North Beach Festival-SF
 

SFGate.com has a blurb about the North Beach Festival in San Francisco coming up on June 15th and 16th. That is when we'll be visiting! Does anyone have any details about it? Is it a mob scene? Do you know the hours? Anything going on at night? While I'm at it, how about a restaurant recommendation for North Beach? <BR><BR>Thanks!

Location: 1200-1500 blocks of Grant Avenue, 1500 block of Stockton, 500 block of Green Street and Washington Square Park. <BR>Free Admission <BR>Saturday, June 16, 2 pm: <BR>Blessing of the Animals, St. Francis Shrine, Corner of Vallejo and Columbus Avenue. All pets welcome. <BR>Saturday, June 16, 4 pm: <BR>Concert. Free. Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, Corner of Vallejo and Columbus Avenue. Concert by Aerith String Quartet. <BR>Sunday, June 17, 4 pm: <BR>Concert. Free. Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, Corner of Vallejo and Columbus Avenue. Recital by Martin Yribarren from St. Mary's College, Moraga. <BR><BR>Both Days: <BR><BR>The Beat Rolls On - Spoken word stage featuring poetry with jazz. Vallejo at Columbus. <BR><BR>Juried Arts and Crafts - Upper Grant Avenue and Green Street <BR><BR>Celebrity Pizza toss and Mandolins <BR><BR>Main Stage - Washington Square Park - Opera, Jazz and Blues <BR><BR>Arte di Gesso - Street chalk art. Stockton Street between Union and Columbus. <BR><BR>Stage for Swing with Dance Floor - Green at Columbus - Live Bands <BR><BR>Al Fresco Foods highlighting neighborhood restaurants and Italian cuisine. <BR><BR>The North Beach Festival is the oldest urban street fair in the country with an attendance of 100,000. The festival focuses on the Italian and Beat history of North Beach. North Beach is regarded as one of the great urban neighborhoods of the United States and is one of San Francisco s top tourist attractions. <BR><BR>556 Columbus Avenue San Francisco, CA 94133 415/989-2220 Fax 415/989-6427 <BR>World Renowned Site of San Francisco s Little Italy Home of the Beats <BR>St. Francis National Shrine<BR>North Beach turns into a street fair complete with entertainment, food, arts and crafts, and a medieval piazza on June 15 and 16 at the 48th Annual North Beach Festival. The North Beach festival, usually enjoyed by 100,000 people, is the oldest urban street fair in the country and reflects North Beach's Beat and Italian history.<BR><BR>Local artisans will display a variety of arts and crafts and local restaurants will provide gourmet food booths. Some restaurants will also have outdoor seating and special menus available. For restaurant and cafe suggestions, see below.<BR><BR>A spoken word stage at Vallejo and Columbus features poetry and jazz. Street chalk art will be on Stockton Street. A stage with dance floor for swing dancing is at Green and Columbus. The main stage at Washington Square Park provides continuous music with opera, jazz, and blues. There will also be a celebrity pizza toss.<BR><BR>The traditional blessing of the animals, reminiscent of St. Francis, will be performed in the medieval piazza in front of the Shrine on Saturday at 2:00 and all pets are welcome. Free musical concerts will be held at 4:00 Saturday and Sunday afternoon.<BR>

Thanks X!<BR><BR>Sounds like fun. Is this a daytime only event, or does it go on into the night? <BR><BR>Still looking for restaurant recs, too.

I've been to the festival a couple of times. In the summer in SF, there seems to be a neighborhood festival almost every weekend around town. I like the North Beach festival though, b/c this is one of my favorite areas of town and the free concert in the park is fun if the weather is nice. <BR><BR>I think the festival itself ends around 6pm, but North Beach nightlife goes way into the early hours of the morning every weekend, not to mention during the festival. As far as restaurant recs, I would just wander around and stop into one with a menu and an ambiance you like. There are so many wonderful restaurants in the area. <BR><BR>You could also check out what is happening at Bimbo's 365 club. It's in NB and they may have a concert or something that ties in to the festival.<BR><BR>Pray for nice weather!

Deb,<BR><BR>I would stay away form SF during the North Beach Festival. Its not a very great event, street chalk art, pizza toss, what kind of a lame event is that? Sounds like something you would find in Peoria, Illinois. So what if is the oldest "urban" street fair in the country. Just because there are 100,000 stupid people go to this so-called festival, does not make it a worth your time. I went to this festival once and it ended up almost turning into a riot due to the excessive public drunkenness.

Thanks xxx, I mean Darlene! God, you're such a negative nancy!!