Kidsfaire is a huge family friendly festival which takes place at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. Over two days, enjoy 15 acres of non stop family entertainment on three stages, including the Strawberry Shortcake Show, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Show, Cabbage Patch Kids, Hip Waders, Abby and the Pipsqueaks, and More. Learn to scuba dive (seriously, they’re giving free scuba diving lessons to kids), ride a camel, participate in a pirate treasure hunt, lead a clown parade, ice skate–it’s all at Kidsfaire. Meet SpongeBob, Dora, Shrek, PBS’s Raggs, Care Bears, Curious George plus 25 more. Children’s International Village, High Flying trapeze Shows, Splash Dogs Show, wild west stunt show. Almost everything is free with admission.

The Jet Pack Show is two days of nothing but Jet Packs and Amazing Stories. Just like in James Bond, Jet Pack International in conjunction with Go Fast Energy Drink will fly a real Jet Pack. On display will be various Jet Packs and Rocket Packs, Ducted Fan flying machines and other various flying machines related to personal Vertical Flight. The event consists of live flights, demonstrations, displays and tryouts for “The Pilot Search”, a reality TV show by Jet Pack International dedicated to looking for the next generation of jet pack pilots. (more…)

Be decadent in your own sweet way at the 13th Annual Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Festival, a benefit for Project Open Hand. Indulge in chocolate delicacies from dozens of restaurants and vendors (Ghirardelli Chocolate, Napa Valley Fudge Company, Allie’s Edibles and more) sip at the Wine & Chocolate Bar, and enjoy Chef Demonstrations (secrets from master chocolatiers and sample afterward) and other family activities. On Sunday you can eat free pie at the “Pie Hole”. This event is free and open to the public, but tickets ($10 for 6 tastes, $20 for 15 tastes) must be purchased to participate in chocolate tastings. (more…)

The Hornucopia Festival is a new festival featuring the best horn and brass driven bands in the Bay Area and beyond for two weeks of mind blowing, soul shaking shows, workshops and presentations. Sunday September 7th is a free concert in Dolores Park (noon to 4p) with a Brasstastic Parade and cookout. Bring your own food for a picnic, but there will also be vegetarian fare available free with donation. Live music from The Brass Liberation Orchestra and Blue Bone Express. The unofficial parade will most likely begin on Valencia and wind through the Mission District and ends up at Dolores Park for a big festival

Join us for our annual free outdoor concert featuring operatic arias and ensembles performed by artists from San Francisco Opera’s fall season, accompanied by the acclaimed San Francisco Opera Orchestra, conducted by Donald Runnicles. Bring a blanket, pack a picnic, lie back and enjoy beautiful music and glorious singing, al fresco. The Meadow fills up quickly, so plan to arrive early to get the best viewing spot. Featured artists include: Barbara Frittoli (pictured), Marcus Haddock, Torsten Kerl, Emily Magee, Vitalij Kowaljow, Lucas Meachem and Heidi Melton

Litquake and the San Francisco Public Library continue their bi-monthly series of readings in branches throughout the city as a lead up to the big temblor this October. Stories of San Francisco will be the focus at our third event, to be held at the Sunset Branch library on Monday, September 8. Featured writers of tales of our town will include: Kim Wong Keltner, author of I Want Candy, Kemble Scott, author of SoMa (pictured), Pam Holm, author of The Night Garden, Lisa Lutz, author of The Spellman Files and Curse of the Spellmans (more…)

Janis Ian has inspired generations of fans, and in “Society’s Child: My Autobiography,” the Grammy Award winner shares the fascinating story of her life in music. In this moving memoir, Ian tells the story behind her controversial 1966 hit “Society’s Child” (written when the musician was just 15 years old) and the equally acclaimed 1975 smash “At Seventeen,” which earned two Grammys and five nominations.

Janis Ian is a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, singer, multi-instrumental musician, columnist, and science fiction fan-turned-author. She had a highly successful singing career in the 1960s and 1970s, and has continued recording into the 21st century. Ian has been a regular columnist for and continuing contributor to the LGBT magazine The Advocate.

At each event a local food expert will host two shining stars from San Francisco’s culinary scene. They’ll chat. They’ll cook. For $10 you’ll get a taste, plus a drink. At this first event the focus will be on honey in an appetizer, an entrée, drink and dessert. Liam Mayclem, Emmy-award winning Host/Producer of CBS 5s Eye on the Bay, will present two of his favorite local chefs. Executive Chef Ryan Scott of Mission Beach Café - yes, you recognize him from Bravo’s Top Chef. And Owner and Pastry Chef William Werner of polite/persuasion. An expert in all things honey, even purveyors and beekeepers. Proceeds will benefit Meals On Wheels of San Francisco. (more…)

“The Red Leather Diary” tells the true story of a teenage girl’s discarded, Depression-era journal rescued from a dumpster in modern day Manhattan and eventually, and remarkably, reunited with its now elderly author. Found by a young writer, journalist Lily Koppel, who read its vivid entries as if letters to herself, this artifact of a forgotten time reveals the lost world of a New York teenager ­ a young woman who dared to follow her dreams.

Lily Koppel writes for the New York Times and other publications. She lives in New York City. For more on her and her book, see www.redleatherdiary.com

The Booksmith and One City One Book: San Francisco Reads celebrate “West of Kabul, East of New York: An Afghan American,” by Tamim Ansary. This memoir of growing up in pre-Taliban Afghanistan also recounts the author’s travels through North Africa and the Middle East as well as a personal journey through two cultures in conflict. Please join us for this special event.

Tamim Ansary writes and lectures about Afghanistan, Islamic history, democracy, schooling and learning, fiction and the writing process. He also directs the San Francisco Writers Workshop, the oldest continuous free writers workshop in America and the hub of a growing community of Bay Area writers.

During Oklahoma’s freewheeling territorial days, coquettish Laurey Williams (Shirley Jones) falls for good-natured cowboy Curly McLain (Gordon MacRae). Unfortunately, she also provokes the unwanted affections of brooding hired hand Jud Fry (Rod Steiger). Classic Rodgers and Hammerstein songs abound in this Academy Award-winning musical from director Fred Zinnemann that was adapted for the big screen after a successful Broadway run. Free, but $6 donation

Pro kite fliers from around the country perform on the Main Beach in Santa Cruz. See sport kite demonstrations, Rokkaku fighter kite battles, choreographed team flying, kite land board demonstrations, and more. Bring the kids for aspecial kite making craft booth.

Come out and play like never before. On these Sundays, a four and half mile route stretching from Bayview to Chinatown along the Embarcadero will be open to physical activity. This route will be closed to traffic and allow for biking, walking, jogging and physical activity of all kinds. It’s free and open to all. Travel the route and explore free activities along the way. Explore new neighborhoods. Exercise and have fun. Try your hand at yoga or dance. Bring your kids for special children’s activities. Run the bases at AT&T Park. Ride MUNI free. And more…Sundays August 31 and September 14 from 9am - 1pm.

Local food writer GraceAnn Walden (pictured) takes you on a culinary tour of San Francisco visiting with local chefs. Enjoy a taste of the featured recipes, a glass of wine compliments of the Jug Shop, and neighborhood history from GraceAnn. September 17th Event: Traditional North Beach with Pablo Estrada, chef de cuisine of Rose Pistola. Explore this vibrant neighborhood with food maven-history buff GraceAnn Walden and enjoy a Ligurian dish by Pablo Estrada, chef de cuisine of Rose Pistola restaurant. The cuisine of Rose Pistola captures the authentic flavors, brought here by the Italian immigration of the 19th century.

Update: As of August 13th the $2 tickets are sold out for both 8/13 and 9/17 games. $2 Major League Baseball Tickets? Yes! Every Oakland A’s Wednesday home game is a Double Play Wednesday, brought to you by BART. Purchase Plaza Outfield and Plaza Reserved game tickets for just $2, and hot dogs for just $1. Remaining dates for 2008 are Wed. Aug 13, 7:05 pm vs Tampa Bay Rays and Wed. Sept 17, 7:05 pm vs LA Angels. use Ticket Code: BART when buying tickets to get the $2 price. Closest BART Station: Coliseum/Oakland Airport Source: mybart.org

In “Crime,”Scottish-born author Irvine Welsh brings his unique brand of literary mayhem to the glitzed-out, drugs-and-danger state of Florida. This just published novel tells the tale of Ray Lennox (a supporting character from the novel “Filth”) who is cast adrift in the Sunshine State and who befriends a young girl in jeopardy. Not all, however, is as it seems. Described by the author as more “an existential thriller than a police procedural crime novel,” Welsh’s latest is sure to keep readers riveted.

Irvine Welsh is the author of “Trainspotting,” “Marabou Stork Nightmares,” “Ecstacy,” “Porno” and other works. He divides his time between Florida, Ireland, and Scotland.

Scottish born author Irvine Welsh reads from his brilliant new novel “Crime” in which Welsh brings his unique brand of literary mayhem to the glitzed-out, drugs-and-danger state of Florida. Irvine Welsh is the author of Trainspotting, Marabou Stork Nightmares, Ecstacy, Porno and other works. He divides his time between Florida, Ireland, and Scotland.