As the month of June approaches, a mix of cologne, sweat, joy, poppers, hair molding clay, meth clouds, mixed drinks, guilt and delicious tourism dollars will fill the air as the LGBT Pride Parade celebrates 40 years of homosexuality... and then some. To get a jump start on the festivities, be sure to clear your calendar this Saturday for the SF Pride's 40 & Fabulous Benefit 2010. Hosted by Tita Aida and Pollo del Mar.

Saturday night will feature music (care of the Lesbian Gay Chorus of San Francisco, DJs Robbie Martin and Edaj), mingling, a buffet dinner (if you must), buckets and buckets of booze (Smirnof Vodka for the gays and Bud Light for the sapphically-inclined), a live and silent auction, and more. Plus, the party will take place at the sleek Contemporary Jewish Museum, which is fitting since Jews and gays are the chocolate and peanut butter of minorities; they go together famously.

Sure, tickets are $65. It's a bit steep for some of you, perhaps. But, hey, it involves free dinner and drink, and you're sure to spend at least $65 on any given night at a tacky Castro bar, right? Right.

Get your tickets now.

What: SF Pride's 40 & Fabulous Benefit 2010
When: Saturday, May 15
Where: Contemporary Jewish Museum
How much: $65

by Rachel Brodsky

The age of Prohibition (1920-1933) was a relatively unsuccessful period in American history where the American government sought to ban all alcoholic beverages from being exported, imported or sold. And though the 20's are remembered for paving the way of the Jazz Age, Women's Suffrage and the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, the government's Prohibition of alcohol catalyzed a seedy underbelly of organized crime, speakeasies and liquor smuggling.

Although the massively unsuccessful Prohibition law was repealed years ago, the skulking nature of speakeasies has morphed into a trendier aspect of today's bar culture. SF's own Bourbon and Branch is known for its series of secret doors and sexy vintage appeal.

This Wednesday night, Bourbon & Branch owner Brian Sheehy joins with author and former owner of Pierre's, Dick Boyd and marijuana theorist/activist Michael Whitson at CounterPULSE to discuss the shared similarities of prohibitions past to the current marijuana legalization debate. Considering New Jersey's recent legalization of medical marijuana, not to mention California's herb victory today, this discussion is not to be missed.

What: Prohibition: Then and Now
Where: CounterPULSE
When: Wednesday, January 13 (7:30pm)
How Much: Free

Now that autumn is in the air, the Mission is too clammy and cold, the Avenues are too foggy, and the Marina is too the Marina. So, why not spend your Thursday night in the lovely, twinkly, high-rise building-y downtown area. It simply crackles at night. And it's chic. And it has a good mix of San Francisco ilk. And there's no better venue than 111 Minna, who will be hosting some of the city's best gastronomic sweet treats.

Starting at 7 p.m. at 111 Minna, Sugar Rush: A Benefit for Spark's Youth Apprenticeship Programs will feature desert tastings from such luminous eateries as Boulevard, Chez Panisse, Michael Mina, Range, Recchiuti Confections, Sibby's Cupcakery, and Humphry Slocombe.

Tickets range from $50 to $60, which is a total deal. In addition to the artisan sugar rush you'll feel at this place, you ticket price goes to Spark.

What is Spark? Well, it's billed as "the only program in the nation addressing the dropout crisis by re-engaging at-risk middle school students in their education with individualized, hands-on apprenticeships."

If you care about today's youth and/or the care of your sweet tooth, you will come to Sugar Rush.

What: Sugar Rush: A Benefit for Spark's Youth Apprenticeship Programs
Date: Tonight, November 12
Time: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Where: 111 Minna Gallery (at Second Street)
Tickets: $50 if purchased online or $60 at the door

Once more of a locals/dyke bar -- though "Mango" still keeps the ladies coming (and coming) in droves -- over the years El Rio has turned into a popular spot for the PRB-swilling set who flock there night after night to see choice local bands and DJs ease them into the wee hours of the morning. Tonight, El Rio 31 years of keeping the Mission alive and thumping. The place will get packed quickly, so you might want to head over there, like, now. Right now.

What's in store? Live performances by Judea Eden (who will sing a set of blues standards, including Etta James, Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday), Sang Matiz (South American, Caribbean, European), and Axton Kincaid. They've also got plenty of cheap booze for your sickly liver and heaps of tasty BBQ for your hungry mouth.

Half of tonight's bar proceeds will go to CUAV (Community United Against Violence, the nation’s first LGBTQQ anti-violence organization.) Be there.

What: El Rio's 31's Anniversary
When: Tonight
Where: 3158 Mission Street (at Precita), SF
Time: 8 p.m. (but you can head over there early to get your drink on.)
Cost: free

Do you like to eat meat? Are you one of those people who likes hearing about it, reading about it, learning about it, talking about it and ogling it? Then you might want to drop by the 18 Reasons Gallery on Thursday evening from 7-9 pm for a showing of Julio Duffoo's killer photo portraits in Meatpaper Magazine of people who work with meat.

And you can sign-up in advance for the evening's "Open Meat Mic," where you can present your own poem, song, story, display, or performance about meat, or just snack on the wines and house-made charcuterie provided by Bi-Rite Market.

And yes, in the open-hearted spirit that defines San Francisco, vegetarians and vegans are welcome, too.

Saturday's Great American Food and Music Festival looked like it had win written all over it: ' Guy Fieri, alpha-male grilling fanboy Bobby Flay! A16's Nate Appleman! Boulevard's Nancy Oakes! LA's Pink’s Hot Dogs!, Tony Luke's Cheesesteaks! Booze! Jazzy tunes! Sun!

However, according to the unfortunate folks who attended Saturday's food and easy-listening gathering at Shoreline Amphitheater (who vented about the long lines, lack of food, computer snafus, and drink ticket nonsense) the event was, well, a shitshow.

For example, there's this:

"Jeez! A class of pre-schoolers could have done a better job organizing this festival than the producers: Serious Eats and The Agency Group.. If this event had happened in Japan, the head organizers (that's you, SeriousEats.com!!!) would have already committed suicide, and that's with 4 hours still left in the event (not suggesting that the festival organizers need to take such drastic measures)."

And this:

"...this was a crazy bad event. (which i had been looking forward to since it was first blogged about on serious eats.) i have never had such an atrocious experience at any public venue previously -- and i mean never."

And another: