The Weekend in Cheap | July 1-4

This Independence weekend features a food truck fair, a festival on Fillmore Street, free museums, concerts and dance parties for those fond of  funk-electronica.

Here’s our picks for our favorite five things to do this weekend – July 1-4, 2011.

Friday, July 1

Moveable Feast Food Truck Festival [details]

Expect an evening full of music, munchies and hand-made crafts at the monthly Moveable Feast Food Truck Festival this Friday at the San Mateo Events Center.
Featuring over 20 food trucks, including the meat-loving Brass Knuckle, the Latin American-Italian fusion food of Mamas Empanadas and the karaoke-ice cream truck Treatbot, this festival will also have live music, a car show as well as fashion and crafts booths from Local Label Faire, which includes vendors such as Empire Vintage and Francisco Franco Studios. The festival is free admission, but parking is $10, so we advise taking public transportation or biking, and spend those savings on some tasty mobile meals instead.

San Mateo Events Center (1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo) | Friday, July 1 | 5:30-10p | FREE Admission

Saturday, July 2

Bank of America Free Museum Weekend [details]

Take advantage of that Bank of America ATM card this weekend and get free admission into select Bay Area museums for their “Museums on Us” deal, which includes museums like the deYoung, the Contemporary Jewish Museum and the San Jose Museum of Art.
Make sure to contact specific museums about their hours though, as some are not open on both Saturdays and Sundays, and finally get around to seeing great exhibits on everything from Gertrude Stein to the graphic novels of Robert Crumb.

Various Bay Area Museums | Sat, July 2 & Sun, July 3 | All Day | FREE

Fillmore Jazz Festival [details]

Get your groove and gourmet on at the 2011 Fillmore Jazz Festival in the picturesque Lower Pacific Heights neighborhood for a weekend of dancing and doo-wop.
Featuring free live music from acts like the Contemporary Jazz Orchestra and Mingus Amungus, as well as eight blocks worth of food vendors and craft booths selling everything from paintings to pottery. This festival is the largest celebration of its kind on the West Coast and promises to be a full weekend’s worth of festivities, Ella Fitzgerald and funk jazz.

Fillmore and Sutter Streets, SF | Sat, July 2 & Sun, July 3 | All Day | FREE

Sunday, July 3

Golden Gate Summer Dance Party [details]

Get to George Washington Grove in Golden Gate Park to get your dance on for Temple Nightclub’s monthly “Sunshine Sessions” this Sunday at 1 p.m.
Bring a picnic, BBQ gear and beverages for this free, four-hour long dance party with music by DJs like Paul Hemming, iQ! and Soulspin, and kick off summer right with some sun, smooth moves and nonstop beats.

George Washington Grove, Golden Gate Park (Lincoln & 25th Street, SF) | Sunday, July 3 | 1-5p | FREE

Indie Independence Day Concert with Neko Case [details]

Celebrate our country’s independence with a free concert by indie crooner Neko Case of the New Pornographers and local favorites the Dodos in Stern Grove this Sunday.

Make sure to get their early though, as the Main Meadow tends to fill up fast, which means you could be relegated to the West Meadow, where the stage isn’t directly visible. So get there early, pack a picnic and pop open a PBR to enjoy performances from this pair of Pitchfork-approved artists.

Stern Grove (19th Avenue & Sloat Blvd., SF) | Sunday, July 3 | 2p | FREE

Monday, July 4

San Francisco Fourth of July Fireworks Show [details]

Carry a coat and pray the fog stays away for the annual San Francisco Fourth of July Fireworks show at Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf. Spend the day celebrating Independence Day with live music from beach poppers Ruby Summer and hits from the 80s and 90s from nostalgia bands like Tainted Love and Club 90. It’s all finished off though with fireworks shot off from the foot of Municipal Pier and barges north of Pier 39 at 9:30 p.m, which are best viewed from the waterfront, Coit Tower, Aquatic Park, the Cannery and Ghirardelli Square.

Pier 39 (The Embarcadero, SF) | Monday, July 4 | Noon-9:30p | FREE

What about the week ahead? Just because it’s no longer the weekend doesn’t mean the fun ends.

Tuesday, July 5 – Free museums, Doctor Who spin-off spoilers and stand-up comedy
Wednesday, July 6 – Zombie Survival Challenge, “Revenge of the Nerds” Drink-Along