
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Cowboy Culture Extravaganza,
Sunol Regional Wilderness, 1895 Geary Road outside
Sunol. FREE admission (dogs $2); parking is free.
This celebration of the heritage and culture of the American
cowboy, will feature cowboy music and poetry, hayrides, roping,
pioneer crafts, slideshows, food, pioneer cooking demonstrations
and arts and crafts include quilting demonstrations and fun
projects for the kids. Sunol Regional Wilderness has a rich
heritage in ranching. Staff will be on hand at the festival to provide
information on ranching and horsemanship. Call (888) 327-2757,
option 3, ext. 4559.
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Vasco Caves Hike, Vasco Caves
(Meet the Shuttles at 19450 March Creek Road
(Round Valley Regional Preserve), Brentwood, $30
residents/$34 non-residents
Check out Vasco's spectacular rock outcrops, vernal pools, home
to endangered amphibians and fairy shrimp. This is a habitat for
eagles and various raptors hunting prey in restored grasslands.
Archaeological sites include Indian rock Art, part of a complex
reaching back 10,000 years. This Preserve is accessible through
guided tours ONLY. Shuttles stage from Round Valley Regional
Preserve in Brentwood. Registraion is required (888) EBPARKS
((888) 327-2757) Option 2, 3. Fee: $30 ($34 non-residents)
Event repeats Saturday, October 31st.
18Sunday, October 18th
12:00 p.m. and 2:15 p.m., Target Family Day, SF
MOMA, Contemporary Jewish Museum, the Museum of
the African Diaspora, Zeum, and the Yerba Buena
Gardens, In and around 3rd and Mission, San
Francisco, FREE
Target Family Day is downtown San Francisco’s biggest daylong
family block party with free admission to four leading museums,
special art activities for kids and free performances on three
stages.
Participating organizations include the San Francisco Museum of
Modern Art, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, the Museum of the
African Diaspora, Zeum: San Francisco’s Children’s Museum and
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival.
Some highlights: Yerba Buena Gardens Festival activities that day
include three stages of interactive fun! including (on the
Esplanade) Circus Bella, the Unique (and great!) Derique, the
Prescott Family Circus, (in the Children's Garden) Chelle! &
Friends, the Venezuelan Music Project, and the Pi Clowns in
Jessie Square. .
21Wednesday, October 21st
5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Preschool Preview Night San
Francisco County Fair Building, 9th and Lincoln
entrance to Golden Gate Park, $5 for adults, Kids
FREE
Got a child approaching pre-school age? Expecting to someday
have kids approach preschool age? You can never start too soon.
Representatives from over 80 San Francisco preschools and other
child-related vendors and service organizations will gather to give
you their pitches at this handy event. Get answers to your
questions about the preschool process and then relax!
Complimentary food, beverages and snacks will be served. The
Tree Frog Treks people will be there with some creepy friends to
introduce you to. For more information or to sign up, email
ParentsPlaceSF@jfcs.org, call 415.359.2454, or register at www.
ParentsPlaceOnline.org.
24-25Sat & Sun, October 24th-25th
Halloween Festivities and Harvest Fairs
This is the beginning of the Halloween season. We have a full list
of pumpkin farms, haunts, and other fall festivities on our 2009
Halloween Page. Check them out!
24Saturday, October 24th
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Connolly Ranch Harvest
Festival, 3141 Browns Valley Road, Napa, FREE
This Saturday, this cool 12-acre farm in the heart of Napa will be
open to the public. Families can visit their farm animals (goats,
sheep, miniature donkeys, horses, and cows, geese, ducks, Olivia
the pig (presumably full-sized), worms, face painting, free
pumpkins and veges, tours of the ranch and enjoy food, drink,
activities, and live music. Call (707) 224.1894 for details or click
here for directions (way down at the bottom) http://www.
connollyranch.org/.
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Halloween Hootenany, Stanyan
and Waller Streets, San Francisco, FREE
The 4th annual "Children's Halloween Hootenany" is a free event
designed to provide the children of the Haight-Ashbury and
surrounding neighborhoods with a safe and fun place to celebrate
the spirit of Halloween. This year's theme is "Medieval Times."
Tree Frog Treks will have a booth so please stop by and say "hi!"
25Sunday, October 25th
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Crowden School Community
Music Day, Crowden School 1475 Rose St
(@Sacramento), Berkeley, FREE
The Crowden School is a fantastic middle school in Berkeley that
augments academics with a distinguished music program.
Community Music Day is their outreach event with such fun
activities to bring music to the community as an instrument petting
zoo where participants can explore all sorts of musical
instruments, instrument making workshops, demonstrations, and
a SF Performance Chamber Orchestra performances throughout
the day. For more information, visit http://www.crowden.
org/Community/music_day.htm
10:00 a.m., Valley Nature Ride, Sunol Equestrian
Rental, Sunol Regional Wilderness, 1895 Geary Road,
Sunol $25-$29 plus parking
For kids 6 and older. With no pony rides in Tilden, these rides in
the park are a rare and delightful treat. Enjoy an introduction to the
rich cultural and natural history of the Sunol Regional Wilderness
and get an introduction to horsemanship as well. With autumn
here, it should be a lovely way to spend the day! Registration is
required (888) EBPARKS ((888) 327-2757, option 2, 3) or online at
http://www.classweb.ebparks.org/eConnect5.
2/Activities/ActivitiesDetails.asp?
ProcessWait=N&aid=4327&From=fas
Event Repeats Sunday, November 15
31Saturday, October 31st - HALLOWEEN!
Halloween Festivities and Harvest Fairs
This is the beginning of the Halloween season. We have a full list
of pumpkin farms, haunts, and other fall festivities on our 2009
Halloween Page. Check them out!
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Vasco Caves Hike, Vasco Caves
(Meet the Shuttles at Brushy Peak Regional Preserve
at the North End of Laughlin Road, Livermore, $30
residents/$34 non-residents
Check out Vasco's spectacular rock outcrops, vernal pools, home
to endangered amphibians and fairy shrimp. This is a habitat for
eagles and various raptors hunting prey in restored grasslands.
Archaeological sites include Indian rock Art, part of a complex
reaching back 10,000 years. This Preserve is accessible through
guided tours ONLY. Shuttle stage from Brushy Peak Regional
Preserve in Livermore. Registraion is required (888) EBPARKS
((888) 327-2757) Option 2, 3.
14Saturday, November 14th
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Character Panel Discussion,
Charles M. Schulz Museum, 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa
Rosa, Free with Admission
Pixar’s Pete Docter, director of Up and Monsters, Inc. will join
Patrick McDonnell, creator of Mutts, and Dave Goelz who voiced
Gonzo and other characters on The Muppet Show to discuss how
cartoonists create characters for comic strips, television, and
animated movies. This is a rare opportunity to meet with some of
the greatest creative minds in the business in a terrific place. For
details and directions, visit http://www.schulzmuseum.org/
15Sunday, November 15th
10:00 a.m., Valley Nature Ride, Sunol Equestrian
Rental, Sunol Regional Wilderness, 1895 Geary Road,
Sunol $25-$29 plus parking
For kids 6 and older. With no pony rides in Tilden, these rides in
the park are a rare and delightful treat. Enjoy an introduction to the
rich cultural and natural history of the Sunol Regional Wilderness
and get an introduction to horsemanship as well. With autumn
here, it should be a lovely way to spend the day! Registration is
required (888) EBPARKS ((888) 327-2757, option 2, 3) or online at
http://www.classweb.ebparks.org/eConnect5.
2/Activities/ActivitiesDetails.asp?
ProcessWait=N&aid=4327&From=fas
That's it for now!
Kiddie Koncierge
A seedling of ImuaPartners, LLC
Copyright 2006-2009 Kiddie Koncierge™, all rights reserved.
A seedling of ImuaPartners, LLC
Copyright 2006-2009 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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