Events Listings

THE ARMORY  

"Castro County Fair," May 23, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. AIDS Emergency Fund hosts a day of games, entertainment, food and fun.  

15th and Mission, San Francisco. < 

CALIFORNIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY  

HISTORY WALKABOUTS -- A series of monthly walking tours that explore the history, lore and architecture of California with veteran tour guide Gary Holloway. Walks take place rain or shine so dress for the weather. Reservations and prepayment required. Meeting place will be given with confirmation of tour reservation. Tour price includes admission to the Museum.  

$1-$3; free children under age 5. Wednesday-Saturday, noon-4:30 p.m. 678 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 357-1848 X229, www.californiahistoricalsociety.org.< 

COMMONWEALTH CLUB OF CALIFORNIA  

"Theodore Sorensen: JFK's Most Trusted Advisor Looks Back and Forward," May 17, 6 p.m. Hear a conversation with an insider of the Kennedy Camelot era. Free-$35.  

"Turning Over a New LEAF: The Start of an Electric Vehicle Revolution?," May 18, 3 p.m. As legislation compels manufacturers to innovate with cleaner vehicles, the world's need for mobility is increasing. Free.  

"Shanghai and Beyond," May 19, 6 p.m. Celebrate the 30-year sister city relationship of SF and Shanghai. $12-$20.  

"Sip and Swirl -An Evening of Wine Tasting Education," May 19, 6:30 p.m. Join in an evening of wine tasting that is fun and educational and is equally delightful for novices and aficionados. $39-$45.  

"Michael Moss: A Pulitzer Prize-Winning Look at the Food Industry," May 20, Noon. Pulitzer Prize winning Times reporter Moss will share his insights gained while uncovering some of the food industry's best kept secrets. $7-$20.  

"The New Ruralism: Smart Growth and Local Food," May 20, 6 p.m. There's no place like home when it comes to your food source. $12-$20.  

595 Market St., Second Floor, San Francisco. (415) 597-6705, www.commonwealthclub.org.< 

FEMINA POTENS GALLERY  

"Open Eyes," First Friday of every month, 8 p.m. Screening of films by local artists followed by a wine and vegan cookie reception along with a question and answer session with the filmmakers. $7-$10.  

Free unless otherwise noted. Thursday through Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. 2199 Market Street at Sanchez, San Francisco. (415) 217-9340, www.feminapotens.org.< 

THE GREEN ARCADE  

William Ayers, May 21, 7 p.m. The activist and theorist appears with artist Ryan Alexander to discuss the graphic novel adaptation of Ayers' memoir "To Teach: The Journey of a Teacher.''  

1680 Market St., San Francisco. (415) 431-6800, www.thegreenarcade.com.< 

HAAS-LILIENTHAL HOUSE This historic Queen Anne is distinguished as the only intact private home of the period that is open regularly as a museum, complete with authentic furniture and artifacts. The House has elaborate wooden gables, a circular corner tower and luxuriant ornamentation. Volunteer docents lead tours through the House and explain the Victorian architecture of the exterior. A display of photographs in the downstairs supper-room describes the history of the home and the family that lived here until 1972.  

Tours are offered regularly on Sundays from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and on Wednesdays and Saturdays from Noon-3 p.m. Special group tours are also available. 

$5-$8. 2007 Franklin St., San Francisco. (415) 441-3000, www.sfheritage.org.< 

PRESIDIO DANCE THEATER  

"Breakfast with Enzo," Fridays, 10 a.m.-noon. A highly acclaimed live family music show. $5. (415) 561-3958, www.enzogarcia.com. 

1158 Gorgas Road at Marshall, San Francisco. (415) 608-4503, www.boomercize.com.< 

SAN FRANCISCO MARITIME NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK One of only a few "floating'' national parks, the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park includes four national landmark ships, a maritime museum, a maritime library and a World-War-II submarine named the USS Pampanito.  

HYDE STREET PIER -- Demonstrations, ship tours, programs, music and special events offered throughout the day. Check ticket booth for schedule. At the foot of Hyde Street, Hyde and Jefferson streets.  

Entering the Pier is free but there is a fee to board the ships.  

HISTORIC SHIPS AT THE HYDE STREET PIER -- The historic ships at the Pier are the 1886 square-rigger "Balclutha,'' the 1890 steam ferryboat "Eureka,'' the 1895 schooner "C.A. Thayer'' (not available at this time due to restoration), the 1891 scow schooner "Alma,'' the 1907 steam tug "Hercules,'' and the 1914 "Eppleton Hall,'' a paddlewheel tug.  

"Balclutha." This historic ship, a three-mast square-rigger, has undergone extensive repairs and preservation work. She now contains more original materials and fittings than any other historic merchant square-rigger in the United States. The Balclutha is a designated National Historic Landmark. At Hyde Street Pier.  

"Eureka." Explore this 1890 ferryboat with a 40-foot walking-beam engine. The boat once carried passengers and autos across the San Francisco Bay. At Hyde Street Pier. Daily, call for times of boat tour.  

"C.A. Thayer." A three-mast schooner used in the lumber and cod fishing trades. At Hyde Street Pier.  

"Alma." Between 1850 and the early 1900s, the best highways around the San Francisco Bay area were the waterways and the delivery trucks and tractortrailer rigs of the time were the flat-bottomed scow schooners. Able to navigate the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta region's shallow creeks, sloughs and channels, the scows' sturdy hulls could rest safely and securely on the bottom providing a flat, stable platform for loading and unloading. Made of inexpensive Douglas fir, scow's designs were so simple they could be built by eye or without plans.  

"Hercules." Tugs in the early part of the 20th century towed barges, sailing ships and log rafts between Pacific ports. Because prevailing north/west winds generally made travel up the coast by sail both difficult and circuitous, tugs often towed large sailing vessels to points north of San Francisco. In 1916 Hercules towed the C.A. Thayer to Port Townsend, Wash., taking six days to make the trip. At the end of the sail era, the Hercules was acquired by the Western Pacific Railroad Company and shuttled railroad car barges back and forth across San Francisco Bay until 1962.  

"Eppleton Hall." Built in England, the steam side-wheeler plied the Wear and Tyne rivers of Northeast England. Designed to tow ocean-going colliers (coal-carrying sail vessels) the tugs saved transit time getting the sail vessels upriver to load. The side-wheelers were also used to tow newly built ships out to sea. From 1969 to 1979, the Eppleton Hall served as a private yacht. She was modified for an epic steam via the Panama Canal to San Francisco, passing through the Golden Gate in March of 1970.  

HISTORIC SHIP AT FISHERMAN'S WHARF --  

"USS Pampanito." This World-War-II-era submarine is berthed at Fisherman's Wharf. The submarine celebrated her 50th anniversary in November of 1993 and is perhaps best known for her participation in a "wolf pack'' attack on a convoy of enemy ships during World War II. The entrance fee includes a taped audio tour that describes what life on this submarine was like. At Pier 45, near foot of Taylor Street. Monday through Thursday, Sunday and holidays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. $9 general; $5 seniors, $4 active duty military, $4 youth ages 6 to 12; free children under age 6. (415) 775-1943.  

ONGOING EVENTS --  

"Historic Ship Volunteer Work Party," Saturday, 9 a.m. Become part of an effort to preserve four of the park's nautical treasures. Work on a different ship each Saturday. Bring work clothes, work shoes and lunch. Call for meeting place. (415) 332-8409.  

Unless noted otherwise, events take place on the Hyde Street Pier, located at the foot of Hyde Street on Jefferson Street. 

EXHIBITS -- Current Exhibits at the Visitor Center:  

"What's Your Pleasure? Recreational Boats of California's Past," openended. This exhibit includes 1940s Sacramento Hydroplanes, a Russian River launch from the 19th century, classic wooden motor launches and motor boats, and other smaller crafts.  

"Hydroplanes and Racing Boats," open-ended. A small exhibit showcasing 1930s racing engines and hydroplane boats.  

"Frisco Bound," an exhibition about immigration to San Francisco, clipper ships, and the Gold Rush era.  

"Hyde Street Ship Models," an exhibit of models of the historic ships at the Hyde Street Pier.  

"Discovery Room," a preview of the Maritime Library where visitors can look up documents and photographs.  

(415) 447-5000. 

Entering the Pier is free but there is a fee to board the ships. The fee allows access to all ships and is good for seven days. $5; free children under age 16. May 28-Sept. 30: daily, 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Oct. 1-May 27: Daily, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Foot of Hyde Street, San Francisco. (415) 561-7100, www.nps.gov.< 

YERBA BUENA CENTER FOR THE ARTS The center's visual arts exhibitions feature contemporary art and popular culture by local, national and international artists. There are four rounds of exhibitions in the galleries each year. 

"To the Limit: Pina Bausch on Film," through May 30. May 23, 2 p.m.: "Two Performance Films: Walzer and Cafi Muller  

May 27-29, 7:30 p.m.: Dancing Dreams (Tanztraume).  

May 30, 2 p.m.: Bluebeard  

"Typeface," May 15 through May 16, Saturday, 6 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 and 4 p.m. Follow the story of the Hamilton Wood Type Museum in Two Rivers, Wisconsin.  

"Scandinavian Blue: Book Launch and Screening with jack Stevenson," May 20, 7:30 p.m. Jack Stevenson presents his new book "Scandinavian Blue'' with a screening of the Danish film "Venom'' from 1966 and a couple of short surprises.  

$3-$6; free the first Tuesday of every month. Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, noon-5 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, noon-8 p.m. 701 Mission St., San Francisco. (415) 978-2787, www.ybca.org.<