The 38th annual Stanford Spring Faire is a regional fine arts and crafts faire held every year on the Stanford campus on Mother’s Day weekend. More than 100 artisans exhibit and sell their work during this three-day event, which also features food and free entertainment including the Bay Area Morris Dancers, a capella singing groups, and a swing dancing performance. The Faire is free and open to the public.

The Stanford Powwow is a three-day festival held every Mother’s Day Weekend in the Eucalyptus Grove on Stanford campus. A Pow Wow is an American Indian celebration of dancing and drumming that normally starts at noon until sunset. People wear traditional tribal regalia and there are dance contests in many different categories. The drummers compete to sing the longest or drum the best. (more…)

The Oakland Museum of California hosts a day of fun for “all” California families—with a special welcome to those with adopted, foster, mixed-race, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender members. The event includes  live music from Oakland East Bay Gay Men’s Chorus Otto Voci ensemble, Magician Timothy James, a Martial arts demonstration by Destiny Arts, Gold panning and more. (more…)

Enjoy the Real Greek Experience - three days of Greece by the Bay. Fabulous Greek food, drink, music and dance and much, much more.

Friday, May 16, 2008: 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. (Free from 10 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)
Saturday, May 17, 2008: 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Sunday, May 18, 2008: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. (or come earlier to experience our liturgy service at 10 a.m.) (Free from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.) (more…)

ING Greater Body Expo is Official Race Headquarters for the ING Bay to Breakers. It is free and open to the public and a premiere 2-day health and fitness event with interactive displays, free samples and prizes, and great bargains on apparel and fitness gear. Expo is also the final chance for registered runners to pick up their race packets and timing chips. Late registration is also available for those who want to sign-up at the last minute 2008 Exhibitors include adidas, ASICS, BlackBerry, Crocs, Garmin, Home Depot, Naked Juice, Nature Made Vitamins, Nike/Lombardi Sports, Polar, Reebok, Southwest Airlines and many more.

The Artists Guild of San Francisco is the oldest outdoor art collective in the country. Its mission is twofold: first, to bring art and artists into the community for public interaction and education; and secondly, to help artists sustain themselves with art as a full-time career.

Mission Bazaar is a twice a year “shopping spectacle” which combines a more traditional arts and craft expo with a dynamic performance and music event. Taking place inside the 40,000 sq. ft. drill court of The Historic Armory, over 200 artisans exhibiting their uniquely designed creative products and accessories and over 20 hours of live performances by singers, musicians, circus and dance acts, performance artists, DJs and much more, Mission Bazaar is an extraordinary happening in one of San Francisco’s landmark buildings. From http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/465861/ (more…)

The City’s annual San Leandro Heritage Faire will be held at the San Leandro Main Library, located at 300 Estudillo Avenue in downtown San Leandro, on Saturday, May 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to celebrate San Leandro’s diverse community and rich cultural heritage. This free celebration includes entertainment, multicultural exhibits and a variety of ethnic foods. All are invited to attend.

The event features performances by the Ballet Folklorico Mexicano, the Chinese lion dancers from San Leandro’s Shao Lin King Fu Chan School, the percussion group Drummm! and the McBride Irish Dance group. Also appearing will be Asheba, who brings to life the culture of Trinidad through folktales and songs, Swetha Dixit who entertains guests with Indian dancing and storytelling and Chin-Chin, a master of magic.

Vendors will sell textiles, crafts and gift items from many countries, and a kids’ craft area will offer children the chance to make arts and crafts from different cultures, including Mexican pinatas, Portuguese toy sailboats, ndbele bracelets from Zimbabwe and haida painted sticks from Alaska. The Arts Council of San Leandro will also show children how to make beautiful Lunar New Year kites.

For more information, call (510) 577-3971

Composer/pianist Jon Jang’s musical language re-contextualizes Chinese folk songs within a contemporary music framework, a metaphor for the changing face of Chinese America. Unbound Chinatown pays homage to Alice Fong Yu, the first Chinese American teacher hired by the San Francisco School District. With his stellar ensemble, including saxophonist Francis Wong and trombonist/music director Wayne Wallace, and guest vocalist Min Xiao Fen, Jang paints musical portraits of Yu’s life as a community and political leader during the 1930s.

Bring your tortillas (stale preferred), your costumed, your naked and your beer and participate in one of the largest races in America, and also one of the most strange and “San Francentric.” The Third Sunday in May sees this crown jewel of SF events with over 70,000 race/walk/stroll 7.46 miles from Bay (Howard/Beale) to Breakers (the western end of Golden Gate Park) in a costumed mass of people. Be prepared to see 1,000 ridiculous costumes, lots of naked people and the tired “salmon” swimming against the tide of racers. Although you’re supposed to register and pay $48-$59 to race, but many people just show up and race anyway. We won’t tell anyone.

The annual Bay-to-Breakers race ends with the traditional music and free goodies festival known as “footstock” in the polo fields in Golden Gate Park. This event is free and open to the public, though some of the freebies may only be available to official racers. Awards ceremony at 10am, Live music from The Last Goodnight (12:30p) and The Crazies will Destroy You (10:45a). They’ll have the results of the costume contest (noon), plus lots of food, beer gardens

The fifty performers of Gamelan Sekar Jaya, the Bay Area’s acclaimed gamelan ensemble, present the driving rhythms and refined dances of Bali in this beautiful garden setting. Led by one of Bali’s most brilliant artists, I Dewa Ketut Alit Adnyana (guest music director), Sekar Jaya will feature two large percussion ensembles: the 25-player orchestra of bronze gongs, metallophones, and drums called a gamelan gong kebyar, and the ensemble of giant bamboo marimbas, gamelan jegog. The outdoor setup reflects the open-air settings used in traditional Balinese contexts, where groups often play within or in front of temple courtyards. The audience is welcomed to view the performance from various perspectives, to enjoy the complex interlocking rhythms and virtuosic ensemble sensibility of Balinese gamelan and the myriad expressions and delicate movements of Balinese dance.

The Mo’Rockin Project is a brotherhood of kindred North African and jazz musicians traversing the inner experience of the human soul. Handcrafted from traditional Moroccan melodies, and with striking musicianship, salient vision, and immeasurable spirit, the music is alluring, lyrical, creative, funky, spirited and spiritual.

The free 5th annual Berkeley World Music Festival is a cultural program that offers over two dozen continuous musical performances throughout the Telegraph Avenue district, in cafes, street corners, and in People’s Park, plus a craft bazaar at People’s Park. Bands include Dengue Fever (Cambodian Pop/Psychedelic Rock), Sila and the AfroFunk Experience (Africa’s James Brown),  SambaDá (Brazilian Samba Afro Funk) plus Pakistani, Didjeridu Fusion,Cajun Dance Music, Ukrainian & Eastern European, Rebetika (Old Time Greek Blues) and more.

The Haight-Ashbury Street Fair is a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the cultural history and diversity of one of San Francisco’s most internationally celebrated neighborhoods - The Haight-Ashbury District. For the last 28 years, HASF has produced the annual street fair that features arts and crafts, food booths, two musical stages and more. It also serves as a means for community groups and mercantile vendors to interact with the public and expand their base. The festival takes place along Haight Street from Masonic to Stanyan.

Bring the whole family to History Park for a day of fun and activities with live music, dance, children’s activities, Portuguese cooking demonstrations, artist’s exhibits, and spectacular food from Portugal, Brazil and Macao.

Gates open at 10am and admission is FREE!
Entertainment and dancing until 7:30pm

Blending art and soul in one of the country’s most unique neighborhoods, the Fillmore Jazz Festival is the largest free Jazz festival on the West Coast, drawing over 90,000 visitors over the Independence Day weekend. From sunup to sundown, visitors can groove to the sounds of live music from multiple stages, browse the offerings of over 8 blocks (Fillmore between Jackson and Eddy) of fine art and crafts and enjoy gourmet food and beverages. Asian to Cajun, paintings to pottery, old favorites and new directions, the Fillmore Jazz Festival is not to be missed.

This year’s entertainment continues the tradition of showcasing outstanding artists from across the Jazz spectrum.