Ghost Tours San Francisco

Julia Morgan,Architecture Tour-Elmwood&Claremont Ct.+add*Berkeley City Club Tour

**\*\*Don't be a no-show or a last minute canceller. *See the Group's no-show policy below.*** Do the Meetup tour in the morning, stop for the pizza and then: ***\*On*** *the 4th Sunday of the month there are **45 min**. docent led tours of*[ Julia Morgan's Berkeley City Club](https://berkeleycityclubconservancy.org/docent-tours/), *2315 Durant St., starting at 1:00pm-3:30pm.* (Photo above JM in Paris, 1900, Cathedral Notre Dame in the background. For more information about JM, read here and see the photos below.) We're meeting outside the, Berkeley Playhouse/[Julia Morgan Theater on College Ave. at Derby St.,](https://berkeleyplayhouse.org/) our first stop on the tour. (Optional stop after the tour, at nearby, Nabolom Bakery & Pizzeria.) If you're not going for the City Club Tour, consider a matinee performance at the Julia Morgan Theater and a chance to really take in the interior of a classic JM design. Public places like Asilamar and Hearst Castle offer a chance to see a JM interior, a must to fully appreciate her work. (Along the way we'll see Bernard Maybeck's, First Church of Christ Scientist, a Nat'l Landmark site, where free tours are offered on the first Sunday of every month at 12:15 PM. [One of the best ways to experience these buildings is to attend an event there.](https://www.friendsoffirstchurch.org/tours-and-events) Across the street is Julia Morgan's 1918 Baptist Theological Seminary. (Bowditch & Dwight Way). Built having a brick facade to resemble the Ashmolean Library of Oxford. Britain's first public museum and the world's first university museum. *note.* The Seminary's windows and Tudor details recall the period when the Baptist Church was founded. (We'll pass 2727 Dwight Way, one of the oldest, non-JM houses on the tour, 1891, remodeled in 1917 by Willis Polk.) Morgan graduated UC in 1894 with a degree in Civil Engineering, one of her specializations was structural engineering. (This benefited her clients greatly, as was seen after the 06' earthquake in her still standing buildings.) She arrived in Paris in 1896. A few years later it was reported in the San Francisco Call: **Paris, Oct.30,1902** - *Julia Morgan of San Francisco passed the examination with honors at the Architectural section of the School of Fine Arts, Ecole de Beaux Arts, Paris France.* The first woman to do so. Ironically one of the greatest architects in history, was made to wait two years, taking entrance exams before admission. By the end of her 45 yr. career she had received over 700 commissions. It was said, "Her rational approach to home design and the public success of her large commissions gave Julia Morgan a solid reputation. It also won her the confidence of her clients. With the hard work, genius, inspiration and true artistic and historic perception to create memorable works. Over the course of her career, Morgan designed nearly one hundred buildings across California and the nation for women’s organizations. Her commissions included social and civic clubs for women; academic, residential, and recreational buildings; primary schools; orphanages; hospitals, sanitariums,and nursing residences. She also designed more than thirty YWCA buildings, including those in San Francisco and Berkeley. We'll concentrate on the many Julia Morgan designed houses, churches and buildings in the Claremont Ct. and Elmwood neighborhoods. Unique here are the Julia Morgan ensemble houses, where she creatively and economically placed two houses on one large lot. We'll see several of these ensembles. In fact when JM bought her own house at Washington & Divisadero in SF in 1925, she bought a pair of houses there. To read more about the many Julia Morgan public buildings, such as the Hearst Castle etc. go to wikipedia. She was one of California's most prolific architects. The first woman to receive the American Institute of Architects highest award, the AIA Gold Medal, awarded posthumously in 2014. The three projects that immediately solidified her future career as a great architect, engineer and fully capable project/construction manager were the rebuilding of the new Fairmount Hotel after its semi-destruction following the earthquake. The design, engineering and building of the beautiful Bell Tower at Mills College and Carnegie Library there, both of which survived the earthquake without a crack. And the completion on time and within budget of the construction of the Greek Theater at UC for John Gayland Howard, campus architect. **\*\*Don't be a no-show.** Don't be a no-show and lose your membership in the Group. *Attendance is always taken per name tags that are not picked up.* After the last Julia Morgan home we'll find our way back through what I call the "Pacific Heights" of Berkeley. Look for parking on the smaller side streets or College Ave. Option for lunch afterward. (In my opinion the best slice of organic flour pizza or best overall, in the Bay Area.) Here are some links if you would like to help with Meetup expenses. [Here is a Venmo link.](https://venmo.com/code?user_id=3262702482882560580&created=1757371525), for my account. Here is my Paypal account. '[herrmann48@comcast.net'](http://herrmann48@comcast.net'/) *\*Docent-led, 45-minute tours of Julia Morgan's Berkeley City Club on Durant, are offered on the fourth Sunday of every month (except December) from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM. These are drop-in, public tours that cost $10 per person.*

Tour Mansions in Pacific Heights then-SF Symphony, Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances

[Those with Concert tickets will be taken off the Wait-list. ](https://www.axs.com/events/937951/san-francisco-symphony-orozco-estrada-conducts-dvorak-7-tickets?cid=usaffevvnt) Do you have a ticket, (cost is as low as $27.00). This is a special tour today. End time shown is for the walking tour. After the tour, it's over to **Davies Symphony Hall for, Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances.** We can have lunch before the concert at the Max's Opera Cafe. I have seats around **U12**, in the Upper Orchestra level. There is plenty of available free **parking** around the neighborhood and no restriction on weekends/holidays. After the tour go to the Symphony with us and have lunch there. Help out with Meetup expenses: (Recommended, $5./month for regulars, or $5.00 per Event, if irregular.) Venmo, @hermazon PayPal, herrmann48@comcast.net **(Don't be a no-show.)** It's good to give out name tags. I fill out the name tags just before I leave for the tour. This also gives me a way to take attendance. Name tags that are not picked up, are recorded as no-shows. *(See no-show listing for February in photos below.)* If you get too many no-shows recorded in your personal Meet-up profile you'll be cancelled from this Meetup. (To cancel your RSVP look for the, **"Edit Attendance"** tab at the bottom right hand corner of a notebook screen, left bottom for a phone.) If time allows, about midway through the tour we'll stop for a break atop Lafayette Park. The strange 19th century tale of Samuel Holladay and how he got away with building his mansion on the highest point in Pacific Hts., even though his residential real estate "empire", **was atop and within Lafayette Park**. This is a true tale and will be told with some of the old photos. There are restrooms at the Park and views and we'll describe the surrounding heritage Victorian houses, making our way back through some of the best examples of remaining Victorians in SF. Pacific Heights is best known for being one of the most affluent neighborhoods in San Francisco. This tour highlights the architecture, and some of the people who built, occupied and maintained these grand properties. About 30 of which will be on our tour with some information about each property. The walking tour is 3 miles. With the usual SF hills. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- We'll pass by some Victorians. If you want to know more read-on! **Looking at a San Francisco Victorian, what to look for:** *(There are five Styles)* 1. Flat front Italianate- (earliest Victorians). 2. Italianate with slanted bay windows. 3. San Francisco Stick Style (also called East Lake). Simpler square bay windows now used. Overall more elaborate decoration. 4. Queen Anne Tower House&Witches Cap, with angled or rounded bay windows & front gable 5. Queen Anne Row House"Cottage", 1, 1-1/2 or two stories. Large front gable. Possible moon-gate entry. * Features & "Gingerbread" * Floral Decor-Garlands (one of many types of decorations known as \*"Gingerbread") * Fish scale&Diamond shingles- * Towers & Witch's Cap- * Stained Glass or Beveled Glass- * Carvings of grotesque faces- * Sunbursts- often painted gold color, half or full. * Gables (Queen Anne's) in a variety of material- (mainly redwood) * Newel Posts and Finials on Tower tops and roof peaks- We'll see clusters of Victorian homes systematically built for the average working person by a development company, "The Real Estate Assoc." THEA, in business from 1870 to 1880. Not quite magnificent but many still standing. *Periods* **1860 - 1870s *Italianate*:** Buildings were vertical in emphasis with rounded classical detail. Earliest had flat windows, with false roof fronts. **1880s *Stick Style* (also called East Lake):** Squared off bay windows appear. **Late 1880s and 1890s *Queen Anne*** : Gingerbread would be applied to both the Stick and Queen Ann styles in San Francisco. Sloping roofs appear. With gables and towers. *Rooflines in the Queen Anne were irregular, combining the witches hat rooftop on a rounded or octagonal tower*. Following the Victorians the next major architectural style were the Period Revival residences popular in the 1920s and 1930s. [If you would like a scholarly and detailed explanation with photos, click.](https://sfplanning.org/sites/default/files/documents/preserv/bulletins/HistPres_Bulletin_18.PDF)

SF Marina Tour-Panama Pacific Int'l.Exposition of 1915, from Scott St. entrance

**Note:** The subject tour is of one of the great works of architecture, art and art display in history. It was all created in San Francisco's Marina District, all built in only the two years of, 1913 & 1914. The PPIE ran from Feb.1915 to Dec. And then it vanished. Aside from Bernard Maybeck's Palace of Fine Arts, the re-creation of the California Palace of the Legion of Honor.and some remaining statues and sculptures, all we have left are photos, drawings and written descriptions and accounts of what was there in 1915. But the land this was all on is still there and accessible (except for the Doyle Dr. entry ramp area). By combining the land with the eupherma mentioned above we can virtually recreate in our minds eye what was here. So it is not lost if we don't want it to be! The first tours will develop a summary view that will enable more detailed tours come later. Join in this journey into something very special in the worlds of art and architecture. [A link to a video of the PPIE.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY75exH6Rck) Imagine it's 1915, and you are going to tour the Panama Pacific International Exposition, a San Francisco cultural phenomena. (An idea conceived by Willis Polk in 1891, that eventually had to overcome not only the devastating 1906 Earthquake and Fire, (which made San Franciscans even more determined to have the Exposition), but the start of World War I in Europe. A quarter of million attended opening day and almost twice that many closing day. Imagine how you would spend your day there in 1915. That's what our tour will attempt to do. As we walk a likely route, we would have chosen in 1915. We'll read descriptions of and look at photos of what was along our route. Take a look and do an arm-chair, **\***[self-guided walking tour created by the NPS for the Presidio and GGNRA.](https://npshistory.com/publications/goga/brochures/pan-pacific-expo-1915.pdf) Before the PPIE which the lower part of the Marina District was created for, was a tidal marsh that required pumping Bay mud to fill, including the Marina Green. San Franciscans were very proud and serious about the PPIE. (In 1910 over 4 million$ was raised in a single, two hour, public meeting.) They were making a statement, in letting the world know, that they had successfully survived the 1906 Earthquake and Fire. In fact some very wealthy San Franciscans built mansions in Pacific Hts. just to overlook the PPIE. A way of making their own personal statement that they and the City were back from the ashes and had made an unbelievable recovery. **Chestnut St.** has a large assortment of traditional and avant-guard restaurants. Let's pick one out from the listing below. Or if you have a great favorite please recommend it. **Italian Restaurants and Pizza Shops** * **[A16](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=/m/0220x5j&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjH0ZyHiueTAxVkJzQIHVf_DkQQqdYPegQICRAC)** : A highly-regarded spot specializing in Neapolitan-style pizza and wines from the Campania region. * **[Little Original Joe's](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=/g/11t4kffz5b&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjH0ZyHiueTAxVkJzQIHVf_DkQQqdYPegQICRAF)** : A popular neighborhood staple offering Italian-American classics like vodka pasta, pizza, and burgers. * **[Delarosa](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=/g/1tgxts6d&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjH0ZyHiueTAxVkJzQIHVf_DkQQqdYPegQICRAI)** : Known for its Roman-style thin-crust pizza, small plates, and craft cocktails in a lively atmospher * **[Norcina (Pierce St)](https://www.norcina.com/)**: Located just off Chestnut, this Italian spot is praised for its Nor-sting-ya pizza and authentic pasta dishes. * **Roma Antica (Scott St)**: An authentic Italian restaurant featuring homemade pasta like Cacio e Pepe and Lasagna, often with Italian-speaking staff. * **[Napizza (Scott St)](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=/g/11rn77y0nx&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjH0ZyHiueTAxVkJzQIHVf_DkQQqdYPegQICRAO)** : Offers upscale pizza and pasta, such as truffle mushroom bruschetta and Meyer lemon pizza. **American & Comfort Food** [Causwells](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F1q66z5g1s) [4.3(941)](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F1q66z5g1s) [American](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F1q66z5g1s) [Open2346 Chestnut St10.2 mi](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F1q66z5g1s) A European-inspired bistro famous for its Americana double cheeseburger, as well as seasonal salads and baby back ribs. [Cracked & Battered - Marina](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11jghv89cs) [4.6(534)](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11jghv89cs) [$20–30Restaurant](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11jghv89cs) [Closed2240 Chestnut St10.1 mi](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11jghv89cs) A cozy brunch restaurant serving savory and sweet dishes, including fried chicken and waffles and lemon ricotta pancakes. [Chestnut Diner](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fm%2F04fjwx0) [4.0(562)](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fm%2F04fjwx0) [$10–20Diner](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fm%2F04fjwx0) [1312 Chestnut](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fm%2F04fjwx0) A classic, no-frills American diner known for its fluffy omelets and retro counter seat [The Dorian](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11ckvljj8w) [New American](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11ckvljj8w) [2001 Chestnut St](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11ckvljj8w) A swanky, modern American restaurant and bar popular for social gatherings and brunch. [Balboa Cafe](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fm%2F01zn48k) [4.2(842)](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fm%2F01zn48k) [$20–30Restaurant](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fm%2F01zn48k) [3199 Fillmore](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fm%2F01zn48k) An iconic neighborhood institution serving classic American fare and known as a social hub. **Global & Specialty Cuisine** [Dragon Well](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fm%2F04fj1z7) [4.2(343)](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fm%2F04fj1z7) [$20–30Chinese](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fm%2F04fj1z7) [Open2142 Chestnut](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fm%2F04fj1z7) A long-standing neighborhood favorite for health-conscious Chinese food and handmade potstickers. [Milos Meze](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11lvz40pvx) [4.9(365)](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11lvz40pvx) [Restaurant](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11lvz40pvx) [3348 Steiner](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11lvz40pvx) A modern Greek restaurant serving authentic dishes like lamb chops and spanakopita.[Souvla](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11gv_sljj1) [4.5(481)](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11gv_sljj1) [$10–20Greek](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11gv_sljj1) [Open2272 Chestnut](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11gv_sljj1) A casual, modern Greek rotisserie and salad spot.[Lobalita](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11n43r0k2m) [4.6(11)](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11n43r0k2m) [$20–30Restaurant](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11n43r0k2m) [Open2231 Chestnut](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11n43r0k2m) Recently replaced The Tipsy Pig, this modern Mexican bar offers tapas-style bites like aguachiles and tacos. [SF.gov](http://sf.gov/) +7 [Super Mensch](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11xkn4hmzs) [4.3(67)](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11xkn4hmzs) [$20–30Jewish](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11xkn4hmzs) [Open2336 Chestnut St10.2 mi](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=%2Fg%2F11xkn4hmzs) A modern Jewish deli specializing in pastrami on house-made rye and matzah ball soup. ## References: Title: San Francisco's exposition year : the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition / 907.4794 Bruce Title: Panorama : tales from San Francisco's 1915 Pan-Pacific International Exposition / 979.461 B836p Title: San Francisco's Jewel City : the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915 / 907.47946 Ac57s Title: San Francisco's wildflower : the Palace of Fine Arts / 708.074 B896s plus hundreds and hundreds of Google searches. such as, "Show me a photo of xxx State building at the PPIE.

HAGS Does Macmillan Mysteries' Home Haunt

WE WALK THE PRESIDIO FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH & BACK

We will visit next a part of the Presidio that we may have only visited once. This walk is very special because we will start at the Northern part of the Presidio as we usually do, but we will head South to see special things such as Redwood trees, great views at Inspiration Point and wild animals such as cyotes. Also, we will visit the historic Presidio Officers' Club, which is one of the 2 largest free museums in the Presidio. We will gather at 11:00 AM in front of the Presidio's Transit Center at 215 Graham Street. We will end back at our starting point a little before 4:00 PM. The only cost is $5 cash per adult, kids always free. The $5 is collected at the middle of the walk. Attendance Max = 60. One guest is allowed per member if put on the RSVP. For most attendees the best way to get there is to take the free PresidiGo bus. It will leave the bus stop on Drumm Street in front of the Hyatt Regency near Market Street at 10:32 AM and arrive at our starting point, a little before 11:00 AM. The bus will stop to pick up passengers at other stops along the way. Below is Saturday's schedule of the PresidiGo bus going from downtown SF to the Presidio, and be sure that you look at the Weekend schedule: [PresidiGo Downtown Shuttle Schedule | Presidio – San Francisco, CA](https://www.presidio.gov/transportation/presidigo/downtown-shuttle-schedule) Also, there are other ways to get there and return such as the SF Muni bus 43 Masonic, which also stops at our starting point. Here is a link: [43 Masonic | SFMTA](https://www.sfmta.com/routes/43-masonic) At 11:10 AM we will start walking around to look at nearby sites. Then at Noon we will eat our lunches outside, not far from our starting point. Attendees have the choice of either bringing a sack lunch or buying one at the many food trucks and booths there. We may have to sit on the grass for lunch because we don't know how crowded the area will be Saturday. After lunch we will explore other parts of the Presidio such as Inspiration Point. We will be sure to get back to the Presidio's Transit Center before 4:00 PM because the PresidiGo bus going back to downtown SF will be leaving at 4:00 PM. These buses leave exactly one hour apart on the hour. See the schedule below: [PresidiGo Downtown Shuttle Schedule | Presidio – San Francisco, CA](https://www.presidio.gov/transportation/presidigo/downtown-shuttle-schedule) This will be a relatively easy walk: we will be taking in the sights and not walking fast or far. This walking group is for humans only. No dogs or other animals allowed. Below are photos taken at the last time we walked there: [THE SF PRESIDIO'S 2 NEW TUNNEL TOPS PARK WALK - VERSION #3 (Sep 24, 2022) Photos](https://www.meetup.com/walking-in-sf/photos/32814071/507299672/)

Where Does SF Most Closely Resemble Manhatten?

In the eighties the worst thing you could say about a proposed downtown building was that it would Manhattanize San Francisco. By 2008 everything changed and Manhattanization of parts of downtown became almost a goal. An area now called the East Cut south of market around 2nd Street where back in the 1860s Rincon Hill was cut through by what was known then as the East Cut to link that part of downtown to the waterfront. It has now become a very hot development area. It contains Salesforce Park and the transit center. As well as the infamous Millienium Tower.

Architectural Walking Tour with Campus Concert & Lunch at the Faculty Club

*\* Please see the No-show policy at the bottom. Don't be a No-show and lose your membership in the Group. Canceling within 24hr of meeting time for the Event, counts as a No-show.* (Event ending time includes staying for the three parts of the Meetup Event.) *There are essentially three parts today, a diagonal walk to the Campus of just over two miles up the hill* *After the walking tour we'll have lunch, finishing by 12:10, just in time for the Concert.* *Immediately after the Concert we'll head back to the cars and BART arriving at the cars by 1:35pm.* *\*The concert is 45 minutes long and will end at 1:00pm.* *The salad bar, sandwiches, hamburgers or the Kerr Bar located in the Faculty Club which is next door to the Music Dept. is very good. **We need to finish lunch by 12:10 sharp.*** \*The Chamber Music concert will feature students from the UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra performing small ensemble works under the direction of Leighton Fong. Berryman Station was originally between Rose and Vine Sts. After the RR extended its line from Downtown in 1878, the nearby blocks developed into a commercial and residential district. The eight blocks located between Rose and Cedar from Arch to Shattuck were subdivided in 1873 and sold for $300 to $400 each for a 60' by 134' lot. Our architectural heritage walk will focus on the heritage architecture as we make our way up to the Campus. Distance will be about four miles round trip up the hill. Photo above looking west on Shattuck at Vine in 1898. \*There is limited attendance for this event. Don't RSVP unless you are sure you can make it, if you No-show you'll be needlessly taking someone's spot who is on the Waitlist. **(Don't be a no-show.)** It's good to give out name tags. I fill out the name 24 hrs. before the meeting time. This also gives me a way to take attendance. Name tags that are not picked up, are recorded as no-shows. If you get too many no-shows recorded in your personal Meet-up profile you'll be cancelled from this Meetup. (To cancel your RSVP [must be at least 24hrs in advance or it is a no-show] look for the, **"Edit Attendance"** tab at the bottom right hand corner of a notebook screen screen, left bottom for a phone.) Meet on the sidewalk at the intersection of Yolo Ave. & Sutter St. Berkeley, opposite 2019 Yolo Ave. 2019 Yolo Ave. · Berkeley, CA Students from the UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra perform small ensemble works under the direction of Leighton Fong. 12:15pm concert at Hertz Hall. The neighborhood north of University Ave. between Shattuck and MLK began as farmland. Sub-divided after steam train service arrived in 1876. With the advent of electric streetcars, reaching Cedar Ave. in 1902 residential development accelerated. The dominant style is Colonial Revival popular between 1895 and 1905. Distance will be about four miles round trip up the hill. Architectural Walking Tour with Campus Concert & Lunch at the Faculty Club

Adventure SF -- Group Volunteering Tour of Folsom Street Fair

**History walk • Group volunteering • Explore one of San Francisco's most unconventional festivals** You may have heard of SF's famous Folsom Street Fair, or you may have wanted to check it out one day but never made it. Here is a chance to do so, with a group, with an official role in the festival. Folsom Street Fair is a unique SF culture adventure experience, as **weird** as SF can get. It is the world's largest leather and kink event, having **250k** to **half a million** visitors every year. Fairly dense in one day. Definitely 18+ adult theme. Started in the 1980s, it has long been a fixture in SF cultural landscape. [https://www.folsomstreet.org/](https://www.folsomstreet.org/) https://www.sfheritage.org/community/the-folsom-street-fair/ We think a history walk and then group volunteering tour, acting as part of the festival safety monitor team, is a right way to crack this famous street fair in SF. Its volunteer organizer is [turnout.org,](http://turnout.org,/) which we have cooperated in the Pride parade before. So we will do a history tour of the festival, then attend the festival as volunteers. The recommended shifts are: Safety Team Support 2-5pm There are also other shifts, like volunteer sign in, floaters, hospitality etc., you can check them out and sign up at below. Yes, you must **sign up** there to attend the group volunteering. [https://turnoutinc.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=90549](https://turnoutinc.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=90549) The role of safety team support is to walk the festival ground in pairs or groups, under the instruction of the safety team. So you get this official role to wander the ground, watch all the actions, while doing good, as part of the festival organizing body. We think group volunteering after a history tour is the right way to crack this niche festival of SF. Of course the volunteering part is optional, you are also free to attend it as simply spectators. \#\# The day **12:00 — Sightglass Coffee, 270 7th St.** Coffee, introductions. Two floors, plenty of room, just outside the closure. **12:30 — Step off.** **12:45 — Ringold Alley.** One block south of Folsom, between 8th and 9th. It's a registered historical landmark and a public memorial to the leather community — bronze bootprints and granite markers set into the pavement, names of people who built this neighborhood. Almost nobody walking to the fair knows it's there. We're stopping here first on purpose: it makes today a history instead of a spectacle. **1:00 — West along Harrison.** One block parallel to the fair. You'll hear it for fifteen minutes before you see it. This is the stretch where our Friend Circle happens, so you go into your shift knowing the people you're working beside. **1:15 — Eagle Plaza, 398 12th St.** The public plaza built for the leather community next to the SF Eagle, with bronze stars set into the walkway and the leather pride flag overhead. Last stop. **1:25 — Volunteer HQ.** Check in, badge, coat check, grab something from the hospitality tent. They ask Folsom volunteers to arrive early because you have to cross the fair to get there. **2:00 — Shift starts.** **\~5:30/6:00 — Shift ends.** Back to HQ, food, and we regroup there. **6:30pm** Optional group coffee/dinner Folsom Street is a nonprofit that has given away more than $7 million to community organizations since 1984, almost entirely on the backs of volunteers. That's the machine we're spending an afternoon inside of. See you at Sightglass. **Join [TownFlame](http://www.townflame.org/), Make Life Happen.** **Liability Waiver:** Participation in TownFlame events is voluntary and involves social interaction in public spaces. Activities are designed to be inclusive and respectful. Participants assume all risks and release TownFlame, its organizers, volunteers, and affiliates from liability for injury, illness, or damages, except in cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct. By attending, participants acknowledge that photographs, audio, and video recordings may be taken during events, and grant TownFlame the right to use such media for promotional and marketing purposes, in any format or platform, without further consent or compensation.

Normandy Chateau, France Slowcation! - Sept 2026

**[NORMANDY CHATEAU, FRANCE SLOWCATION!](https://globe-drifters.com/trip/france-normandy-slowcation/)** **• Dates:** September 22 - October 1, 2026 *(10 days / 9 nights)* **• Cost:** $6600 *(per person, excluding flights)* **• Single supplement:** None! **• Detailed itinerary, chateau info, what's included, etc:** https://globe-drifters.com/trip/france-normandy-slowcation/[https://globe-drifters.com/trip/france-normandy-slowcation/](https://globe-drifters.com/trip/france-normandy-slowcation/) Click the link above for all the trip details. You can email [info@globe-drifters.com](info@globe-drifters.com) if you have questions! This is a slowcation where we'll rent out an entire chateau just for us, bring in a private chef to prepare dinner for us each night, and have a full-time guide throughout the entire trip. Plus, everyone gets their own room at no extra cost! Read more about a slowcation here: **[What is a slowcation?](https://globe-drifters.com/slowcations/)** \*\*\*A château in the heart of Normandy — your home away from home… \*\*\*Explore Normandy’s villages and landscapes that inspired great impressionist paintings as you sip and savor your way along the cheese and cider trail, retreating to a château at the end of the day to eat, drink, and be merry like French royalty. **Don’t just see history, sleep in history:** Stay in a château and feast on grand dinners fit for kings and queens, stroll through pristine gardens at sunset, and try a game of *pétanque* — a French favorite! **Cheese & Cider Trail:** Follow the trail through picturesque towns to taste Normandy’s world-renowned cheeses and hard ciders. **Private room:** Enjoy your own room in the château at no extra cost, providing a quiet retreat to relax after a day of exploring.

HAGS Does Terror Vault

Marin Headlands - Rodeo Beach Hike - Sunday 9-27-26

Stained Glass Tour at Cypress Lawn! - Colma