The San Francisco Citizen

2008’s Golden Gate Renaissance Faire was the place to be this past weekend in San Francisco. These shots from the jousting in 2007 show we were a little luckier with the weather last year, but there was a good turnout this go around as well.  

David Yu has a few shots here and they’re more coming in over the Flickr.

Except for the modern chain link fence and the ATM machine by the entrance, this is a pretty credible attempt to show what life was like back in the day.

Hang up the cell phone, it’s time for a “flower circle” ceremony:

Jousting practice:

A new horse this year:

See you next year.

All the meadow’s indeed a stage
And we are merely players
Performers and portrayers
Each anothers audience
Outside the gilded cage

This weekend, you need to get on over to Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park to check things out. Bonus: the Obama people will be the scene.

“On August 16 and 17, 2008, Speedway Meadow will be transformed to a delightful Elizabethan town filled with myriad characters and vignettes resembling those of Shakespeare’s plays we so dearly love. In addition, over 900 costumed entertainers and over 100 shopkeepers and artisans will add to the ambience of the Faire.

“This year’s theme for the Golden Gate Renaissance Faire is Shakespeare’s Muse. It’s the ultimate Renaissance bash, a lively Dionysian party, where the guests enjoy turkey legs, exotic food, and drink as they banter with the myriad performers filling the streets.

You are so there. Here’s a small discount coupon. And take a look here at years past. What it looked like last year:

Jousting is the highlight of the schedule. Click to expand:

A gay wedding from the time 500 years before Proposition 8:

Here come the horses:

Target practice.

Hyper local produce from the Cabrillo Safeway getting sliced and diced:

The victor:

See you there! 

Daily Events & Stage Schedules 

These and many more acts will be performing throughout both days.
    Parades & Street Scenes:
    Opening Parade    10:00
    Mayor’s/Merchants Parade    11:00
    The Danse Macabre    11:30
    The Queen’s Arrival/Progress    Noon
    The Danse Macabre    3:30
    Closing Parade    6:00 (Sat)/5:00 (Sun)

    Crafts, Demonstrations, & Activities:
    The Scavenger Hunt 12:00 & 3:00
    Shyre Woods Woodworking
    Clan Iain Abrach Spinning, Cooking
    Any many more occuring all around the faire throughout the day
    Tournaments & Competitions:
    St. Michaels/DEMAS    Rapier Tournament (Saturday)
    Longsword Tournament (Sunday)
    Clain Iain Abrach    Iron Skillet Competition (period cooking)
    The Tournament Arena:
11:15    Military Demo   
12:45    The Knights of Avalon   
3:30    The Knights of Avalon
4:30    Battle Pagaent
    Queen’s Stage    Village Stage    Gypsey’s Stage
10:30    Trey Cromwell: Danger Circus    Tobias the Adequate    Fowl Tales
11:15    Myth & Magic    Bella Donna Courtesans    Ottoman Traders 
Noon    Out of Kontrol    Belle Voci    Merrie Praynksters
12:45    Trey Cromwell: Danger Circus     Tobias the Adequate    Siamsa le Cheile
1:30    Myth & Magic    Bella Donna Courtesans    Fowl Tales
2:15    Out of Kontrol    Bella Voci     Merrie Praynksters
3:00    Trey Cromwell: Danger Circus     Tobias the Adequate    Ottoman Traders
3:45    Michael’s Songs & Tales     Bella Donna Courtesans    Siamsa le Cheile
4:30    Myth & Magic    Bella Voci    Fowl Tales
5:15    Out of Kontrol    Michael’s Songs & Tales

Yesterday’s Haight Ashbury Street Fair in San Francisco came with sunny skies and lots of attendees.

The alcohol ban of recent years has changed the character of this event somewhat. These days, the boozy Union Street Festival might have an edge in the number of inebriated. No matter, a good time was had by all in the Haight.

So, dig the colors of David Yu and look at a bunch of photos from SFWeekly. 

A mass of humanity:

 Could this man with marijuana garland be famous artist Harry Shearer trying out a new character?  

Hookahs! Get your hookahs! Hookahs.com was in the house:

A dancing baby grooving on Haight Street:

Cindy Sheehan had more than a few acolytes gathering signatures for Cindy’s windmill-tilting House campaign against Nancy Pelosi:

See you next year!

Be careful when attending the alcohol-free (really?) Haight Ashbury Street Fair today, as parole agents are on the scene. That’s not too crunchy.

Cheese it, the cops!

This photo in no way shows the humongousness of the 2008 Union Street Festival (aka Eco-Urban Festival) in San Francisco.

Be sure to check out the ginourmous house party at 1760 Union - it’s huge. Here’s the back entrance on Filbert.  

These four kids from the south bay are shotgunning together in the backyard of the house party. Movie maven James Lipton is an idol to all bay area youth, so of course they love to emulate his naughty behavior.

The beer gardens are filling up, the sun is shining, and the Republican Party is recruiting (srsly, at Webster Street), so what’s holding you back?

See you there!

All the participants, after the jump

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The 9th Annual How Weird Street Faire yesterday.

Maybe sunglasses CAN get bigger. Here’s proof:

DJ BayBey, fresh from Ibiza, getting a ride to his next gig:

A couple more, after the jump.

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