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News • California • United States • 2011-10-11

San Francisco Fall/Winter 2011 Story Ideas

Golden Gate Bridge Celebrates 75th Anniversary in 2012 with “75 Tributes” Spanning the Year

May 27, 2012 marks 75 years for the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay Area is making big plans to honor the history, beauty, and ingenuity of this famous span. The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, in cooperation with the National Park Service and the Presidio Trust, are developing a 75th anniversary program that will not only include a “75 Tributes” program beginning as early as January 2012 but also yield some permanent enhancements to the Golden Gate Bridge experience.

A spectacular two-day celebration is being planned May 26-27, 2012. Located along the San Francisco waterfront, the event will tell the story of the Golden Gate Bridge and provide an opportunity for the Bay Area community to celebrate together. The free celebration will feature exhibits, memorabilia, historic artifacts, music, entertainment, guided walks, and spectacular surprise finale. On the evening of Saturday, May 26, there will be a free public screening of a popular film that prominently features the bridge. The bridge will not close to vehicles as it did for the 50th anniversary celebration in 1987.

Activities and special commemorative events will take place throughout the coming year. Leading up to and following the Memorial Day weekend in 2012, many civic, cultural and educational organizations will produce their own tributes to the Golden Gate Bridge. The Bay Area Discovery Museum, California Academy of Sciences, California Historical Society, Exploratorium, Golden Gate Brass Band and YMCA San Francisco are among the many organizations participating in the “75 Tributes” program. Some of the community tributes will be ticketed events; however the majority will be free.

Plans are underway to transform this international gateway into a visitor destination befitting its natural beauty and historic significance. Improvements to the site include:

• New Golden Gate Bridge Pavilion to welcome visitors, house celebratory merchandise, and display interpretive exhibits

• Conversion of the iconic Round House from a gift shop to a space for visitor and education programs

• Revitalization of the bridge plaza to serve as a gathering and orientation space

• Restoration of trails and scenic vistas

• Construction of a dramatic new Golden Gate Overlook on the southwest side of the bridge

A complete schedule will be posted on www.goldengatebridge75.org. Media contacts: Mary Currie, 415-923-2222, mcurrie@goldengate.org or David Shaw, 415-561-3064, dshaw@parksconservancy.org.

2012 U.S. Open Championship at The Olympic Club

The 2012 U.S. Open Golf Championship will be played at the historic Olympic Club, located in San Francisco, CA. The Championship will be held June 14-17, 2012. Four previous U.S. Open golf championships have been hosted at this venue – in 1955, 1966, 1987 and 1998. This event presents golfers from around the world with the opportunity to see the world\'s best professionals compete on this classic stage, and to play some of the nation’s finest public courses including Pasatiempo Golf Club, CordeValle, Pebble Beach, and Spyglass Hill. For more information about the 2012 U.S. Open, please visit www.usga.org

San Francisco Hosts the 34th America\'s Cup in 2012- 2013

Nearly 160 years old, the America’s Cup is the oldest trophy in international sport. Initially a one‐on-one competition between teams representing foreign yacht clubs, the America’s Cup has evolved into one of the world\'s leading sporting competitions–featuring the best sailors on the world’s fastest boats–the wing‐sailed AC45 and AC72 catamarans. The new America\'s Cup World Series -- featuring all of the America\'s Cup competitors -- will be held in the summer of 2012, with the 34th America\'s Cup beginning July 13-Sept. 1, 2012, with the Louis Vuitton Cup, and finishing with the America\'s Cup Finals Sept. 7-22, 2013. For more information, visit www.americascup.com. Media contact: Stephanie Martin, 949-395-4523, stephanie.martin@americascup.com.

Holidays

San Francisco’s “49 Hours of SF: Holidays” Adds Sparkle to the Season

There are no ordinary weekends in a city like San Francisco. The San Francisco Travel Association just wrapped up an arts and culture campaign built around the premise that 48 hours is just not enough to experience all there is to see and do in the City by the Bay. And to prove it, they are launching a new campaign for the holidays: “49 Hours of SF: Holidays.” The goal is to encourage visitors to plan a 48-hour weekend getaway – plus an hour. Invoking the spirit of the legendary 49ers who came to San Francisco in 1849 seeking gold, the campaign will include 49 Hour holiday itineraries, a holiday event calendar and discounted hotel packages. Complete details will be available beginning Nov. 1, 2011 at www.49HoursofSF.com or call 415-391-2000. Media contact: Laurie Armstrong, 415-227-2615, larmstrong@sanfrancisco.travel.

Art & Culture

California Academy of Sciences Interactive Media Team Launches New App for Golden Gate Park

San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences has launched its first iPhone app: the Golden Gate Park Field Guide, a location-based guide for navigating San Francisco’s 1,000-plus-acres urban oasis. It’s now available for download at Apple’s iTunes store ( http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/golden-gate-park-field-guide/id401315705?mt=8). Representing a milestone in the Academy’s ongoing efforts to create a “museum without walls” – to package and distribute Academy content and expertise to the public regardless of whether they’re actually able to visit the physical museum, the app includes a guide to more than 170 species in Golden Gate Park and provides app-users with the ability to record and share wildlife sightings and photos in real-time. There are also a number of Academy-curated, self-guided tours and an interactive map of Golden Gate Park that highlights 75-plus attractions, public restrooms and restaurants. Media contact: Stephanie Stone, 415-379-512, sstone@calacademy.org.

Centennial Season of San Francisco Symphony Sept. 7, 2011-June 30, 2012

Davies Symphony Hall

Founded as an orchestra “for the people” just five years after the 1906 earthquake, the San Francisco Symphony is celebrating its 100th season. “When you have a major birthday, you invite your friends over,” said Brent Assink, executive director, SFS. There will be plenty of reasons to accept the invitation. In addition to an unprecedented American Orchestra Series bringing six major symphony orchestras to the stage of Davies Symphony Hall, Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas and SFS will break new ground with a two-week American Mavericks Festival in March 2012. There will be commissioned works, unique concerts, a series of semi-staged concerts celebrating the early history of San Francisco, community and heritage events. Details are available at www.sfsymphony.org or call 415-864-6000. Media contact: Public Relations, 415-503-5474, publicrelations@sfsymphony.org.

Construction Begins on New SFJAZZ Center in the Heart of San Francisco

In May 2011 SFJAZZ, the organization behind more than 100 concerts, including the renowned San Francisco Jazz Festival, started construction on their first permanent home at 205 Franklin St. The $60 million, SFJAZZ Center, slated to open in fall 2012, will become the first center anywhere in the country for jazz designed and built from the ground up. The Hayes Valley location is just blocks from Davies Symphony Hall, the War Memorial Opera House, the Asian Art Museum, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. The 35,000-square-foot, transparent structure designed by Mark Cavagnero of Mark Cavagnero Associates, will feature a flexible, 700-seat performance hall, dedicated space for education and professional development; three rehearsal spaces; a digital music lab, and a sidewalk-level restaurant/café. Cavagnero recently completed the Oakland Museum of California expansion. For information visit www.sfjazz.org or call 415-398-5655. Media contact: Kevin Causey, 415-283-0306, kcausey@sfjazz.org; Marshall Lamm, 510-928-1410,marshalllamm@earthlink.net; or Ann-Rebecca Laschever, 866-PR-WEILL, arlaschever@geoffreyweill.com

GLBT History Museum: The long awaited museum of the GLBT Historical Society opened in the heart of the Castro at 4187 18th St, in January 2011. Only one other city in North America boasts a museum solely dedicated to the history of the movement and this sleek, inviting storefront location is bound to become a must-see destination. The space features a video screen visible 24 hours a day continuously playing historic footage of past events, from Pride parades to public demonstrations and news coverage. Once inside, visitors may examine rare artifacts, photographs, documents, sound recordings, films and videos in the exhibition that will open an array of unexpected perspectives on the past, ranging from women’s bookstores to queer temples and churches, from bathhouses to battlefields, from early efforts to find hidden histories to highly visible struggles for GLBT civil rights. www.glbthistory.org

“Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts” Opens at Asian Art Museum Oct. 21, 2011

The Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St., will present the U.S. premiere of “Maharajah: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts,” Oct. 21, 2011-April 8, 2012. Organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the exhibition presents more than 200 artworks related to the intriguing world of India’s rulers over three centuries. Maharaja is the first exhibition to comprehensively explore the world of the maharajas and their unique culture of artistic patronage. An extensive schedule of public programming will accompany the exhibitions, including a film series featuring a guest appearance by esteemed producer James Ivory. Set against a backdrop of the tumultuous early 18th century through the 1940s, the exhibition brings to life the lavish world of India’s maharajas through elaborate jewelry, ornate weaponry, royal costumes and stunning artworks. For information visit www.asianart.org or call 415-581-3500. Media contacts: Tim Hallman, 415-581-3711, pr@asianart.org or David Perry, 415-693-0583, news@davidperry.com.

Houdini: Art and Magic Examines Life and Legend of Celebrated Entertainer at Contemporary Jewish Museum

Starting Oct. 2, 2011 the Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission St., will present the first major exhibition to examine Harry Houdini’s life, legend and enduring cultural influence. On view until Jan. 16, 2012 “Houdini: Art and Magic” includes more than 160 objects: magic apparatus, a recreation of the famous Water Torture Cell, historic photographs, dramatic Art Nouveau-era posters, theater ephemera, and archival and silent films that allow visitors to fully explore the career and legacy of the celebrated entertainer. With a talent for self-promotion and provocation, this immigrant son of a poor Hungarian rabbi rocketed to international fame and grabbed front page headlines with his gripping theatrical presentations and heart-stopping outdoor spectacles. For information visit www.thecjm.org or call 415-655-7800. Media contact: Media contact: Nina Sazevich, 415-752-2483, nina911@pacbell.net.

Major New Exhibit Rumbles into California Academy of Sciences May 26, 2012

In the upcoming “Earthquake” exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr., delve into the science behind earthquakes and learn how societies prepare for and respond to these destructive phenomena. Experience a high-magnitude jolt in an earthquake simulator, fly over and into the dynamic planet in an immersive planetarium show, and explore the impacts of the largest disaster in San Francisco’s history—the 1906 earthquake and fire. Along the way, visitors will see how earthquakes fit into the larger story of plate tectonics, a constant process that builds mountains, moves continents, and creates the landscape in which life evolves or goes extinct. For information visit www.calacademy.org or call 415-379-8000. Media contact: Andrew Ng, 415-379-5123, ang@calacademy.org.

Tours & Attractions

CityPass Launches Mobile Site for Budget Travelers on the Go

CityPass has launched a mobile version of its website (www.citypass.com) which lets travelers compare prices, read reviews, research attractions, watch destination videos and get directions, visitor tips and maps. The new site works with iPhones, iPod touch devices and Android smartphones. The first phase of the mobile site also lets travelers purchase CityPass ticket booklets; CityPass packages admission to top attractions into one easy-to-use and deeply discounted ticket booklet for 11 destinations including San Francisco. For information visit www.citypass.com. Media contact: Deborah H. Wakefield, 503-292-4418, deborah@citypass.com .

Treasure Island Flea Marketplace

Treasure Island, renowned as the site of the 1939 World’s Fair, welcomed a new attraction on Memorial Day weekend — the Treasure Island Flea marketplace. In addition to antiques and collectibles the marketplace has become a magnet for new independent designer merchandise, handmade one-of-a-kind items, repurposed and up-cycled goods, shabby chic and French garden pieces, home décor, emerging designers, art, specialty food providers and more. Co-founders Angie and Charles Ansanelli are curating an experience where shoppers will be able to connect directly with designers and collectors and also offering a blend of local entertainment and special events. The open-air market is held on Treasure Island, Avenue of the Palms, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., the last weekend of every month. Admission $3, 12 and under free. Parking is free. For information visit www.treasureislandflea.com or call 415-898-0245. Media contact: Charles Ansanelli, 415-898-0245, charles@treasureislandflea.com.

The Real SF Tour Expands Offerings with New Wine Bars and Cable Cars Tour

Wine Bars and Cable Cars, a new nightlife tour offered by The Real SF Tour, includes visits to four wine bars, linked by short walks and cable car rides. Among the wine bars visited are the acclaimed Press Club, which offers sleek urban design and showcases two local wineries each month; 54 Mint, a charming and rustic homage to Italy’s finest wine growing regions; Russian Hill’s Café Meuse, where the tables are made from repurposed wine crates, and Amelie, a modern wine bar with French flair. The premium tour is $150 per person and includes a flight of three, two-ounce premium pre-selected wines at each location; shared gourmet food platters with Italian cured meats, select cheeses and a variety of artisan breads, and cable car fares. Currently available on Thursday and Friday nights only; call for additional availability on Tuesday-Wednesday and Saturday. For reservations visit www.therealsftour.com or call 888-9-SF-TOUR. Media contact: Christopher Courtney, 415-665-2946, info@therealsftour.com.

Foxhound Urban Adventures Offers a High-Tech Spy Game Surrounded by Landmarks and Attractions

Known for beautiful scenery, waterfront promenades and diverse neighborhoods, San Francisco is the “game board” for a new high-tech spy game. Foxhound Urban Adventures pits two teams representing opposing “secret” agendas against each other. The tour called Jericho San Francisco is one part walking tour, one part treasure hunt and one part laser-tag married to an exciting story of espionage. The debut tour, “Operation Rendition,” casts players in a story of two countries attempting to track down a mole who knows state secrets. Taken on a tour of the city which includes settings such as Union Square, Chinatown, North Beach and Fisherman’s Wharf, each team is equipped with some spy gear including long-range walkie-talkies, rearview sunglasses, a map and an Electronic Tag Unit (ETU), Foxhound’s name for a laser tag gun (disguised as a satchel, of course). Each team is also given a secretly disguised video camera (hidden in a watch, sunglasses, etc). Advance reservations required; $75 per person. Custom adventures available for groups of 10. For information visit www.foxhoundua.com or call 415-439-0429. Media contact: info@foxhoundua.com.

ACsailingSF Offers America’s Cup Sailing Experience on San Francisco Bay

As the San Francisco Bay Area prepares for the arrival of the 34th America’s Cup, visitors will have an opportunity to sail on a former America’s Cup racing yacht. For those with a craving for speed, adrenalin, and the latest America’s Cup technology, sign up for a ride on the 85-foot, 20-passenger USA 76, the ORACLE Racing challenger for the 2003 America’s Cup. Public sailing on San Francisco Bay and charters for corporate events are available now. For information visit www.acsailingsf.com or call 855-ACSF-2013 (855-227-3201). Media contact: Beth Schnitzer, 917-287-7064, beth@spritzsf.com.

Grub Crawl Combines Local Restaurant Specialties with Neighborhood Sights and Making Friends

Inspired by a trip to Europe where guided pub crawls brought groups of people to a series of pubs, bars and clubs all in one night, the founders of Grub Crawl brought the idea home with them and created Grub Crawl, a walking social food tour in and around the San Francisco Bay Area. Grub Crawlers are taken to a series of restaurants and everyone tastes the best dishes each restaurant has to offer, all in one night. Just think of it as “1 crawl. 3 restaurants. Infinite fun.” Current “crawls” are three hours and include “Grubbing Like a Giant,” which takes place in the vicinity of AT&T Park and includes a tour of the ballpark; “Munching in the Mission,” and “Grub the Mission ‘Dish-trict.” Fees range from $40 to $50 per person depending on the tour. Advance reservations are required; minimum group size is 10; group rates available. Departures are daily at 6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, except for “Grubbing Like A Giant” where day and time vary. For information visit www.grubcrawl.com or call 415-515-6256. Media contact: Lawrence Acosta, 415-515-6256, lawrence@grubcrawl.com.

Red And White Fleet Launches California Twilight Cruise Nov. 10, 2011

Starting Nov. 10, 2011 Red and White Fleet will launch a California Twilight Cruise. On this casual two-hour cruise, passengers will enjoy views of the city’s spectacular nightscape, live guitar entertainment, light appetizers from the buffet and a hot or cold beverage from the bar. The cruise will skirt the dramatically lit skyline of San Francisco with its modern skyscrapers and historic landmarks, pass Alcatraz and cruise under the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and the legendary Golden Gate Bridge. Advance bookings are recommended as this event will sell out on some evenings. A full bar with drinks, snacks and merchandise is available onboard. Fares are $54 for adults (18-plus) and $36 for youth (ages 5-17). Children under five are free. Departures from Pier 43½ , Fisherman’s Wharf, are on Thursday-Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 10, 2011 to March 24, 2012. For information visit www.redandwhitefleet.com or call 415-673-2900. Media contact: Molly Blaisdell, 925-300-7252, mollyb22@gmail.com.

Achilles Tours Cater to Runners of All Ages and Capabilities

Adam Zelazny and Jennifer Klafin are the CROs, chief running officers, of Achilles Tours, a new tour company that caters to runners of all ages and capabilities. With decades of running experience at their feet, Zelazny and Klafin offer a healthy, eco-friendly and unique opportunity for travelers to experience San Francisco. Whether it’s through a leisurely sightseeing tour of the city\'s top sights or an urban workout that gets participants into the beautiful outdoors on a safe and convenient run, Achilles Tours accommodates any individual who wants to experience the city up close and personal and to the bottom of their soles. Advance reservations are required. Customized/charter groups available on request; group pricing is available. For information visit www.achillestours.com or call 920-RUN-TOUR (786-8687). Media contact: Adam Zelazny, 601-879-4273, adam@achillestours.com.

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