San Francisco goes green for a day with three different block parties on St. Patrick’s Day 2010, free cab rides (yes! free taxi ride home after getting drunk) U2 tribute bands, live Irish dancing and more accordion and fiddle playing than you can carefully  shake your Guinness at.
Here’s our list of our  favorite events this year – most are free, but some require you to …

The California Academy of Sciences is a world-class scientific and cultural institution based in San Francisco. The Academy recently opened a new facility in Golden Gate Park, a 400,000 square foot structure that houses an aquarium, a planetarium a natural history museum and a 4-story rainforest all under one roof.
Normally $24.95 for adults, visit the Academy for free, every Third Wednesday of the month …

The Irish Bank pub on Mark Lane in the Financial District hosts live traditional Irish music in the alley from 1 to 3:30pm with the rather pedestrian DJ Pat spinning tunes until midnight.
Cost: Free before 4pm (A representative from The Irish Bank confirmed for us that there’s a cover charge of $5 starting at 4pm)
Fancy waking up early with U2? Live 105 St. Patrick’s Day …

The Chieftain, and Irish pub in South of Market will have a special St. Patrick’s day food menu (8:30a to 10p). Beginning at 2pm is a performance by San Francisco Irish Music Legends, Glenn Farr & Frank Jordan accompanied by upcoming local Irish-American musicians.

One of the great St. Patrick’s Day block parties of years past returns for 2010 as O’Reilly’s Irish Pub and Restaurant shuts down Green Street at Columbus for an all night festival of beer and Irish music and dancing.
The Block Party begins at 2pm if you’re cheap there’s no cover before 3pm (but $10 afterward).
Live music performances from:

The Hooks – Super catchy Irish-influenced rock
Colm …

St. Patrick’s day revelers in Alameda, Oakland, Berkeley, and San Francisco can get their cab rides home paid for throughout the night of March 17, 2010 as Alameda law firm Berg Injury Lawyers once again is sponsoring the “Safe and Sober Free Cab Ride Home” program for 2010.
Free Cab Rides Home for St. Patrick’s Day 2010
Begins: March 17, 2010 – 3pm
Ends: March 18, 2010 – …

Who cares is St. Patrick’s Day 2010 falls on a Wednesday – don’t tell that to the thousands of people who will congregate in the financial district after work as The Royal Exchange and Harringtons will shut down Front Street from Sacramento to California and throw a giant impromptu beer garden.
Live Music – Wonderbread 5: In addition to tons of beer being served and a …

MGMT is putting on a fun-sounding scavenger hunt across San Francisco starting at 4pm on St. Patrick’s Day called “Where is MGMT?” We’re not 100% positive but we believe you’ll win a chauffeur-driven ride around SF while getting a private listening party to the new CD and some food, and schwag. But if you’ve got time to spare and really dig MGMT it might be …

While the huge St. Patrick’s Day block party rages outside, seek some refuge inside Harringtons Bar & Grill for a bit more space plus live Celtic music and Irish dancing. The bar opens at 5pm with a cover charge of $3 (payable at the bar) that we think is well worth the cost because…
Why Pay a $3 Cover Charge at Harringtons?:

To get out of the …

Claire Coustier will chat about The History of Horror Fiction. Ms. Coustier’s talk will focus on Horror fiction, both supernatural and taken from the real world. She will discuss the genre from its earliest Gothic beginnings to current day and how horror fiction affects the reader as a possible alternate existence.
The Alameda Community Reads Program this year focuses on Speculative Fiction. This theme includes sub-types, …

Dr. Sung Lim Kim, professor at the University of California at Berkeley, explores the social and political history of Korea in the 1950s and 1960s, and examines how both adult and children’s comics reflected the reality and ideals of that time.

“Crime fiction is almost like a product of capitalism. It’s about social inequality” –Ian Rankin Join four of the finest exponents of crime and noir as they discuss how fiction is not just a mirror to the seamier sides of life, but the proverbial hammer with which to shape it.
Speakers include:

Owen Hill is the author of two novels and many books of poetry. Of …

The Red Devil Lounge, one of our favorite velvety-draped concert clubs in the city, has just announced a “Golden Ticket” special offer for  St. Patrick’s Day with a $1 ticket price (normally $10) to see 70s/80s cover band Notorious and local rock band Reckless in Vegas
How to Get $1 Ticket Deal: Use promo code BLARNEY for a pair of $1 tickets (while supplies last of …

Where else in San Francisco can you party with “real” leprechauns on St. Patrick’s Day?
Enter supperclub’s twisted fairytale land of leprechauns, shamrocks, four leaf clovers, magic rainbows, pots of gold & many other bizarrely, oddly peculiar supperclub-stylish surprises “Attack of the Killer Leprechauns” stars real life, little people dressed as lephrechauns who will be partying with you  & taking …

The Balboa Theatre hosts the World Premiere of Tom Wyrsch’s newest film, “Remembering Playland at the Beach” – a full length documentary which tells the story of San Francisco’s famous 10-acre Ocean Beach amusement park which was torn down in 1972 to make way for a condominium development.
Gone now for nearly four decades, it remains one of the city’s lost treasures. Go back in …

Shanghai Kelly’s, a dirty little dive bar on Polk Street, is once again running their annual free NCAA pool with free prizes. Win $100 gift certificate to Firenze by Night “Best Restaurant in North Beach”, Gift Certificates to Kelly’s & The Northstar, Winner’s name gets inscribed on the perpetual trophy as “Kelly’s Most Smartest Hoops Jenius”
Directions for the FREE NCAA Online Pool
It’s rather complicated we …

The NCAA and CBS is offering all 63 games (including those shown on KPIX Channel 5) of the 2010 March Madness NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament games for free and on demand in “HQ” (not quite “HD” but what do you except from free streaming video). Watch all the action from every round live. Plus, you will have access to on-demand highlights, buzzer beaters and detailed …

Big names and big brands are bringing their fashion flair to the “Revelation Couture” event as Vessel (a trendy nightclub near Union Square) brings together local and international designers and artist for a one night only event.
The free event hosts 9+ fashion lines for you to peruse – many of whom have been written up in Daily Candy and 7×7  including Litter, Platinum Dirt, Posh …

NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences is held every Thursday night with discounted admission of just $12. Each week the Academy features: music, cutting-edge science, and food and cocktails, but with a completely new lineup of events each week.
March 18, 2010: Craft Night
Give yourself a creative workout with craft night. Featuring reusable materials from SCRAP SF, and learn how to make jewelry, fashion masks, …

Baby (nominated for seven Tony Awards) tells the story of three couples on a university campus as they deal with the painful, rewarding and agonizingly funny consequences of this universal experience.
This new production by Ray of Light Theatre (who brought you Tommy and Rocky Horror Picture Show) starts March 19th, but you can attend a special funcheap preview night on March 18th
WHEN:
March 19 – April …

Amoeba Music, the best records & CD store on both sides of the Bay, takes over Oakland’s Uptown nightclub with Dusty Fingers, featuring Amoeba employees and special guests spinning their favorite records all night.
Doors at 9pm, No cover charge.

“Something You Might Want” is a dark comedy of triangular love, real estate and post-individualism in San Francisco by Jim Strope. The play, a physical, comedic and sensuous experiment in feminine power, plays Fridays (8pm), Saturdays (8pm) and Sundays (3pm)  in March 2010 at Stagewerx Theater in Union Square.
Something You Might Want
A dark comedy of triangular-love, real-estate and post-individualism by Jim Strope
- with Belle Borovik, …

Thanks to the Frugal Find, which always tips us off to great deals & coupons, we just found out that the San Francisco Chronicle is making a major push for new subscribers by offering a pretty great deal:
Get the Sunday San Francisco Chronicle (which is full of coupons by the way) delivered for just $0.35 a week, a savings of 90% off the normal $3 …

Andy Cato and Tom Findlay, the DJ collective better known as Groove Armada, are touring the U.S. in support of “Black Light”, their sixth studio album with two dates at The Fillmore.
The duo bring a full band to play danceable and downtempo tracks from “Black Light” and their entire catalog with an impressive list of guest singers.
What’s Groove Armada Like Live?: Groove Armada …

San Franpsycho is a surf film-inspired lifestyle brand that sells hip clothing for the fast living, surfing, partying, music, skating, art crowd. To help celebrate the launch of their new website, they’re throwing a party at The  Purple Onion in North Beach with DJs, free drinks and goodie bags.

DJs/Music: DJ Swayzee, DJ Axel Sharper (Sweden), Girls n Boomboxes
Drinks: Complimentary Midnight Fernet Madness Shots, $2 Sierra …