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Saturday in SF: Leis, Chihuahuas & More

Thursday May 16, 2013

SPCA winner

Tucker tied for first place in the 2012 Whole Enchihuahua
costume contest.  Photo by Kira Stackhouse.

The activity level in the Bay Area this weekend reaches hyperactive highs. On Saturday, find all things Asian-Pacific at Civic Center and the Tenderloin: Cooking demos by Martin Yan and other chefs, taiko drummers, aloha shirts, Asian bands and DJs, fresh leis, an ethnic costume parade, origami art, a fashion show of local Asian designers' apparel, and films and music videos by local Asian Pacific Americans screened at the Asian Art Museum (which is free that day). The Asian Heritage Street Celebration runs until 6 pm.

Dolores Park, meanwhile, goes to the dogs--and particularly one tiny, yappy, over-populated breed. The Whole Enchihuahua (12-3 pm) offers free canine dental checks, vet consultations, doggie games, food trucks, mariachi music and adoptable puppies (and cats, bunnies and birds). Any dog can compete in the 2 pm costume contest to win a weekend at doggie camp, dog massages, dog beds and other prizes. Chihuahuas represent up to half of the dogs in some Bay Area shelters, and the San Francisco SPCA is doing free spaying/neutering and waiving adoption fees for Chihuahua mixes through the end of the month.

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and National High Blood Pressure Education Month (who knew?). Because of the latter, the American Society of Hypertension is giving free hypertension, glucose and cholesterol tests on Saturday, 10 am-3 pm, at Yerba Buena Lane and Market St. (behind the Marriott Marquis, 55 Fourth St.). Go get tested. Hypertension, the "silent killer," doesn't have obvious symptoms, but it got its nickname for obvious reasons.

If you roll up your sleeves for a few hours Saturday, you'll be rewarded with a concert-party with the bands Big Gigantic and Robert DeLong. Sign up and help clean up the shoreline in Richmond from 9:30 am-noon, and you'll get a ticket to the Budweiser Made in America party  on June 5 at Fort Mason.  Folks from Budweiser, Anheuser-Busch Brewery and the Watershed Project will be cleaning up alongside you.

That's all on Saturday. Other weekend events: Two contemporary art fairs, and the Maker Faire for all things DIY (see our May calendar). On Sunday is the long-running, only-in-San-Francisco spectacle known as Bay to Breakers.

Bay to Breakers Online Registration Ends Tonight

Wednesday May 15, 2013
Bay2Brkers picnics
Bay to Breakers runners come dressed as movable feasts.
Photo courtesy of Bay to Breakers

You can't call yourself a San Franciscan unless you've run (or jogged or walked) Bay to Breakers at least once.  Online registration for Sunday's one-of-a-kind race continues until 11:55 pm today (May 15). Should you miss tonight's deadline, you might be able to register in person at the pre-race fitness expo on Friday and Saturday.  If you miss that, you can watch the mobile costume party from the sidelines. But you're still not a San Franciscan.

Our 2013 Bay to Breakers guide has the run-down on the race, including the best places to watch and the costume contest. We've collected course records and other stats for you number-crunchers.  Check the Bay to Breakers' history timeline to appreciate how far the race has come in its 102 years. (Can you believe that women were not officially allowed to run until 1971?!)

Mother's Day & Other Weekend Fun

Friday May 10, 2013

If you haven't figured out how or where to treat Mom, check our Mother's Day guide--it lists tours, shopping, brunches, comedy and other options happening as of today (so you don't have to wait until Sunday!) For something out of the ordinary, take a factory tour this weekend, as part of SFMade Week--see how everything from bikes to Rickshaw Bags are made, right here in SF. Even more out of the ordinary, go on the Saturday tour of Crave, which designs and makes vibrators in SoMa.

Or get out of town (but not too far) for some special events: A cat video festival in Oakland on Saturday (listed in our May calendar), and a weekend mega-food-fest in Vegas, which features James Beard honoree Michael Mina.

See How It's Made: SFMade Week

Thursday May 2, 2013

The week of May 6-12, 2013 will prove that many businesses in San Francisco are making it. They're not tech companies, and what they are making are not intangibles, but real things like wedding gowns, light fixtures and popcorn.  During the week, they will be open for behind-the-scenes tours, and some will even let you try your hand at manufacturing.

Learn more about the week's activities and the array of products made here in our SFMade Week article.

 

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