“What’s New” is a listing of new venues, attractions and activities compiled by the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB).

Public transit is highly recommended when visiting San Francisco. For bus schedules and information on San Francisco’s cable cars, historic streetcars and light rail system visit www.sfmta.org or call 311 (San Francisco) or 415-701-2311 if calling from outside area code 415.

san francisco cable car

CITY NEWS

“Stay & Shop SF” Includes a $50 Westfield Gift Card and Free Breakfast and Parking at Participating Hotels for Two or More Nights Hotel Stays Through April 30, 2010 in San Francisco.

The SFCVB, American Express and Westfield San Francisco Centre are offering an urban alternative for “spring break” with special offers for visitors for the “Stay & Shop SF” promotion through April 30, 2010. Visitors who book a two-night minimum stay at one of 15 participating hotels on the Only in San Francisco Web site, www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com, with an American Express card will receive a $50 Westfield American Express gift card (limit one gift card per stay), free parking and free breakfast. The “Stay & Shop SF” promotion includes hotels in San Franciso's Civic Center, Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Square, Financial District and Pacific Heights areas. It is limited to the first 400 people who book a “Stay & Shop SF” package on www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com. All travel must be completed by April 30, 2010.

Bon Appétit! Dine About Town San Francisco Returns June 1-15, 2010

There’s always something tantalizing on the foodie scene in San Francisco and those in the know are looking forward to the return of Dine About Town™ San Francisco, June 1-15, 2010. Sponsored by the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, Dine About Town serves up memorable meals from more than 100 of San Francisco's finest restaurants, offering two-course menus for lunch at $17.95 and three-course dinners at $34.95. Reservations may be made at www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com/dineabouttown beginning May 1, 2010 through a partnership with OpenTable.com. American Express is the preferred method of payment for Dine About Town. A kickoff event on May 26, 2010 benefiting Meals on Wheels will be held Under the Dome at the Westfield San Francisco Centre, 865 Market St.

$36.6 Million in Bond Sales to Fund Design and Renovation of San Francisco’s Cruise Ship Terminals at Piers 27 and 35



golden gate bridgeOn Jan. 27, 2010 San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced that $36,650,000 in Port of San Francisco revenue bonds have been sold to financial investors. The sale of the revenue bonds will provide $10,000,000 for the design of a state of the art international cruise terminal at Pier 27, $5,000,000 for urgent repairs to the Port’s current cruise terminal at Pier 35, and $8,000,000 for improvements to the Pier 90-94 Backlands (23 acres of unimproved land near Islais Creek), among other projects. The Series 2010 Revenue Bonds represent the first issuance of new-money bonds by the Port since 1984. Mayor Newsom made the announcement at the Maiden Call for the Cunard Line’s Queen Victoria cruise ship at Pier 35. Plans call for the new Cruise Terminal at Pier 27 to be completed as early as 2013; once completed Pier 35 will remain in operation as a secondary terminal. For information visit www.sfport.com.

MUSEUMS

Art World Brings An “Embarrassment of Riches” to San Francisco in 2010

Art insiders are describing the lineup of exhibitions slated for San Francisco this year as an “embarrassment of riches” and a season that will offer “something for everyone” whether they are a young sophisticate or a family keen on a learning experience. Among the exhibitions coming up include:

Feb. 12-Sept. 5, 2010

Shanghai

Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St., San Francisco

Programs celebrating the San Francisco Bay Area’s long-standing ties to Shanghai will be held in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose throughout 2010. More than 30 cultural institutions and civic groups are participating in a cultural initiative that corresponds with the World Expo in Shanghai, May 1-Oct. 31, 2010. Exhibitions, performances, film series, lectures, a symposium and more have been announced. The cornerstone of the celebration in San Francisco is Shanghai, a major exhibition at the Asian Art Museum Feb. 12-Sept. 5, 2010. Spanning a time period of 160 years, the exhibition includes 130 artworks such as trade oil paintings, Shanghai deco furniture and rugs, revolutionary poster art, fashion, movie clips and contemporary art installations. Since 1979 Shanghai, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, has been a Sister City of San Francisco and ties between the two cities go back 140 years. For information visit www.shanghaicelebration.com or www.asianart.org or call 415-581-3500.

May 22-Sept. 6, 2010


Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay

Sept. 25, 2010-Jan. 18, 2011

Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and Beyond: Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay de Young Museum, Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr., San Francisco

Two consecutive special exhibitions, Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay and Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and Beyond: Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay will be on view at the de Young Museum for a combined eight months beginning in May 2010 and ending in January 2011.  Each exhibition will include approximately 100 paintings from the Musée d’Orsay’s permanent collection and highlights the work of nearly 40 artists including Cézanne, Degas, Gauguin, Manet, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Rousseau, Seurat, Sisley, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh and Vuillard. The Musée d’Orsay will loan the exhibitions while it undergoes a partial closure for refurbishment and reinstallation in anticipation of the Musée’s 25th anniversary in 2011.

The de Young will be the only museum in the world to host both exhibitions. The first exhibition opens May 22, 2010 and runs through Sept. 6, 2010.  The second exhibition, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and Beyond: Post- Impressionist Masterpieces from the Musée d’Orsay opens Sept. 25, 2010 and runs through Jan. 18, 2011.  Tickets for the general public will go on sale April 6, 2010. For information visit www.deyoungmuseum.org or call 415-750-3600. Media contacts: Jill Lynch, 415-750-3553, [email protected]; Robin Wander, 415-750-2604, [email protected] or Amelie Hardivillier, [email protected].

June 25-Sept. 19, 2010

Calder to Warhol: Introducing the Fisher Collection

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 151 Third St.

SFMOMA recently announced an unprecedented partnership with Doris and the late Donald Fisher, founders of the Gap, to provide a home for their collection of more than 1,100 works, most of which have never been displayed publicly. This sweeping exhibition will offer an extraordinary preview of the depth, breadth and quality of the Fisher holdings, including iconic works by Alexander Calder, Chuck Close, Agnes Martin, Philip Guston, Anselm Kiefer, Ellsworth Kelly, Roy Lichtenstein, Brice Marden, Joan Mitchell, Gerhard Richter, Richard Serra, Wayne Thiebaud, Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol and many others. It will also serve as the centerpiece of SFMOMA’s yearlong 75th anniversary celebration entitled 75 Years of Looking Forward. For information visit www.sfmoma.org or call 415-357-4000. Media contact: Libby Garrison, 415-357-4177, [email protected].

July 1-Oct. 26, 2010

Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World)

Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission St.

Maira Kalman is the first major exhi­bition dedicated to the illustrator, author and designer, renowned for rendering the ephemeral and profound with great detail and wit. She is a humorist and a miniaturist. And her art appears everywhere in the foreground of today’s visual culture —with many covers for The New Yorker, books, and creative collaborations to her credit. The installation — spanning 30 years of original paintings, drawings, notebooks and sketchbooks — is being composed by Kalman as a creative context for her work. The exhibition expresses Kalman’s habits as a collector, walker, traveler, reader and maker of lists. Furnished with chairs, ladders and “many tables of many things,” this exhi­bition invites viewers to stroll through the world of Maira Kalman and to observe her way of structuring the world her work illuminates. For information visit www.thecjm.org or call 415-655-7800. Media contact: Jen Morris, 415-655-7834, [email protected].

July 10-Oct. 10, 2010


Technocraft

Hackers, Modders, Fabbers, Tweakers; Design in the Age of Individuality

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St.
Technocraft explores how the boundary between the role of the designer and the consumer is disappearing. Curated by acclaimed designer Yves Behar, the exhibition traces the current trend in design away from fixed objects toward open “design platforms” that invite people to participate in the creative process.  Selected works span the spectrum from intentionally collaborative (such as platforms where individuals can customize their products) to outsider hacks, where “finished” products are adapted or modified by the user.  Special attention is paid to the intersection of technology and craft that encourages an unprecedented level of user participation with profound implications for the future of design and experience making. For information visit www.ybca.org or call 415-978-2700.  Media contact: Kimberly Harding, 415-321-1307, [email protected].

April 3 – Sept. 12, 2010


Going to Extremes – California Academy of Sciences Opens Extreme Mammals

Opening April 3, 2010 a new exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences, Extreme Mammals: The Biggest, Smallest, and Most Amazing Mammals of All Time showcases some of the most intriguing mammals, from the speedy to the sloth-like, the towering to the tiny, even the venomous and the armor-clad. Featuring spectacular fossils and reconstructions alongside recent specimens and live animals, the exhibit explores the surprising and often extraordinary world of extinct and living mammals. A whale that could walk? A bat the size of a bumblebee? Mothers who are pregnant for almost two years … or just 12 days? Meet this colorful cast of characters and learn why humans are perhaps the most extreme mammals of all. For information visit www.calacademy.org or call 415-379-8000. Media contact: Stephanie Stone, 415-379-5121, [email protected].

Through June 6, 2010


Batman: Yesterday and Tomorrow

Cartoon Art Museum, 655 Mission St.

For more than 70 years, audiences have thrilled to the adventures of Batman, one of the most popular and enduring fictional characters of the modern age.  From his first appearance in Detective Comics in 1939 to the blockbuster Dark Knight film of 2008, Gotham City’s Caped Crusader has taken on many forms, from cartoonish and campy to dark and disturbed, from daring detective to grim force of vengeance. The Cartoon Art Museum’s new exhibition, Batman: Yesterday and Tomorrow, showcases six strikingly different interpretations of the Dark Knight, representing some of the boldest visionaries to illustrate the DC Comics icon. For information visit www.cartoonart.org or call 415-CAR-TOON (227-8666). Media contact: Andrew Farago, 415-227-8666, ext. 313, [email protected].

PERFORMING ARTS

42nd Street Moon’s Ira Gershwin Celebration Begins with Lady, Be Good! April 3, 2010
42nd Street Moon’s Ira Gershwin Celebration kicks off with one of the earliest Gershwin hits: Lady, Be Good!, the first smash hit the Gershwin brothers enjoyed in New York.  It opens at the Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson St., Saturday, April 3, with three low-priced previews on March 31, April 1 and 2, and runs through April 18, 2010. The first show in a multi-year salute to Ira Gershwin, Lady, Be Good!, a sensation in New York in 1925 and which originally starred Fred Astaire and his sister, Adele. The Gershwin’s propelled Broadway into the Roaring Twenties with their dazzling score featuring hot jazz and cool blues in numbers such as Fascinating Rhythm and Lady, Be Good. 42nd Street Moon’s season continues with Very Warm for May, the first show in the Jerome Kern Celebration, opening May 9, 2010. For information visit www.42ndstmoon.org or call 415-255-8207. Media contact: Brenda Hughes, 415-244-9770, [email protected].

Direct from London: Peter Pan Makes April 27, 2010 U.S. Premiere in San Francisco

Beginning April 27, 2010, San Francisco will host the U.S. premiere of a spectacular new stage production of Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie’s classic story performed in a state-of-the-art theater pavilion. Conceived by an award-winning creative team, Peter Pan features 22 actors, stunning puppets, epic music, dazzling flying sequences and the world’s first 360-degree CGI theater set. One of the most striking elements of this new production is the setting: the threesixty° Theater. The show is performed “in the round” in a 1,350-seat theater-tent, which will be erected in Ferry Park on the Embarcadero opposite the Ferry Building. This remarkable structure, designed expressly for the world premiere of this production in London’s Kensington Gardens last summer, will be shipped 6,000 miles to San Francisco. The entire interior is lit with more than 15,000 square feet of high-resolution video, immersing the cast and audience in a CGI Neverland. When Peter and Wendy fly to Neverland the audience flies with them over 400-square-miles of virtual London and beyond. Tickets are on sale for the limited 10-week run. For information visit www.peterpantheshow.com or call 888-ppantix (888-772-6849); for groups of 15 or more, call 415-551-2020 or email [email protected]. Media contacts: Anne Abrams, Jennifer McVey or Erin Garcia, 415-551-2075, [email protected].

San Francisco Opera Presents Gounod’s Faust, Puccini’s The Girl of the Golden West and Wagner’s Die Walküre June 5-July 2, 2010

San Francisco Opera’s Summer 2010 season includes three diverse operas beginning with Gounod’s popular French setting of Goethe’s Faust starring Bay Area favorite Patricia Racette as the heartbroken Marguerite.  Set in the heart of the California Gold Country, Puccini’s opera The Girl of the Golden West returns home for the first time in three decades in celebration of its 100th anniversary.  This story of a love triangle between a crafty criminal, a suspicious sheriff and a frontier woman with a tender heart stars the incomparable Deborah Voigt as Minnie.  And lastly, in a special preview of Wagner’s complete Ring cycle (to be presented in its entirety by San Francisco Opera in June 2011), Bay Area audiences will have the opportunity to see the second installment of this epic four-opera cycle: Die Walkure.  Mark Delavan returns as Wotan, the powerful god torn by conflicting loyalties and Nina Stemme makes her long-awaited appearance as his daughter Brünnhilde. San Francisco Opera’s Summer 2010 Season runs June 5-July 2. For information visit www.sfopera.com or call 415-864-3330. Media contact: Robin Freeman, 415-565-6451, [email protected].

Dreamgirls Comes to San Francisco’s Curran Theatre Aug. 24-Sept. 26, 2010

The new production of Dreamgirls, the Tony Award winning musical, will play the Curran Theatre in San Francisco, Aug. 24-Sept. 26, 2010. This all-new production premiered at Harlem’s Apollo Theater in New York City on Nov. 22, 2009 before embarking on an international tour. Full of onstage joy and backstage drama, Dreamgirls tells the story of an up-and-coming, 1960s singing girl group, and the triumphs and tribulations that come with fame and fortune. For ticket information, currently only available to Best of Broadway subscribers, visit www.shnsf.com. Media contacts: Anne Abrams, Jennifer McVey or Erin Garcia, 415-551-2075, [email protected].

Diva Thelma Houston Returns to Teatro ZinZanni for 10th Anniversary Season Through May 16, 2010

Disco diva and Grammy Award winner Thelma Houston will once again grace the Teatro ZinZanni fabled spiegeltent as the legendary hostess through May 16, 2010. She will appear in a new version of Hearts on Fire, a show that ran some 18 months ago to acclaim, and which will span the celebratory month of March, which marks Teatro ZinZanni’s 10th anniversary in San Francisco. Guests who attend the show in March will be able to join in the celebration and enjoy activities that will offer insight into the magic of Teatro ZinZanni. The show features an ensemble cast of world-class performers, generally headed by a marvelous “hostess,” ably assisted by a “chef de cuisine” who introduces each course and involves audience members in the action, while comedy and mayhem are supplied by acrobats, jugglers, comedians, singers, musicians, and others. The list of acclaimed performers has included celebrated singers Joan Baez, Sally Kellerman, Liliane Montevecchi, Maria Muldaur, Melba Moore, Ann Wilson, among others. For information visit www.zinzanni.org or call 415-438-2668. Media contact: Brenda Hughes, 415-244-9770, [email protected].

FAMILY NEWS


Crissy Field Center Relocates to New Site in Presidio of San Francisco

On February 6, 2010 the Crissy Field Center, a nonprofit, multicultural urban environmental center, hosted a grand “gREen opening” celebration at its new location 1199 East Beach Dr., off Old Mason St. at the easternmost edge of Crissy Field in the Presidio of San Francisco. For the duration of the Doyle Drive/Presidio Parkway reconstruction project, the Center will be housed in one of the “greenest” park-based buildings — a 7,200-square-foot modular “smart” building created by San Francisco-based Project FROG (Flexible Response to Ongoing Growth) — which is currently on track for LEED Gold status.

Since 2001, the Center — a partnership of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the National Park Service and the Presidio Trust — has served more than 750,000 visitors and developed strong partnerships with schools and community-based organizations which have made it an internationally-recognized model for reaching urban youth and others who historically have not visited national parks. Additionally, the Center offers a variety of public programs from classes and workshops to ranger-led walks, summer camps and special events, as well as the Beach Hut café, which is open seven days a week and features new menu items made with fresh and local ingredients. All proceeds from café sales support the Center’s programs.

For more information visit www.crissyfield.org or call 415-561-7690. Media contact: David Shaw, 415-561-3064, [email protected].

Car Free Sunday Streets Returns to San Francisco March 14, 2010

Sunday Streets, a series of car free Sundays featuring recreation and entertainment on normally busy thoroughfares, has proven to be so popular that it will now be a tradition in San Francisco. “We introduced Sunday Streets in 2008 as an incentive for San Franciscans to become more active and healthy, and experience the diverse communities within our city,” said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. “The people of San Francisco have shown great support, and we are proud to expand the number and duration of Sunday Streets events in 2010, and add at least one regular car-free recreational space.” The 2010 Sunday Streets season will feature nine dates, longer hours (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and extend into new communities, in addition to the return of the popular routes in the Fisherman's Wharf/Embarcadero, Bayview, Mission and Outer Sunset/Great Highway neighborhoods. Proposed dates and locations include:

    * March 14: Embarcadero, starting at Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39, south to China Basin and Terry Francois Boulevard
    * April 11: Great Highway, coinciding with World Health Day's “1,000 Cities, 1,000 Lives” international event, as one of thousands of cities hosting simultaneous car-free events worldwide
    * April 18: Bayview, along Third St. from King and Fourth streets near the Cal train      Station to Bayview Playground
    * May 23: Bayview, in conjunction with the Third Street Corridor Project and Bayview Merchant’s Association’s “Third Street Festival”
    * June 20: Mission St., along Valencia and 24th streets
    * July 11: Mission St., (exact location to be determined)
    * Aug. 22: Great Highway/Golden Gate Park


Two additional locations have been added:

    * Sept. 19: Western Addition, exact location to be determined
    * Oct. 24: Civic Center/Tenderloin, exact location to be determined


In addition Mayor Newsom and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will introduce a pilot project in one or more neighborhoods to host car-free recreation opportunities on a weekly or monthly basis, similar to the Sunday closure of JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park. For information visit www.SundayStreetsSF.com. Media contact: Mayor's Office of Communications, 415-554-6131.

SPORTS


Tri-California Launches The San Francisco Triathlon at Alcatraz Aug. 29, 2010

On Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010, 1,800 swimmers, bikers and runners will christen the inaugural Tri-California San Francisco Triathlon at Alcatraz. The new event will become part of the Tri-California Race Series that also includes the San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island on July 9-11, 2010. As with many race events in San Francisco, the course is not only strenuous but also scenic. The 1.2-mile swim begins with a jump from a ferry into the bay near Alcatraz and ends at Marina Green; the 25-mile bike course travels over the hills of San Francisco, along the shoreline with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Legion of Honor and Pacific Coast. The subsequent 7.5-mile run goes along the Embarcadero to Fort Mason and under the Golden Gate Bridge. To register or for information visit www.tricalifornia.com. Media contact: Meredith Rich, 805-239-8225, ext. 203, [email protected].

EVENTS

SFJAZZ Spring Season Includes Artists Keith Jarrett, Bobby McFerrin, Booker T., Pharoah Sanders, Al di Meola’s World Sinfonia and Others Performing Feb. 19-June 12, 2010

Some of the most illustrious names in jazz, world and related music have been announced for the 11th annual SFJAZZ spring season, Feb. 19-June 12, 2010. Artists include: Keith Jarrett, Bobby McFerrin, Kurt Elling with The Count Basie Orchestra, Booker T., Pharoah Sanders, SFJAZZ Collective, Marcus Miller, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Al di Meola’s World Sinfonia and others. The lineup is one of the most diverse in recent memory. “In some of the groups we present at SFJAZZ, literally every person on stage is from a different country. Yet they perform together as one, whether playing a melody in unison or creating complex sonic textures for layered improvisation,” noted Randall Kline, executive artistic director of SFJAZZ. Concert venues range from Grace Cathedral to Davies Symphony Hall. For information visit www.sfjazz.org or call 866-920-JAZZ (5299). Media contact: Marshall Lamm, 510-928-1410, [email protected].

San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival Unreels March 11-21, 2010
The 28th annual San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF), which showcases the best Asian and Asian American films from around the globe, takes place March 11-21, 2010, in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose. The 2010 SFIAAFF will again feature a dynamic and forward-looking selection of the best in new Asian and Asian American cinema. Ranging from locally produced documentaries to Asian blockbusters that have been lauded on the international film festival circuit, the Festival's program is the largest showcase of its kind in the world. The SFIAAFF is a presentation of the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM). The Festival expects to host 200 industry guests and filmmakers this year to present their films. This year's SFIAAFF features a special focus on Filipino and Filipino American cinema and media. The SFIAAFF will also present the world premiere of Deann Borshay Liem's new feature documentary “In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee.” A case of mistaken identity serves as a springboard for exploring the complex questions involving international trans-racial adoptions. Festival favorite Quentin Lee returns with his sex comedy “The People I’ve Slept With,” in which the promiscuous Angela (Karina Anna Cheung) gets pregnant and needs to find the father posthaste. For information or tickets visit www.asianamericanmedia.org. Media contact: Larsen Associates, 415-957-1205, [email protected].

How Sweet It Is! SF Chocolate Salon returns for Fourth Year March 20, 2010

The fourth annual San Francisco International Chocolate Salon, March 20, 2010, will be the largest indoor premium chocolate event in North America, with more than 70 participants in over 50,000 square feet. Organized by TasteTV, the all-day Salon takes place at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, Marina Boulevard and Buchanan St. The premier chocolate show on the West Coast, it features artisan, gourmet and premium chocolate and confections. New additions to the event include two competitions: Chocolate Chef and TasteTV Wine Competition, as well as chocolate tasting; demonstrations; new product launches and flavor combinations; fair trade and organic offerings; chef and author talks; wine pairings; a live chocolate body frosting demonstration; ongoing interviews by TasteTV's Chocolate Television program, and book signings. For information visit www.SFChocolateSalon.com. Media contact: Gary Carr/Rising Moon, [email protected].

Celebrate Japanese American Culture at Northern California

Cherry Blossom Festival April 10-11 and 17-18, 2010

San Francisco’s colorful Japanese quarter will burst into full bloom on the weekends of April 10-11 and 17-18, 2010, when members of Northern California’s Japanese American community gather to celebrate their 43rd annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Each year, more than 200,000 people attend this dazzling tribute to the color and grace of the Japanese culture and the diversity of the Japanese American community. The event spans two weekends and climaxes with a grand parade on Sunday, April 18. Leave time to explore the oldest Japantown in the United States, roam the food bazaar, and enjoy traditional arts and crafts and the children’s village. Entertainment stages feature Japanese dancers, martial artists and taiko drummers. For more information, visit www.nccbf.org or call 415-567-4573; a full schedule of events will be available in February 2010. Media contact: Jeffrey Kimoto, 408-998-0920, [email protected].

Presidio Heights Mansion Site for San Francisco Decorator Showcase May 1-31, 2010

The West Coast’s most prominent and emerging interior and landscape designers will soon converge on 3450 Washington St. in San Francisco’s Presidio Heights to transform a circa 1930s mansion into the 2010 San Francisco Decorator Showcase. Now in its 33rd year, the San Francisco Decorator Showcase will run from May 1-31, 2010. The home is open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays, and closed on Mondays (except for Memorial Day). Tickets are available at the door and are $30 for general admission and $25 for seniors. Group rates are available and must be arranged in advance by calling 415-447-3115.  For information visit www.decoratorshowcase.org. Media contacts:  Grier Mathews, 415-246-4054, [email protected] or Denise Lamott, 415-381-8793, [email protected].

Fatal Attraction: Chomp 2! Return of the Carnivorous Plants May 7-Oct. 31, 2010

San Francisco¹s Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park “regurgitates” its popular carnivorous plant exhibition to become a garden of deadly delights May 7-Oct. 31, 2010. “Chomp2! Return of the Carnivorous Plants” once again immerses visitors in a swampy paradise for meat-eating plants like the statuesque white trumpets of the American Southeast, the sinister pitcher plants of Borneo and the glistening sundews of South Africa. Visitors also get a bug¹s eye view of a few of these peckish plants to investigate the wide range of trapping strategies such as the famous spring trap of the Venus flytrap, pitfall traps, flypaper traps and even suction traps. Family-oriented investigation stations with magnifying lenses and a special scavenger hunt activity help children to learn why and how these plants capture prey to get their nutritional needs met. For information visit www.conservatoryofflowers.org or call 415-831-2090. Media contact: Nina Sazevich, 415-752-2483, [email protected].

International Fine Art Fair Premieres at San Francisco’s Fort Mason May 21-23, 2010

In May 2010 San Francisco will welcome the city's first international Fine Art Fair in nearly a decade. This first edition of the SF Fine Art Fair, taking place May 21-23, 2010 at Fort Mason's Festival Pavilion, will feature approximately 70 internationally renowned galleries, displaying more than $300 million in modern and contemporary artwork by more than 500 artists. From modern masters to important contemporary offerings, visitors to the SF Fine Art Fair (SFFAF) will experience a full weekend of artistic excellence in a 50,000-square-foot setting designed to accentuate and highlight a spectacular selection of paintings, works on paper, drawings, printed editions, photography and sculpture (both indoors and outdoors) by the world's leading artists. In addition to traditional gallery-curated booths, the SF Fine Arts Fair will feature LIFT, a series of gallery-sponsored solo artist booths focused on highlighting some of the best new talents and trends in contemporary art. Fair attendees will also have the opportunity to experience another form of up-and-coming via Distillers Liquid Art, a series of eight bars that will be set-up throughout the exhibition space serving samplings from some of America's top artisanal distilleries. For information visit http://www.sffineartfair.com/san-francisco-fine-art-fair.php. Media contact: Wendy Norris, Norris Communications, 415-307-3853, [email protected].

San Francisco Symphony’s 2010 Black & White Ball Features Grammy

Award-Winning Recording Artists Tony Bennett and k.d. lang May 22, 2010

Grammy Award-winning recording artists Tony Bennett and k.d. lang will headline the San Francisco Symphony’s 2010 Black & White Ball on Saturday, May 22, 2010. Performing in a concert that will include duets as well as individual performances at Davies Symphony Hall at 8 p.m.  R&B legends Kool & The Gang will headline the post-concert party at San Francisco’s War Memorial Performing Arts Center, which will be transformed into one of the country’s most elegant party venues, featuring 10 bands on five stages, live music, dancing, food, drinks and the rollicking midnight surprise. All proceeds from the evening will support the Symphony’s nationally acclaimed Adventures in Music education program, which provides comprehensive music education in San Francisco public elementary schools. For information and information on ticket availability visit www.sfsymphony.org/ball or call 415-864-6000. Media contact: Colleen Gallagher, Glodow Nead Communications, 415-394-6500, [email protected] or Oliver Theil, SFS Communications, 415-503-5426, [email protected].

RESTAURANTS & NIGHTCLUBS

54 Mint Ristorante

16 Mint Plaza, 415-543-5100, www.54mint.com

Neighborhood: Union Square

Media Contact: Claudio Ricciolini, [email protected], 415-543-5100

Located near San Francisco’s historic Old Mint, 54 Mint Ristorante specializes in classic Italian cooking. Owners Alberto Avalle and Claudio Ricciolini advocate for simplicity on the menu and many of the dishes are just like Nonna used to make: homemade pastas, bread and cakes backed up by an ample section of antipasti, main course dishes and charcuterie. An outdoor patio overlooks Mint Plaza located off of San Francisco’s Fifth St. And diners who find themselves craving more of the ingredients (salt, vinegar, salt, salumeria, cheese and pasta) that are used in 54 Mint Ristorante’s kitchen may ask their server to prepare an order to take home or call ahead for a special gift basket. Opened May 2009.

Trademark

56 Belden Place, 415-397-8800, www.TrademarkSF.com

Neighborhood: Financial District

Media contact: Lauren Englehardt, [email protected], 415-533-0041

Trademark offers contemporary comfort food and classic cocktails in the heart of San Francisco's Financial District. Executive Chef Jerry Mendoza utilizes seasonal organic produce, and high-quality ingredients to highlight American classics. Ideal for business lunches, after work bites & sips, or dinner and drinks, Trademark is a stylish addition to Belden Lane's charming Old World atmosphere. Opened July 2009.

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

LAN Peru Announces Service from SFO to Peru Beginning July 1, 2010

Beginning July 1, 2010 LAN Peru, an affiliate of LAN Airlines, will initiate operations from San Francisco to South America, offering the only non-stop service from San Francisco to South America.  The company will offer four flights per week to Lima on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. LAN Peru’s new service to Lima will offer passengers connections to multiple destinations in the region including Sao Paulo, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Santiago, Chile. San Francisco will become LAN Airlines and its affiliates’ fourth U.S. gateway, in addition to New York, Los Angeles and Miami.

Arrivals and Departures: Upcoming New Airlines and Routes at SFO

SFO recently announced that Air Berlin will offer twice weekly non-stop service from San Francisco to Düsseldorf beginning in May 2010, with round-trip fares as low as $805. Germany’s second largest airline, Air Berlin has one of the newest fleets in Europe.