Published: February, 2017
Make Your Dog Best in Show
Enjoy an afternoon like no other at Contra Costa Humane Society’s Best in Show 2017 on February 12 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Concord Hilton, 1970 Diamond Blvd. Celebrate Valentine’s Day a few days early this year with special Valentine’s Day prizes, surprises and a gift for every single canine guest. Let your pup shine on the runway and win prizes in the first Contra Costa Humane Society “Strut Your Mutt” Dog Show. You can strike a silly or serious pose with your furry friend in the guest photo booth with props and costumes provided. Enjoy a day out with your dog (dress ‘em up!) and help support the Contra Costa Humane Society programs and services for animals in need. Not to mention fine wine, champagne, nibbles and desserts—for you and your canine. Individual tickets are $50 each and group packages are available. Your well behaved, fully licensed and vaccinated pups are most welcome. For more information, call (925) 279-2247 or visit www.cchumane.org.
Tulipmania
PIER 39 comes alive from February 11 to 19 with the vibrant colors of more than 39,000 blooming tulips and seasonal garden favorites during Tulipmania! Enjoy the flowers’ beauty and learn helpful gardening tips with the self-guided tour anytime during Tulipmania or take a free guided tour that begins daily at 10 a.m at PIER 39’s Entrance Plaza and concludes with a special treat at Trish’s Mini Donuts. For more information, visit www.pier39.com.
Flyway with Me
Both birds and people will be flocking to Mare Island in Vallejo to celebrate what has become a special annual winter ritual. The 21st Annual San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival, February 11-12, includes guided hikes and outings, tours, workshops and an exhibition area. The two-day event celebrates the return of over one million shorebirds and hundreds of thousands of ducks, geese and hawks that migrate through or winter in the San Francisco Bay Area. The main Flyway Festival headquarters is at the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Expo Building 221 at 880 Walnut Avenue in Vallejo. The Wildlife and Birding Expo includes exhibits and interactive activities offered by nonprofit, natural and historical resource agencies, slide shows, commercial art, birding suppliers and digital equipment and optics vendors. For more information, visit www.sfbayflywayfestival.com or call (707) 249-9633.
Monet: The Early Years
The Legion of Honor in San Francisco presents Monet: The Early Years from February 25 through May 29. This will be the first major U.S. exhibition devoted to the initial phase of Claude Monet’s career. Through approximately 60 paintings, the exhibition demonstrates the radical invention that marked the artist’s development during the formative years of 1858 to 1872. In this period the young painter developed his unique visual language and technique, creating striking works that manifested his interest in painting textures and the interplay of light upon surfaces. This exhibition is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience Monet’s mastery before Impressionism, and includes paintings that are profoundly daring and surprising. Depictions of moments both large and small, with friends and loved ones, in the solitude of forests and fields and in the quiet scenes of everyday, offer new revelations about an artist that many consider to be ubiquitous. With a selection of works gathered from some of the most important international collections—the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and other public and private collections worldwide—Monet: The Early Years authoritatively demonstrates the artist’s early command of many genres, not only the landscapes for which he has become so renowned but also still lifes, portraits and genre scenes. A limited number of special exhibition timed-entry tickets are available and advanced reservations are strongly recommended. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.legionofhonor.famsf.org.
65th Annual Pacific Orchid Exposition
The Pacific Orchid Exposition, the largest orchid show in the United States, is thrilled to announce its expansion to include more gardening delights in a brand new venue. The 2017 Pacific Orchid and Garden Exposition is taking place February 24 to 26 at the San Francisco County Fair Building at 1199 9th Avenue. The new show features thousands of orchids and so much more. With a theme of “Big Ideas for Small Gardens,” the expo this year will have a special focus on learning about pollination and helping plants thrive in apartments, on windowsills and in city environments. Having trouble keeping your plants alive and healthy? Be sure to visit the “plant doctors” for advice on all your growing needs. Throughout the days of the event, docent tours and skilled horticultural experts will educate attendees with guided tours through the various intricate displays and award-winning flowers. Gather tips on how to maintain the perfect garden while spending the day with your family and friends. You’ll find that this exposition is an ideal outing: with a silent auction, live music and beautiful flowers from all over the world, this is one show you won’t want to miss. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. General admission tickets are $14 advance online/$15 at the door, seniors (65+) are $11 advance online/$12 at the door and a three-day pass is $30. Children 16 and under are free. For more information, visit www.orchidsanfrancisco.org or call (650) 548-6700.
Tall Ships Return to JLS
From February 28 to March 16, the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain will dock at Jack London Square in Oakland to offer dockside vessel tours, sailing cruises, and mock cannon battles. Launched in 1989 as part of Washington State’s centennial, the wooden-hulled Lady Washington has appeared in several motion pictures and TV shows, including Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl and Once Upon a Time. Constructed of steel, Hawaiian Chieftain was launched in 1988 and was originally designed for cargo trade among the Hawaiian Islands. Private educational sails, which delve into maritime history of the 18th and 19th centuries, can be booked for all ages. Students (kids and adults alike) are taught to set the sails, before breaking into small-group learning sessions. Dockside visitors can expect to tour the tall ships and talk with the crew, while sailing passengers will experience the crew in action and the ship under wind power. If you’re ready to run away to sea, a full schedule of events, tickets and volunteering information can be found on the organization’s website at www.historicalseaport.org. For the seasickness-prone but curious, free walk-aboard tours never leave the dock. The boats will be at Jack London Square at 1 Broadway and Water Street, Oakland. Call (800) 200-5239 for directions.
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