Described as a “smaller version of the Folsom Street Fair,” which is true, it’s really known for being a more filthy one. So, if you’re not afraid of seeing unsheathed genitalia, possible bodily fluid sightings, and can handle a good amount of sunlight, go on and help this esteemed SF institution by volunteering.

And who knows? You might even meet Mr. Right or Mr. Right now. Available shifts and contact information are as follows:

Available Shifts:

- Set-up: 6 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
- Set-up: 6 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
- Security: 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Gates: 3 p.m.-6 p.m.
- Volunteer Tent: 1:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
- Recycle: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Recycle: 3 p.m.-7 p.m.
- Breakdown: 5:30 p.m.- 9 p.m.
- Breakdown: 5:30 p.m.- 9 p.m.
- Breakdown: 5:30 p.m.- 9 p.m.

Call 415-861-1404 or visit Frameline for more information.

Garden of Deadly Delights
Head over to the Conservatory of Flowers to feast your eyes on a greenhouse full of carnivorous plants! Chomp! opens today and runs through Nov 4.

The Red Party
A socialist themed party with Cold War decor set to minimalist funky house music? We don't even know what that means, but we're there! May Day Party at 1015 with SF's own Mike Relm and Evil 9 on the turntables. Buy tickets before 7pm tonight and only pay $15 cover. 1015 Folsom, SF.

Saturday, May 5
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style!
Wine Auction
Get your booze on before hitting the streets to party at The 31st Annual Wine Auction at the Westin St. Francis. Come for the opportunity to bid on 75 silent auction items and 50 live auction items with prices ranging from $100 to $75,000. Fancy! Black tie affair starts at 7:30, with a three-course dinner by Michael Mina.
Wine Auction, 335 Powell Street

Alternate Soundtrack City Tours
Cinco de Mayo @ SoEX Bring your boom boxes (or rent one!) and enjoy the sights and sounds of the Cinco De Mayo festival with a musical soundtrack from local musicians as you follow a map that helps you explore the many ways that the Mission celebrates its Mexican and Latino heritage. Southern
Exposure, 2901 Mission St. @ 25th Street, SF.

Sunday, May 6
How Weird!
Dig out your fur boots, sequined top and hot pink hair extension for this year's How Weird Street Faire! And feel good while you get down -- all seven dance stages will be run on bio-diesel this year and the faire will be almost zero waste! This year's event runs from 11 am to
5, so get there early. How Weird, Howard Street, between 11th and 12th Streets.

By SFist Jenna

3.... 2.... 1.... blast off!

Yuri's Night at NASA's Ames Research Center is a science-sound-music-art shindig that sounds fun and interesting. Hosed by Keynote Speaker (and hottie!) Anoushe Ansari, the first privately funded femme space explorer. There's demos, organic food and drink, robots, and interactive art, yo. This World Space Party is one of 90 events in 30 countries, and celebrates Yuri Gagarin, who was only 27 when he was the first human to orbit the Earth in 1961. Advance tickets are $30 or $200 if you want to be a fancy VIP. 18 and over. 6:30 p.m.

Rather stay in EssEff? Go hear what Stephen Elliot and Gravity Goldberg have to say at Modern Times Bookstore on 888 Valencia Street. We've wondered to ourselves if Elliot's provocative and at times sexual writing makes him the recipient of people's secrets and fantasies. Is that just us? One thing is for sure: he keeps the company of stunning young women. Starts at 7:30, free. Buy a book or two while you're there!

Replace Minas Morgul with the Moscone Center, the Witch King with Kevin Smith, and put a "d" in front of "orcs," and you've got WonderCon 2006. It's coming this weekend, and you can almost smell the protective plastic bags and acne medication in the air.

San Francisco's comics and science fiction convention is growing to the point where it rivals San Diego's Comic-Con, which means we locals can experience the full majesty of grown men in Jedi, stormtrooper, and Wonder Woman costumes without having to deal with hours of travel or the hassle of finding a hotel room.

The guest list this year includes Frank Miller to talk about and his previous comics work, and J.J. Abrams and Bryan Singer to talk about Mission: Impossible 3 and Superman Returns, respectively.

We know that the real highlights are seeing a guy dressed as Spider-Man talking to a guy dressed as one of the Rohirrim in front of a string quartet playing theme songs from anime series. The Folsom Street Fair may think they've cornered the market on social outcasts finally free to find acceptance and solidarity among their peers, but that's nothing compared to a comic book convention.

As for us, we're digging through our long boxes, so to speak, to see if we can get Mike Mignola to sign our copy of The Amazing Screw-On Head. This is gonna be so rad.

Forget the four-foot rollers at Ocean Beach, the stylish left-break splendor of Fort Point, or even the creepy minefield of Potato Patch, when it comes to surfing, there is one place in the Bay Area that gets the entire world's attention: Mavericks.

Mavericks break is undeniably one of the most incredible surf spots on the planet, as described by Swell.com: "One of the seven natural wonders of the world, a phenomenon somewhere between Tommy Lee's manhood and Angel Falls, Mavericks is that rarest of things: not just a perfect wave and not just a giant wave but a perfect, giant wave. It's rare when a person or place lives up to the hype, but Mavericks really does. To surf it or see it from the channel or the cliffs on a perfect, giant day is to be held in awe of one of the most amazing waves on Earth."

Majestic, powerful, terrifying, and deadly. In 1994, big-wave icon Mark Foo died while surfing Mavericks.

We'll admit it, we love "the Cut". Every time Tommy Hilfiger banishes another contestant by sniping "You're out of style", we hope and pray that the banishee will reply "and you're not?" Until that happens, how about making it a fashion fabulous weekend?

Friday hit the Space Gallery for the Off Academy Fashion Show, brought to you by Space Gallery and the Academy of Art University Fashion Department's BFA graduating class of 2005. While the 28 members of this class prepared designs for their final show, "all but six of these students were told by the event staff that their final designs 'just didn't work.'" Come and see these misunderstood and unappreciated designs finally see the light of day starting at 7 p.m. tonight, and remember that no one got Yohji Yamamoto at first, either.

Saturday starting at 8 p.m. we're Chillin yet again for 5 bucks gets you in the door at Mezzanine where you'll see the fruits of the labors of 60 fashion designers, 60 painters/photographers, and 60 Filmmakers. SFist Krissy will be one of said laborers, so be sure to stop by and say hello!