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WEDNESDAY 11
Danny Bland Booksmith, 1644 Haight, SF; www.booksmith.com. 7:30pm, free. Seattle musician-turned-author Bland reads from his debut novel, In Case We Die, set amid his hometown’s 1990s grunge scene.
THURSDAY 12
Tom Barbash Booksmith, 1644 Haight, SF; www.booksmith.com. 7:30pm, free. The author — a teacher in California College of the Arts’ MFA program — reads from his new short story collection, Stay Up With Me.
FRIDAY 13
Armenian Bazaar and Food Festival Khachaturian Armenian Community Center, 825 Brotherhood Way, SF; www.stgregorysf.org. 7pm-midnight (also Sat/14, noon-midnight; Sun/15, noon-6pm). $5 (free for kids six and under). The 56th annual incarnation of this fest offers up authentic Armenian food, plus traditional music and dancing, arts and crafts, activities for kids, and more.
“Dialogos Gráficos” Mexican Museum, Fort Mason Center, Bldg D, Marina at Buchanan, SF; www.mexicanmuseum.org. Noon-4pm, free. (Museum hours Wed-Sun, noon-4pm; exhibit runs through April 2014). A new exhibit at the Mexican Museum highlights the printmaking traditions in Mexico, with works by both contemporary and historic artists, including the influential José Guadalupe Posada. Related event: Sun/15, noon-3pm, learn how to make linocut prints at a free, hands-on workshop with artist Marsha Shaw.
Glenn Ingersoll and Rebecca Radner Nefeli Caffe, 1834 Euclid, Berk; (510) 841-6374. 7pm, free. The poets read, followed by an open reading.
“Literary Clown Foolery” Booksmith, 1644 Haight, SF; www.booksmith.com. 8pm, $10. Chatting ’bout permaculture and other eco-topics with Regenerative Design Insitute’s Carin McKay, author of Culinary Magic.
Jesse Michaels Issues, 20 Glen, Oakl; www.issuesshop.com. 7:30pm, free. You may know him as the singer of Operation Ivy, but Bay Area native Michaels is also a novelist. He reads from his debut, mystery tale Whispering Bodies, at this event.
SATURDAY 14
“Saturday in the Park McLaren” Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, McLaren Park, SF; Facebook: Saturday in the Park McLaren. 2-4pm, free. Friends of the AMP present this free concert series; today, it’s Charity and the JAMband, rocking out fun, danceable tunes for kids. Families are encouraged to come early for pre-show art projects and bubble blowing.
SUNDAY 15
“StreetUtopia: Goodbye, Columbus!” Jack Kerouac Alley, between Grant and Columbus, SF; www.streetutopia.org. Noon-5pm, free. The 2013 Architecture and the City Festival presents this interactive urban planning workshop with urban planner and artist James Rojas and planning-advocacy group StreetUtopia.
Urban Air Market Hayes Valley (Hayes at Octavia), SF; www.urbanairmarket.com. 11am-6pm, free. Independent designers join together to showcase jewelry, clothing, home décor, and other items in this massive outdoor market. Also: food trucks, live music, a photo booth, and more.
Worm composting workshop with Urban Worm Urban Adamah Farm, 1050 Parker, Berk; www.ecologycenter.org. 2-3pm, free (online pre-registration appreciated). The Ecology Center presents this worm composting workshop. After you’ve learned the recommended techniques, you can shop on-site for materials to start composting at home — including, yes, red wigglers.
“Yerba Buena Family Day” Yerba Buena Gardens, Fourth St at Mission, SF; www.ybfamilyday.org. 11am-4pm, free. Free admission to the Contemporary Jewish Museum, Museum of the African Diaspora, and Children’s Family Museum, plus three stages of performances at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival: Grammy-winning Mexican American musician Lila Downs (1-2:30pm); continuous kid-friendly fun (noon-3pm) with the Red Panda Chinese acrobats, the Pi Clowns, and more; and music from New Orleans and Venezuela, plus even more clowns (noon-3:30pm).
MONDAY 16
Oakland Senior Summer Free Day Oakland Zoo, 9777 Golf Links Rd, Oakl; www.oaklandzoo.org. 10am-4pm, free. Are you an Oakland resident, 65 or over (and can prove it with ID) who loves animals? You get free admission to the Oakland Zoo today, offering you a chance to check out those two new warthogs who just arrived in July. Seniors also get free parking. Score!
Marisha Pessl Book Passage, 1 Ferry Bldg, SF; www.bookpassage.com. 6pm, free. The acclaimed author of Special Topics in Calamity Physics reads from her latest novel, Night Film. *