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THURSDAY 28
Drag queen bingo St. Regis Hotel, 125 Third St., SF; (415) 255-6606. 6pm, free. The St. Regis Hotel has generously donated the room for this event to raise funds for the The Crazy 88s cycling team and AIDS Lifecycle. The illustrious Imperial Court of San Francisco will emcee and perform, so take a trip to Cliff’s Variety and glitter up that bustier to get ready for one helluva bingo night. Ticket costs will vary based on the prizes – which are rumored to include an iPad, oh yeah! – and there will also be a raffle.
SATURDAY 30
Dyke March benefit El Rio, 3158 Mission, SF; www.elriosf.com, www.thecleeq.com. 3-8pm, $7. The Dyke March is in financial trouble this year. Like so many non-profit organizations and events in the city, it too has lost funding it needs to cover things like insurance and park fees and the enormous cost of Port-O-Potties. That’s why three of SF’s finest queer clubs are coming together to raise money so that your safety and poo-poo needs are covered while you march proudly. DJs from Hard French, Mango, and Stay Gold will be handling the decks while you eat yummy fry bread tacos and enter to win raffle prizes – which include Kylie Minogue and Chelsea Handler tickets, by the way.
Ride + Style Justin Herman Plaza, 1 Market, SF; Facebook: Red Bull Ride + Style. 11am, free. Attend this amalgamation of fixie bike culture and art scene, featuring riders facing off in both track and freestyle competitions. You decide whether to pay more attention to the athletes or the course: the obstacles have been designed and decorated by Aaron de la Cruz, Eric Otto, Arlo Eisenberg, and N8 Van Dyke. More than 50 riders from fixed gear meccas around the world will compete in 15 minute jam sessions to showcase their style and tricks. Judges will pick the best riders to advance to the next round, ending in a ten rider competition for the fixie crown.
Bug Day Randall Museum, 199 Museum Way, SF; (415) 554-9600, www.randallmuseum.org. 10am-2pm, $3 donation. Insect lovers and entomophobes alike should find something to tickle their fancy at this annual celebration of our arthropod friends. Kids can learn about insects, check out a live bee hive, decorate a container of freshly made beeswax, create bug-related crafts, and more. Enjoy live entertainment while you enjoy the picnic lunch you brought from home on the museum lawn – and maybe check out a few wild creepy-crawlies in the grass!
SUNDAY 1
Art in the Alley Kerouac Alley, Kerouac and Columbus, SF; artinthealley@yahoo.com. Noon-6pm, free. Nestled in between the Vesuvio and City Lights on Columbus is the itty-bitty Jack Kerouac Alley, where once a year over 25 emerging and established artists show off their wares – an event that won the Best of the Bay award in 2008. Well, this is it! Expect to see everything from painting to mixed media and art books while live musicians heighten the beatnik ambiance. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to give back to a community of artists that help make North Beach the boho fairytale neighborhood that it is.
How Weird Street Faire Howard and Second St., SF; www.howweird.org. Noon-8pm, $10 suggested donation. Here it comes, gang: street fair season, kicking off this weekend with that perennial freak fest, How Weird. Join nine blocks of your most colorful friends for community bonding, non-profit and vendor booths, snacks, and nine music stages that’ll make SoMa reverberate with the zoom-bang of al fresco electronica. Your pink bunny suit will never be put to a better use.
Canine costume contest Dolores Park, 18th St. and Dolores, SF; (415) 486-3217, www.sfspca.org. 10am-5pm, free. San Franciscans sure can get a little nutty about their canine compadres, which is fine by us if it means such a spectacle to behold! Come out to Dolores park and watch the parade of furry critters in costume – all breeds and sizes welcome – and if you’re dateless, check out all the adorable adoptable pets available at the SPCA, which is sponsoring this event. Food will be available from the Off the Grid trucks, there will be an “Ask a Vet” session, as well as face – snout? – painting, prizes, and more.